Ten Of Hawkeye's Most Relatable Moments In The MCU
He doesn't have an iron suit that can fly and connect to Artificial Intelligence, chemically enhanced muscle growth, or a shield made of nearly impenetrable material. These might be some of the reasons that Clint Barton/Hawkeye is often seen as the weakest or "the most boring" Avenger.
Created by Stan Lee and artist Don Heck, who based the archer on Robin Hood, Hawkeye first appeared in a Marvel comic in 1964. He had learned his impressive skills in a circus and was initially a villain, but later switched sides and joined the Avengers. Afterward, he was a member of the West Coast Avengers and the Thunderbolts and has worked solo and in tandem with other members of the Avengers, fighting all kinds of villains, both from Earth and outer space.
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Only a tiny portion of his comic adventures have been incorporated into the Marvel Cinematic Universe, where his story arc goes from being an agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. to making Kate Bishop the new Hawkey. And although he doesn't wield the power of a nordic god, nor can he transform himself into a green giant, Hawkeye has done his share of fighting.
But today, we will not talk about him shooting arrows without looking at his target or jumping off exploding skyscrapers. Today, we are looking at Hawkeye's ten most relatable moments in the MCU. Because, after all, Clint Barton is just a man, not a superhuman, who, despite Black Widow's red and blond hair in Endgame, still featured the worst hairstyle in all of the MCU with his Mowhawk.
10. Making An Avenger (Age Of Ultron)
When Ultron turned the city of Sokovia into a devastating weapon against Earth's population and the Avengers fought his droid army, Hawkeye and Wanda briefly hid from the assault. When Maximoff grieved about all the chaos and destruction she blamed herself for having caused, Barton gave her the following prep talk:
"It doesn't matter, what you did or what you were. If you go out there you fight and you fight to kill. Stay here, you're good. I'll send your brother to come find you. But if you step out that door, you are an Avenger."
When Wanda left the shelter shortly afterward, her life changed for good.
9. Save The Kid (Age Of Ultron)
During the battle of Sokovia, Hawkeye saw a little boy trapped in a dumpster shaft and ran to save him. When he grabbed the kid, he spotted Ulton, who was blasting away everything in his aircraft. Seeing no way to escape his doom, he turned around, hoping to take Ultorn's bullets and keep the boy alive this way. Ultimately both were saved by Quicksilver, who flashed into the line of fire, sacrificing his life for Barton and the boy. Nonetheless, he would have been willing to put the boy's life above his own.
8 Still Friends? (Civil War)
When tensions rose between Tony Stark and Steve Rogers, Hawkeye tried to stay neutral and not get involved in the ensuing battle. When this was no longer possible, he found himself on the opposite team to Natasha Romanoff, his long-time friend and collaborator. At the airport of Leipzig, he reluctantly fought Black Widow, and when he pushed her to the floor, pressing his bow against her, she asked him if they were still friends, to which Hawkeye answered: "It depends on how hard you hit me."
7. Comforting Wanda Maximoff (Avengers: Endgame)
After the memorial for Tony Stark, Hawkeye tells Wanda how he wished that he could tell "her" (meaning Natasha Romanoff) that they have won, to which Wanda answers that she knows, before adding: "They both do" (meaning Vision). Despite their victory over Thanos, both Avengers had to deal with major personal losses.
6. Defeated By An Average Guy (Hawkeye - Episode 2)
The deeds Clint Barton committed while using the alias Ronin deeply ashamed the archer, so he was very keen to get the ninja outfit back he had worn during these times to never let that character return again. To achieve this, he even had to participate in the so-called Life-Action Roleplay Con n New York's Central Park, where a group of everyday people dressed up and pretended to be knights, Vikings, or ninjas. One of these people wore his Ronin suit, and while Barton could have easily beaten the poor guy and just taken the suit, he agreed to humiliate himself and let his opponent win so that he could brag about having beaten a superhero.
5. Safehouse (Age Of Ultron)
After the havoc the Avengers raged in Johannesburg, Hawkeye took the team to a "safe house," which turned out to be his farm, where he lived with his wife Laura and his three kids Cooper, Lila, and Nathaniel. While Stark joked that they must also be S.H.I.E.L.D. agents, these scenes humanize Hawkeye even more. Having a family to which he could return grounded the archer and gave him another reason to carry on. At the end of Age of Ultron, Barton even gave up his life as a superhero and retired to stay with his family.
We will come back to this family aspect again further below.
4. The New Hawkeye (Hawkeye - Episode 6)
Ever since the battle against the Chitauri, Kate Bishop was intrigued with Hawkeye and desired to become an archer as well. When the two finally met, she desperately tried to become his partner, which Barton refused for the longest time. Only after Kate defeats the villain Kingpin he was able and ready to accept her as his equal and pass the baton and make her the new Hawkeye.
3. Blown In The Wind (Avengers: Endgame)
In the very first scenes of Endgame, Barton is having a picnic with his family. While Laura was making hot dogs and the boys were playing with a baseball, Barton showed Lila how to use a bow and arrow. He even called her Hawkeye after she hit the target when suddenly all his family disappeared, wiped out by Thanos' snap. Losing the ones he loved fundamentally changed Barton, turning him into the vengeful ninja Ronin, who traveled the world to kill criminals, whom he regarded deserving of death more than his family. Needless to say that his actions didn't cure his grief.
2. A Soul For A Soul (Avengers: Endgame)
When Hawkeye and Romanoff traveled to the planet Vormir to capture the Soul Stone, Red Skull informed them that a life had to be given to get the stone. Barton, who still grieved the loss of his family, decided it should be him, but Natasha, seeing the chance to bring his family back when Thanos was defeated, wanted him to live. The two fought, and in the end, Romanoff sacrificed herself, leaving Hawkeye with the Soul Stone but without a very close friend.
1. Visit And Reunion (Avengers: Endgame)
And Barton's family one more time: When the Avengers come up with the plan to use time travel to prevent Thanos from acquiring the infinity stones, Hawkeye volunteers to test-drive the device. Using the Quantum Tunnel, he traveled to his farm in another timeline, where his family was still alive. Sadly he got teleported back before he could contact his daughter Lila. After Thanos's defeat, he was reunited with his wife and his kids, who were now five years older.
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Source(s): Disney+