Hawkeye

Hawkeye is one of the core, historical Avengers. He led several versions of the group. This experience then allowed him to lead other super-teams.

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Background

Powers and Abilities

Hawkeye is an athletic archer, acrobat and hand-to-hand combatant. His archery skill borders on the superhuman. He routinely pulls off near-impossible stunts, such as ricocheting arrows several times to hit an opponent straight behind him.

His daily training routine has granted him huge muscles along a very high speed, dexterity and acrobatic prowess.

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Although it goes against his flamboyant image, Hawkeye is unusually intelligent and sharp. He occasionally manages to defeat opponents who are far superior to him, by tricking them. He’s also a smooth talker. Being the builder of his own bows and arrows, he has mechanical and electrical skills, which are surprisingly good.

As a non-powered hero, he’s also an able pilot, driver, sneaker, and lock-pick. Hawkeye’s leadership abilities are very developed and good.

The only trace of superhuman abilities that he has, besides his skill in archery, is his ability to resist sonic attacks (derived from his near-deafness) and his extremely keen eyesight.

History

Circus Life

Born in Waverly, Iowa, Clint Barton was young when he lost his parents to a car accident. Discontent with orphanage life, Clint and his brother Barney ran away and joined the Carson Carnival of Travelling Wonders. Becoming assistant to the Swordsman, Clint learned archery from Trick Shot, and proved naturally gifted at it.

When Clint stumbled across the Swordsman stealing money from the carnival, he resisted his mentor’s offer of a bribe. Fleeing, Clint fell from a high wire, and Swordsman left him for dead. Clint survived, but was shaken by the betrayal, and fell into assisting Trick Shot with petty crimes.

When one turned out to be less than petty, as Trick Shot had been hired to kill someone, Clint rebelled. Learning Barney was also involved, Clint turned his back on both of them.

Continuing his training, Clint eventually became Hawkeye, the World’s Greatest Marksman, becoming star attraction at Tiboldt’s Circus, and then the Coney Island Circus.

Hawkeye

After seeing Iron Man in action, Hawkeye was inspired to become a costumed hero. His first outing didn’t go well, as his attempt to halt a theft ended up with him being suspected. Forced to run, he soon encountered the Black Widow, and fell in love.

Sketch by David Lopez.

She used him to try stealing technology from Stark Enterprises. They failed, and in their last attempt the Black Widow was seriously injured. Hawkeye tried getting her to a hospital, but she snuck away before he could.

Alone, Clint took stock of his life and decided to give going straight another try. While on patrol he saved Edwin Jarvis and his mother from a mugging. Grateful, the Avengers’ butler helped Hawkeye clear his name and gain the trust of the Avengers.

Cap’s Kooky Quartet

When the original team left, Iron Man sponsored Hawkeye to join Captain America’s replacement team, alongside Quicksilver and the Scarlet Witch.

The team was slow to be trusted by the public, and Hawkeye’s volatility made relations within the group awkward. He constantly felt the need to question Captain America’s authority, and his romantic intentions towards the Scarlet Witch drew her brother’s ire.

As he gained confidence, his aggressive tendencies relented, and he became a valuable member of the team for years. He also grew to respect Captain America, who became a mentor and friend.

Reunions

He again encountered Swordsman and the Black Widow during his time with the Avengers. He warned the team against the Swordsman becoming a member, proved right when he turned out to be working for the Mandarin.

He was also suspicious of the Black Widow. But she’d fallen in love with him since their parting and resisted the brainwashing of her former employers. She joined S.H.I.E.L.D., which ultimately came between them.

When his bow broke at a crucial moment, Hawkeye changed identity and succeeded Hank Pym as Goliath. Over time he realised he was no more effective with powers, and the limitations on what he could do irritated him. He ultimately gave up the identity and returned to the bow and arrows.

Clint was reunited with Barney, who sacrificed his life to save Clint from Egghead. After bringing the villain to justice, Clint learned his brother had actually been an undercover FBI agent since before the Trick Shot incident.

Solo

Following his brother’s death, and the end of his relationship with the Black Widow, Clint quit the Avengers. He tried to make a solo career for himself. He drifted, looking for trouble.

After helping the Hulk against Zzzax he tagged along with the Defenders for a while. Realising he was doing little to develop a solo career, he soon left the Defenders.

He rejoined the Avengers to help fight Kang during the Celestial Madonna incident, fighting alongside the reformed Swordsman as his mentor died heroically.

Joining the Black Knight (Dane Whitman) on a time-travel quest, Kang’s intervention saw Hawkeye stranded in 1873. He met many of his boyhood heroes, including Kid Colt, Rawhide Kid, Two-Gun Kid, and the Phantom Rider. With the Avengers’ aid they managed to foil Kang’s plot in the time period.

