Hawkeye in Marvel Rivals: Everything the MCU Didn't Tell You About This Hero

When the group that would make up the Avengers, Earth's Mightiest Heroes, was first assembled, many people frowned upon the appearances of two heroes: Black Widow and Hawkeye. After all, compared to Thor, Iron Man, and the Hulk, what could a guy with a bow and arrow do in the midst of an alien invasion?

By the time the movie ended, those who had dismissed Clint Barton realized how wrong they were. Hawkeye has his rightful place in both the MCU and the Marvel Rivals cast. But be aware that neither the film nor the game does justice to the archer's true abilities.

Let's talk a little about Hawkeye, explain his origins, abilities, and much more, and if you have any questions, leave a comment.

Created in 1964 by Stan Lee and Don Heck, Clint Barton was born in Waverly, Iowa, and had a difficult childhood. He and his brother, Barney, grew up in a turbulent family environment, marked by their father's violence against him, his brother, and their mother, as well as their untimely death in a car accident.

The brothers were sent to an orphanage, from where they ran away to join a traveling circus, where Clint met his first mentor, Jacques Duquesne, known as the Swordsman, and Buck Chisholm, known as Trickshot. Both taught young Barton the arts of combat and, especially, mastery of archery. However, the Swordsman was also a criminal, and Clint eventually discovered his true nature.

Clint witnessed the Swordsman trying to embezzle money from the circus, and before he could report him, he was beaten and left for dead. He managed to save himself and became a major attraction at the circus, known as Hawkeye, adapting his archery skills and adopting the title "The World's Greatest Marksman."

After witnessing Iron Man's heroic actions, he decided to follow in his footsteps, creating a colorful costume and using his skills to fight crime. But in his first public appearance, he was mistaken for a criminal by the police. During this time, he encountered Natasha Romanoff, the Black Widow, who was still acting as a Soviet agent. She recruited him as a partner, and together they faced heroes like Spider-Man and Iron Man on several occasions.

Clint realized the error of his ways and sought redemption by joining the Avengers. After a series of grueling battles against villains like Kang and the Masters of Evil, Iron Man, Ant-Man, and the Wasp went on vacation. Hawkeye joined Captain America, Quicksilver, and Scarlet Witch in a new group of Avengers that lacked all the founding members and still had a bad reputation for having former criminals in the group.

Over the years, Barton reinvented himself several times. He temporarily adopted the identity of Goliath, using Pym Particles to increase his size, and later assumed the identity of Ronin, a masked warrior highly skilled in hand-to-hand combat thanks to his training with Captain America.

Hawkeye isn't just an ordinary human. Despite lacking superpowers, he's in peak physical condition and performs incredible feats for an ordinary person. In addition to his superhuman shooting ability and accuracy, he was also able to survive a firefight and recover after just six weeks of rest.

He also possesses strength and speed above average human speed, almost to the point of rivaling Captain America, capable of dodging bullets and even catching arrows with his bare hands. He also masters several fighting styles, rivaling Iron Fist, and possesses skills with various weapons, unarmed combat, and combat strategy. Nick Fury has described Clint's intelligence as a "near-superpower."

He’s also capable of surviving falls from impressive heights, deadly attacks, such as two arrows to the ears that only partially deafened him, blows from supervillains, and energy blasts that would kill anyone. During his time deaf, he further developed his senses and used sign language to communicate until Tony Stark gave him a special hearing aid.

However, undoubtedly, his greatest skill is archery. He has vision far superior to that of an ordinary human, precision, and exceptional skills. His arsenal of arrows includes all manner of special weapons, from explosive, acid, freezing, and electrified arrows, those that can grow thanks to Pym Particles and even arrows made of Adamantium. He's prepared for any occasion. After being shot to near death, Tony Stark added a few layers of extra protection to his suit, making it more protected against kinetic and ballistic attacks.

Despite his tumultuous relationship with the authorities and his impulsive personality, Clint has proven himself to be a natural leader on several occasions. He founded and led the West Coast Avengers and, later, the Thunderbolts.

After Wilson Fisk's downfall and Luke Cage's election as mayor of New York, Barton was called upon to lead a new Thunderbolts team, consisting of Miss America (America Chavez), Spectre (Monica Rambeau), Persuasion (Kara Killgrave), and Power Man (Víctor Álvarez). Once again, he demonstrated his leadership skills and willingness to protect the innocent, regardless of the challenges that arose.

