Hawkeye Is Killing His Old Teammates

Old Man Hawkeye is losing his sight and he has one last score to settle before his aim fades away completely.

Hawkeye may be best known for being a member of the Avengers, even leading the West Coast Avengers. But Clint Barton once led another superhero team, the Thunderbolts.

The Avengers and the Thunderbolts couldn’t have been more different. The Avengers were Earth’s Mightiest Heroes, protecting the Earth from threats no one hero could handle.

The Thunderbolts started off as one of those threats. The team was originally created as a disguise for Baron Zemo and his Master of Evil, meant to lure heroes and the public into a false sense of security before revealing the truth about who these new “heroes” really were. Each member of the Masters of Evil took on a phony superhero alter ego, with Helmut Zemo himself becoming Citizen V.

But eventually Zemo’s plans were exposed and the other members of the Thunderbolts realized that they enjoyed being heroes. When Zemo was removed, the Thunderbolts weren’t sure what their next move would be. That’s when Hawkeye showed up looking for a new opportunity to lead a team. Hawkeye helped the Thunderbolts rebuild and became close with the former villains as they turned over a new leaf.

In the world of Old Man Hawkeye, which is set before the events of Old Man Logan, the supervillains of the Marvel Universe finally ganged up, swapped enemies, and eliminated almost all of the Marvel Universe superheroes. Logan and Hawkeye were among the few survivors.

It seems Hawkeye has been harboring a grudge against his old teammates from the Thunderbolts. As reformed villains, they could have chosen either side in that conflict. They chose to stand with the villains.

That’s why Hawkeye seeks out Atlas, one of the Thunderbolts, in Old Man Hawkeye #3. Hawkeye reveals how betrayed he felt and Atlas says he was only trying to survive, pointing out that he and the Thunderbolts never fit in with either side of the moral divide. To the heroes, they were just the Master of Evil. To the villains, they were the superhero Thunderbolts.

Hawkeye isn’t particularly sympathetic and the two former friends fight it out.

It ends with Hawkeye firing an arrow into Atlas’ brain, killing him. Sheriff Bullseye later shows up at the scene and realizes that Hawkeye is going to be hunting down any surviving member of the Thunderbolts.

Hawkeye’s Thunderbolts teammates included Moonstone, Songbird, and Mach-1, all of whom are likely on Hawkeye’s list.

What do you think of this Old Man Hawkeye story? Let us know in the comments!

Old Man Hawkeye #3 is on sale now.