Warning: contains spoilers for Avengers: Twilight #1!As the Avengers face a dark future where their legacy has been corrupted beyond recognition, Marvel debuts a new version of Hawkeye – but will this vigilante be friend or foe to Captain America? So far, fans know very little about the new hero, but there are some fascinating clues to their identity hidden in the jaw-dropping cover art released from Alex Ross and Daniel Acuña.
In recently revealed solicit information for Avengers: Twilight #5, fans meet the new Hawkeye. So far, very little is known about this hero, though that seems to be their intention – the hero wears a masked version of Clint Barton’s classic costume, obscuring their identity. Set several decades in the future, former heroes like Daredevil and Luke Cage are now way past their prime in Avengers: Twilight, but there’s an outside chance this could be an adult Kate Barton.
Avengers: Twilight #5 | |
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Release Date: | April 17 |
Writer: | Chip Zdarsky |
Artists: | Daniel Acuña |
Cover Artist: | Alex Ross |
America and democracy are under attack! Can THE AVENGERS of tomorrow save a country from itself, as their greatest enemy dismantles everything CAPTAIN AMERICA holds dear? It’s a battle decades in the making, and no one is safe! | |
The only clues to the new Hawkeye’s identity are the hero’s costume and tattoos, as shown in art from Ross and Acuña. Interestingly, the costume appears to have concentric rings around the neck, usually associated with the supervillain Bullseye. At the same time, the tattoos include a playing card motif (Bullseye’s preferred weapon), the Punisher’s skull logo, and Captain America’s stars. Surprisingly, they’re also carrying a gun alongside the traditional bow and arrow, as well as having a boot knife – an arsenal that seems to suggest a lethal approach to crime-fighting.
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Avengers: Twilight Introduces a New Hawkeye
In Marvel’s Dark Future, Cap Is Assembling a New Avengers Roster
Avengers: Twilight takes place in a world where the Avengers failed. After Ultron attacked New York using powered-up villains and a brainwashed Hulk, America turned on its heroes, and the surviving members of the team disbanded. In the decades since, America has begun sliding into authoritarianism, with SHIELD becoming a fascistic force who have banned any kind of civilian recording, leading to an uptick in their agents’ brutality. While there is a New Avengers team in this world, they are government stooges, and Luke Cage’s underground has found evidence of them committing war crimes, recruiting Steve Rogers to put back on the Captain America suit and fight to expose the truth.
So far, fans have seen versions of Captain America, Iron Man, Thor, and Captain Marvel on the New Avengers team, while Steve Rogers will seemingly try to recruit Kamala Khan to his side as he rebuilds the original version of Earth’s Mightiest Heroes. This new Hawkeye certainly looks more like a rebel than an establishment stooge, and may be connected with the Defenders – an underground movement who have been fighting against SHIELD’s presence on the streets. Meanwhile, Tony Stark’s son James has soundly rejected Steve, and appears to be involved in dark human experimentation, while also arming the government with advanced technology.
Twilight Is Heading for a New Avengers vs Avengers Blowout
Hawkeye Is Likely to be an Important Member of Captain America’s Team
With such a capable and respected creative team, no-one can foresee the twists ahead, but it certainly seems like Captain America’s team will eventually face off with the New Avengers – indeed, CAFU’s variant cover shows Captain America, Thor, and the new Iron Man facing off. If so, Cap will need the new Hawkeye in his corner, no matter who they are.
It wouldn’t be the first time that Steve Rogers has worked with a deadly hero for the greater good – he even briefly worked with Punisher in Civil War – but if the new Hawkeye is the child of Punisher or Bullseye, they may need to prove themselves before an Avengers spot opens up. Indeed, if they take after the original (who is intriguingly depicted on Benjamin Su’s variant cover), the new Hawkeye will start out as an enemy to the Avengers before being won over to their cause.
Avengers: Twilight #5 is coming from Marvel Comics April 17.
