HAWKEYE (Clint Barton, aka Goliath, Ronin II)
Created By: Stan Lee & Don Heck
First Appearance: Tales of Suspense #57 (Sept. 1964)
Role: The Snarky Hero, The Archer, The Hot-Headed Hero
Group Affiliations: The Avengers, The Defenders, The Thunderbolts, The Great Lakes Avengers
Avengers Grade: A-Level
PL 10 (174)
STRENGTH 3 STAMINA 4 AGILITY 5
FIGHTING 13 DEXTERITY 4
INTELLIGENCE 1 AWARENESS 2 PRESENCE 2
Skills:
Acrobatics 7 (+12)
Athletics 5 (+8)
Deception 6 (+8)
Expertise (Current Events) 4 (+5)
Expertise (Carny Lore/Streetwise) 4 (+5)
Insight 4 (+6)
Investigation 4 (+6)
Perception 9 (+11)
Persuasion 4 (+6)
Ranged Combat (Bow) 3 (+15)
Sleight of Hand 2 (+6)
Stealth 4 (+9)
Technology 4 (+5)
Vehicles 2 (+6)
Advantages:
Accurate Attack, Agile Feint, Defensive Attack, Evasion, Improved Aim, Improved Critical (Bow) 3, Improved Defense, Improved Disarm, Improved Initiative, Improved Smash, Inspire, Power Attack, Precise Attack 2 (Ranged/Cover & Concealment), Ranged Attack 8, Seize Initiative, Set-Up, Teamwork, Ultimate Aim
Powers:
"Archer's Bow" (Flaws: Easily Removable) [29]
"Tear Gas Arrow" Affliction 8 (Fort; Dazed & Vision Impaired/Stunned & Disabled/Incapacitated & Unaware) (Extras: Extra Condition, Ranged, Area- 30ft. Burst) (32)
- AE: "Standard Arrow" Blast 5 (Feats: Variable- Blunt, Electrical or Sharp) (Extras: Multiattack) (16)
- AE: "Titanium Arrow" Blast 5 (Extras: Penetrating 5) (15)
- AE: "Bola Arrow" Snare 7 (Inaccurate -1) (20)
- AE: "Boomerang Arrow" Blast 5 (Feats: Split 2, Homing, Ricochet 2) (15)
- AE: "Explosive Arrow" Blast 9 (Extras: Area- 30ft. Burst) (27)
- AE: "Sonic Arrow" Dazzle Hearing 9 (Extras: Area- 30ft. Burst) (27)
- AE: "Flash Arrow" Dazzle Visuals 9 (Extras: Area- 30ft. Burst) (27)
- AE: "Gas Arrow" Sleep 8 (Extras: Area- 30ft. Burst) (24)
- AE: "Smoke Arrow" Obscure Visuals 2 (Extras: Attack, Area- 30ft. Burst) (12)
- AE: "Taser Arrow" Affliction 7 (Strength; Dazed/Stunned/Incapacitated) (Extras: Ranged) (Inaccurate -1) (13)
- AE: "Acid Arrow" Blast 5 Linked to Weaken Toughness 7 (Extras: Ranged, Affects Objects) (Inaccurate -1) (30)
- AE: "E.M.P. Arrow" Nullify Technology 5 (Extras: Sustained +2) (20)
- AE: "Cable Arrow" Movement 1 (Swinging) (2)
- AE: "Vibranium Arrow" Nullify Blunt Impacts 7 (Extras: Ranged) (Inaccurate -1) (13)
-- (47 points)
Offense:
Unarmed +12 (+3 Damage, DC 18)
Standard & Boomerang Arrows +15 (+5 Ranged Damage, DC 20)
Dazzle & Gas Arrows +8 Area (+8 Affliction, DC 18)
Tear Gas Arrow +8 Area (+8 Affliction, DC 18)
Taser & Bolo Arrows +12 (+7 Ranged Affliction, DC 17)
Acid Arrow +13 (+5 Ranged Damage & +7 Ranged Weaken, DC 19 & 17)
Initiative +9
Defenses:
Dodge +14 (DC 24), Parry +13 (DC 23), Toughness +4, Fortitude +7, Will +8
Complications:
Responsibility (A Giant Mess)- Clint may be an excellent superhero, but his personal life is a disaster. He can't hold down a relationship to save his life, frequently offends even close friends, and has little sense of responsibility.
