Hawkeye

This article is about the Marvel character. For the television series, see Hawkeye (series). For other articles, see Hawkeye (disambiguation).

Hawkeye (real name Clinton "Clint" Barton) is a superhero from Marvel Comics. He is a S.H.I.E.L.D. agent and founding member of the Avengers. Hawkeye has no real superpowers, but is the world's greatest marksman armed with a recurve bow. He has two sons named Cooper and Nathaniel, a daughter named Lila and a wife named Laura. He is also Black Widow's best friend.

He made his first appearance in the Marvel Cinematic Universe in the 2011 film Thor, and starting with 2012's The Avengers, he became a protagonist, subsequently appearing in Avengers: Age of Ultron, Captain America: Civil War, and Avengers: Endgame. He and Kate Bishop are the titular protagonists of the Disney+ series Hawkeye.

He left his retirement to fight in the Civil War, and after Thanos wiped out half of all life within the universe, including Barton's family, he took on the role of Ronin, a vigilante who sought out justice amongst the criminals who didn't perish. Years later, when everyone (including Clint's family) was brought back to life by the Hulk, and Thanos was killed by Iron Man, Clint returned to his retirement from superhero work.

Hawkeye was created by Stan Lee and Don Heck.

Background

In his past, Clint Barton was enlisted by Nick Fury into S.H.I.E.L.D. for his archery, combat skills, and moral compass. While employed by the agency, Clint gained the codename "Hawkeye." During one mission, Hawkeye was deployed to assassinate a Russian assassin named Natasha Romanoff, codenamed the Black Widow, when she was deemed a threat to national security. After tracking down and confronting her in Russia, Hawkeye recognized potential and goodness in Black Widow and instead offered her a position in S.H.I.E.L.D. in exchange for him sparing her life. Touched by his compassion towards her, Natasha agreed to this, and she became Clint's partner on missions, which soon developed into a close friendship.

Abilities

• Master Archer: Barton has trained himself to become a master archer specializing in the use of regular bows, longbows, compound bows, and crossbows with near-perfect accuracy. He is capable of firing multiple arrows at a single target in a few seconds, hitting multiple targets in a few quick strokes, and directly hit small targets in the greatest of distances. He has been known to hit an apple in the center of it. As Hawkeye, he practiced a minimum of two hours per day to keep his skills honed. His skill was such that he could even fire arrows at targets without even needing to turn and look at the targets.
• Expert Marksman: He possesses very keen eyesight, and his accuracy is virtually unerring; he was trained in his youth by Trick Shot with throwing blades, balls, bolas, and boomerangs. He now has near-perfect precision with any aimed or thrown weapon. He can hurl objects with extreme speed and accuracy, both in direct aim and complicated rebounds/interactions.
• Expert Acrobat: Barton possesses exceptional human strength, endurance, and stamina. He is athletic, with very good reflexes and agility. This, combined with training as an aerialist and acrobat, makes him capable of numerous complex acrobatic maneuvers.
• Expert Martial Arts: Barton is an excellent martial artist, having been trained in various forms by Captain America, who was arguably the world's greatest hand-to-hand combatant. On his first mission with Luke Cage's band of renegade New Avengers, Ronin proved to have come a long way from his old days of rarely ever using his martial arts skills. Throughout the battle against Elektra and The Hand, he demonstrated great skill in his overall martial ability, holding his own against nearly endless hordes of ninjas. This earned him a very respecting compliment from his teammate Iron Fist, one of the world's top martial artists.
• Skilled Tactician: As shown in his leadership of the West Coast Avengers and the Thunderbolts, Barton is a highly competent strategist, tactician, and field commander.
• Weapon Proficiency: Although he is not known to use melee weapons, Barton's incredible reflexes and hand-eye coordination allow him to easily master most weapons. He also received training in swordsmanship during his youth from the original Swordsman, who was considered one of the greatest experts in sword-fighting the world has ever known. Barton is skilled with swords, knives, nunchukus, staffs, and is one of the few people to be able to properly handle Captain America's shield.