Two-Gun Kid accompanied Clint when he returned to the future, and the pair travelled the American southwest. Two-Gun Kid ultimately grew homesick, and was returned to his own time.

New Life

Hawkeye returned to the Avengers not long before they had a new government liaison, Henry Peter Gyrich. He and Clint developed an immediate enmity, and when Gyrich pushed for changes, including Hawkeye’s removal, Clint stormed off.

Hawkeye soon got a job as Head of Security for Cross Technological Enterprises (CTE). He protected their facilities from the likes of Deathbird and Mr. Fear, and began dating CTE’s PR officer, Sheila Danning.

He also returned to the Avengers ranks, splitting his time between the two. During a battle against the Masters of Evil he spotted Egghead about to fire on Hank Pym. His arrow caught Egghead’s energy pistol before it could fire, but caused it to explode, killing Egghead.

Mockingbird

His time at CTE ended badly when he responded to a break-in and captured Mockingbird (Bobbi Morse). She claimed to be an ex-S.H.I.E.L.D. agent investigating illegal activity at the company. Looking into it, Hawkeye was captured by his own men when they used Sheila as a hostage. She turned out to be a part of the conspiracy, and left Hawkeye and Mockingbird to die.

They escaped, and survived attempts on their lives, but were eventually captured by Oddball and Bombshell. They learned the plot was the work of Crossfire, who had CTE building components for a device to incite aggression. He intended to leave Hawkeye’s body to be found, drawing numerous superheroes to the funeral parlour he owned for the funeral, where he’d activate the device.

He used Hawkeye and Mockingbird as guinea pigs, sealing them in a room and forcing them to fight. During a brief respite to test how quickly the effect stopped, Hawkeye used a sonic arrowhead to counter the device, keeping it hidden in his mouth. It protected him, so after subduing Mockingbird he pretended to collapse.

Overcoming his captors, he shut down the operation, but was left partially deaf from the incident and had to have a hearing aid.

Clint and Bobbi had grown close during the hunt, and began a whirlwind romance which saw them married within a week.

West Coast Avengers

When the Avengers established a West Coast branch, Hawkeye was made Chairman of the new team. Mockingbird joined him there. Their relationship became strained after Clint learned Mockingbird had allowed the Phantom Rider (Lincoln Slade) to die during a trip to the past.

Phantom Rider had kidnapped and drugged her into believing they were in love. When she broke free the ensuing battle left him dangling from a cliff. Mockingbird had the chance to save him but turned away.

She concealed this from Hawkeye, but he eventually learned the truth, and had trouble accepting her actions. Hurt that he refused to see her side of it, Mockingbird left him and the team.

When Hawkeye was challenged to a duel to the death by Trick Shot, he learned his mentor was dying from cancer and wanted an honourable death. Hawkeye refuses, instead funding Trick Shot’s treatment, and the pair become reconciled. Trick Shot even came to his aid when Crossfire came seeking revenge.

Coming to understand Mockingbird’s actions, Clint made peace with Bobbi and they began to repair their relationship. They soon had more time together as the government assigned U.S.Agent to supervise the West Coast Avengers. Irate, Hawkeye stormed off the team.

Great Lakes Avengers

Learning of a Midwestern group calling themselves the Avengers, a still-frustrated Hawkeye investigated, Mockingbird tagging along. Finding the novices meant well, even if they weren’t that good, Hawkeye decided to tutor them, and they became the Great Lakes Avengers.

[Detail of his brief time with them can be found in the Great Lakes Avengers profile]

Reconciliation and Loss

He didn’t stay with them long, soon returning to the West Coast Avengers. When Mockingbird was abducted by Ultron and used as the template for his bride Alkhema, Clint realised he still cared deeply for her. They rescued her, and the couple were reconciled.

Except that it wasn’t Mockingbird. She’d been replaced by a Skrull as part of a long term plan, shortly before the real Bobbi was about to file for divorce.

He had no idea of this when the team became embroiled in a clash between Mephisto and Satannish. They managed to drive the pair off, but not before Mephisto unleashed a final blast which caught and killed “Mockingbird”. Devastated, Hawkeye left the Avengers, preferring to be alone.

He eventually rejoined the Avengers shortly before the Onslaught incident which saw them transplanted to Counter-Earth (his hearing apparently restored). When they returned to Earth he intended to stay with the Avengers, but learning they could only have a limited roster after insisting they take newcomers Justice and Firestar.

Clint withdrew his membership to allow the pair to take his place.

Thunderbolts

Watching reports of the Thunderbolts‘ actions, Clint determined some of them actually seemed to want to change. He decided to give them the same chance he’d once had. He hunted them down and offered to help them. They accepted.

