Ever since Marvel introducedHawkeyeto the MCU in 2012, he’s received a huge amount of pop culture mockery for being incredibly low-powered compared to his world-saving colleagues. Next to Thor, Iron Man and even Captain America, Hawkeye is - as he said inAge of Ultron- just a guy with a bow and arrow. However, that’s about to change, asMarvel officially gives Clint Barton his own superpowers.
Hawkeye’s new powers lend credence to the theory that mutant powers are shaped by what their wielder wants most.
Hawkeye Debuts New Powers, Rejoining the Avengers
Clint Barton’s Mutant Power Turns Him into a Superhuman Archer
In a recent press release, Marvel shared new information aboutX-Vengers- a new series tying intoitsAge of Revelationevent. In the series, Hawkeye gets actual superpowers after the X-Virus turns him from human to mutant. Mike McKone’s cover artshows Hawkeye with six arms, allowing him to use multiple bowsat the same time.
Cover Artist:
MIKE MCKONE
EARTH’S MIGHTIEST… HATED AND FEARED! X YEARS LATER, Earth still needs the Avengers… but what happens when those who are left have transformed into mutants?! Dani Moonstar leads a new team of Avengers (Hawkeye, Vision, Water Widow, Shang-Chi, Variable Man and Cannonball) to protect the planet! But can these “X-Vengers” protect all of Earth, including the Revelation Territories?!
Age of Revelationjumps ten years ahead in Marvel’s timeline, where the X-Virus has ravaged America, killing off many humans and turning others into mutants. In this world, Dani Moonstar willlead a team of mutant Avengers, withnew powers for Shang-Chi, Black Widow and Clint Barton’s Hawkeye. One of Hawkeye’s arms appeared to be armored, suggesting that he may have added a cybernetic limb to make the most of his new mutant arms.
Hawkeye Is a Rebel Hero in the Age of Revelation
Age of Revelationis a hugeX-Menevent that sees Doug Ramsey’s Revelation conquering a large part of the United States, using his hypnotic voice to turn various heroes into his thralls. At the same time, the X-Virus spreads, killing off most humans, transforming some into mutants, and terraforming the country into a mutant ‘paradise.’
However, not all heroes have been co-opted by Revelation, andHawkeye joins other rebels including Cyclops and Magneto. Having new powers will make Hawkeye a more effective hero than ever, even as the world turns against him. However, this isn’t the first time Hawkeye has gained powers in Marvel lore…
This Isn’t the First Time Hawkeye Got Superpowers
Clint Barton Even Has an Alternate Superhero Codename (In Mainstream Continuity)
While four extra arms are a boon to the world’s greatest archer,Hawkeye previously boasted immense strength and durability under the codename Goliath. Debuting in Roy Thomas and Gene Colan’sAvengers #63,Hawkeye took on the Goliath identityusing Hank Pym’s Pym Particles, allowing him to grow to a gigantic size. This wasn’t a one-off development, but rather an identity that Hawkeye has used multiple times, especially when the Avengers have needed all the superhuman might they could muster.
Hawkeye’s New Powers Are a Fun Twist for a Deserving Character
Despite being an iconic Avenger,Hawkeye hasn’t had much to do with the franchise for a number of years, so it’s fun forAge of Revelationto drag him back into the fold. It’s also evidence to support a recurring fan theory inX-Menlore that powers are partly defined by personality and subconscious desire, with Clint’s abilities only enhancing his skill at the craft he’s dedicated his life to.
In a few months, the entireX-Menline jumps ten years ahead, establishing a new status quo for the foreseeable future, and takingHawkeyealong for the ride as a mutant Avenger.