Disabled (Partially-Deaf)- Hawkeye is 80% deaf in both ears without hearing aids (thanks to using a Sonic Arrow against Crossfire) , which can be a problem if his aids are deactivated. This disappeared after he was resurrected post-Onslaught.
Relationship ("Mockingbird" Bobbi Morse- Ex-Wife)- Hawkeye & Mockingbird were married, then divorced, then she died and it turned out years later she was a Skrull, and now they're kinda... it's complicated.
Relationship (Many Others)- Clint has had a ton of other love interests- he lusted after The Black Widow for a long time, then switched to The Scarlet Witch- both women ultimately didn't care for him. He almost hooked up with the chaotically-evil Moonstone when she was semi-close to reforming on The Thunderbolts. He briefly dated Jessica "Spider-Woman" Drew, but she caught him with another girl.
Responsibility (Punk Made Good)- Hawkeye was a no-good punk at first, but made good with The Avengers, coming to respect Captain America after an argumentative relationship with him. This self-improvement drives Clint, and he often seeks out new, unproven heroes to help make the same change.
Relationship (The Swordsman & Trick Shot)- Hawkeye has come to blows with both of his former mentors. Swordsman died a hero, while Trick Shot became a friend after suffering from cancer, but soon went back to douchebaggery.
Relationship (Barney Barton- Brother)- Clint's brother was thought-dead, but then turned into a supervillain (a new Trickshot), then reconciled with Clint.
Enemy (Crossfire)- The gun-toting villain has a mad-on for Clint, trying to kill him or maim him numerous times.
Power Loss (Skills & Toughness)- In his most-recent series, Clint is like PL 8 and totally gets One-Punch-KO'd on a daily basis. It's the most Street Level thing ever.
Total: Abilities: 68 / Skills: 62--31 / Advantages: 28 / Powers: 29 / Defenses: 18 (174)
Hawkeye = The Greatest:
-If you held a gun to my head and made me select the Greatest Avenger Ever, I actually think I would have to go with Clint Barton- the true soul of the team. Sure, I think Captain America is a better CHARACTER, but Clint to me represents the iconic "Marvel Hero" as well as anyone- a man riddled with psychological problems and personality issues, prone to being an argumentative smartass, and with a love life more complicated than a Jane Austen character- and thus fits in perfectly with the squad. He can fit in as "That Guy" (ie. the rebellious one who just HAS TO cause problems in every issue), the leader (and because he's not as good as Cap, it can lead to more personality conflicts and better improvisation), the one who causes romantic issues (Scarlet Witch, Black Widow, Jessica Drew & Mockingbird are among his love interests), and more.
Hawkeye's History:
-Clint Barton is your classic comic book character in that he's an orphan with a past full of betrayal and trickery- he was betrayed by his mentor the Swordsman, and was thought of as a criminal, bringing him into conflict with Iron Man. Later on, he chased after Natasha Romanoff, falling for her and committing crimes on her behalf. Eventually, he became a "straight shooter" (his words), joining the Avengers along with Quicksilver & The Scarlet Witch, forming a trio of ex-villains to join Cap's new team. He rebelled against Cap's leadership, setting off a long run of smart-assery that would stick around for years- eventually shaping him into the kind of smart-alecky, "Team Joker" type of character, though he'd become less rebellious with time, and more flippant- his tendency was to "Spider-Man" his way into taunting bad guys.
-For a short while, he actually dropped the "Hawkeye" moniker and became Goliath, using a Growth Serum after he lost his bow at a critical time. I guess they were either trying to shake things up or give him a power upgrade in the late '60s, but this has mostly been left by the wayside. He switched back after the Kree/Skrull War, but left the team after Wanda hooked up with The Vision. Away from The Avengers, he kind of drifted around aimlessly, frequently causing a ruckus in other books (Daredevil, etc.), and even joined The Defenders for a spell. He starts the first of a long stretch of saving the entire Avengers squad of more-powerful heroes when The Collector defeats the entire team with gadgets, and Hawkeye disarms him. After a short while farting around again (appearing with the Hulk, Daredevil- in a fight over the Black Widow- and Dr. Strange), he finally gets his own Limited Series, gains a recurring villain in Crossfire, and marries Mockingbird (whom he'd just barely met), setting off the new period in his life. He rountinely had the lead story in the '80s book Solo Avengers, which consisted of two half-stories- proof that he could only SORT OF maintain a solo book- something else had to be added.