Equipment

• Trick arrow quiver: Hawkeye's quiver is supplied with a multitude of different arrowheads in the bottom. By dialing up an armament setting from control on his bow, Hawkeye can cause the quiver to affix these special arrowheads. This effectively increases the capabilities from conventional arrows to explosive arrows, a grapple line, and more.
• Collapsible Recurve bow: The bow is capable of folding on itself (most likely for either easier transport, concealing it, or both), and has a selector and transmitter that allows Hawkeye to control his mechanical quiver. It also has a laser sight.
• Katana: Even after ending his stint as The Ronin, he wields katana in addition to his traditional arsenal.

Appearances

Thor

Hawkeye makes a brief appearance at the base where Mjolnir is being held by S.H.I.E.L.D., stationed on a watchtower. When a powerless yet determined Thor made his way to the base to retrieve it, fighting his way through multiple agents, Hawkeye was instructed by Phil Coulson to dispatch Thor with his bow. While holding fire, Clint sardonically remarked that due to Thor's impressive strength and determination, he was starting to root for him. When Thor was unable to lift Mjolnir, Coulson ordered Barton stand down as they took the Thunder God into custody.

The Avengers

With his mission in New Mexico complete, Barton was assigned to guard the Tesseract at a S.H.I.E.L.D. research facility. When it began emitting increased levels of gamma radiation the entire facility was placed on high alert and most staff were evacuated. Barton and a few others remained as the rearguard for as long as they could. The emissions proved to be a precursor to the unexpected appearance of Loki, who had used it to reach Earth. Barton and the other guards were quickly overpowered and Barton was promptly enslaved into Loki's service.

For a time, Barton served Loki as a guard, enforcer, and assassin, completely without volition. When Loki was incarcerated in the S.H.I.E.L.D. Helicarrier, Barton led a commando raid against the vessel to free him. They were also directed to add to the chaos that Loki was seeding within his enemies. The attack drew him into direct conflict with the beautiful Black Widow, his closest ally. She bested him in close combat and scored a blow to his head that helped to dislodge Loki's hold over him.

Upon recovering from the ordeal, Barton vowed to put Loki down, going so far as to propose an arrow to the Asgardian's eye socket. To that end, he willingly grabbed his equipment and offered to pilot Captain America and the Black Widow to Loki's location, which had been determined as New York City. Once there, the trio formed up with Thor Odinson, Dr. Bruce Banner (the Hulk), and Tony Stark (Iron Man), to fight Loki together.

The group quickly found themselves embroiled in a battle for New York City against a huge invasion force of Chitauri that Loki had summoned using the Tesseract. Barton, now operating under the pseudonym of "Hawkeye" and serving as Corporal of the team, initially fought the alien warriors on the streets before switching to a higher vantage point atop a high-rise building to snipe at the alien air support. At one point, he even took a shot at Loki, and although the aim was true, Loki simply snatched the arrow from the air just before it struck. Hawkeye had planned in advance, however, and had rigged the arrow with an explosive head that knocked Loki's transport out of the sky.

When the battle was over, Hawkeye and the others parted company. He and Agent Romanoff returned to the service of S.H.I.E.L.D. until the next time the world would call on the Avengers.

Avengers: Age of Ultron

After the destruction of Project Insight, the Avengers were officially reassembled with Iron Man's financing and Captain America's leadership. The Avengers arrived in Sokovia to take down the last known base of HYDRA and retrieve Loki's scepter. Hawkeye confronted Quicksilver, who mocked him for being too slow. This caused his distraction, which allowed HYDRA soldiers shoot him. Black Widow found him and protected him from the soldiers, only to take him back to Quinjet. He and his companions returned to Avengers Tower, where Helen Cho managed to heal his wound with artificial skin. Hawkeye attended the Avengers party in honor of the victory over HYDRA. When the party ended, he was one of the Avengers who unsuccessfully tried to lift Thor's Mjolnir.

