The Falcon And The Winter Soldier is a very different show than WandaVision, but they do have one major thing in common. Just as WandaVision was inspired by comic book storylines like House Of M, FATWS owes a huge debt to many critical Marvel comic books from the last forty years.
Some of the storylines that the series draws on are well known among comic book readers, while others may be obscure even to them. The new show builds off the rich legacy of Captain America and his allies, the Falcon and Winter Soldier, much of which goes back to the very origins of superhero comic books.
Captain America No More
The bedrock of the Falcon And The Winter Soldier is built on a major storyline from Captain America comics in the mid-80s. "Captain America No More," playing out in nearly two years of comics beginning with Captain America #332, tells the story of how Steve Rogers becomes disillusioned with being a government operative and leaves behind the role of Cap.
He is then replaced by John Walker, who had recently been introduced as the villain Super-Patriot. Walker would be the new, much more violent Captain America until Steve Rogers returned to the role. The story was part of a legendary run on the title by writer Mark Gruenwald.
The Falcon And The Winter Soldier
The title of the series, and some of its ethos, comes from a recent Marvel Comic. The Falcon And The Winter Soldier ran in 2020, teaming Sam Wilson as the Falcon and Bucky Barnes as the Winter Soldier for the first time in their own comic. In the comic, the two team up to hunt down HYDRA operatives after an attempt on Bucky's life. The relationship between these two is much warmer, and substantively different, than in the MCU, where they continue to be antagonistic toward each other.
Civil War
The legacy of FATWS is as much the events of Avengers: Endgame as it is the story of Captain America: Civil War. As such, one of the major comic book storylines that informs this series is Civil War, the hugely consequential event from 2008. That story ended with Steve Rogers being assassinated by S.H.I.E.L.D. agent Sharon Carter (who was under the influence of supervillain Dr. Faustus) and Bucky taking over for Captain America. Though Bucky isn't Cap in the MCU, it remains at the very least a possibility given his stated intent to take the shield back from John Walker.
The Flag-Smasher
Another '80s storyline from the Captain America comics that plays a huge role in the series is the saga of the Flag-Smasher. The original Flag-Smasher, Karl Morgenthau, debuted in Captain America #312, also written by Mark Gruenwald and drawn by Paul Neary. He was different from Karli Morgenthau and the Flag Smashers from the streaming series.
Karl Morgenthau sought an end to nationalism like his MCU counterpart but was also a cynical terrorist who sought to disrupt the world in large-scale attacks. He was the leader of an international organization called ULTIMATUM which remains active in some capacity to this day.
All-New Captain America
One of the most significant storylines from the comics likely to play a key role in the series' outcome is All-New Captain America. This 2015 comic sees Sam Wilson become one of the most important versions of Captain America after Steve Rogers loses the Super-Soldier Serum and ages rapidly. This series, and its successor, Sam Wilson: Captain America, deals with a lot of the resistance and animus toward Sam in taking on the role. He is much less reluctant in the comics though and doesn't initially turn down the opportunity.
The Super-Patriot
John Walker is Captain America at the moment in the MCU, but he could potentially become one of his other personas from the comics, the Super-Patriot. Walker debuted in Captain America #323 as a figure who publically questioned the United States and Steve Rogers. Walker was revealed to be a wrestler for the Unlimited Class Wrestling Federation and staging the demonstrations.
He was a product of The Power Broker, getting his super strength through illicit means. That's still possible in the MCU given the structure of the series, as is his eventually becoming his post-Captain America comics alter-ego, the U.S. Agent.
The Captain
Another character who received his enhanced strength and stamina from The Power Broker in the comics and may in the MCU is Lemar Hoskins, Battlestar. Hoskins was initially an alternate version of Bucky before claiming his own superhero identity. Hoskins loses his powers after being captured by The Power Broker in Captain America #372, but over the course of the next several issues, regains them and rejoins his former partner the U.S. Agent in taking down the Power Broker and his network.
The Thunderbolts
The Thunderbolts, a major comic book from the '90s, could be at play in the series thanks to the presence of Baron Zemo. The MCU version has become much more aligned with his comic book counterpart, inheriting a title and wealth from his father. That could mean the Thunderbolts aren't far off in the MCU's future.
Zemo and his supervillain team the Masters Of Evil masqueraded as the Thunderbolts after the apparent deaths of the Avengers and the Fantastic Four at the end of the Onslaught event. Given how much FATWS plays with the truth and appearances, Zemo forming a superhero team who are really villains makes sense.
Tragedy Of The Wilsons
Sarah Wilson, Sam's sister, plays a small but key role in both the comics and now the MCU. Her few appearances in the comics over the last several decades, going back to her debut in Captain America #134 in 1971, provide much of the family life and history that the streaming series builds on. Their past differs in big ways from the comics, though. In the comics, the Wilsons are from Harlem, whereas in the MCU they're from Louisana. Another major Sarah Wilson storyline occurs in Captain America #275 when Sam is running for Congress.
Truth: Red, White, And Black
A major comic book series that plays a critical role in the series is Truth: Red, White, And Black. This 2003 mini-series, by the creative team of writer Robert Morales, artist Kyle Baker, and editor Axel Alonso, established the existence of Isaiah Bradley, who had also been Captain America during World War II. Bradley's history was hidden in the comics and it has been in the MCU, echoing painful events from history to tell a sad but important story about the contributions of Black Americans not just to the war effort but American history.