Sam Wilson grew up in a tough Harlem neighborhood. His father, a minister, had been killed trying to stop a fight. Sam did his best to try and do the right thing, but his grief and anger eventually led him down a criminal path. He took on the name of "Snap" Wilson while working for the mob. After an assignment, on the way to Rio de Janeiro, Sam's plane crashed on a remote Caribbean island named Exile where the Red Skull and his henchmen were hiding out. The Red Skull sought to use Wilson as a pawn to attack Captain America (who was currently on the island) with. He used the Cosmic Cube to revert 'Snap' into Sam, and give him the ability to telepathically communicate with birds, especially a bird that Wilson had bought named Redwing. After their initial skirmish, Cap was able to shake Wilson of the Skull's programming. Together they defeated the Skull, and the Falcon became Cap's partner for a long time. The Falcon ultimately left as Cap's partner when he was named the leader of the SHIELD Super-Agents.

Later, as one of the few black superheroes active, he was drafted to join the Avengers by Henry Peter Gyrich to fill a quota. Resenting being a "token," he quit at the first opportunity. Later, again as the Falcon, Wilson received help from the Black Panther, who created a harness for Wilson, allowing him to fly. When Rogers briefly abandoned his Captain America identity, others attempted to take up the mantle, including a young man named Roscoe whom the Falcon mentored. When the Red Skull eventually killed Roscoe, Rogers again became Captain America. Then at another point, a Sentinel chased him believing him to be a mutant, but this was later debunked and the Sentinel is presumed to have been malfunctioning. Shortly following this incident he came across, fought and defeated the super villain named Electro.

The insane Scarlet Witch accidentally destabilized the Falcon's mind, pushing him back towards his "Snap" persona, and while he continued to work with Captain America, their relationship became strained, until, finally, Cap felt that he had no choice but to stop working with him. While Falcon argued, a man who the "new" Falcon had forced from his home to use as a safehouse shot Cap in the back (while aiming at Falcon). Thinking Cap dead, Falcon cleaned himself up and went after the so-called "Anti-Cap," who had been causing problems for them both. He helped Cap track down the Winter Soldier. He was the first to join with Captain America against the Superhuman Registration Act, and played a leadership role in the Secret Avengers. Following Captain America's assassination by the machinations of the Red Skull, the Falcon registered with the government and was made responsible for Harlem, although he remained in contact with the underground New Avengers.

Afterward, S.H.I.E.L.D. recruited the Falcon and agent Sharon Carter to investigate the Captain's assassination by locating the Winter Soldier and tracking down the Red Skull. After the resurrection of Steve Rogers, He later rejoined the Avengers in Tony Stark's initiative to expand the team's roster and become bigger.