Unless you have been frozen in ice for the last 70 years, most people know who the Avengers are. Before they became a staple of the MCU, they were a comic book that Marvel introduced as a competitor for DC’s Justice League which came out in 1960. As Stan Lee recounted in Origins of Marvel Comics:
“Martin[Goodman] mentioned that he had noticed one of the titles published by National Comics seemed to be selling better than most. It was a book called The Justice League of America and it was composed of a team of superheroes. … ‘If the Justice League is selling,’ spoke he, ‘why don’t we put out a comic book that features a team of superheroes?”
Thus in 1963, Marvel released its first issue of THEIR collection of superheroes teamed up to fight evil villains. Just as in the Justice League, this team was made up of characters already in existence in the Marvel growing pantheon of heroes. The original Avengers consisted of Iron Man, Thor, Hulk, Ant-Man and the Wasp and their first confrontation was with Thor’s half-brother Loki (seem familiar?). The Avengers ran from it’s initial start in 1963 all the way to issue #402 in 1996. It was followed up by a number of other Avengers books, each looking at the team under a different lense. As for the “original” Avengers, members of the group fluxuated “mightily” through the years with characters coming and going throughout their initial run. In 1968, a character was added to the Avengers unlike the others. He had no powers, but he had two things going for him. One was his unparalleled skill with a bow and arrow, and the other was something that rivaled any of his super-powered teammates, COURAGE. He was Clinton Francis Barton, also known as Hawkeye and what many people who don’t follow comics didn’t know, he briefly started out as a villain.
This was presented in Tales of Suspense#57, 60, and 64. Clint learned to be a marksman with a bow while working in the Carnival. He was noticed by the Swordsman and the Marksman and trained to be a master archer. It was while he was at the Carnival, Barton witnessed Iron Man in action and decided he wanted to be a hero. Unfortunately his first try turned into a misunderstanding and he was accused of theft. It was at that time he ran into the Black Widow who was working with the then Soviet Union at the time. He fell in love with her and tried to help her steal some Stark technology which put him in the crosshairs of Iron Man. In one of their battles, the Black Widow is seriously injured. Clint rescued her and fled the battle to save her life. But before Hawkeye could take her to a hospital, the Black Widow disappeared. Realizing he had been duped, he vowed to play it straight from then on.
He became an Avenger in May of 1965, when after rescuing Tony Stark’s butler Jarvis and his Mother from a mugger, Jarvis invites him to Avengers Mansion. Jarvis helps stage a confrontation to show his abilities and help him to gain the Avengers trust. 
He was then sponsored by his once foe Iron Man who believed his intentions to be honest and he becomes a full fledged member. During his time with the Avengers he took up other identities. In 1969, after breaking his bow in the middle of a conflict, he decided to follow Hank Pym and become the new Goliath. This would be the closest he comes to having powers. He kept this identity until the end of the Kree-Skull War (this event will come into focus in the new Captain Marvel Movie). After that he returned to his Hawkeye persona. He maintains this until he again takes up the mantle of another hero, this being Ronin.
The original Ronin was Maya Lopez also known as Echo. Lopez was deaf but she had photographic reflexes which allowed her to anticipate her opponents moves. In her guise as Ronin, she fought with twin Katanas and well honed Martial Art skills. When Echo is captured by the Hand, Barton agrees to aid in the rescue attempt but not as Hawkeye but as Ronin. This meant no use of his bow and arrows and reliance on his own fighting skills and the swords. Upon the rescue of Echo he offered to give her back the Ronin identity but she insisted that he keep it. He maintained the Ronin identity for quite awhile before he would go back to Hawkeye. Other than when he was Goliath, he had no special powers to rely on. It was just his skills as a fighter and his archery mastery. That was it, that and his own innate courage.
When we consider Clint Barton in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, it is no wonder that he gets along so well with the Black Widow. She is much like him and that unlike the other Avengers, they have no super strength, no armor, no god-like abilities to rely on. It’s just their skills and their guts and nothing else. That doesn’t mean however that either one of them is a weak link to the team. In fact, while under Loki’s control, Hawkeye almost took down the Shield Heli-Carrier. He is no wall-flower.
One of the things that makes Hawkeye special is he willingly goes into these situations KNOWING that he is in all respects, hopelessly outmatched…and he has a bow and arrow. This never better reiterated than in his conversation with Wanda in Avengers:Age of Ultron. Wanda is in a building lamenting that she feels the situation their in is her fault.
“Hey, look at me. It’s your fault, it’s everyone’s fault, who cares. Are you up for this? Are you? Look, I just need to know, cause the city is flying.Okay, look, the city is flying, we’re fighting an army of robots, and I have a bow and arrow. None of this makes sense. But I’m going back out there because it’s my job. Okay? And I can’t do my job and babysit. It doesn’t matter what you did, or what you were. If you go out there, you fight, and you fight to kill. Stay in here, you’re good, I’ll send your brother to come find you, but if you step out that door, you are an Avenger. Alright, good chat. Yeah, the city is flying.”
This philosophy is at the heart of Clint Barton. He made the decision that he was going to defend those who couldn’t defend themselves, even if that meant stepping into the fray with people who he had no business fighting with or against. He is totally aware of what he is doing and that takes courage. His wife recognizes what it is he brings to the Avengers better than he does himself. He asks her if she thinks the Avengers needs him.
“Actually, I think they do. They’re gods, and they need someone to keep them down to Earth.”
That is what Clint does better than anyone. Remind the superheroes and Gods that above all else, it’s the normal humans who take the brunt of things if they don’t succeed. The difference is he doesn’t take a sideline seat, he puts himself in harm’s way and he does it with more to lose than just about anyone. A wife…kids…those are the things he is fighting for. This is what makes him, in my opinion, the most courageous Avenger.
What are your thoughts? Who do YOU think is the most courageous Avenger? Share them with us at GVNation.
Senior Writer at GeekVibesNation – I am a 50 something child of the 70’s who admits to being a Star Trek/Star Wars/Comic Book junkie who once dove head first over a cliff (Ok, it was a small hill) to try to rescue his Fantastic Four comic from a watery grave. I am married to a lovely woman who is as crazy as I am and the proud parent of a 18 year old boy with autism. My wife and son are my real heroes.