During his career, he also trained and mentored Kate Bishop, who eventually took on the mantle of Hawkeye, demonstrating his essential role in shaping the next generation of heroes.

Among Clint's greatest achievements, some impressive achievements stand out. While he didn't defeat any major cosmic threats alone, he faced many challenges alongside the other Avengers:

Knock out the Centurion

The Centurion is one of those Marvel characters few people know outside the more active comic book fandom, but imagine Superman. That's basically the Centurion. An alien with super strength, telekinesis, and the basic destructive villain package.

A guy who's basically a Marvel Superman isn't someone we can call "weak." And Hawkeye knocked him out with a punch to the face!! That's a feat we have to respect!

Escaped from a Celestial

Have you seen Marvel's The Eternals? If not, let's briefly summarize: The Eternals are a group of immortal heroes who have existed since the dawn of time, helping humanity evolve and develop technologies, etc. They were created by creatures called Celestials, who are responsible for creating life and universes.

And if you can create universes, you can certainly destroy them! And if you destroy universes, you clearly destroy humans, right? Not if that human is Clint Barton! Who jumped over the destructive ray a Celestial threw at him.

Found Ant-Man

Remember when we said he went deaf, and meanwhile, he heightened his other senses? So, he heightened his senses to a level where he was able to detect Ant-Man, who was ambushing him. So, you ask me, "How?" and I say, "By body heat!"

He found Ant-Man only because he felt his body heat in the room! A minimal change, as he himself says, but still, he was able to sense and react in time to avoid whatever Hank Pym would do to him.

Without a doubt, the character's most important and significant adaptation was his appearance in several Marvel Cinematic Universe films, played by Jeremy Renner. His first appearance was in the 2011 film Thor, as one of those cameos that only heightened our anticipation for what was to come. He has also been adapted into several animated films, such as:

• "The Marvel Super Heroes" (1966): This was one of Marvel's first animated series, with segments featuring various heroes. Hawkeye made his animated debut here, appearing in Iron Man tie-in episodes.

• "The Avengers: United They Stand" (1999-2000): In this series, Hawkeye is a founding member of the Avengers. The animated series highlights a team of lesser-known heroes, with Barton often at odds with the leader, Ant-Man, due to their contrasting personalities.

• "The Super Hero Squad Show" (2009-2011): A more humorous and child-friendly take on the Marvel universe, where Hawkeye appears as a recurring character, participating in lighthearted adventures alongside other heroes.

• "Iron Man: Armored Adventures" (2009-2012): In this series focused on a young Tony Stark, Hawkeye appears as an independent agent, initially in opposition to Iron Man, but eventually collaborating with him.

• "The Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes" (2010-2012): Considered one of Marvel's best animated adaptations, the series presents Hawkeye as a core member of the Avengers, exploring his past as a S.H.I.E.L.D. agent and his relationship with Black Widow.

• "Ultimate Spider-Man" (2012-2017): Hawkeye makes appearances as a member of the Avengers, assisting the young Spider-Man on various missions and offering heroic guidance.

• "Avengers Assemble" (2013-2019): This series replaced "Earth's Mightiest Heroes" and aligned more closely with the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Hawkeye is once again a core member of the team, with episodes highlighting his abilities and sarcastic personality.

• "Marvel Disk Wars: The Avengers" (2014-2015): A Japanese anime in which the Avengers are sealed in disks and released by young heroes. Hawkeye appears in the series, maintaining his traditional characteristics while adapting to the anime style.

• "Marvel Future Avengers" (2017-2018): Another anime-style collaboration, in which young people with superpowers train under the tutelage of the Avengers. Hawkeye appears as a mentor, helping guide the new generation of heroes.

He also earned a solo series on the Disney+ streaming channel called "Hawkeye," which introduced the character Kate Bishop, aka Hawkeye, played by actress Hailee Steinfeld, a young archer who becomes his apprentice and eventual successor. The series takes place in New York City during the Christmas season, where Barton faces threats from his past while trying to return to his family in time for Christmas.

Now, tell me: did you know all this about Hawkeye? Have you read the guide on how to play Hawkeye in Marvel Rivals? Leave it in the comments!