The Falcon and the Winter Soldier: What’s hidden in plain sight in episode 4?

The Fall of John Walker

Now we get to the most shocking, and bloodiest, moment of the episode: John Walker killing one of the Flag-Smashers. The final moments in which he, fueled by super soldier serum and revenge over the death of Lemar, brutally beats Nico (Noah Mills) with Cap’s own shield, is one of the most visceral, chilling, and memorable scenes of the series – one that will no doubt have lasting ramifications for the MCU. Yet as surprising as this was, it’s something comic fans should have expected because similar events happened to Walker in the comics, too.

Yes, Walker in the original comics did go on a murderous rampage to avenge the murder of someone he cared about. Only it was the assassination of Walker’s parents, not the death of Battlestar, that pushed him over the edge. Moreover, it was the direct result of having his secret identity revealed to the public, courtesy of two former partners from his military and wrestling days, Left-Winger and Right-Winger. His parents weren’t even killed by Flag-Smasher but by a different group of antigovernment radicals called the Watch Dogs.

Of course, the other big difference between the comics and The Falcon and the Winter Soldier is that the comics’ Walker already had a version of the Super Soldier Serum in his veins by the time he became the new Cap. Walker in the comics also believed himself to be a better, more relevant Cap than Steve Rogers until circumstances showed him otherwise.

Yet the series chose to depict Walker as someone desperate to prove themselves, someone guilt-ridden and psychologically damaged from his tours in combat. They chose to depict him as a highly decorated, highly-trained top-of-the-line soldier who realized he couldn’t do what he believed he needed to do in a world full of superheroes. And it’s no accident that Walker’s decision to take the super soldier serum has parallels to athletes taking anabolic steroids. The serum being analogous to steroids was also used in the comics.

The question is what happens to Walker now? In the comics, he voluntarily returns the shield and Cap uniform to Steve and becomes U.S. Agent. But since Steve isn’t around, will he be forced to give up the shield after him killing an unarmed and surrendered terrorist has likely been broadcast around the world? Or will he refuse to give it up, believing his actions, however brutal, were justified? We’ll have to wait and see as to how Sam gets the shield back from Walker. Because you know he will.

What clues, Easter Eggs, and bits of interest did you find in episode 4 of The Falcon and the Winter Soldier? Let us know below in the comments.