[Detail of his time with them can be found in the Thunderbolts profile]

His leadership of the group caused rifts with his former team mates. This was especially true of Captain America — who distrusted anything to do with Zemo and worried about Hawkeye — and Hercules – who’d been nearly killed by Atlas at one point. Clint remained determined to stay the course, though.

During his time with the team he was surprised to develop a relationship with Moonstone, and the pair had true feelings for one another. She started becoming a better person. However, she also worried that she was only doing so because of him. She convinced him to let her and the rest of the team see what they could become without his influence.

He agreed, but it wasn’t long before she was left comatose. And he was dead when she returned. And other things happened and they never had the chance to see what might have been.

Death and Return and Death and Return

Hawkeye eventually ended up back with the Avengers, as he always does. Just in time for the Scarlet Witch’s breakdown. Her powers caused a number of disasters, culminating for Clint in an attack by a Kree battlecruiser.

Hawkeye’s quiver was set on fire during the battle, endangering his explosive arrowheads. Knowing they’d explode before he could remove them, he flew into the Kree ship, destroying it as he died.

He was resurrected a while later when the Scarlet Witch remade the world into the House of M reality . While he was killed there, when the world was restored to normal he was alive yet again. He maintained a low profile, not contacting his friends.

Searching the world for the Scarlet Witch, he eventually found her near Wundagore Mountain, where she lived with no memory of who she was. He left her there, living a peaceful life.

Ronin

Returning home to news of Captain America’s death, Clint angrily confronted Tony Stark. Stark offered him the Captain America identity, which Clint rejected. With the Hawkeye identity having been taken in his absence by Kate Bishop, to whom he gave his blessing, Clint adopted the identity Ronin, with the blessing of the previous Ronin, Echo.

Rejoining the New Avengers, he soon learned about the Skrull’s long-term invasion, and was reunited with Mockingbird. He learned the truth, and that she’d intended to divorce him. He tried rebuilding what they had, working with her and her new W.C.A. (World Counter-terrorism Agency) group of former S.H.I.E.L.D. agents. But while they rebuilt their friendship it didn’t go beyond that.

As incensed as Clint was when Norman Osborn rises to power, he was truly angry when Osborn gives Bullseye the Hawkeye identity. Clint unmasked on television and denounced Osborn and his Avengers. The pair engaged in a media argument which ultimately enraged Clint enough to try to kill Osborn. Despite getting past most of the Dark Avengers, he was stopped by Ares.

Arrested, he was tortured by Mentallo before being freed by his teammates. He continued battling Osborn’s reign which finally ended at Asgard.

In the aftermath Clint reassumed his Hawkeye identity, seeing no reason there couldn’t be 2 of them.

Blindspot

When Trick Shot died in Hawkeye’s arms, he warned of another pupil he was forced to teach who was as good as Clint. Slowly losing his sight from a head wound in a recent fight, Hawkeye still searched for his mentor’s killer.

He was ambushed by the new Trickshot, revealed to be his supposedly dead brother Barney. Barney subdued him, and took him to Baron Zemo. Zemo had them duel to the death. Hawkeye won despite being nearly blind. The captive Barney agreed to a bone marrow transplant to save his brother’s sight, so they could have a rematch later.

Hawkeye continues to serve on the Avengers, as a teacher at the Avengers Academy, mentors Kate Bishop, and has recently become leader of the Secret Avengers. He’s also involved in a relationship with fellow Avenger Spider-Woman.

Description

Clint Barton is extremely well-built with impressive physique and huge muscles. He’s pouting lips, a straight nose, a small scar over the right side of his mouth, blue eyes and blond hair. Currently, perhaps due to cosmetic changes performed by Techno, he’s portrayed as very handsome.

Hawkeye has used a variety of costumes throughout his career. The current one is full body spandex in dark blue covering everything except his feet, fingers and head. On top of this, he wears a pair of high purple boots, a purple belt with lots of pockets and with the Thunderbolts symbol, a, uh, loincloth in black and purple, a pair of purple armbands and the Hawkeye mask.

The mask has the eyes, mouth and nose part uncovered, and have lighter purple-colored extensions pointing up from above his eyes, along the letter ’H‘ in the middle of his forehead; the mask also goes down to cover his shoulders and upper back.

Other details

His current longbow is colored orange as is the quiver, on his back, along the arrows. All in all, it looks like a very cool costume, which is exactly what should be expected from Hawkeye, who follows trends.

His previous costumes have been quite similar and often with the arms completely bare except for a pair of purple armbands. During an early period of his career, his costume was very different: he only wore a pair of high purple boots, shorts, armbands, a headband and a long blue vest, which extended down below his purple belt like a tunic.

This costume had razor edge-like motifs in purple on the front and back of the vest.

The bow, significantly smaller than the current one (being a composite bow or a standard bow), and the quiver and arrows were all in dark blue. Actually, it had to be impossible to have a secret identity at all in such a revealing costume.

