Saturday Showcase: Hawkeye (Clint Barton)

How well do you think you know Clint Barton aka Hawkeye?  Well, with a hit series on Disney+, you may think you will find out everything there is to know about Clint, but you would be wrong.  In fact, I am curious to see how much of his origin story they will keep and how much they will alter.  So, sit back and relax while I tell you a little story of a hero known as Hawkeye.

EARLY DAYS

Hawkeye was introduced as a reluctant villain in Tales of Suspense #57 (Sept. 1964). After two more appearances as a villain in Tales of Suspense #60 and #64 (Dec. 1964 and April 1965), Hawkeye joined the ranks of the Avengers in The Avengers #16 (May 1965). He became a perennial member of the team and has made numerous appearances in many Avengers titles however, Hawkeye's presence in the Avengers was sporadic for nearly a decade starting in early 1973. 

Clint Barton was born in Waverly, Iowa. At a young age he lost both of his parents in a car accident. After six years in an orphanage, Clint and his brother Barney Barton ran away to join the Carson Carnival of Traveling Wonders. That is where Clint soon caught the eye of the Swordsman, who took the young boy on as his assistant. Along with the help of Trick Shot, the Swordsman trained Clint to become a master archer.  Clint later found the Swordsman embezzling money from the carnival. Before he could turn his mentor over to the authorities, Clint was beaten and left for dead, allowing the Swordsman to escape town. This also harmed Clint's relationship with his brother Barney and Trick Shot soon deteriorated as well.

Clint adapted his archery skills to become a star carnival attraction, a master archer called "Hawkeye", otherwise known as "The World's Greatest Marksman". He witnessed Iron Man in action and was inspired to become a costumed hero. However, after a misunderstanding on his first outing, Hawkeye was accused of theft and believed to be a criminal. On the run, the naïve Hawkeye met Black Widow with whom he fell in love. Mindlessly following Black Widow, Hawkeye aided her attempts to steal technology developed by Tony Stark. In one of their battles with Iron Man, Black Widow was seriously injured. Hawkeye rescued her and fled the battle to save her life. But before Hawkeye could take her to a hospital, Black Widow disappeared. Hawkeye decided to be a "straight-shooter" from then on.

During his early career as a hero, Hawkeye rescues Edwin Jarvis and his mother from a mugger. In gratitude, Jarvis invites Hawkeye to Avengers Mansion and stages a confrontation to allow the archer to clear his name and gain the trust of the Avengers.  Hawkeye is then sponsored by his former enemy Iron Man, who sees that he is serious about becoming a hero. Led by Captain America, Hawkeye joins the team along with Quicksilver and the Scarlet Witch to form the second incarnation of the Avengers. Almost straight away, Hawkeye clashes with his fellow Avengers. His romantic intentions towards the Scarlet Witch are met with hostility from her brother, Quicksilver. Hawkeye rebels against Captain America's leadership, but over time comes to respect him as a mentor and a friend. 

LATER DAYS

Hawkeye would eventually "quit" the Avengers and lead his own brand of heroes known as the West Coast Avengers.  The original lineup included team leader Hawkeye, his wife Bobbi a.k.a. Mockingbird, Tigra, Wonder Man and the invincible Iron Man (James Rhodes). Tony Stark would soon reclaim his Iron Man identity and join the group as well. (Rhodes became War Machine) Dr. Hank Pym, a founding Avenger as Ant-Man was offered the open sixth slot in the lineup, but he turned it down to act as their compound manager and resident scientist. Members would come and go, but Hawkeye would always lead the charge.  Some of my favorite members included Moon Knight, US Agent, and Spider-Woman.

Hawkeye has been many things in his lifetime.  He was a circus performer, villain, hero, Avenger, giant, soldier, agent, and a leader of both the West Coast Avengers as well as the Thunderbolts.  Not bad for someone who actually has no super powers right? ( **That's right, I'm talking to you Bruce!**)  He was able to do these impossible tasks due to his special abilities.

ABILITIES

• Master Archer& Marksman
• Expert tactician, acrobat and hand-to-hand combatant
• Using a variety of trick arrows

As Goliath:

• Superhuman Strength and Durability
• Size and Mass Manipulation

As Ronin:

• Martial Arts Expertise
• Swordsman
• Master of a variety of Weapons including throwing stars, Sai, and Nunchucks

BIO

Alter Ego:  Clinton Francis Barton

Birthplace: Waverly, Iowa

Team Affiliations:

Avengers

Avengers Academy

Defenders

Great Lakes Avengers

New Avengers

Secret Avengers

S.H.I.E.L.D.

Thunderbolts

West Coast Avengers

Wild Pack

World Counter-Terrorism Agency

Partnerships:

Mockingbird (ex-wife)

Kate Bishop

Black Widow

Notable Aliases: Golden Archer, Goliath, Ronin

First Appearance(s):

As Hawkeye:  Tales of Suspense #57 (Sept. 1964)

As Goliath:  Avengers #63 (April 1969)

As Golden Archer:  Captain America #179 (November 1974)

As Ronin:  The New Avengers #27 (April 2007)

Created by Stan Lee & Don Heck

Now, I know you are saying that is a lot to accomplish in his lifetime and he should be very proud to call himself a hero or a role model, but as the hit series explains, he doesn't feel that way.  He is just a man doing his job to keep the world safe for his kids and the future.  He does what it takes to get the job done and that is why he ranks as my top Avenger of all time.

If you haven't started to watch the Disney+ series yet, you should really start because the show is amazing.  I said this when I first saw the Avengers film and I stand by my statement today, "Jeremy Renner was born to play the part of Hawkeye, no one else is worthy!"

Until next time, get your READ on!