Hawkeye

"Just can't seem to miss."

- Hawkeye

Clinton "Clint" Francis Barton, better known as Hawkeye, is a former special agent of S.H.I.E.L.D., where he worked under the supervision of Phil Coulson. Assigned by Nick Fury to watch over the Tesseract, he was brainwashed by Loki during the destruction of Project P.E.G.A.S.U.S. However, after the Attack on the Helicarrier, he was freed from Loki's mental control by Black Widow and joined the Avengers to fight against Loki's alien army in the Battle of New York, ending the Chitauri Invasion.

He then continued to work for S.H.I.E.L.D. until its collapse, after which he and the Avengers worked to bring down the remnants of the terrorist group HYDRA and the psychotic artificial intelligence, Ultron. After the Ultron Offensive, Barton chose to leave the Avengers to return to his wife and children. However, he was soon recruited by Captain America to aid him in his fight against the Sokovia Accords. Barton was briefly imprisoned at the Raft, but was secretly freed by Rogers.

Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D.
"Fury helped me set this up when I joined. He kept it off S.H.I.E.L.D.’s files; I’d like to keep it that way."

- Clint Barton

Clinton Barton was born on Thursday, January 7, 1971.

Around the time he joined S.H.I.E.L.D., he met and formed a romantic relationship with a woman named Laura, whom he married. Of his associates, only Director Nick Fury knew about his relationship with Laura and he excluded her and their children from Barton's S.H.I.E.L.D. file in order to protect them.

During one of his missions, Barton thwarted the schemes of the mercenary Marcus Scarlotti.

Meeting Black Widow
"I got on S.H.I.E.L.D.'s radar in a bad way, Agent Barton was sent to kill me, he made a different call."

- Natasha Romanoff explains her first encounter with Barton

Later, he was tasked to carry out the assassination of a young Russian agent codenamed "Black Widow". However, instead of killing her, he opted to let her live, and discovered her true name, Natasha Romanoff. The relationship between the two developed into a lasting partnership that continued through bringing her in to work for S.H.I.E.L.D. Together, they had missions in Budapest, Abidjan and many other locations. The pair became so close that Romanoff was the only other agent Barton told about his family.

Sharpshooting Thor
"You'd better call it Coulson, cause I'm starting to root for this guy."

- Barton speaks to Phil Coulson

Some time later, unnatural atmospheric events, followed by the discovery of an immovable hammer in an impact crater, caused Barton to be deployed to New Mexico as part of a security force to protect the object from the locals. Nick Fury personally called him for this mission to be put under the command of Agent Phil Coulson who had taken charge of the operation. Soon after his deployment, an intruder broke into the S.H.I.E.L.D. compound and fought his way to the mysterious hammer. Barton responded to the alarms by collecting a compound bow and claiming a high vantage point suspended from a crane. Despite making several radio transmissions warning that the intruder was reaching the hammer, Barton was never given a shoot order, forcing him to let his target go. Barton also commented into the radio, "Better call it soon, Coulson, cause I'm starting to root for this guy," implying a certain level of self-given autonomy.

Security Check
"You really sure you can count on this bunch in a tight spot?"

- Hawkeye

Upon orders from Nick Fury, Hawkeye broke into the Helicarrier to access the Avengers Initiative database in order to test its security. He learned about each of the choices Fury had made for the Avengers, Captain America, Hulk, Iron Man and Thor. Black Widow, ignorant of his assignment, fought the masked Hawkeye until Fury entered to stop the scuffle.

Controlled by Loki
"If there was any tampering sir it wasn't at this end." "At this end?" "Yeah, the cube is a doorway to the other end of space right? Doors open from both sides."

- Clint Barton and Nick Fury

Hawkeye was called by Nick Fury and stationed at the main facility of Project P.E.G.A.S.U.S. in order to guard the Tesseract. Before arriving on site, Barton did background checks on all the scientists working there, including Erik Selvig. Despite deducing that Selvig's back history was clean as he had no contacts who would be leaking information about their activities, Barton was ordered to stay at the facility to watch over the experiments on the Tesseract. Sometime later, the Tesseract began acting strangely so Nick Fury and Maria Hill were called in to insect the situations. Fury first spoke to Erik Selvig and demanded a report about the Tesseract's energy levels before he spoke to Barton about his views on the situation, asking for a briefing on the team, Barton expressed his belief that Selvig and his team were not a threat to them. When Fury asked him if he believed that the Tesseract had been tampered with, Barton responded by saying that if there was tampering, it was not this end of the Tesseract, as he viewed the Tesseract as a doorway from space which could be opened from the other end. The Tesseract suddenly opened a portal that brought Loki to Earth, who immediately attacked the base, killing several agents. Barton was just able to save Fury's life from a blast of energy from Loki's Scepter. Loki then used his Scepter to alter and control the minds of Hawkeye, Erik Selvig, and a handful of S.H.I.E.L.D. agents. Under Loki's influence, Barton believed that he willingly worked for Loki and recommended that they evacuate the facility and the Tesseract's power was about to overload. Loki agreed and ordered Barton to shoot Nick Fury before they departed. Barton helped Loki steal the Tesseract and escape from the base towards S.H.I.E.L.D. Jeeps, however Fury managed to survive due to wearing a Bulletproof Vest and warned Maria Hill of his betrayal, leading to a brief shoot out. They managed to get into a jeep and were chased by Hill until she became trapped under rubble when the facility imploded. Nick Fury managed to catch up with them and shot at them from a Helicopter, Loki shot the helicopter from the sky and Barton drove them away to safety.

Working for Loki
"What did it show you, Agent Barton?" "My next target." "Tell me what you need." "I'll need a distraction, and an eyeball."