The West Coast Avengers, Thunderbolts, and Death:
-Hawkeye founds The West Coast Avengers, becoming the leader of a new offshoot book (written by Steve Englehart). Along the way, he meets his old mentor Trick Shot yet again. After Bobbi lets a villain who raped her fall to his death, horrifying Clint, they split for a while (Hawk later kind of becomes "just a guy" in the WCA books I've read, instead of the leader), and he disappears from major books for a while after she's killed during the war between Mephisto & Satannish. He returns just in time to die against Onslaught, and when that whole deal was done and the heroes resurrected, he joined Kurt Busiek's Thunderbolts to try and help the ex-villains reform. It actually worked for a while, and he led them against GRAVITON a couple times, as he whipped the team into authentic heroes, sticking his neck out for them, and even impressing the really-evil Moonstone into reforming. It was a neat look at Clint finally coming full circle, as he plays Captain America to a team of ex-cons, giving them guidance and teamwork. Along the way, he becomes a central figure in JLA/Avengers, engaging in his old Marvel role of "The guy with the worst powers saves the day the most" trope.
-Unfortunately... the Post-Busiek world of Hawkeye wasn't grand. He hooked up with the Wasp in Chuck Austen's Avengers arc, and was then killed off during Disassembled, doing a suicide attack after his burning quiver of explosive arrows doomed him. Losing the guy who to many was SUCH an iconic Avenger was offensive to many fans (despite the fact that Clint hadn't been on the main team in a major way for decades). It would be a few years, but Hawkeye was resurrected a second time by the Scarlet Witch's playing with reailty during House of M. However, he reappears in an odd role, acting as the renegade hero "Ronin", dressed up in Echo's ninja guise. Along the way, he makes friends with Kate Bishop, the Hawkeye of the Young Avengers, and gives her permission to use his name.
Clint Returns As Ronin:
-Eventually, Clint is reunited with his ex-wife, who returns after it's revealed that the Mockingbird who died was a Skrull in disguise. This is, unfortunately, more Bendis stuff, as he & Bobbi kind of tease getting back together but don't, Clint decides to kill Norman Osborn when he takes over the superhuman community of the U.S. (this from the guy who used to be the MOST anti-killing of the Avengers), and more. He returns to the Avengers when Captain America comes back to life, and joins a variety of teams in the "9,000 Avengers books" era. At one point, his brother turned up alive again, and the two battled in an archery contest for Baron Zemo's amusement- in the end, Barney lost and agreed to help save Clint's sight, which had been faltering after an injury.
The Matt Fraction Book & Later:
-Semi-recently (ugh that was 2013 I'm old), he was the central character in Matt Fraction & David Aja's FANTASTIC (and funny) Hawkeye solo book, which was eternally-plagued by lateness (and has been cancelled), but was some of the most inventive stuff going- very much like their The Immortal Iron Fist book (Clint & Danny basically look IDENTICAL, which is remarked upon as a running gag). It portrays the Street-Level/Spy antics of an unshaven, frequently-injured Clint Barton, while he makes a mess of his personal life and annoys Kate Bishop, who clearly seems to be crushing on him but freaks out over his personal failings. Fraction gets a lot of enjoyment out of the fact people are rarely ever seen in their superhero gear- it's usually street clothes for everyone but Kate, making the book like like a classic Indie Snob book while also making cute asides to Marvel's history. The only downsides are the fact that major superheroes struggle against common thugs and mooks constantly, and Clint's personal life (which really only consisted of him being divorced) was suddenly exaggerated into him being "the guy who makes bad personal choices", like sleeping with a mobster's wife and sleeping around on Jessica Drew without even considering that it would hurt her feelings. But then they used his own face as a censor for his wang, and I was won over all over again.