Suddenly, a damaged robot arrived and described the Avengers as killers and then proceeded to attack them by Iron Legion. Hawkeye then fought against Iron Legion and also helped Captain America to destroy the last Legionary. The next day, the group met and discussed the events of the night before. Later, Thor returned from pursuing a drone and informed the group that the robot is heading to the north towards an unknown location. After locating the next destination of Ultron, the Avengers went to Salvage Yard to destroy it and defeat the Maximoff twins. This encounter led to a fight between Ultron, the Maximoff twins and the Avengers. As Scarlet Witch had defeated his companions, Hawkeye attacked her with an electric arrow saying he was not a fan of mind control. Quicksilver then attacked him taking his sister away from danger.

Later, Iron Man called Black Widow for help and so calm Hulk, but Hawkeye informed him that all had been defeated by Scarlet Witch. With his friends saddened by defeat Hawkeye took them to a place where they could relax and then out to fight. Upon arrival, he introduces his wife and children to his friends; Hawkeye explained that he asked Fury not to disclose this information to protect his family from possible threats. Later, he learned by Laura of a possible relationship between Natasha and Banner. Having recovered, he promised Laura that this would be the last mission, then he and the other Avengers went to Seoul to face Ultron.

Hawkeye was responsible for piloting the Quinjet while Captain America and Black Widow fought against Ultron and stole the cradle respectively. He told Cap that he was no match for Ultron, which Rogers thanked the trust in him for. When Romanoff fell prisoner of Ultron he was very worried about her, but finally had to leave due to an order of Cap. Back at Avengers Tower, Stark asked Barton if he could contact Natasha without using the Internet, he said he would try. While his comrades argued, he attacked Quicksilver before telling "You didn't see that coming". Later, Hawkeye witnessed the birth of Vision. As everyone prepared for the final battle, he decided to see the picture of his family before leaving.

When they arrived in Sokovia, he helped evacuate civilians and take them to a safe place where they were collateral damage. During the battle, Hawkeye fought bravely against the Ultron Sentries. He saved and encouraged Scarlet Witch after she felt responsible for what happened. He said no matter what she did or was in the past, she should fight and win, and if she went out that door she would be an Avenger. This encouraged Scarlet Witch, who came out of hiding to fight. Then he and the other Avengers fought the Sentinels after Thor challenged Ultron. When the fight seemed over, he saw a child trapped in a store; Hawkeye then went to rescue. Suddenly, Ultron began shooting and it seemed that this would be his final, Quicksilver used his body like a shield to protect Hawkeye and the child. Hawkeye helped to carry Quicksilver's body to one of the ships before Sokovia exploded.

After Ultron's defeat, Hawkeye returned to his home, where he was reunited with his wife and children, showing that he could keep his promises. He and his wife named their newborn son Nathaniel Pietro Barton, in honor of his fallen fellow Avenger.

Captain America: Civil War

Hawkeye comes out of retirement and sides with Captain America when the Avengers split into two groups over the Sokovia Accords and the bombing of the United Nations. He arrives at the New Avengers Facility to retrieve Scarlet Witch from Vision by creating a diversion outside. Vision gets the upper hand on him, but he's able to convince Scarlet Witch to incapacitate Vision and join him.

After recruiting Scott Lang AKA Ant Man to assist them, he joins Captain America, Falcon, and Winter Soldier in Europe where they fight against the pro-registration side led by Iron Man. Hawkeye primarily fights against Iron Man (in which he's used as a distraction for Ant Man and Scarlet Witch), Black Widow, and Black Panther. He is taken down by Black Panther and arrested by the opposing side and placed in the Raft along with Scarlet Witch, Ant Man, and Falcon. When Tony visits to find out where Steve went, Hawkeye berates him for his decisions even though his former friend retorts they too are at fault for their imprisonment. He and the rest of the heroes are eventually freed by Captain America.