- Loki and Clint Barton

He then acted as Loki's commander at his safe house, which Barton personally selected due to protective defenses. Barton commanded various other mind-controlled mercenaries and workers, and helping collect the materials that Dr. Erik Selvig needed to utilize the Tesseract. Loki came to be updated on their work, while Selvig complimented the Tesseract's incredible power, Barton noted that it had shown him their next target. When Selvig mocked the choice of hide-out, Barton explained that it was the most secure base they could acquire. Barton told Loki at Nick Fury would be putting a team together to stop their plans, although Barton insisted that the team was more likely a danger to themselves. Loki demanded to know everything about them, vowing to test them so he could rule the Earth. Loki questioned why Barton had failed to kill Fury, asking if it was because it admired him, but Barton argued he was disorientated and not at his best with a gun. Barton traveled to Stuttgart, Germany with Loki where he used his infiltration skills and knowledge of S.H.I.E.L.D. to help to steal a store of iridium needed to stabilize the Tesseract. While Loki found and killed Doctor Heinrich Schafer, a man with security clearance to access the facility, and used a device to violently scan his eyeball, Barton silently shot several S.H.I.E.L.D. agents with his bow and arrows before getting inside and using a hologram of Schafer's eyeball to gain access to the facility and successfully steal the iridium before escaping.

Attack on the Helicarrier
"It's Barton, he took out our systems, he's headed for the detention level, does anyone copy?"

- Nick Fury

Loki allowed himself to be captured by the Avengers, and Hawkeye led a small group of mercenaries in an attack on the S.H.I.E.L.D. Helicarrier, using a stolen Quinjet to covertly approach the Helicarrier. Hawkeye destroyed an engine with an accurately placed explosive arrow and boarded the Helicarrier with a team of Loki's soldiers with their task to destroy the Avengers by unleashing the Hulk and freeing Loki so they could complete their plan to use the Tesseract to bring about the War on Earth. Using the chaos onboard the Helicarrier to his advantage, Barton made his way to the control room and while his team of mercenaries distracted the S.H.I.E.L.D. agents with grenades and gunfire, Barton fired a Hacker arrow at the controls where he further crippled the ship's systems, turning off the remaining engines and causing the Helicarrier to fall from the sky. Before he could cause more damage with explosive arrows, he was shot at by Nick Fury and Maria Hill, forcing him to retreat and continue his way through the Helicarrier to find Loki. As he continued to make his way through the Helicarrier, Barton was confronted by Natasha Romanoff; who snuck up behind him in an attempt to disarm him. The two old friends had a prolonged fight using Hawkeye's bow and arrows, knives, and, when the fight got dirtier – with teeth. Barton used all his top level training to kill his former friend, including firing several arrows at her, although she was able to dodge them, as well as attempting to drive a knife into her neck while pulling her hair back. In the end Barton was no match for Romanoff's speed and quick-thinking and eventually she got the upper hand, disarming him and slammed Barton's head onto a steel pipe. The blow weakened Loki's grip on Barton's mind and he recognised Romanoff, calling her by her first name before she knocked him out with a final strong punch to the head, breaking his connection to Loki and restoring his mind. He was then taken away by a S.H.I.E.L.D. team to be distrained and cared for to ensure he was safe to continue working for S.H.I.E.L.D..

Regaining Control
"Have you ever had someone pick your brain and play? Pull you out, stuff something else in. Do you know what it's like to be unmade?"

- Clint Barton speaks to Natasha Romanoff

While Barton was arrested and tied down until it was certain that Loki's control was gone and he was no longer a threat, he fought as hard as he could to recover. Natasha Romanoff looked after Barton in the recovery room, listening to him as he described the experience, which he compared to being unmade. Despite him asking, Romanoff refused to tell Barton how many S.H.I.E.L.D. agents he had killed, telling him that Loki and Loki alone was responsible for the killings and he must not blame himself. Satisfied that he was freed of his mind control, Barton resolved to help the Avengers fight back against Loki and stop his schemes of world domination. When Captain America arrived to ask Natasha Romanoff if she could pilot a Quinjet, Barton told him he could. After Romanoff gave him the nod of approval, Rogers allowed Barton to join them on the mission, but first ensured that he had a uniform ready to go, Barton assured him they did and together they agreed to disobey the World Security Council and confront Loki head on as they had discovered he was hiding at Stark Tower.

Battle of New York
"You think you can hold them off?" "Captain, it would be my genuine pleasure."

- Captain America and Hawkeye

With their new determination to bring down Loki, the small team of Avengers took control of a S.H.I.E.L.D. Quinjet. Hawkeye flew Black Widow and Captain America to New York City just as the Tesseract portal opened. As Iron Man engaged the hordes of Chitauri Soldiers that came pouring out of the portal, Hawkeye assisted by using the Quinjet's gatling gun to shoot them out of the sky as they flew past. They found Loki battling Thor on top of Stark Tower, when they attempted to assist, Loki shot down the Quinjet and the team crashed on the ground. Hawkeye, Black Widow and Captain America made their way to Stark Tower on foot and witnessed the Chitauri coming in from the portal and they all stayed on the ground to fight. Alongside Black Widow, Hawkeye fought the oncoming horde of Chitauri soldiers until the rest of the Avengers arrived. Hawkeye fired several trick arrows at the Chitauri army while the civilians all clear out. While Hawkeye and Black Widow fight the Chitauri, she reminded him that the situation of being similar to their mission in Budapest, which Hawkeye told Black Widow that he remembered Budapest differently.

Avengers Assembled
"I have unfinished buisness with Loki." "Yeah, well get in line."

- Thor and Hawkeye

While Hawkeye and Black Widow took on the Chitauri, Captain America joined them and was soon followed by Thor. While Hawkeye was reloading his quiver with used arrow rods from before, Thor told the Avengers that the power protecting the Tesseract is impenetrable so the team decided to fight the Chitauri in the meantime. When Thor discussed his desire to battle Loki, Hawkeye made it clear that he wished to kill him for revenge for the trauma he had suffered through, by telling him to get in line although Rogers told him to save that anger for later. As Captain America tells them the plan, they are interrupted by Bruce Banner who arrived on a motorbike. As Leviathan flies towards the Avengers, Banner transformed into the Hulk and destroyed the Leviathan. Hawkeye took cover behind a car to protect himself from the destruction. The Avengers all stood together in a circle as they overlooked the city overrun with Chitauri soldiers. As Captain America went through their plan, he ordered Hawkeye to take up a position on a building's rooftop, calling out enemy movements. Barton asked for a lift from Iron Man who told him to clench up. On the rooftop, Hawkeye was able to shoot many enemies out the sky, and used his skills in hand to hand combat to kill any Chitauri soldiers who made it onto the roof, while also advising the rest of the Avengers the best strategical manoeuvres to defeat the invading force. Hawkeye assisted Iron Man in fighting the Chitauri and to use his superior manoeuvring skills to force to Chitauri to accidentally crash into the side of buildings. Hawkeye also informed Iron Man that Thor was taking a squadron on sixth to which Stark joked that he was disappointed that he was not also invited. As the Battle of New York continued, Hawkeye fought off all Chitauri soldiers that climbed the building and flying on the chariots, managing to casually shoot one out of the sky without looking. Hawkeye dodged a blast and then fired an arrow at a Chitauri soldier flying on a chariot at a far distance that crashed into a Leviathan. While Captain America fought a Chitauri Soldier, Hawkeye informed him that a lot of civilians were being cornered in a bank ready to be executed to which Captain America told Hawkeye that he was on it and went to rescue the civilians single handedly from the alien attackers.