-But seriously, the book is one of Marvel's best of the past decade, easily. The classic gags with the Eastern European guys in Adidas gear never stopped working, many background villains looked menacing, and there were so many great character bits. Kate was great as this snotty, spoiled, kind of annoying teen heroine, who as soon as she got off on her own (the whole third trade is just about her- it's not as good, but has some great art with funny facial expressions, and Kate makes a great befuddled protagonist in over her head all the time) made just as much of a mess as Clint, largely by never thinking things through and just pestering everyone imaginable. There's great bits like Jessica slapping Clint for sleeping around as a gag, but then when it settles into a normal conversation ("It's not that you felt compelled to SLEEP AROUND- it's that I would bet everything I have that you never ONCE considered that sleeping around my HURT ME"), he stops her and says "I get that you're mad, but you're not allowed to do that anymore". Kate's frustration with Clint just kinda being self-destructive is evident, as she kinda teases him over it but you can tell it really hurts her to see it. But I adore they way they always call each other "Hawkeye" whenever things get serious.
-Subsequent years were a bit... off. During Civil War II, Clint executed Bruce Banner after a vision was shown of the Hulk killing many superheroes, telling everyone that Bruce had made him promise to do so if the Hulk ever went too far. This split the superhero community a bit, and turned Clint into a murderer. As "Woke Marvel" became more and more of a thing, he got a push doing a "Woke Book" where he helps the underprivileged from community-based problems alongside a parallel universe version of Red Wolf. This... does not last long. Clint later falls back in love with the Black Widow, but witnesses her death during Secret Empire, breaking his heart. He finds a Widow clone who wants to be left by her lonesome, then joins a new West Coast Avengers look doomed to an early cancellation (that uses the same "Reality Show" gimmick that ruined the New Warriors). So his past ten years is kind of a mess of "appearing in random books", like so many other heroes. And all along, the movie Avengers used him... as a grim, frowning guy who almost never snarks. Making him one of the only Marvel Cinematic superheroes to not crack wise on a constant basis, which feels eternally wrong somehow- and the change is probably only because he's not a "Main Character".
Why Hawkeye is the Best:
-So yeah, Clint is AWESOME. Though sadly a bit unable to keep a solo book going, this makes him an ideal candidate for membership of the Avengers, Avengers West Coast, or as the main star of the Anthology-title Solo Avengers. And despite this inability to hold a solo book, the fan outcry was IMMENSE when they tried to kill him off (his book had JUST been cancelled at #8). He's your CLASSIC snarky hero, a likeably-unlikeable fighter who's cocky in a funny way, and there are VERY few characters that perform better in a team- he plays off of every other personality in the squad, whether it be the straight-laced humorless Cap, the serious epic Thor, the goofier snarky Spider-Man (unsurprisingly they argue a lot since they're fulfilling the same role), the Dark Action Girl Mockingbird, and more. Of course, I find it hilarious that the Marvel Cinematic Universe makes IRON MAN the Snarky Comedy Guy, leaving Clint to be a gruff, rarely-speaking bad-ass.
-Plus he gets some of the greatest World-Saving Feats in comics. I daresay he's responsible for more universe-altering wins than any other hero- he stopped Immortus during The Celestial Madonna, saved the Avengers from The Collector during The Korvac Saga, fired the last shot in JLA/Avengers saving both the Marvel & DC Universes from Krona's mad scheme, and, in one of the single greatest scenes in the history of comics books, saved the ENTIRE UNIVERSE from The Grandmaster's plan to conquer it by playing on the Elder's addiction to games of skill and chance. When Hawkeye & Cap faced certain death at the hands of The Grandmaster's Legion of Unliving (now made up of all the Avengers who'd died in the course of the story), Clint simply spoke up and challenged him to a game of "Draw Straws" for total power. When the Elder laughed him off, Clint EGGED HIM ON, suggesting that right then, THAT would be the ultimate "Game" to play- the entire universe for picking which of his two arrows had a cap on the end. When The Grandmaster loses, it distracts him long enough for Death herself to break free from his containment field and stop him, saving everyone. When Cap congratulates Hawkeye on his luck, Hawkeye laughs and reveals that HE CHEATED, leaving the caps off BOTH arrows, horrifying straight-laced Steve Rogers.
