10 Greatest Avengers Of All Time

6. Hawkeye

Poor old Clint Barton might be the butt of jokes when it comes to the MCU, but make no mistake - this Avenger is one of Marvel's most important figures.

First introduced in Tales of Suspense #57 as a villain, Clint Barton soon switches allegiance and becomes an Avenger. Unlike his comrades, however, Clint doesn't fall in line. He frequently gets into arguments with Captain America and Iron Man, and as one of the team's less 'gifted' individuals (he won't be leaping buildings in single bounds, let's put it that way), he often felt compelled to overexert himself in order to justify a place.

Clint's own leadership qualities eventually led to a rift in the team, as he headed west to found the West Coast Avengers. They too have become a staple of Marvel's books, and given how the bulk of superhero activity in the Marvel Universe is located in New York City, it could be considered a practical move by the archer.

No matter how much recent narratives attempt to minimise Hawkeye's contributions to the Avengers, he's still very much an essential member of the team and one of its greatest ever members. Take into account his solo books as well, and it's likely he'd take a similar position on a list chronicling Marvel's greatest heroes in general too.