Last Stand
"Stark, you got a lot of strays sniffing your tail." "Just trying to keep them off the streets." "Well they can't bank worth a damn, find a tight corner." "I will roger that."

- Hawkeye and Iron Man

When Hawkeye witnessed Natasha Romanoff being chased by Loki on a Chitauri Chariot, she called him for assistance. Delighted to get his shot at revenge against his enslaver, Hawkeye loaded an explosive arrow out of his quiver and, taking his time to aim the perfect shot and fired it at Loki. However, Loki managed to catch the arrow and looked at it which made him smile smugly at the Avengers attempt to stop him. The smile disappeared when the arrow exploded in Loki's face and caused him to fall from the sky and crash land on Stark Tower, where he was promptly attacked by the Hulk who beat the god into submission. As the battle became more intense, The Avengers found themselves starting to become overpowered by Loki's forces. As Hawkeye continued to fight the Chitauri, he found that he has almost exhausted his supply of arrows. Eventually Hawkeye ran out of arrows and began to fight the Chitauri with his bow. Hawkeye then saw an incoming horde of Chitauri crafts heading in his direction. He took his last arrow that was in a dead Chitauri, put it in his quiver and turned it into a grapple, and jumped off the building just as it was destroyed by the Chitauri. He shot the arrow onto the building and swung into a window to get away. Eventually, with the combinded effort of Black Widow, Erik Selvig and Iron Man, the portal was closed and the Chitauri army was killed. After the battle, the Avengers all went to Stark Tower to capture Loki. As Loki turned around, he saw the Avengers stand before him with Hawkeye taking aim at him.

Aftermath
"I don't think you understand what you've started letting the Avengers lose on this world. They're dangerous." "They surely are, and the whole world knows it."

- Councilwoman Hawley and Nick Fury

Later, the team took a breather at the Shawarma Palace. They were interrupted by War Machine, who arrived too late to help in the battle. The Avengers gathered together in Central Park the next day to send Thor back to Asgard with Loki and the Tesseract. While Loki was in chains, Romanoff whispered something in Barton's ear about Loki's punishment, causing Barton to grin. When the team went their separate ways, Barton left with Romanoff to go back home to his family.

Operation: HYDRA
During the interim, Barton continued to practice at the S.H.I.E.L.D. Archery Range. He felt insecurity about his place with the team due to being a unpowered human in a team with gods and super soldiers. However, he refused to let this concept slow down his training or cause him to leave the team. When the Avengers reunited on the call of J.A.R.V.I.S. that Natasha Romanoff needed assistance in Port Sudan, Barton stopped practicing and piloted the others in the Quinjet there. During the Battle of Sudan, Hawkeye fired an explosive arrow at Doctor Jensen that defeated her assault and raised Barton's confidence in himself and his place among the others.

Attack on the HYDRA Research Base
"I think we lost the element of surprise."

- Hawkeye to the Avengers

Hawkeye joined the other Avengers in an assault against Baron Wolfgang von Strucker's HYDRA base. Hawkeye rode in the back of a jeep being driven by Natasha Romanoff, firing arrows as they went while Iron Man and Thor flew alongside and Captain America commanded the mission while riding a weaponised motorcycle. Went the jeep was crashed Hawkeye continued to fight, using explosive arrows to destroy many HYDRA bunkers and tanks. Hawkeye destroyed a HYDRA bunker with an explosive arrow and stated that they had lost the element of surprise. Silently sneaking through the battlefield, Hawkeye took position behind a tree and attempted to destroy another HYDRA bunker with an explosive arrow, but the arrow was strangely intercepted by an incredibly fast moving opponent. Hawkeye attempted to reload and fire again but the attacker then threw Hawkeye through the air before revealing himself to be an enhanced man named Pietro Maximoff, who taunted Hawkeye before dashing off into the distance. Hawkeye launched up and aimed his bow, but before he could fire he was shot in the side by a HYDRA cannon and gravely wounded; Black Widow came to his aid and patched up the wound while the Hulk destroyed the bunker. Thor came to his aid and was able to get him back to the Quinjet to recover while the rest of the team continued with the mission and were able to capture both Baron Wolfgang von Strucker and the Scepter.

Recovery
"Oh, he’s flatlining. Call it. Time?" "No, no, no. I’m going to live forever. I’m gonna be made of plastic."

- Tony Stark and Clint Barton

Barton was taken back to Avengers Tower where Natasha Romanoff stayed by his side while his injured skin was repaired by Doctor Helen Cho using a device called the Cradle. Bruce Banner asked how is Barton, which Tony Stark joked that he is 'still Barton' and that he was thirsty. Tony brought Barton a drink and Barton joked that he was now made of plastic but made a full recovery. When Cho asked if he had a girlfriend who would notice the difference, Barton told her that he did not have a girlfriend, not mentioning his wife.

The Party
""Whosoever, be he worthy, shall haveth the power", whatever man! It's a trick!" "It is more than that, my friend!"

- Clint Barton and Thor

Having fully recovered from his life endangering injury, Barton attended a party at Avengers Tower to celebrate their victory over HYDRA. Enjoying the company of his fellow Avengers as well as some of their other allies including James Rhodes and Sam Wilson, Barton spent time speaking to his life-saving doctor Helen Cho. Before long many of the guests had departed leaving on the Avengers and a few others. As they sat around and drank, Barton voiced disbelief that Mjølnir could only be lifted by Thor; Thor then challenged all of the guests to lift his hammer. Barton was the first to try but soon failed, laughing at ridiculousness of the challenge. Before long all the others had attempted it with no success, leaving Thor to proclaim that they were all not worthy.

