The Falcon And The Winter Soldier introduced the island nation of Madripoor in its third episode. This fictional country has a long and complex history in Marvel Comics and a deep connection to a group of characters that haven't been available to the MCU until now: the X-Men. Now, the MCU is free to explore this interesting locale.
Madripoor has played a role big and small in X-Men affairs in the comics, lending to the possibility that some aspects of its history may play a role in the streaming series. If it doesn't, there is still much to discover about Madripoor and how it has depicted in the comics in the last thirty-plus years.
First Major X-Men Link In The MCU
The MCU often takes inspiration from the history of Marvel Comics, as WandaVision did from stories like House Of M. In Madripoor, The Falcon And The Winter Soldier is drawing on a key location deeply connected to the X-Men. Madripoor first appeared in New Mutants #32 in 1985. It then quickly played a major role in the past and present of Wolverine.
In both a run in Marvel Comics Presents in 1988 and the first Wolverine ongoing solo series, Madripoor was a key location as Logan moonlighted as 'Patch,' often working out of The Princess Bar. That bar was visible in Low Town as Sam, Bucky and Zemo sought out The Power Broker.
"Patch"
Wolverine has had a fair number of aliases in the comic books, thanks to his long history and complicated backstory. For a time in the 80s, he went by 'Patch.' This was his cover as he operated independently of the X-Men in foreign locales, in particular, Madripoor, where he hunted down a criminal warlord Roche.
Wolverine's identity came from the eye patch he wore during this period. He wore it because the X-Men were supposed to be dead to the world at large, sacrificed on live television in Dallas during The Fall of The Mutants crossover in the late 80s. During this period he sometimes wore an all-black costume with sleeveless arms.
High Town
Madripoor is a fictional island in Southeast Asia, modeled somewhat on the city of Singapore. Madripoor is divided into two very economically different halves: High Town and Low Town.
High Town is the center of commerce and is a modern city, with dense skyscrapers and every modern accouterment imaginable. In the comics, it's been portrayed as one of the centers for trade in the region, which lines up with how it appears in the show. Its modern neon skyline recalls that of Hong Kong from Godzilla Vs. Kong.
Low Town
Low Town is dramatically different. The impoverished part of the island is destitute, with many shacks and huts stacked right on top of each other in the shadow of the skyscrapers. A great deal of illegal and illicit activity goes on here, as was witnessed in the third episode of FATWS. It was once even a haven for pirates.
Among the many locales in Low Town is the Bronze Monkey, where Sam and Bucky went to find the Power Broker. This bar appeared in Captain America #363 when Steve Rogers travels to the island to rescue his friend and sometimes love interest, Diamondback.
Under HYDRA Control
There is little to no law in Madripoor, making it a magnet for criminal activity. The island is largely run by various criminal elements. One of them is HYDRA. Under the leadership of Viper, also known as Madame Hydra, they took over the island and used it as a base for their terrorist activities.
S.W.O.R.D. intervened, trying to topple HYDRA, as depicted in the 2009 Agents Of S.W.O.R.D. series. S.W.O.R.D. recently made its MCU debut in WandaVision, trying to dislodge Wanda from The Hex in Westview.
Madripoor Is Built On A Dragon
Another major criminal organization at work in Madripoor is The Hand. These mercenaries and highly trained martial artists have been major antagonists in the Marvel Universe since their debut in Daredevil #174 back in 1981. In Avengers World from 2014, they wake a giant dragon that Madripoor is actually built on.
This has some connection to another prominent dragon connected to The Hand. Manhattan is built on the fossilized bones of a dragon, as seen in the Netflix Marvel show The Defenders, in which The Hand was the primary villain.
Tarik Fayad
Madripoor is a hotbed for criminal activity but it's not without its heroes. One of them is Tarik Fayad. Fayad is the Defender Of Madripoor, a human man who became the superhero Horus with the power of the Coptic Staff. The staff was invested with magic energy.
Unfortunately, it didn't help Fayad much, as he was killed in the same issue he was introduced in (Agents Of S.H.I.E.L.D. #2 in 2016). There are other significant forces for good in Madripoor, including Tyger Tyger, a former revolutionary who has been the leader of the island.
The All-New X-Men
The legacy of the X-Men in Madripoor has continued into the present. In one instance, it was through a blast from their past. The "All-New" X-Men from the last ten years is actually the original five, Cyclops, Jean Grey, Iceman, Beast, and Angel, brought forward into their future.
They stay in Madripoor as Magneto tries to help them return to their proper time. While they do, they stay in Magneto's version of the X-Mansion, which FATWS may have given a subtle nod to in the latest episode of the series.
The First Meeting Of Captain America And Wolverine
Madripoor is key in one of the most monumental moments in Marvel Comics history - the first meeting of Wolverine and Captain America. Their introduction is shown to occur in Madripoor during World War II. This was depicted in Uncanny X-Men #268, by writer Chris Claremont and artist Jim Lee.
The two heroes come together to fight off The Hand and the Nazis both in a story that had ties to the present. The story also showcases Black Widow's efforts to uncover secrets about the latest iteration of the mysterious Hand organization.
The Raksha
Wolverine's legacy in Madripoor continues with the Raksha. The Raksha is a group of young mutant vigilantes operating on the island who were inspired by Wolverine when he was operating on the island as Patch.
The Raksha use extreme methods against their enemies in Madripoor, which have included the Hellfire Club. One of their number, Nightshade, briefly became an X-Man herself after the two teams crossed paths trying to take down criminals dealing in Mutant Growth Hormone.