The falcon is an important character that appears in the 2022 superhero film Black Adam. Black Adam stars Dwayne Johnson as the titular character, an ancient Egyptian predecessor of Captain Marvel who is freed from imprisonment after 5,000 years.
The film co-stars Aldis Hodge as Hawkman, Noah Centineo as Atom Smasher, Quintessa Swindell as Cyclone, and Pierce Brosnan as Doctor Fate. These heroes make up the Justice Society of America, who clash with Black Adam as he pursues his own violent style of justice in the modern world.
So who exactly is the falcon that aids the Justice Society in their fight against Black Adam? Let’s take a closer look at this iconic DC comics character.
The Falcon’s Backstory in DC Comics
In the original DC comics, the Falcon is known as Red Hawk and is a superhero with ties to the Justice Society of America. Red Hawk’s real name is Charles Szasz and he possesses a special bond with birds of prey, especially falcons. His origins date back to the Old West in the late 1800s.
Red Hawk inherited a ranch in Wyoming that was home to a nest of falcons. He discovered he could mentally communicate with the falcons and command them to act as his eyes in the sky. Red Hawk honed this ability and crafted special shackles to house trained falcons that accompanied him on adventures.
He became an ally to early Western heroes like Nighthawk and scouted threats from above with his falcons. Red Hawk joined the Justice Society in the 1940s before later passing his mantle on to his nephew, Charlie Vicker.
The Falcon’s Portrayal in Black Adam
In Black Adam, the Falcon goes by the civilian name Max Burton and is portrayed by actor Noah Centineo. This represents a change from the comics, where the Falcon is an older Western hero.
In the film, Max Burton possesses telepathic abilities that allow him to summon, control, and see through the eyes of a trusty falcon sidekick named Socrates. Max can call Socrates to his location at any time and perceive what Socrates sees in real-time.
Together, Max and Socrates provide aerial reconnaissance for the Justice Society, scouting out trouble and gathering intel on Black Adam’s activities. Their aerial scouting proves crucial in several action scenes as the heroes pursue and attempt to contain the rampaging Black Adam.
While the Falcon plays a supporting role in the film, several key scenes showcase his telepathic link with Socrates and how their abilities complement the other heroes’ powers.
The Falcon’s Abilities and Role on the Justice Society
As portrayed in Black Adam, the Falcon has several superhuman abilities that make him a versatile member of the Justice Society lineup:
Telepathic Link with Falcons
The Falcon’s signature power is his telepathic command over birds of prey, especially falcons. In the film, he demonstrates a close bond with Socrates the falcon.
This telepathic link enables seamless communication and coordination with Socrates. When paired with Socrates, the Falcon can gain a unique aerial view of remote locations and keep an eye on threats from above.
Flight via Falcon
By seeing through Socrates’ eyes, the Falcon can experience the sensation of flight and view the world from the falcon’s perspective while airborne.
In effect, the Falcon piggybacks on Socrates’ flight and agility to take to the skies without wings or aircraft of his own. This allows both aerial pursuit and escape as needed.
Surveillance and Tracking
The Falcon capitalizes on Socrates’ keen predator senses for surveillance work, threat assessment, and tracking down targets. With Socrates scouting from the sky, very little can evade the Falcon’s notice.
Socrates provides eyewitness visuals of situations as they unfold, keeping the Falcon and Justice Society informed. The Falcon serves as overwatch and can cue Socrates to follow key targets.
Covert Ops and Infiltration
Socrates’ small size, maneuverability, and speed make him perfect for covert flying ops. The falcon can sneak close to targets, infiltrate secure locations, and access vantage points too small or dangerous for human heroes.
This enables the Falcon to provide covert intel other Justice Society members would be unable to gather safely on their own.
The Falcon’s Relationships with Other Heroes
As part of the Justice Society lineup, the Falcon crosses paths and interacts with several key DC heroes:
Hawkman
As fellow bird-themed heroes, Hawkman and the Falcon have an innate understanding and tendency to work well together. When paired up, Hawkman provides aerial muscle while the Falcon supplies speedy surveillance.
Their abilities mesh together, with Hawkman able to quickly act on intel gathered by the Falcon. Both also favor aerial action and pursuit of airborne threats.
Doctor Fate
Doctor Fate relies more on magical knowledge and sorcery compared to the Falcon’s psychic powers. However, Doctor Fate can magically boost the Falcon’s telepathic link to extend its range or precision when needed.
This allows the Falcon to maintain coordination with Socrates over greater distances or in tricky situations. In turn, the Falcon’s surveillance assists Fate in gathering information to fuel his magical spells and mystic arts.
Atom Smasher
Atom Smasher’s ability to grow to giant size contrasts with the Falcon’s more subtle methods. However, Atom Smasher benefits from the Falcon’s speedy threat detection and tracking abilities when engaging larger targets.
The Falcon supplys overhead intel to direct Atom Smasher’s super strength against foes in the most strategic way possible. Their abilities cover both finesse and force.
Cyclone
Cyclone manipulates wind forces, while the Falcon relies on the natural flight of birds. But both heroes have aerial capabilities that let them take the high ground together.
Cyclone can use wind gusts to assist Socrates in hitting top speed and maneuverability when scouting threats from the air. In return, the Falcon can direct Cyclone’s aim by identifying problem spots.
Signature Falcon Scenes in Black Adam
Several memorable scenes in Black Adam highlight the abilities and crimefighting tactics used by the Falcon:
Introducing Socrates
The audience meets the Falcon’s trusty telepathic falcon Socrates early on. When the Justice Society heroes gather, Socrates makes a dramatic entrance by swooping into the room to perch on the Falcon’s arm.
This immediately establishes the pairing and hints at the Falcon’s unique skillset.
Scouting Kahndaq Palace
When the heroes infiltrate the Kahndaq palace seeking Black Adam, the Falcon sends Socrates flying ahead to stealthily scout the layout and guard positions.
Through Socrates’ eyes, the Falcon discretely guides the team by tracking the movements of the forces protecting the palace.
remotely).
| Time | Location | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 9:00 am | Hall of Justice | Justice Society mission briefing |
| 11:00 am | Skies above Kahndaq | Falcon scouts palace defenses |
| 1:00 pm | Palace courtyard | Fight with palace guards |
| 3:00 pm | Throne room | Confrontation with Black Adam |
| 5:00 pm | Skies above city | Pursuing Black Adam |
Courtyard Battle
When the heroes battle the forces of Kahndaq in the palace courtyard, the Falcon takes to the skies with Socrates to gain an overhead view while calling out target locations to the team.
From above, the Falcon helps coordinate the Justice Society’s actions, warning of impending attacks and pointing out strategic positions to seize.
Final Battle
During the film’s climactic battle, the Falcon has Socrates tail Black Adam as he attempts to flee the city.
Feeding Socrates’ location updates to the pursuing Justice Society members allows them to catch up to Black Adam for a final showdown.
Conclusion
The Falcon brings a unique set of abilities to the Justice Society as portrayed in Black Adam. By telepathically teaming with his falcon Socrates, he acts as the eye in the sky for the team, providing aerial surveillance and tracking that complement the other heroes’ powers.
Both the film and comics showcase how the Falcon pairs psychic communication with a predator’s instincts to enable covert scouting, tracking, and overwatch of threats. This makes the Falcon a swift and stealthy ally in the Justice Society’s fight for justice.
So while the Falcon plays a supporting role, his reconnaissance capabilities prove crucial in countering formidable foes like Black Adam. The Falcon lives up to his codename, helping the Justice Society hunt down and neutralize dangerous targets. And thanks to his falcon partner Socrates, he can always take the high ground in any situation.