Attack on Avengers Tower
"Cap!" "That was dramatic."

- Hawkeye and Ultron

The party was interrupted when a piercing screech rang through the room and a broken down and seemingly malfunctioning Iron Legion robot calling itself Ultron appeared. Barton watched as Ultron claimed that he had been created by Tony Stark to bring about peace, but he believed that the only was to achieve peace was with the extinction of the Avengers, as he viewed them as destructive and a danger to the world. With this a small army of Ultron Sentries attacked the Avengers. Barton found himself unarmed and initially forced to hide during the sentries' assault, using his speed and aglity to duck and dive out of the way of the blasts, leaping over and under the tables. However, Barton found Captain America's Shield and threw it to Rogers to help him defeat the last sentry before Thor smashed the original Ultron apart.

Argument
"He also said he killed somebody." "But there wasn’t anyone else in the building."

- Clint Barton and Maria Hill

With the team confused and rattled after Ultron's attack, Barton joined the rest of the Avengers to discuss what they had witnessed. Although Barton stayed mostly silent during the ensuing argument, he witnessed the rest of team's tempers being tested when Tony Stark tried to defend his actions in creating Ultron, which caused Thor to attack him by grabbing his throat. The team eventually calmed down and resolved to discover what Ultron's next step would be. Barton called his wife to tell her he was alright, while on the phone Steve Rogers came over and told him they may have found key information regarding Ultron's location, when Rogers asked who Barton was speaking to, Barton claimed it to be his girlfriend. The Avengers learned that Ultron had tracked down and murdered Baron Wolfgang von Strucker, likely trying to gain information about where he could obtain Vibranium.

Battle at the Salvage Yard
"I've done the whole mind control thing, not a fan."

- Clint Barton to Wanda Maximoff

Hawkeye joined the team when they had located Ultron and the Maximoff twins in a ship off the coast of South Africa, getting a supply of Vibranium from arms dealer Ulysses Klaue. While Iron Man, Captain America and Thor confronted Ultron directly, Hawkeye and Black Widow stayed further back to provide cover. As peaceful negotiations quickly failed, Ultron and the Maximoffs attacked, at the same time Klaue sent his soldiers to attack the Avengers. Barton and Romanoff focused their efforts on battling Klaue's soldiers, and Barton was able to defeat most of the with a stun arrow. As the battle continued, the Scarlet Witch entranced most of the Avengers, causing them to become distracted by terrible visions. When she attempted to do the same to Barton, however, he was prepared for her and incapacitated her with a taser arrow, not allowing himself to be put under mind control again. Her brother whisked her away to safety before she could be captured, throwing Barton through a glass window. Having retreated outside, the Maximoff twins continued their mission and attacked Bruce Banner, causing him to transform in a rage filled Hulk who charged straight into the centre of Johannesburg. To defend the people, Iron Man flew in to confront him, along the way Stark asked if Black Widow would be able to perform a lullaby to calm him down, but Barton informed him that she was far too weak and traumatised to join the fight.

The Avengers become unpopular due to a massive battle between Hulk and Iron Man in his "Hulkbuster" armor in the middle of South Africa; at the same time many of the members were still suffering from the effects of Wanda Maximoff's visions. Maria Hill stated that there was no information about Banner's arrest order yet. Knowing they needed to get away and recover, Barton flew the team to his homestead, realizing that no one would be able to find them there.

Retreat
"I see you with the Avengers, and, well..." "You don't think they need me?" "Actually, I think they do. They're gods, and they need someone to keep them down to Earth."

- Laura Barton and Clint Barton

Once the Avengers arrived at his home, Barton hugged his wife and children and introduced the team to his family. Seeing how surprised they were at the revelation, Barton explained how Nick Fury had set up this hideaway for him when he first joined S.H.I.E.L.D.. In private, Laura expressed concern about whether he should remain in the Avengers. He initially thought that she believed they did not need him, but she revealed that she felt they needed him too much, as the others' teamwork leaves a lot to be desired and she did not believe they would support him and the work he does for them. As she touched her husband's chest, she noted that she could tell the where his body had been repaired by the Cradle. Nick Fury arrived and spoke to the team, motivating them to gather together and fight Ultron. While Fury explained that Ultron had been unable to access neculear codes due to someone blocking his attacks, Barton teased Tony Stark by beating him at darts. As they discussed what Ultron's next move would be, Bruce Banner worked out that Ultron would create another body made of synthetic tissue using the Cradle, and would do this with the help of Helen Cho. As the team prepared to leave they collected their uniforms and their equipment, While Rogers and Stark spoke to Fury about their next move, Barton said his farewells to his wife. Barton promised that this would be his final mission with the Avengers and vowed that he would return and finish redecorating the house. They kissed before Barton took control of the Quinjet and flew the team to Seoul to search for Ultron and the Maximoff twins.

Battle of Seoul
"You're not a match for him, Cap." "Thanks, Barton."

- Hawkeye and Captain America

The team discovered Bruce Banner was correct had use attempting to build a new body using the Cradle, Barton piloted the Quinjet and used it to keep the team informed of Ultron's location. He spotted Ultron attempting to leave on a truck from the lab and sent Captain America to challenge him. When Rogers needed assistance fighting Ultron, Barton dropped Black Widow out of the Quinjet on a motorbike to join the fight. As the fight became more intense, Rogers ordered Barton to draw out the Ultron Sentries, to do this Barton fired upon Ultron causing hi Sentries to attack. During this Romanoff was able to get onboard the truck, but when the Ultron Sentries returned and tried to fly the Cradle to safety, Romanoff dropped it out for Barton to catch with the Quinjet. However, Romanoff was captured by the Ultron at the last moment, much to the dismay of Barton. Despite Barton's pleas to rescue her, Rogers ordered him to return the Cradle to Avengers Tower for analysis.

Birth of Vision
"I looked in your head and saw annihilation." "Look again." "Yeah. Her seal of approval means jack to me."