Avengers: Infinity War

Hawkeye doesn't appear in the 2018 film Avengers: Infinity War but is mentioned to have, along with Ant Man, taken a plea deal with the government to be put on house arrest to be with his family instead being reincarcerated to the Raft.

Avengers: Endgame

Having lost his family by Thanos' actions, Clint takes on a new persona as the samurai vigilante Ronin. In the next five years, Ronin would go on murder spree against the criminal underworld, deeming it unfair they lived while innocents like his family did not, as way to cope with his grief. At Natasha's urging, he resumes his Hawkeye persona and rejoins the Avengers in traveling back in time to retrieve the Infinity Stones. Clint and Natasha traveled to Vormir, where they encountered the Red Skull, who told the pair that in order to get the Soul Stone, one of them must be sacrificed. Believing himself beyond redemption for his murders, Hawkeye tried to sacrifice himself, but he was thwarted by Natasha who plummeted herself to the cliff. Clint gets the Soul Stone and returns to the present, where he mourns with the other original Avengers over Natasha's death. After Hulk/Bruce Banner uses the Infinity Gauntlet to undo the snap and bring everyone back to life, Clint joins the fight against Thanos and his army of Chitauri, Outriders and the Black Order, keeping the gauntlet and stones away before passing them to Black Panther. After Thanos and his army are killed by Tony, Clint joyfully reunites with his resurrected family, returning to his life in retirement. He and his family would later attend Tony's funeral, who sacrificed his own life to defeat Thanos. Clint would then have a conversation with Wanda Maximoff about their departed loved ones.

What If...?

Season 1

Hawkeye first appears as a cameo character in "What If... Captain Carter Were The First Avenger?", as the gamma radiation from the Tesseract opens a portal with Captain Carter emerges from it, after her battle with H.Y.D.R.A.'s champion.

He reappears in the third episode, stationed at the watchtower where Mjolnir is being held by S.H.I.E.L.D. As the powerless, yet determined Thor made his way to retrieve it, Hawkeye was assigned to dispatch Thor with his bow. Though Hawkeye was ordered to hold fire in order to observe Thor's connection to the hammer, he released his shot and killed him. Confined for his supposed insubordination, which he claimed as an involuntary misfire, Fury and Coulson find Hawkeye dead. Thor and Hawkeye's murders were later revealed to be caused by Yellowjacket, who made the latter lose his grip and kill the former while causing internal damage to Clint in his cell.

He reappears in the fifth episode, as a victim of the zombie outbreak. He ambushed both Happy Hogan and Sharon Carter at the Grand Central Terminal and infected Hogan.

He also appears in eighth episode, as one of the two survivors, along with Black Widow. Similar to Endgame, he lost his family, but at the hands of Ultron, who became empowered by Vision's body and the Infinity Stones, and was driven to depression. This depression drives him to commit suicide by sacrificing himself while fighting against the Ultron Sentries, a reversal of his and Natasha's Sacred Timeline counterparts over the Soul Stone.

The zombie Hawkeye reappears in the ninth episode, after he was summoned by Doctor Strange, along with other zombies on an uninhabited planet as a diversion, but was obliterated by Ultron, along with other zombies.

Season 2

Clint appears in "What if... Happy Hogan Saved Christmas?". He, along with Bruce, went Christmas shopping as he bought the last Iron Man action figure before the frantic kids does.

Hawkeye from Captain Carter's universe returned in the opening scene of "What if... Captain Carter Fought The Hydra Stomper?", as he teamed with Iron Man, Thor, Black Widow, Wasp, and Captain Carter against the Chitauri army sent by Loki.

