Hawkeye (comics)

Hawkeye is a fictional character, a superheroic archer in the Marvel Comics universe. He is a prominent member of The Avengers, and has also served as leader of the Thunderbolts.

Hawkeye, whose real name is Clinton "Clint" Barton, was a circus performer who worked alongside the Swordsman. He eventually turned to petty crime to make ends meet; during this time, he met and became enthralled by the Black Widow, who was at the time a spy for the Soviet Union. He completed several criminal acts on her behalf, until he learned that she was a spy and saboteur. Iron Man defeated him, but let him go, as he recognized the archer's capacity for heroism. Captain America subsequently recruited Hawkeye into the Avengers, where he served alongside Cap, Quicksilver and the Scarlet Witch. Although he was enamored of the Witch, she eventually married their teammate, the Vision.

During a solo adventure, Hawkeye met the former government agent Bobbi Morse, alias Mockingbird; the two had a whirlwind romance and were married shortly thereafter. They subsequently founded the West Coast Avengers, and served as two of the most prominent members of that team until Mockingbird was killed by the demon Mephisto. The West Coast team disbanded, and Hawkeye left the superhero career for a time. He returned to the Avengers shortly prior to the battle with Onslaught, after which the Avengers (including Hawkeye) were presumed deceased for a time.

Upon his return, he became affiliated with the Thunderbolts, a group of former supervillains who had apparently turned over a new leaf, battling menaces such as Graviton. He joined the team as their de facto leader and mentor, ultimately helping several members obtain pardons for their past crimes. After a time, he left the Thunderbolts and rejoined the Avengers, where he currently remains.

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Hawkeye is also a member of the alternate universe team The Ultimates