- Wanda Maximoff, Vision and Clint Barton

Bringing the Cradle back to Avengers Tower, while Tony Stark and Bruce Banner prepared to study it, Barton began searching for Natasha Romanoff by working out where Ultron could have taken her. Before long, Barton managed to find a signal she was sending over the radio waves which revealed her location to be in Sokovia. He soon learned that during the Battle of Seoul, Steve Rogers had recruited the Pietro and Wanda Maximoff as they had betrayed Ultron. Barton was present when Tony Stark and Bruce Banner were confronted when they tried to upload J.A.R.V.I.S. into the body Ultron was creating. When Pietro attempted to sabotage the machine, Barton was able to trick and defeat him by firing his gun at the glass below his feet, and mocking him as he landing hard on the floor below, repeating what Maximoff had taunted him with during the Attack on the HYDRA Research Base. As Stark and Rogers began to fight, they were interrupted when Thor arrived and used his lightning to activate machine. The being within jumped out and briefly attacked Thor until he looked out over the city. Having seemingly calmed down the being apologised and called itself the Vision. Barton told the team of Natasha Romanoff's location was in Sokovia while the Vision claimed to wish to assist them in the fight against Ultron as he needed to be stopped, as proof of his honor, Vision handed Thor Mjølnir while Barton and the rest of the team looked on in shock. As the team prepared for their mission, Barton collected his uniform and weaponry ready for the oncoming battle. Barton took a moment to look at a photograph of his family to remind himself of what he was fighting for. Barton took control of the Quinjet and flew the Avengers into Sokovia while Captain America gave them a speech about what they had to expect from Ultron and vowing that they would protect the people of Sokovia before confronting Ultron.

Battle of Sokovia
"The city is flying, we’re fighting an army of robots... and I have a bow and arrow. None of this makes sense."

- Hawkeye to Scarlet Witch

The team located Ultron in Sokovia and arrived; Captain America made it clear that their first priority was to evacuate the civilians. Barton sat in a clock tower and overlooked the evacuation, watching as Scarlet Witch used her mind control powers to convince the people to leave while Barton ensured that the Ultron Sentries did not attack the people. Eventually, Ultron made his move and used a device to cause the city to float off the ground before sending out his Sentries to attack the Avengers. When one of the Sentries gave a speech about Ultron's plan, Barton shot it out of the sky. Barton and the rest of the team engaged the robots in a major battle, while focusing on protecting the civilians. While Scarlet Witch created forcefields to defend the people from the blasts Hawkeye engaged them in battle.

Helping Scarlet Witch
"Doesn't matter what you did, or what you were. If you go out there, you fight, and you fight to kill. Stay in here, you're good. I'll send your brother to come find you. But if you step out that door, you are an Avenger."

- Hawkeye speaks to Wanda Maximoff

As they became overwhelmed by the incoming Ultron Sentries, Barton saved Wanda Maximoff and hid her in a building as she had a panic attack. Barton managed to calm her down and told her that he would continue to fight and it was her choice to stay or run, promising to get her brother to help her if needs be, but he assured her that if she continued fighting in the battle, she would be an Avenger. Hawkeye then reloaded his bow and charged out the door to continue to fight. As he became overpowered by the great number of Ultron Sentries, Barton's words proved effective as Scarlet Witch joined him and destroyed with ease and confidence. With Scarlet Witch having gained his faith, Hawkeye called Captain America over the radio to tell him they had cleared the area and learned that Rogers was being overwhelmed at the bridge. Hawkeye and Scarlet Witch began to make their way to the bridge to assist the rest of the team, but before they could get there Quicksilver then took his sister in his arms and ran to the centre of the city, mocking Barton by calling him an old man and telling him to keep up. Irritated, Barton aimed his arrow at Quicksilver and jokingly considered shooting him, claiming that no one would ever know as he could easily blame the death on Ultron.

Reinforcements
"Alright, let’s load ’em up! Alright, here we go. Here we go, let’s move. Let’s go everyone!"

- Hawkeye to the people of Sokovia

As the first wave of Ultron Sentries was pushed back, the team's attention turned to how they would get the people to safety without destroying the city. Suddenly, Nick Fury and Maria Hill arrived on a Helicarrier and sent in Transporters to bring the citizens to safety. Hawkeye and Scarlet Witch took charge of the operation to load the people onto the transporters while Iron Man and War Machine protected them.

Protecting the Key
"What about the core?" "I’ll protect it. It’s my job."

- Hawkeye and Scarlet Witch

Hawkeye joined Scarlet Witch and Quicksilver at the centre of the city as they regrouped with the Avengers. As Iron Man explained that they had to protect the device's key from Ultron, the robot gathered his army outside. When Thor taunted him, Ultron unleashed his army upon the Avengers and Hawkeye joined his team in putting all his energy in fighting back against the seemingly unstoppable army. Before long, the combined might of the Avengers pushed the army of Ultron Sentries back and with combined efforts of the Vision, Iron Man, Thor and Hulk destroyed Ultron's armor and sent him fleeing. With the city of Novi Grad rising ever so higher, Captain America ordered the team to fall back before the city could be destroyed. Hawkeye questioned what would be done to protect the key and Scarlet Witch vowed to protect it, noting that it was her job to do so, repeating the words Hawkeye had said to her earlier. Leaving Scarlet Witch to protect the key, Hawkeye and Black Widow stole a car and drove to the Transporters ready to be taken to safety. As they drove along, Barton spoke to his friend about his plans to rework his home by fixing up the dining room to make more room inside for his children to play. As they parked, they overheard Hulk's roar and Romanoff went to calm him down and bring him to safety while Barton took his seat on the Transporter.

An Enemy Turned Saviour
"No, no. I’m fine. Oh, it’s been a long day."

- Clint Barton

Eventually Barton made it to a Transporter and attempted to board, but when he heard the cries of a young woman whose brother was missing, Barton knew he had to continue to help and ran back into the battlefield to find him. Barton found the boy and attempted to rescue him, but as he lifted the child up, he found himself under fire by Ultron who had stolen a Quinjet. Seeing no way to escape, Barton tried to use his own body to shield the boy from harm, but, as a dash of wind went by, they found that none of the bullets had struck them. Barton looked up to see that they had been saved by Pietro Maximoff, who had run into the line of fire and was fatally wounded. Maximoff told Barton with a smile that he did not see that coming before falling to the ground. Captain America ran over to their aid but Barton confirmed that Maximoff was dead. Barton ensured that the boy was reunited with his sister and carried Maximoff's body onto the Transporter. Barton refused medical attention as he claimed to be fine, just exhausted; he then sat down beside his saviour and relaxed. Moments later, Ultron activated the key and the city fell to the ground, only to be destroyed by Iron Man and Thor, saving billions of lives. Shortly afterwards the final Ultron Sentry was destroyed by the Vision, ending the war.

