When Sam Wilson took over as Captain America, he acquired a version of Wolverine’s Legendary Healing Factor that is perfect for his abilities.
While the charm of Captain America is that he pushes the limits of human potential without being truly “superhuman”, Marvel’s decision to give Sam Wilson a very specific version of WolverineHealing Factor was definitely the right choice.
In 2012 Captain America #25, Sam Wilson became Captain America, taking over the role after Steve Rogers was stripped of his power. With his Redwing Falcon, Sam has battled villains including Scarecrow and Baron Zemo, briefly leaving the Captain America title behind before returning to it recently (coinciding with his adoption of the role in the MCU.) A big difference between the cap from Steve Rogers and Sam Wilson is that Sam has a huge pair of mechanical wings. Unfortunately, unlike Captain America’s legendary shield, these wings can be broken.
It happens in Avengers: Rage of Ultron by Rick Remender, Jerome Opena, Pepe Larraz and Mark Morales. When Ultron returns to Earth with a vengeance, the Avengers rise against him, only to be confronted by robotic doubles from their classic roster. When Sam confronts a Scarlet Witch from Ultron, her powers shatter his wing, leaving him dependent on Spider-Man to escape. Sam manages to take possession of a weapon that can kill Ultron and is picked up by the Avengers Quinjet, only to then fly to safety on her own wings when the vehicle explodes. When Spider-Man wonders how Captain America’s wings work again, Sam confirms that they’re made of self-healing vibranium and have already healed Ultron’s damage.
While giving Sam Wilson’s wings a Wolverine-like healing factor is a drastic move for Captain America – who is often portrayed as a low-powered character who nonetheless follows gods and aliens – it’s the right move for the character. Sam’s wings being as unbreakable as his shield would make him overpowered as Cap, while having him repair his wings every time they are cut by a bad guy would take the fun out of his character design and signature flight. . On the other hand, having wings that can be damaged but heal over time is the perfect compromise. As Ultron’s Rage shows, Sam can be shot down by an enemy, struggle to escape them on foot, but then regain his flying abilities once it suits the story.
Wolverine’s healing is an iconic aspect of the mutant brawler, allowing him to be injured – often badly – and then re-enter the fray once it serves the story. Applying the same logic to Sam Wilson’s wings (but especially not his body, like Logan’s) is the smartest way to make Captain America’s flight abilities all the story calls for in the moment. Sure, Sam Wilsonthe wings being able to heal like Wolverine also addresses a long-standing “plot hole” often pointed out by fans – in a world where Captain America is friends with geniuses like Black Panther, Iron Man and Reed Richards, it makes sense that he wields technology a bit more advanced than an unbreakable disc.
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