Captain America reveals Falcon and Winter Soldier are far more than just sidekicks - as he reveals they truly inspire him!
This article contains spoilers for King in Black: Captain America #1 by Danny Lore, Mirko Colak, Stefano Landini, Roge Antonio, and Nico Leone.
Captain America just proved Falcon and Winter Soldier are far more than just sidekicks. Sam Wilson and Bucky Barnes may both have had their time wearing the stars and stripes, but in truth, the public generally thinks of them as mere sidekicks. Sam has even had cause to complain his codename is not "... and the Falcon."
The King in Black event has been pretty tough on Marvel's heroes. Knull, the god of the symbiotes, has conquered the Earth and consumed many of Earth's heroes with symbiotes. Even Captain America was unable to resist Knull's power and wound up bonded to one of Knull's symbiotes, with the ancient cosmic force drawing upon his tactical skills and knowledge of other heroes. In King in Black: Captain America #1, Steve Rogers is freed from Knull's influence and tries to act as a hero once again - only to learn it's not so easy to throw off the voice of Knull.
The one-shot proves once and for all that Falcon and Winter Soldier are far more than sidekicks. Everybody tends to focus on how Steve Rogers affects others, on the quality of his leadership and the inspiration of his example, but in King in Black: Captain America #1 Cap proves he needs inspiration just as much as anyone else. Even Captain America is not immune to self-doubt, and the trust of his friends is what gives him the confidence to overcome these moments of weakness and to keep going. There's an odd sense, then, in which Captain America's friendship with Falcon and Winter Soldier is symbiotic; he benefits as much as they do.
King in Black: Captain America #1 shows all three of the superheroes are well aware of how important they are to one another. Winter Soldier understands what it's like to be manipulated, to be under somebody else's control. Falcon, too, knows what it is like to lose any sense of self-identity, albeit in a less dramatic manner. Both are able to offer Steve the crucial support he needs to regain his confidence. "You think we don't know what it feels like to lose ourselves," Bucky asks Cap. Rogers learns that his friends still have faith in him when he is at his lowest ebb.
Freed from Knull and restored to friendship with Falcon and Winter Soldier, Steve Rogers regains his confidence and returns to the front lines of the battle against Knull. The King in Black may have thought he'd taken Captain America out of the equation - but he is mistaken.