Returning Home
Having made his wife and children a promise, Barton retired from the Avengers and returned home to his family. Soon after, Laura Barton gave birth to their second son whom they named Nathaniel Pietro Barton out of respect for Quicksilver and Natasha Romanoff. The Bartons set up a video call to Romanoff to show off their newborn as she began work at the New Avengers Facility. Sometime after entering retirement, Barton played golf in his spare time, hitting a hole-in-one every single time.

Romanoff called Barton to ask him if he would sign the Sokovia, but Barton refused, claiming he retired.

Rescue of Wanda Maximoff
"Guess I should've knocked." "Oh my God, what are you doing here?" "Disappointing my kids."

- Clint Barton and Scarlet Witch

Barton was called by Steve Rogers and was asked to help him. Barton was sent to rescue Wanda Maximoff from the New Avengers Facility where Tony Stark had instructed Vision to supervise her. To distract Vision, Barton set off an explosion outside, allowing him to sneak into the facility. However, Maximoff suddenly sensed a presence behind her, causing her to launch a knife towards the intruder, stopping her attack when she realized it was Barton.

Barton pushed the knife away from his face and joked that he should had knocked. Surprised to see Barton, Maximoff asked what he was doing here, to which Barton replied, "disappointing my kids" as they were supposed to go waterskiing before Captain America called him. Barton shot an arrow on both sides of the room and told Maximoff they needed to leave because Captain America needed their help to fight against the Sokovia Accords. Barton took Maximoff's hand, and without any question, she began to follow, only to be stopped by Vision. Vision told Barton that he should not be there to which Barton commented that he had retired for five minutes and it all went to shit. As Vision started to approach Barton and Maximoff, he told Barton to consider the consequences of his actions before he was briefly stunned due to Barton's electrical arrows. While Vision was incapacitated, Barton started to leave, but notices Maximoff's hesitancy. Before Barton was able to convince Maximoff to leave, Vision escaped the electrical bondage and approached Barton, who fired an arrow, but it phased through Vision. Vision then knocked Barton away, Barton responding by telling himself that he should of stretched first. All of Barton's attacks were countered by Vision's ability to phase around objects. Barton attempted to punch Vision several times in the head, but his attack was useless due to Vision's Vibranium skin.

Barton soon became overpowered by Vision, who captured him in a headlock. As Maximoff watched in fear, Vision told Barton that he could not defeat him. Barton agreed and then looks to Maximoff and said, "But she can." Wanda told Vision to let Barton go and that she was choosing to leave, but Vision told Wanda that he could not let her. Maximoff used her powers to control the Mind Stone in Vision's forehead and forced him to phase which released Barton and caused Vision to fall to his knees and then pushes Vision several stories through the ground. Barton and Maximoff then left the New Avengers Facility to recruit Scott Lang.

Recruiting Scott Lang
"What about our other recruit?" "He's raring to go. Had to put a little coffee in him but he should be good." "Man, what time zone is this?"

- Captain America, Clint Barton and Ant-Man

After defeating Vision and recruiting Wanda Maximoff, Barton and Maximoff recruited Scott Lang. Barton, Maximoff and Lang waited for Steve Rogers in Berlin. When Rogers arrived, he told Barton that he would not had called him from retirement if there were any other choice. Barton told him that he was doing him a favor as he owed Maximoff a debt. Rogers thanked Maximoff for having his back, which Wanda repeated what Barton had told her at the New Avengers Facility. Rogers then asked about their new recruit and Barton said that he was raring to go and that he had to put a bit of coffee in him as he opened the van and retrieved Lang and introduced him to Rogers which much to his delighted. After Rogers informed Scott about the situation, Barton informed the group that he had called a chopper lined up. A announcement was made saying the airport was being evacuated due to Tony Stark so there would be no casualties. The group all suited up and made their way to the Flughafen Leipzig-Halle Airport where they would be taken to Siberia.

Clash of the Avengers
"Clearly retirement doesn't suit you. Get tired of playing golf?" "Well, I played 18, I shot 18. Just can't seem to miss." "First time for everything." "Made you look."

- Iron Man and Clint Barton

Captain America and his team headed to the Flughafen Leipzig-Halle Airport where a Quinjet was waiting to take them to Siberia. Captain America geted surrounded by Iron Man's team and Spider-Man took his shield and webs his hands together. Hawkeye, who was with Scarlet Witch, shot an arrow cutting the webbing on Captain America's hands and the Avengers began to fight each other. Iron Man located and went after Hawkeye and Scarlet Witch. Iron Man fired several missiles near them and confronted the two. Iron Man then joked about Hawkeye coming out of retirement. Barton stated that he had played eighteen holes and got eighteen, implying that he could not miss, to which Iron Man said there was a first for everything. Barton fired a few arrows at Iron Man and dodged them all and destroys them. As Hawkeye continued to fight Iron Man he revealed that he was just distracting him so Scarlet Witch could drop a bunch of cars of Iron Man which worked. Hawkeye and Scarlet Witch made their way to Captain America and his team so they could get to the Quinjet that would take them to Siberia. Hawkeye spotted the Quinjet up ahead, but they were stopped by Vision who shot a laser beam in front of them. The two teams stood on opposite sides of each other and Hawkeye stood with Captain America as they prepared to fight.

Fighting Former Comrades
"We're still friends right?" "Depends on how hard you hit me.""

- Black Widow, Clint Barton

The battle between the Avengers began with the two teams charging at each other, Hawkeye firing several trick arrows at his former allies including Iron Man, Vision and their new recruit: Spider-Man. As the attack progressed, Hawkeye and his best friend Black Widow started to fight, and as Hawkeye threw Black Widow to the ground, she questioned if they were still friends, which he jokingly responded with, "depends on how hard you hit me."

