Now that the MCU's Hawkeye has his own Disney+ series, one of the least appreciated Avengers is back in the spotlight. The road has not always been easy for the archer, being relegated to Loki's minion in the first Avengers movie, needing Quicksilver to save him in Avengers: Age of Ultron, then seeing Black Widow sacrifice herself despite his attempts to save her in Avengers: Endgame.
However, in the comics, Hawkeye had a very different path. He was not one of the first Avengers, but he joined Captain America's second version of the team. He was a rebel who didn't trust anyone and believed his way was always the best. This also paid off down the line when Hawkeye became a leader of his own teams in Marvel Comics and really came into his own as a character.
Hawkeye Wasn't A Founding Avengers Member
Hawkeye in the movies was a founding member of the Avengers. This is because the Marvel Cinematic Universe had him as a member of S.H.I.E.L.D. before the Avengers formed. This meant that he and Black Widow were automatically on the team, representing Nick Fury's best interests.
In the comics, this was not what happened. Instead, it was Ant-Man and The Wasp who were founding members. It wasn't until every original member quit the Avengers at the same time that things changed. Captain America was the last Avenger standing and he brought in a new team, which included Hawkeye.
Hawkeye Was Trained By Supervillains
Hawkeye was raised and trained by the Circus of Crime since he was a young boy. In the movie, as far as it has shown, S.H.I.E.L.D. made Hawkeye what he is, a master archer, super spy, and master at espionage. However, in the comics, it was a pair of villains who made Hawkeye who he is today.
The Swordsman thought Hawkeye everything he never needed to know about hand-to-hand combat and his skills with various weapons. As for his skills with the bow and arrows, he learned all that from the villain known as Trick Shot. Both of these men ended up as two of Hawkeye's deadliest villains.
Hawkeye Was Originally A Criminal
The second version of the Avengers in the comics saw Captain America bring in some questionable members. Joining the team was Hawkeye, Black Widow, Scarlet Witch and Quicksilver. This was controversial because all four of those heroes were formerly villains.
However, Hawkeye never wanted to be a villain and it was only because of a misunderstanding that he became a villain to Iron Man for a short time. Eventually, he turned things around and joined the Avengers.
Hawkeye Is Not A Family Man
Hawkeye's wife and kids do not exist in the Marvel Comics Universe. This was something pulled from The Ultimates as well. In the comics, Hawkeye did get married, but it wasn't anything that led to a family. In the comics, he married fellow Avengers member Mockingbird.
Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. fans might remember Mockingbird as Bobbi Morse. In the comics, Hawkeye not only married her but moved to California with when he started the West Coast Avengers.
The Ultimate Marvel Version Of Black Widow Betrayed Hawkeye
The biggest similarities to Hawkeye in the comics books comes from the Ultimate Universe, where the two heroes were very similar. Both were working for Nick Fury, both were loyal government agents, and both were masters at espionage. In the world of the Ultimates, Hawkeye also had a wife and kids.
However, even this similarity changed in the comics. In the MCU, Black Widow gave her life to save the world and showed how much she cared about Hawkeye. In the Ultimate Marvel comics, Black Widow was a traitor and murdered Hawkeye's wife and kids before he killed her in the end.
Hawkeye's Role As Ronin Was Very Different
In the MCU, Hawkeye survived the Snap, but no member of his family lived through it. This led Hawkeye to taking on the role of Ronin and he set out to murder every member of the criminal underworld he could because he didn't feel they belonged in the world if his wife and kids didn't.
In the comics, it was different. Hawkeye actually died in the comics when Scarlet Witch created a fake invasion after learning her children had been taken away from her. When he returned, there was already a new Hawkeye in Kate Bishop, so Hawkeye took on the role of Ronin instead.
Hawkeye Is A Lot More Rebellious
In the MCU, Hawkeye was a government agent working for S.H.I.E.L.D. This was similar to his origin story in the Ultimate Marvel Universe, but is not who Hawkeye is in the traditional mainstream Marvel Comics Universe. Instead, Hawkeye was a rebellious and arrogant hero.
There was one person he looked up to and that was Captain America. However, that also took time for him to come around and for the longest time, he didn't like taking orders from anyone and was a loose canon, the opposite of his character in the Marvel movies.
Hawkeye Did Not Train Kate Bishop At First
In the comics, Hawkeye did help out Kate Bishop but this was long after she started her career as a superhero. In the Hawkeye series on Disney+, he met her just as she started operating as a vigilante, and she has started to ask him to help her train.
However, in the comics, Kate Bishop became Hawkeye when she joined up with the Young Avengers. She ended up self-training herself alongside the other teenage heroes and she was already an established hero before she even met Clint Barton.
Hawkeye Was On Iron Man's Side After Civil War
In the MCU, Hawkeye joined up with Captain America during the Civil War storyline and paid for it. He ended up on house arrest and was on the outs with Iron Man for a long time as a result of this. That isn't what happened in the comics.
In the comics, Hawkeye was still dead during the Civil War storyline. Scarlet Witch ended up resurrecting him, and Iron Man found him and offered him a unique opportunity. He made Hawkeye the new Captain America. This didn't last because when Iron Man tired to arrest Kate Bishop, Clint quit and joined the resistance as Ronin.
Hawkeye Has A Great Sense Of Humor
In the MCU, Hawkeye was often the most serious member of the Avengers. Black Widow often showed a better sense of humor than Hawkeye. Even in his Disney+ series, he is often very dour and serious, even when spending time with his family.
This is not Hawkeye in the comics. In the books, he is very funny, is always cracking jokes, and is someone who loves to troll his fellow heroes. He might not be as obnoxious as Spider-Man on that front, but he is a lot more entertaining than he is in the MCU.