When Clint Barton was brought back to life, the former Hawkeye learned how much had truly changed since his death. After some soul searching, he crossed paths with Tony Stark who’s grief over the assassination of Steve Rogers managed to convince Clint to assume the costume and shield of Captain America. On his first patrol, Clint came across a surprising someone who convinced him not to go through with this new position, his future crime-fighting partner Kate Bishop aka Hawkeye.
In Fallen Son: The Death of Captain America #3 by Jeph Loeb and John Romita Jr, Clint arranges a meeting with Tony Stark, the current Director of SHIELD following the events of Civil War. After Tony confirms his identity, he managed to convince Clint to be the next Captain America, believing that this was what America needed right now and maybe this was the new identity Clint had been searching for since he returned. They watch Young Avengers’ Patriot and Hawkeye fight and take down the villain Firebrand after an unsuccessful robbery. Having assembled while Clint was deceased, he was surprised to learn of their existence, especially that Kate Bishop was operating as the new Hawkeye. When Firebrand was defeated, Iron Man moved in to arrest the unregistered heroes but was shut down by a handy EMP arrow. As Kate and Patriot try to escape, they were stopped by the ricocheting shield and appearance of Captain America, this time with Clint Barton representing the red, white and blue.
This conflict goes from a physical to a verbal argument over Clint’s disrespect to Steve Rogers’ memory, an argument that he tries to deflect by bringing up Kate’s maintenance of Hawkeye’s identity. Displaying the same honesty and humor we’d see later in Matt Fraction’s Hawkeye series, Kate informs the masked man, whom she did not know was Clint himself, that she assumed the identity and tools to honor the original Hawkeye, even if she didn’t choose to dress like him. She reveals that it was Steve Rogers himself who offered her the name and bow, which touches Clint just as much as Patriot’s argument that the Young Avengers are trying to make their way by learning from those whom they inspire instead of imitating them.
The Hawkeye television series will feature the return of Clint Barton to his original alias, as well as the introduction of Kate Bishop, an MCU story originally based on the comic series that this issue helped set in motion. Clint’s change in identity, his introduction to Kate, the right to be called Hawkeye and even the introduction of a new Captain America are all upcoming moments that have come and gone in the comics. After maintaining the Ronin identity for some years, Clint returned as Hawkeye where his mentor relationship with Kate became more of a mutual partnership. With the assignment of a new Captain America in The Falcon and Winter Soldier series, it’ll be interesting what either archer’s opinion will be especially since Jeremy Renner’s Clint never got offered the title, even though Hailee Steinfeld’s Kate would say it was in bad taste.
When Iron Man returns, Clint tells them that they’re letting Patriot and Hawkeye go and later admonishes him for trying to make Clint an outlet to channel and justify his guilt over his part in the events leading to Steve’s assassination. Clint would quit and eventually find a new identity with the New Avengers as the latest Ronin and Tony would eventually find a successor with Steve’s old sidekick Bucky Barnes. In the end, we have Kate Bishop to thank for making sure that Clint Barton‘s time as Captain America remains a secret best left forgotten. Considering how their first impression went, expectations are high to see how their MCU counterparts will get along before they’re using each other or their enemies for target practice.