Black Widow got the upper hand due to Hawkeye throwing his punches, but right before Black Widow kicked him in the face, Scarlet Witch threw Widow off him using her powers. As the battle raged on, Hawkeye continued to fight and held his own against Iron Man's team. As Falcon was being attacked by Iron Man, Hawkeye teamed up with Ant-Man, firing one of his Scatter arrows with Ant-Man on it so he was able to crawl inside and disable Iron Man's armor. The arrow broke apart into several, smaller arrows, but was destroyed by Iron Man's repulsor blast. Ant-Man managed to jump off the arrow, land on Iron Man and crawl into his suit. While Ant-Man was disabling the suit, Hawkeye fired his arrows to distract Iron Man. Right as Iron Man prepared to fire back at Hawkeye, his armor started to malfunction, and Hawkeye made his way to his next fight.

Winning A Losing Battle
"As much as I hate to admit it, if we're going to win this fight, some of us might have to lose it."

- Hawkeye to Captain America

As team Iron Man pressed in, Falcon realized they could not win the battle and get everyone to Siberia. Dodging an attack by War Machine, Hawkeye commented that some of them would have to stay behind and fight in order for Captain America and Winter Soldier to get to the Quinjet. As Captain America and Winter Soldier made their way to the get-away vehicle, Ant-Man transformed into Giant-Man, and Hawkeye faced-off with Black Panther in order to distract their enemies from noticing the escaping pair.

Hawkeye fired several arrows at a closing in Black Panther, who caught the arrows while they exploded. Hawkeye put away his bow and introduced himself to Black Panther, who replied that he did not care. Knowing archery was not the best for face-to-face conflict, Hawkeye began using his bow as a combat bo staff, hoping to distract Black Panther while Captain America and Winter Soldier run to the Quinjet. Hawkeye managed to hold his own briefly, but was defeated when Black Panther hit him in the face, broke his staff, and was knocked out, allowing Black Panther to go after Captain America and Winter Soldier.

The Raft
"The Futurist, Gentlemen! The Futurist is here! He sees all! He knows what's best for you whether you like it or not.""

- Clint Barton

Following the Clash of the Avengers, Barton, Wanda Maximoff, Scott Lang and Sam Wilson were all captured and taken to the Raft where they were imprisoned. When Tony Stark visited, Barton taunted him, saying that the futurist had arrived. Stark told Barton that they should not be in there as the Raft was built for criminals which Barton claimed that they are all now because of Stark. Stark defended himself and he told Barton that he did not make the law but Barton just mocks him. Stark told Barton that he should of thought of his family when he chose to join Captain America, which makes him angry at Stark.

Tony Stark continued on to Sam Wilson's cell while Barton slammed on the cell and warned them to watch their back, as Stark was likely to break it showing that Barton had lost all trust for Stark. When Steve Rogers learned that the people who fought with him were being imprisoned, Rogers eventually infiltrated the Raft and freed Barton, Wanda Maximoff, Scott Lang, and Wilson because he believed in them and they would go on to help out in secret as they are now being hunted by the government.

Personality
"Pietro? The last I saw him, Ultron was sitting on him. Yeah, he’ll be missed, quick little bastard. I miss him already."

- Hawkeye sarcastically considers killing Quicksilver

Clint Barton is a brave operative with a deadpan focus; dedicated to his job of protecting the innocent. Uniquely, he can be quite compassionate for an assassin and sees the good in people, despite their difficult history. Barton chose to spare Black Widow and offered her a way for redemption when he was ordered to assassinate her and forgave and inspired Scarlet Witch to become an Avenger during the war with Ultron. It is during these moments that Barton has shown himself willing to be a maverick, disobeying orders in order to do what he believes is right. For this very reason, people feel he grounds his teammates and inspires them to be better.

Though commonly underestimated as one of the most under-powered Avengers, with his ability to blend in with his environment, his stoic professionalism, and ability to see and assess from afar, Barton is often valued by his superiors for his ability keep an eye on people and assess situations. Barton is often sarcastic and humorous to his friends and is a loving father and husband.

Abilities
"I see better from a distance."

- Hawkeye

Clint Barton's main ability is his extraordinary talent in marksmanship, with a speciality in archery. His unique skills have made him a core member of the Avengers, despite not being applied to the initiative, and one of S.H.I.E.L.D.'s best agents prior to the fall of the agency.
 * Bow Mastery: Barton has trained himself to become a master archer specializing in the use of regular bows, longbows, compound bows, and crossbows with perfect accuracy. He is capable of firing multiple arrows at a single target in a few seconds, and directly hit small targets in the greatest of distances. He is ambidextrous, able to use bows with either hand in either place. Barton is also capable of using his bow as a melee weapon in close quarters combat.
 * Master Marksman: Barton possesses very keen eyesight, and his accuracy is virtually unerring. He was able to shoot down a Chitauri Chariot without even looking at it, and hit at his target's weak points with extreme accuracy. He can also score a bulls-eye with three arrows simultaneously thrown without effort. Barton is also an excellent all-around marksman well versed in conventional firearms. During his retirement, he often played golf where he claimed to hit a hole-in-one every single time.
 * Master Assassin: Barton is an excellent assassin, having been sent by S.H.I.E.L.D. to kill Black Widow, a woman notoriously known for her assassination skills, and was assigned to be a special agent in S.H.I.E.L.D.'s investigation of the item that was found in New Mexico, having been able to neutralize Thor in case Phil Coulson had ordered it.
 * Expert Acrobat: Barton possesses exceptional human strength, endurance, and stamina. He is athletic, with very good reflexes and agility. This makes him capable of complex acrobatic maneuvers.
 * Expert Martial Artist: Barton is an excellent combatant, having been trained in various forms. Hence, he was able to swiftly incapacitate Scarlet Witch in close quarters, successfully avoiding her mind manipulation powers. When brainwashed by Loki, he was able to fight Black Widow to a standstill, although she eventually bested him in combat with guerilla tactics. In the Avengers Civil War, he later fought evenly against her again, and was able to swiftly knock Black Widow down, but it should be noted that Scarlet Witch swiftly interrupted their duel and called Barton out on pulling his punches. He also managed to temporarily hold his own against the considerably stronger Black Panther, but was defeated and knocked out relatively quickly. Barton also managed to bring down many Chitauri troops and Ultron Sentries while fighting alongside the other Avengers.
 * Expert Tactician: Barton has been trained in military tactics, being able to command a team of operatives under the unwitting control of Loki to heist a vault in Germany and infiltrate the S.H.I.E.L.D. Helicarrier with esteemed success, often using diversions to accomplish his goals.
 * Expert Pilot: Barton is an accomplished pilot, able to fly a Quinjet even when a fierce battle was going on. He was also the one usually piloting the Avengers Quinjet before he left the team.
 * Expert Stick Fighter: Barton is capable of skillfully wielding a baton in combat, and using his bow as a melee weapon in the manner of an improvised staff. His bow is also capable of transforming into an actual bo staff, which he showed great skill in wielding against Black Panther in the Avengers Civil War, but he was ultimately defeated and knocked out.

