Hawkeye might not have started off in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) as the most popular hero, but as the movies have progressed, the character’s popularity has shot up tremendously. The MCU doesn’t tell us much about the character’s origins or his past, but one look at his arc in the comics and you can tell that he has come a long way since then.
Created by writer Stan Lee and artist Don Heck, Hawkeye aka Clinton Francis “Clint” Barton first appeared in Marvel Comics’ Tales of Suspense Issue 57 in September, 1964, and has since been an important part of the Avengers and other superhero teams. As the ace archer completes 54 years this month we decided to give you a look at all things you need to know about the man who just can’t seem to miss a single shot.
Skills and Abilities:
While Hawkeye doesn’t have any superhero powers like his fellow Avengers, he is at the peak of human conditioning, and is also an exceptional fencer, acrobat and marksman. Trained by criminals Trick Shot and Swordsman since he was a child, and later by Captain America, he is also skilled in tactics, martial arts, and hand-to-hand combat. He can wield a variety of ranged weapons, especially his trademark bow and arrow and is known to carry a quiver full of customisable trick arrows. As Ronin, Barton has shown great prowess with melee weapons and a Katana, and according to his numerous appearances, he can also turn any object into a weapon.
In Comics:
{{/usCountry}}In Comics:
{{/usCountry}}When first introduced in Tales of Suspense #57, Clint Barton was a young orphan who ran from a children’s home to join a travelling carnival. He made a living as an archer and acrobat and his skills were something that always left people in awe. One night, there was a deadly malfunction in one of the carnival rides, and Barton stood and watched as Iron Man swooped in and saved the day. Filled with insane jealousy, Barton craved the same popularity and appreciation, and that led him to create a flashy costume and mechanical gimmicks in his workshop. On his first night as a superhero, Barton witnessed a robbery and though he managed to thwart the robber’s attempts, he was considered a suspect and taken into custody. Black Widow swooped in and got Barton out, and that is when he became a reluctant villain, aiding Black Widow in stealing some Stark Tech. Barton continued as a villain in Tales of Suspense #60 and #64, but after one of his arrows wounded Black Widow, he decided that he needed a change in his life. After a botched first interaction with the Avengers, Barton became a part of the Avengers in Avengers #16 which appeared in May 1965, continuing with the moniker of Hawkeye. The hero has since then been a perennial member of the team and has appeared in regular volumes (all five, by the way) , solo runs, specials and more. he first got his self titled comic book, Hawkeye #1 in 1983, and over the years, has also gone by aliases like Ronin and Goliath. Some of his most popular comics have been Hawkeye #1-22, Wolverine #66–72, Giant-Size Old Man Logan #1,Secret Avengers #33-37, Dark Reign: The List: Avengers #1, Avengers #174, Avengers #223, Hawkeye Vs Deadpool #0-4, West Coast Avengers #1-4, Widowmaker #1-4 and All-New Hawkeye #1-5.
On TV:
Much like his comic run, Hawkeye has appeared in several Marvel TV animated series and movies. He made his TV debut with the animated TV series titled, The Marvel Super Heroes in 1966, and was voiced by Chris Wiggins and Paul Soles. His most popular appearances have been as a regular character in the Iron Man series voiced by John Reilly and The Avengers: Earth’s Mightiest Heroes where he was voiced by Chris Cox. He has also appeared in anime films Iron Man: Rise of Technovore and Avengers Confidential: Black Widow & Punisher, and has various appearances in Fantastic Four episode ‘To Battle the Living Planet’, The Avengers: United They Stand, Iron Man: Armored Adventures, Ultimate Spider-Man and Avengers Assemble, to name a few.
In Movies:
Hawkeye first appeared in the Marvel Cinematic Universe movies in 2011’s Thor, played by American actor Jeremy Renner, and later reprised the role for 2012’s The Avengers, 2015’s Avengers: Age of Ultron,and 2016’s Captain America: Civil War. Renner also was set to appear in Captain America: The Winter Soldier in a brief fight scene with Captain America played by Chris Evans, but the scene was later scrapped. While he was missing in action in Avengers: Infinity War that hit the screens this year, there is a brief mention of him being under house arrest in the movie. Many fans did not appreciate Hawkeye being out of the narrative in the movie, but Renner will soon be appearing for the Infinity War sequel scheduled for 2019, which has sparked rumours that he might take on the identity of Ronin. Renner’s Hawkeye hasn’t been the most prominent member of the MCU Avengers till now, but fanboys have been campaigning for a solo movie for the character or a team-up movie for him with Scarlett Johansson’s Black Widow as they share a past according to the cinematic universe.
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