Editing Captain America (section)

===Sidekicks and partners===
Captain America's first [[sidekick]] was [[Bucky Barnes]], introduced in ''Captain America Comics'' #1 as the teenaged "mascot" of Steve Rogers' regiment. He is made Captain America's partner in that same issue after accidentally discovering the character's secret identity.{{sfn|Rizzo|Licari|2021|p=15}} Joe Simon described Bucky's creation as being largely motivated by a need to give Captain America "someone to talk to" and avoid the overuse of dialogue delivered through [[internal monologue]], noting that "Bucky was brought in as a way of eliminating too many [[thought balloons]]."{{sfn|Dutter|1990|p=11}} Bucky was retroactively established as having been killed in the same accident that left Captain America frozen in suspended animation; the character remained deceased for many decades, contrasting the typically ephemeral nature of [[comic book death]]s,<ref name="StaysDead"/> until he returned in 2005 as the Winter Soldier. Initially introduced as a brainwashed assassin and antagonist to Captain America, Bucky's memories and personality were later restored, and he was re-established as an ally to Steve Rogers.{{sfn|Rizzo|Licari|2021|pp=148–150}} [[Rick Jones (character)|Rick Jones]] briefly assumed the role of Captain America's sidekick and the public identity of Bucky following Captain America's return to comics in the 1960s.<ref name="CASidekicks"/>{{sfn|Dowsett|2008|p=137}}

In 1969, [[Falcon (comics)|Sam Wilson]] was introduced as the superhero Falcon and later became Captain America's sidekick, making the characters the first interracial superhero duo in American comic books.{{sfn|Kaplan|2006|p=56}} Possessing the power to communicate with birds, Wilson is initially depicted as a former [[social worker]] living in [[Harlem]], though this identity is revealed to be the result of memories implanted by the Red Skull. He later receives a winged suit from the superhero [[Black Panther (character)|Black Panther]] that enables him to fly.{{sfn|Rizzo|Licari|2021|p=56}} Other characters who have served as Rogers' sidekick include [[Betsy Ross (character)|Golden Girl]] (Betsy Ross), [[Demolition Man (character)|Demolition Man]] (Dennis Dunphy), [[Jack Flag]] (Jack Harrison), and [[Free Spirit (comics)|Free Spirit]] (Cathy Webster).<ref name="CASidekicks"/><ref name="CBRSidekicks"/>