Weapons

 * Recurve Bows: Hawkeye is seen with two separate recurve bows: the first is seen while he is under Loki's mind control and in the direct aftermath at the Battle of New York. It is a heavily customized Hoyt Buffalo in 'blackout' colors, and is capable of folding on itself for easier transport and concealment by way of added hinges located by the tiller adjustment bolts. It also has multiple buttons on the bow's grip which are capable of selecting specific arrowheads stored in his mechanical quiver. A laser sight to assist in targeting can also be found on the riser. The second recurve bow Hawkeye uses is the Hoyt Gamemaster II, seen in his hands during the Avengers' attack on the HYDRA Research Base and War against Ultron. Like the Hoyt Buffalo he used before, the customized Gamemaster II has several selector buttons on the grip so Hawkeye can choose the arrowhead he needs. The bow has a capability to transform into a bo staff which can be used for up close combat.
 * Compound Bow: When Thor broke the perimeter S.H.I.E.L.D. had set up around Mjolnir, Hawkeye was one of the agents who responded to Phil Coulson's order to neutralize him. Although Coulson requested that a firearm be used for the job, Hawkeye chose the Mathews Apex 7 compound bow instead. Hawkeye aimed at Thor from an aerial position in a crane, but ultimately did not fire.
 * Specialized Arrow Quiver: Hawkeye's quiver was supplied with a multitude of different arrow heads in the bottom. By dialing up an armament setting from a control on his bow, Hawkeye could cause the quiver to affix these special arrowheads. This effectively increased the capabilities from conventional arrows, to explosive arrows, a grapple line, and more.
 * Trick Arrows: Hawkeye had a number of trick arrows.
 * Speed Loader: Hawkeye used a Speed Loader arrow cartridge capable of holding nine collapsible arrows.
 * : Hawkeye carried a Heckler & Koch P30 as one of his sidearms, using it to fire at Maria Hill's car while he escapes from the Joint Dark Energy Mission Facility after being brainwashed by Loki.
 * : Clint Barton resorted to use one of these guns to confront Pietro Maximoff at Avengers Tower, shooting it to the glass floor below Maximoff and making him fall to the floor below.
 * Wristbow: Hawkeye used once the Wristbow as his weapon during a security exercise to test the security systems of the Helicarrier, where he was disguised as a mercenary who had to battle Natasha Romanoff.
 * Busse 'Hawkeye' Dagger: This dagger was made by knife manufacturer Busse, and was made specifically for Hawkeye (though this design would be standardized, replicated, and sold as an official Busse product). He used this blade while fighting with Black Widow on board the Helicarrier during his raid, on Loki's behalf.
 * Remington 700PSS: Hawkeye initially reached for his Remington 700PSS sniper rifle when ordered by Phil Coulson to target Thor, although he ultimately chose to use his Mathews Apex 7 compound bow.
 * Baton Weapon: Clint carried a collapsible metal baton hidden under his quiver. He tried to use it to attack Vision but, it broke in half against his highly durable vibranium skin.

Family

 * Laura Barton - Wife
 * Cooper Barton - Son
 * Lila Barton - Daughter
 * Nathaniel Barton - Son

Allies

 * S.H.I.E.L.D. (First Incarnation) - Employer (Former Relationships)
 * Nick Fury - Director
 * Maria Hill - Deputy Director
 * Phil Coulson - Former Handler
 * Bobbi Morse - Colleague
 * Natasha Romanoff/Black Widow - Best Friend, Colleague and Partner
 * Avengers - Former Teammates
 * Captain America's Team
 * Steve Rogers/Captain America - Former Team Leader and Former S.H.I.E.L.D. Colleague
 * Wanda Maximoff/Scarlet Witch - Former Enemy turned Former Teammate and Friend
 * Sam Wilson/Falcon
 * Iron Man's Team - Former Teammates turned Temporary Enemies
 * Tony Stark/Iron Man - Former Teammate turned Enemy
 * Natasha Romanoff/Black Widow - Former S.H.I.E.L.D. Colleague, Partner, Best Friend and Former Teammate
 * James Rhodes/War Machine - Former Teammate turned Enemy
 * Vision - Former Teammate
 * Thor - Former Teammate
 * Bruce Banner/Hulk - Former Teammate
 * Pietro Maximoff/Quicksilver † - Former Enemy and Rival turned Teammate and Savior
 * Erik Selvig
 * Helen Cho
 * Scott Lang/Ant-Man
 * Bucky Barnes/Winter Soldier

Enemies

 * Marcus Scarlotti - Attempted Killer
 * Loki - Temporary Enslaver
 * Chitauri
 * Ultron †
 * Ultron Sentries †
 * HYDRA
 * Wolfgang von Strucker †
 * List †
 * Ulysses Klaue
 * T'Challa/Black Panther
 * Peter Parker/Spider-Man
 * Thaddeus Ross

Trivia

 * In Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Black Widow wore a necklace with an arrow pendant as a symbol of her friendship with Hawkeye.
 * In the comics, Hawkeye is the ex-husband of Bobbi Morse, but in the Marvel Cinematic Universe that role is filled by Lance Hunter. Barton married a woman named Laura in the Ultimate comics.
 * Hawkeye shares his birthday with his actor, Jeremy Renner.
 * Jeremy Renner is left handed, but since the character is ambidextrous he is shown shooting from his right hand in Thor and his left hand in The Avengers.

Behind the Scenes

 * Hawkeye is the only Avenger from the first film that did not appear in a Phase Two movie prior to Avengers: Age of Ultron, and the only male Avenger not to star in a solo movie.