Top 10 Things You Missed in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier Episode 2

When fans found out a character named Karli Morgenthau would appear on the show, they suspected she was meant to be a new take on Karl Morgenthau, the original Flag-Smasher. The show played with this connection by the way they introduced her character. When Flag-Smasher first appeared in “Captain America Issue #312” he fought the titular hero. But the villain ultimately loses to the star-spangled man. Flag-Smasher leader Karli also fights a version of Cap only a few minutes after she’s introduced. But unlike her comic counterpart, she walks away from this battle victorious. Karli's triumph is both a nice twist on the original’s origins and confirmation that she’s a huge threat.

During the fight with the Flag-Smashers, John Walker uses a handgun to save his friend Lemar. His choice of weapon gave us a great call back to the first Captain America movie. While Steve used his shield heavily in that movie, he was firing his own pistol in several keyscenes. After he was unfrozen, he largely stopped using firearms in battle. A shield and the occasional hammer seemed to be his primary weapons of choice. Since we don't think Walker is worthy of Mjolnir quite yet, we think he’ll keep his firearm a little while longer. After all, carrying the pistol at the start of your career is sort of an unofficial Captain America tradition.

To say Bucky isn't happy with Walker being new Captain America would be an understatement. Shortly after they meet, the former Winter Soldier asks the new Captain America a very pointed question about grenades. Bucky’s question is another throwback to the first movie. Before Steve gained his abilities, he risked his life to save his fellow soldiers by throwing his body on top of a grenade. Fortunately, it was just a dummy grenade. But its false nature didn’t take away from how heroic and selfless Steve proved he was by jumping on top of it to save lives. Although Walker also has stories about grenades, they just don't sound as impressive as Steve’s encounter.

Steve Rogers has a bad habit of jumping out of planes when it isn't totally safe to do so. In the first film, he jumped out of a plane in a ridiculously dangerous area. During “Captain America Winter Soldier”, he doesn't even bother with a parachute when he exits his aircraft. We think Bucky heard these stories and wanted to imitate his old friend. In the episode's funniest scene, Barnes decides to jump from a plane with no chute. But unlike Captain America, he doesn't exactly land gracefully. We hope Bucky doesn’t take his crash landing too hard. Not everyone can recklessly jump from a plane like Steve.

After just appearing as a name in the credits, the Power Broker made a much bigger splash in the second episode by sending armed men after Karli. Since she got away, he may resort to another strategy to get back at her. We’ve previously mentioned that the Power Broker once gave Walker super abilities in the comics. But the villain didn’t stop there. The Power Broker also helped Lemar Hoskins, A.K.A. Battlestar, become super strong. In their current state, Hoskins and Walker could barely touch the Flag-Smashers who took the soldier super soldier serum. And the Power Broker wants to see Karli fall. Maybe he’s willing to give powers to Hoskins and Walker if they agree to take down Karli.

At the start of the second episode, Walker makes a big entrance while the Captain America Drum Corps plays an energetic song. The credits confirm they're playing the “Star-Spangled Man”. This song first appeared in the MCU during... you guessed it, Captain America’s first movie. We mainly heard the tune when Steve performed in front of various audiences. The show’s version is bigger, more bombastic, and feels more modern. It's a great metaphor for the passing of the Captain America mantle. Just like the drum corps had a different take on a familiar song, Walker will be a different take on the hero we know and love. Hopefully, we’ll grow to like him as much as we dig this new version of “Star Spangled Man”.

We heard Buckys’s newest nickname for the first time during “Infinity War”. But before he was called the White Wolf, that name belonged to a very different person. In the comics, a white man named Hunter survived a plane near Wakanda. The king took pity and treated Hunter like a son. But the rest of the citizens saw him as an outcast. After growing more bitter and brutal, Hunter was nicknamed the White Wolf and eventually attacked the Black Panther. Bucky was treated with kindness and respect in Wakanda. So instead of the White Wolf title being a bad omen, we think it’s a nickname he wears with pride as a sign of his love for the nation.

It may have sounded a little ridiculous when Hoskins introduced himself as Battlestar. But there’s an extremely good reason why he goes by that name. When walker became Captain America in the comics, he chose Hoskins to be his right-hand man. But there was a catch. Although Cap’s comic sidekick was previously called Bucky, that name has a history of being an extremely offensive term that was used to describe African-Americans, Hoskins eventually agrees to fight alongside the new cap as Battlestar. Is it a good superhero name? Or does it make him sound like a “Star Wars” character? That’s for you to decide. But no matter how you feel about Battlestar, it’s definitely 1000 times better than using a name with troubling implications.

Isaiah Bradley reveals many heartbreaking truths during his first appearance. One of the most tragic things he mentions is that he was sent to jail for thirty years after serving his country. In the comics, Bradley took a Captain America suit and shield to help him complete his final mission. When he returned home, he was given a life sentence for stealing the costume and ended up in solitary confinement for seventeen years. Bradley’s comic book story parallels Sam’s speech to Bucky about the consequences of stealing Cap’s shield. The comic version of Bradley and Sam were both just trying to help people. But in the end, they were both punished by the nation they had given so much to protect.

The young man who answers the door at the Bradley residence is listed on imdb as Eli Bradley. If that Eli is short for Elijah, then we may have met another future hero. There’s a comic storyline where Elijah takes up the mantle of Patriot and fights with the Young Avengers. Although he initially takes a mutant hormone to get stronger and faster, he gains permanent super soldier abilities after getting a blood transfusion from Isaiah. We’ve already met other potential young Avengers in the MCU like Cassie Lang, Billy, and Tommy. And traditional members like Kate Bishop’s Hawkeye will debut soon. If Eli Bradley follows in the steps of his comic book counterpart, he might become one of the founding members of the team.