Hawkeye's Skills & Abilities:
-As befitting a major Avenger, Hawkeye is PL 11-12-level pricey, but skilled like a PL 10. Hawkeye is INCREDIBILY accurate with his arrows- +15 is enough to hit just about anyone, especially since he has Accurate Attack and the ability to go Multiattack with his Standard Arrows. He's +13 in melee as well, being a generally amazing fighter just below those DEFINED by their melee capability. His multitude of arrows lets him get off a variety of effects, making him among the most fun Avengers to stat up. The multitude of effects includes tons of Affliction-based effects (Taser Stun, Snare, Tear Gas, Dazzles, etc.), an Explosion, a tech-nullifier, a Boomerang that Homes in on a target, a Titanium Arrow with more power (an Adamantium Arrow can do more damage- but is a Hero Point-costing one-time effect), and Acid. Hawkeye's not one for Power Gamers, but he is definitely the most-fun guy on the roster to play as.
-Hawkeye can drop the Bow & Arrow and become a lame Melee Fighter with his Ronin gear- gaining a Katana, Nunchuku and other stuff. He's still PL 10 (+13 attack and a +6 Sword), but less so. And really, that was a lame temporary change when EVERYONE just wanted Marvel's Awesome Archer back.
GOLIATH II (Clint Barton)
Created By: Stan Lee & Don Heck
First Appearance: Tales of Suspense #57 (Sept. 1964)
Role: The Snarky Hero, The Growing Guy, The Hot-Headed Hero
Group Affiliations: The Avengers, The Defenders
Avengers Grade: A-Level
PL 10 (136)
STRENGTH 3 STAMINA 4 AGILITY 5
FIGHTING 11 DEXTERITY 4
INTELLIGENCE 1 AWARENESS 2 PRESENCE 2
Skills:
Acrobatics 5 (+10)
Athletics 4 (+7)
Deception 6 (+8)
Expertise (Current Events) 3 (+4)
Expertise (Carny Lore/Streetwise) 4 (+5)
Insight 2 (+4)
Investigation 2 (+4)
Perception 7 (+9)
Ranged Combat (Bow) 3 (+13)
Sleight of Hand 2 (+6)
Stealth 4 (+9)
Technology 4 (+5)
Vehicles 2 (+6)
Advantages:
Accurate Attack, Agile Feint, Defensive Attack, Defensive Roll, Evasion, Improved Aim, Improved Critical (Bow) 3, Improved Defense, Improved Disarm, Improved Initiative, Power Attack, Precise Attack (Ranged/Cover), Ranged Attack 6, Set-Up, Teamwork, Ultimate Aim
Powers:
"Pym Particles"
Growth 8 (Str & Sta +8, +8 Mass, +4 Intimidation, -4 Dodge/Parry, +2 Speed) -- (24 feet) [16]
-2 Fighting [-4]
Offense:
Unarmed +11 (+3 Damage, DC 18)
Largest Size +9 (+11 Damage, DC 26)
Initiative +9
Defenses:
Dodge +11 (DC 21), Parry +11 (DC 21), Toughness +4 (+5 D.Roll), Fortitude +7, Will +6
"Large Size" Dodge +9 (DC 19), Parry +8 (DC 18), Toughness +11, Fortitude +13, Will +6
Complications:
Disabled (Partially-Deaf)- Hawkeye is 80% deaf in both ears without hearing aids, which can be a problem if he's in the dark and his aids are deactivated.
Responsibility (Punk Made Good)- Hawkeye was a no-good punk at first, but made good with The Avengers, coming to respect Captain America after an argumentative relationship with him. This self-improvement drives Clint, and he often seeks out new, unproven heroes to help make the same change.
Total: Abilities: 64 / Skills: 48--24 / Advantages: 23 / Powers: 12 / Defenses: 13 (136)
-Hawkeye had a pretty big run in the '60s as the new Goliath, for reasons I'm unsure of. He's basically a mini-Pym at this point, being a better fighter, but not as large as Pym would later get. He's less Skilled overall, and a worse fighter, but is still PL 10. He would likely be only PL 9 with his Bow & Arrow at this point, though.