The newest episode of The Falcon and the Winter Soldier brings twists, intrigue, and boat-fixing
action as the show hurtles toward its conclusion. And, of course, there's plenty of Easter eggs
for the attentive fan to catch. Here's what you might have missed in episode 5.
"Truth" definitely delivers on the surprise cameo front. While Walker is talking to his
wife Olivia in the courthouse after being stripped of his Captain America title, a mysterious
woman played by Julia Louis-Dreyfus approaches the duo. She forces herself between husband
and wife and begins to talk to Walker. Who is she?
"Contessa Valentina Allegra de Fontaine. I know it's hard, but I don't like to repeat
myself so you can just call me Val."
Val has a rich history in the comics, beginning with her first appearance in 1967's Strange
Tales #159. She is particularly known for her very close relationship with Nick Fury,
whom she meets while training as a S.H.I.E.L.D agent: Val wins Fury over by defeating him
in hand-to-hand combat. She moves up through the ranks, eventually becoming a leader at
S.H.I.E.L.D., although she's dabbled in villainy over the course of her long career. Whatever
her intentions are for Walker in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, we'll just have to
wait and see.
We first see the Raft in Captain America: Civil War: General Thaddeus Ross imprisons
some of our favorite heroes there for going "rogue." In the comics, however, the Raft
is generally known for housing supervillains.
Ayo mentions to Bucky that she'll be taking Zemo to the Raft, and we don't suspect he'll
lay low upon arrival. If Zemo's comics history is any indication, he might assemble the Thunderbolts
while at the Raft. First appearing in 1996's Incredible Hulk #449, the villainous group
is originally assembled by Zemo and disguises itself as a superhero team. Although Zemo
has nefarious plans for the group, they ultimately end up working as a force for good without
him, later being led by Hawkeye.
Before Ayo takes Zemo to the Raft, Bucky asks her for one last favor. He brings a very Wakandan-looking
briefcase with him to New Orleans, and, by the end of the episode, we're still not privy
to what's inside. We think we've got a pretty good guess, though: Some new gear, straight
from Wakanda.
Such a gift has a long history in the comics. Black Panther has designed a set of wings
for Falcon at two points: First in 1974's Captain America #170, and later in 2004's
Captain America and the Falcon #6. The first wings are detachable and fit with mini solar
panels. The second set of wings are much fancier, being made of "hard light" — basically,
they're holographic. Their wingspan can reach 50 feet and take on a multitude of shapes
and sizes, allowing Sam to customize the suit as needed on the fly. Coming from Wakanda,
the harness is also fit with vibranium, which can protect Sam from gunfire. They're controlled
mentally through a new helmet, which also offers infrared vision, advanced magnification,
and other such abilities.
While we're probably not going to see Sam sport 50-foot-long wings in the next episode,
the Wakandans' gift is almost certainly going to be a fancy upgrade compared to Sam's previous
wingsuit.
When Sam revisits Isaiah in Baltimore, the elderly super soldier briefly mentions his
wife. She died while he was in prison, and believed Isaiah to be dead. This story is
slightly different from the one told in the comics: There, Isaiah's wife, Faith Shabazz,
is instrumental in getting him out of prison. First appearing in 2003's Truth: Red, White
& Black #1, Faith marries Isaiah in 1940. Isaiah joins the Army shortly afterward, in
the wake of the Pearl Harbor attacks. The two conceive a child before he leaves, and
Faith gives birth to their daughter, Sarah Gail, while he is away. After Faith begs the
government to pardon Isaiah for years, Isaiah is finally released and sworn to secrecy about
his life's events.
Faith is also a grandmother to Eli Bradley, Sarah's son, who's appeared in The Falcon
and the Winter Soldier. In the comics, Eli, sometimes known as Patriot, is a founding
member of the Young Avengers, having gained superhuman strength through a blood transfusion
from his grandfather. Considering that other Young Avengers members like Ant-Man's daughter
Cassie and Wanda's twins Billy and Tommy have shown up in the MCU already, it could be a
sign that Eli's meant for bigger things going forward.
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