Hawkeye

Clint returns in this show, featuring Kate Bishop as the second Hawkeye. In December of 2024, Clint is still grieving over the loss of Black Widow, one year after her death. In the first episode, Clint and his family watch a play named Rogers: The Musical, which is based on Steve Rogers' life as an Avenger and the battle of New York in 2012. Clint comments how inaccurate the play is since Ant-Man was not part of the original 6 avengers who assembled in New York. Clint zones out and becomes distraught over seeing a fictionized version of his late friend and abruptly leaves the theatre, where his kids comfort him. Shortly after, Hawkeye saves Kate Bishop, a fan of his, whom becomes an ally of Clint's throughout the show, and who he mentors as the next Hawkeye. In the final episode, Clint is hunted down by Yelena Belova, Natasha's adoptive sister, who believes Clint is responsible for her sister's death. The two fight, but Clint manages to prevent Yelena from making one final strike by whistling the tune Yelena and Natasha shared together in a form of communication. The two make amends and mourn Black Widow together, coming to terms of her death. Yelena leaves New York and Clint returns home to his wife and kids, also bringing Kate with him to celebrate Christmas.

Ms. Marvel

While Hawkeye does not appear in the series, an animated version of him can be seen, amongst the other heroes, in the first episode, as Kamala narrates the final chapter, in her 10-part series, about the battle against Thanos.

Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man

While Clint Barton does not appear in the first season, he is alluded to as the civil war that he took part in, happened in this universe and Peter Parker is nicknamed Hawkeye in the second episode.

Video games

Disney Infinity

Hawkeye appears alongside the rest of the Avengers in the Disney Infinity: 2.0 Edition Avengers Play Set by protecting New York City from Loki and MODOK's Frost Giant forces.

Marvel vs. Capcom series

Hawkeye appears as a playable character in the Ultimate re-release of Marvel vs. Capcom 3: Fate of Two Worlds, and was also recently confirmed to be playable in the upcoming Marvel vs. Capcom: Infinite.

Disney Parks

Hawkeye, along with Black Widow, made their first appearances at the Disney Parks in the 2014 Avengers Super Heroes 5K and Half Marathon RunDisney event at Disneyland, which was from November 15 to November 16, 2014.^[2] Both Hawkeye and Black Widow currently appear annually at the renamed Super Heroes Half Marathon runDisney event as meet-and-greet characters.

In addition, Hawkeye and Black Widow hosted the Avengers Training Initiative show during the limited-time Summer of Heroes event at Disney California Adventure, which ran from March 27 to September 10, 2017. He also did meet-and-greets in Disney California Adventure during the Summer of Heroes event. There are currently no plans for Hawkeye to make further appearances at the Disney Parks since Disney wishes to honor the fact that Universal Studios Florida has the right to the Marvel Comics characters for the Marvel Superhero Island in the Islands of Adventure.

Gallery

Trivia

• The idea of Hawkeye's family in Age of Ultron came from the Ultimate incarnation of Hawkeye. In the comics, they were killed by Ultimate Black Widow, whom Hawkeye killed in revenge. The canon version of Hawkeye married the heroine Mockingbird, but they eventually divorced. His main outfit was inspired by the Ultimate version as well.
• In the Marvel Cinematic Universe, he is left-handed, but in the comics, animated universe, and video games, he is right-handed. In Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3 and Marvel vs. Capcom: Infinite, he is right-handed in story mode cut scenes, as well as when facing right in gameplay, but when facing left, he is left-handed (in Capcom fighting games, all characters switch stances and dexterities accordingly depending on whether they are facing right or left).
• Hawkeye was originally supposed to appear in Avengers: Infinity War, as Jeremy Renner was originally signed on, but was cut out due to the nature of the story and instead appeared in Avengers: Endgame, briefly under the moniker Ronin, before resuming to his usual alias of Hawkeye.
• Hawkeye is the only member of the original Avengers, not to have his own solo film, instead having his own series.
• Hawkeye was mention in Deadpool 2.

See also

• Hawkeye (The Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes)
• Hawkeye (Marvel Animated Universe 2012-18)

References

External links

• The Marvel Database: Hawkeye
• Hawkeye on the Marvel Cinematic Universe Wiki