Personality

Clint Barton is a man that lives for the thrill of adventures. He’s enjoying himself most when under extreme pressure or danger and fighting for his very life. Clint would probably have a very hard time settling time in a quiet life.

He loves the challenge of being a leader and will attempt to acquire such a position unless there’s a better leader around (which Hawkeye will have a bit trouble acknowledging; Captain America is one such acknowledged).

As a leader, as well as solo, he’s bold, decisive, phenomenal, sneaky and devilishly tricky. He’s unusually experienced and gets the job done as long as he’s in control of the situation. Hawkeye is a master of improvisation and can quickly adapt to situations where he’s supremely overpowered and shouldn’t stand a change.

He often fights super-powered gangs with acrobatics, arrows and quick remarks only while actually managing to not only survive, but to win also. By fast changing tactics, he’s overcome opponents such as the She-Hulk, the Grandmaster, the Zodiac, Graviton, etc.

Other traits

However, formerly he wanted danger and adventure only. This led to his criminal career, stint with the Black Widow, and to become the foe of Iron Man, but he had a good heart all along. He now truly believes in the good fight and impressively seems to be spiritually inferior only to Captain America himself.

Clint also possesses a sense of rivalry that often puts him in challenging situations with other superheroes. For instance as to who is the greatest leader, the most charming etc. As a flamboyant hothead, Clint also quite often attempts to flirt with various attractive women, but eventually knows when he needs to back down.

The strong personality that Clint enjoys is also one of the things that make him into such an amazing leader and crime fighter. Captain America once commented that leading Hawkeye and the rest of the Avengers is like trying to ride a pack of wild horses. He also realizes that he needs to train for hours every day in order to survive in a world where everyone has superpowers.

Given his own background and his personality, Hawkeye has a desire to give criminals a second chance, like he himself was given. This was eventually, along with his desire to be a leader, which led him to become the leader of the former criminals called the Thunderbolts.

Although adventurous, Clint has sometimes settled down with a woman that he can love, as he’s done with the Black Widow, Mockingbird and now Moonstone. He’s also a very close friend of the Black Widow, Captain America, the Vision, the Scarlet Witch and Wonder Man.

Quotes

“What the– ?!!”

“These losers… they’re nothin’ but a bunch of Squadron Supreme wannabes !” (upon meeting the JLA)

“Oh, man ! Not another alternate reality ! Not again !”

“That depends on whether you’re judging by raw power or skill, Collector ! I may not be much in the first category ! On the other hand… in the second… Hawkeye is the best there is !”

DC Universe History

Unless Hawkeye and Green Arrow are the same guy in the DC Universe, Hawkeye would initially have been mistaken for a villain by Green Arrow. In the years that followed, the 2 of them would probably engage in intense rivalry, from shooting arrows and hand-to-hand combat to womanizing.

Perhaps Hawkeye could be the real father of Speedy, adoptive son of the Green Arrow, which could lead to interesting plots. If also introducing the true son of the Green Arrow, the situation could be even more interesting.

While occasionally meeting up with his rival, Hawkeye would probably end up as the leader of a Detroit-based super gang (along former members of the old JLA, like, for example, Vixen) or a super group based in Los Angeles or San Francisco (along former members of Booster Gold’s old group, like, for example, Praxis).

Alternatives

Jay offered the following alternative :
Let’s see… In the DCU I’d have Cheshire replace Black Widow and send him against Ferris aircraft where he fought Green Lantern on several occasions. After Barton got straight with the law Aquaman made him part of the Detroit JLA (now that’s what I call paying a steep price for your sins !)

He remained a member of the Justice League until the Hyperclan incident when the big 7 took over once more. Having always chafed under the leadership of others, Hawkeye joined an incarnation of the Outsiders on the condition that he be made team leader.

This was a total disaster leading to the destruction of Qurac by Hawkeye’s former lover Cheshire. The paisley bowman was reduced to working as security at a Wayne Industries warehouse until the JLA died in ancient Atlantis.

Due to a computer virus introduced by Plastic Man using the JLA monitor computers to surf the internet for porn, Hawkeye was selected to lead the replacement Justice League.

Afterwards, facing prosecution for an incident involving a live microphone, a comment that President Luthor is “also a member”, the Olson twins, and special Lexcorp hearing aids that are unable to pick up the words “no” and “jerk”, Hawkeye agreed to lead the Suicide Squad.

By Dr. Peter S Piispanen.

Source of Character: Avengers and Thunderbolts comics, Marvel Universe.

Helper(s): Paul “Z” Ewande, Phil Dixon, Jackson, John Colagioia, Chris Cottingham, Sébastien Andrivet, Nick Yankovec, OHOTMU vol. 3, Jay Myers. History section by Gareth Lewis. M&M stats by Pawsplay.