The Falcon And The Winter Soldier delivered a fantastic surprise cameo by Julia Louis-Dreyfuss in the fifth episode of the series, "Truth." Even better, Dreyfuss is playing The Contessa, Valentina Allegra de la Fontaine, a character from Marvel Comics with a rich history that could point to her future in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
The Contessa enters the MCU as a potential partner of John Walker, the recently sacked Captain America, but her connections to the Marvel Universe and several major characters in the MCU, some present in this series, indicate to longtime comic book readers of her screen potential.
Member Of S.H.I.E.L.D.
The Contessa debuted in Strange Tales #159 in August 1967 as part of iconic comic book writer and artist Jim Steranko's legendary run on the Nick Fury, Agent Of S.H.I.E.L.D. series.
She was an Italian woman who joined S.H.I.E.L.D. as a covert agent after the mysterious death of her parents. She didn't know it at the time, but both of her parents were actually members of the secretive organization Leviathan and were working against the forces of communism in Europe. She became a master of espionage and rose in the ranks of S.H.I.E.L.D. quickly.
Expert Fighter
The Contessa sped through S.H.I.E.L.D.'s training program and became an expert hand-to-hand combatant. She also became proficient in the use of a variety of weapons. Her skill in combat was on full display the first time she met Nick Fury, then an agent of the organization and who would go on to become a major figure in her life.
As she wound down her training program, Fury challenged her to a match testing her skills. Valentina impressed him and everyone else by throwing him clear across the room.
Romance With Nick Fury
The romance between Valentina and Nick Fury is the key relationship in the iconic Steranko run, which began as part of the Strange Tales series and then graduated to its own solo series, Nick Fury, Agent Of S.H.I.E.L.D. in 1966.
Though Valentina began as something of a Bond girl in the series, she was quickly established as Fury's equal. The two were constant companions after Fury's relationship with Laura Brown ended, and the pair's romance would leave an indelible mark on the history of comic books in America.
Comics Code Authority Controversy
Issue #2 of Nick Fury, Agent Of S.H.I.E.L.D. is perhaps the most important in the Steranko run for lots of reasons. It's another example of his cutting-edge art, but also proved very controversial. The original story as drawn by Steranko features a series of panels that were sexually suggestive for the era. The Comics Code Authority objected and forced Marvel to change it.
The concern had to do with a rotary telephone, which had been taken off the hook so no calls came in. The suggestion was the two wanted privacy, and Marvel ultimately relented, replacing the panel of the telephone with an image of Fury's gun in its holster.
Flirtation With Captain America
Valentina and Fury's relationship was strong and important in the comics, making it something fans would love to see in the upcoming Nick Fury streaming series now that she's part of the MCU. But as great as it was, it wasn't perfect.
When the two hit some choppy waters, Valentina struck up a flirtation with Captain America. The two had enough of a connection that it led to Fury and Steve Rogers, who was a member of S.H.I.E.L.D., falling out. Eventually, everyone patched up when Valentina and Fury got back together.
Leader Of The Femme Force
Despite her history, Valentina is a somewhat obscure character in connection to Captain America. Another obscure group of characters she's associated with is the Femme Force. This elite strikeforce of all-female agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. debuted in Captain America #144 back in 1971.
One of the first members and leaders of the team was Agent 13, Sharon Carter, who plays a major role in The Falcon And The Winter Soldier. The team didn't stick together long, with most of their adventures playing out in the 70s.
Role In Secret Invasion
It could be that Valentina plays a role as a character in the upcoming Secret Invasion MCU streaming series, as she did in the original comic book source material.
Valentina is revealed to be one of a large number of heroes and allies who are being impersonated by Skrull agents in the massive crossover event. Nick Fury figured this out and actually killed the Valentina imposter. The true Contessa was later found alive, held hostage with other Marvel heroes who had been switched by the invading Skrulls.
Madame Hydra
Valentina would flirt with evil more directly in the role of Madame Hydra, the leader of the entire HYDRA organization. But like with all of her other covert operations, it was all a ruse. She infiltrated the evil organization for the sole purpose of acquiring a powerful artifact from the Silver Samurai, the bodyguard of HYDRA agent Viper.
It's revealed that Valentina actually killed the original Madame Hydra to take her place. The result of her actions was open warfare between HYDRA and Leviathan, which sought to bring down HYDRA from within for many years.
The OXE Group
The Ultimate Comics alternate universe of Marvel Comics has inspired some elements of the MCU, in particular, the casting of Samuel L. Jackson as Nick Fury. It could again with Valentina. In the Earth-1610 universe that also birthed Miles Morales as Spider-Man, Valentina isn't an agent but the head of an international company called the OXE Group.
She's also part of a group of industrial multimillionaires called the Kratos Club, who seek to use their money and influence to shape the world they see fit. That could be more of her angle in the MCU given the very brief scene she's in with John Walker.
No Relationship With John Walker
Valentina's brief interaction with John Walker seems to tilt him toward becoming his eventual comic book alter ego, the U.S. Agent. Walker is constructing his own shield in the mid-credits scene of episode five, something he also does in the comics.
But in the original comics, Valentina and John Walker have no relationship whatsoever. The two don't appear to have ever met, at least on panel, and their stories were on very divergent paths through the last few decades in Marvel Comics.