Hawkeye hasnt gotten a lot of respect outside of those familiar with the comics. Many have badmouthed the character as being a useless addition to the Avengers and hes been made the butt of a number of jokes. But despite simply being a skilled archer armed with an assortment of trick arrows, Clint Bartons 459 appearances have made him one of the most consistent Avengers. Inspired by Iron Man to become a hero, Clint was mistaken for a thief, and was later convinced by the Black Widow to steal technology from Stark. After this reluctant period as a villain, Hawkeye dedicated himself to becoming a hero and joined the Avengers, sponsored by his one-time foe, Iron Man. Although initially clashing with his teammates, Hawkeye quickly became a valued member of the team. He even briefly used the size-changing Pym Particles to become the second Goliath before returning to his Hawkeye identity. He later became the leader of the West Coast Avengers, where he became involved with and married his teammate, Mockingbird. Hawkeyes leadership skills were used again later when he took command of the Thunderbolts, a team of former villains trying to reform. After being killed during Disassembled, he was resurrected after Wanda inadvertently altered reality and briefly adopted the identity of Ronin. Now a member of the core team of Avengers, Hawkeye was also briefly the leader of the Secret Avengers. Jeremy Renner is said to have a bigger role in the upcoming Age of Ultron, and also hinted at the possibility of him playing Hawkeye in the third Captain America film.
Percival Constantine is the author of several novels and short stories, including the Vanguard superhero series, and regularly writes and comments on movies, comics, and other pop culture. More information can be found at his website, PercivalConstantine.com
