Hawkeye: Bio, Origin & History

Real Name: Clinton Barton

First Appearance: Tales of Suspense 57 (September, 1964)

Powers: Skilled Marksman, Aerialist, and Acrobat.

Affiliation: Avengers, Avengers West Coast, Thunderbolts, S.H.I.E.L.D.

Enemies: Most Avenger Enemies

Love Interests: Mockingbird (Bobbi Morse), Black Widow (Natasha Romanoff), Spider-Woman (Jessica Drew).

Did You Know: Hawkeye, for a time, was 80% deaf.

A Little History

Clint Barton, like many other comic characters. was orphaned at an early age and raised in a children’s home.

When he was 14 he ran away and joined the nearby traveling carnival. While there, he was trained to become an aerialist and an acrobat. During his time in the carnival, he caught the eye of a man called Swordsman. Swordsman immediately saw the potential that Hawkeye had and began to train him to use throwing knives. Realizing that he was more skilled with a bow and arrow, another carnival member, Trickshot took Clint under his wing and began to train him.

One night while at the carnival, there was a ride mishap. Unable to help, Clint stood back and watched as Iron Man saved the day. This act filled Clint with jealousy and he began to desire the same appreciation that Iron Man received from the audience. As a result, Clint created a costume and gimmick arrows.

Adorned with his new costume and arrows, Clint took the streets to thwart a nearby heist. As he looked in the criminal’s bag to see what was stolen, the police arrived and blamed Clint for the robbery. Clint began to run and was ultimately rescued by Black Widow. Taken in by her beauty, Hawkeye agreed to help Black Widow take down Iron Man.

To even the odds, the two stole some of Iron Man’s technology. Black Widow then used her vast resources to give Clint state-of-the-art arrows and technology. Clint began to question what he was doing. At one point he even questioned whether or not he had become a supervillain. A crippling blow to Black Widow forced Hawkeye to see the light and ask to join the Avengers.