Hawkeye has had a long history in comics since his creation by Stan Lee and Don Heck in 1964. From his origins as a supervillain to a star of both the big and small screen in the MCU, Hawkeye has been through a lot of teams and partners over the years too.
Clint Barton has been a member of several Avengers teams, as well as being affiliated with several other superhero teams. Despite having no actual powers, Barton excels in using a number of weapons, hand-to-hand combat, and acrobatics, and has used his skills in some very successful partnerships throughout his time as a hero.
10 Hawkeye Was Never A Good Fit For The Defenders
Hawkeye joined the Defenders in Defenders #7, but his time with the team was short-lived. In fact, he'd left by Defenders #10. It's no surprise that a lot of comic readers don't remember Hawkeye ever being part of the Defenders, especially as he didn't appear to join the team for any good reason. Barton had been working with the Avengers but left after a rift formed with Vision over the affections of Scarlet Witch. After trying and failing to join up with Black Widow and floating around on his own for a while, Hawkeye found his way to the Defenders for a very short time. This isn't one of his most interesting team-ups, for obvious reasons.
9 Hawkeye Took The Great Lakes Avengers Under His Wing
The Great Lakes Avengers first appeared in West Coast Avengers vol.2 #46. Hawkeye is one of the first people to see the new hero team in action when he spots the GLA foiling a robbery. He and his then-wife Mockingbird are not pleased that the GLA is using the Avengers name without permission.
Despite this, they both agree to mentor the team. Under Barton's guidance, the GLA helps both the West Coast Avengers and the Avengers before temporarily disbanding. It's fun to see Hawkeye in a leadership role, but the Great Lakes Avengers are maybe not the most memorable Avengers team.
8 Hawkeye Tried To Redeem The Thunderbolts
The Thunderbolts were originally introduced as a hero team, picking up the slack while the Avengers were presumed dead, before being revealed as the Masters Of Evil. Later, the team rejected the leadership of Baron Zemo and started to attempt to become heroes in their own right under the leadership of Hawkeye. As a reformed villain himself, Hawkeye's leadership of the Thunderbolts is an interesting time in his history. While under his guidance, the team are fugitives attempting to secure a pardon. Unfortunately, he fails in this mission and ends up in jail for his efforts to help the team.
7 Secret Avengers Let Hawkeye Go Dark
After taking over from Norman Osborn, Steve Rogers chose not to continue HAMMER or SHIELD, and instead started several different Avengers teams. Led by Rogers, the Secret Avengers were an Avengers black-ops unit, covertly cleaning up after Osborn. Rogers decided to hand the team over to Hawkeye, who led the unit through several important missions, including fighting the Descendants and aiding the Avengers against the Phoenix Force. This wasn't the first time readers saw Hawkeye leading a team, but it was one of the more important leadership roles he's held. Eventually, Hawkeye opted to disband the black ops unit in favor of more above-board methods.
6 Hawkeye Spied On The New Avengers
Hawkeye has been affiliated with the Avengers in one way or another for many years, joining several of the different Avengers teams throughout his time in comics. For a time, Barton worked with the New Avengers as an open informant for SHIELD and joined the team again after being fired from SHIELD.
Eventually, he left the team to rejoin the main Avengers line-up, claiming he was only a member to spend time with his wife. While his heart clearly lies with the main Avengers roster, the New Avengers was a good time in Hawkeye's history.
5 Mockingbird Was More Than A Team-Up
Mockingbird was first introduced in 1971, before going on to join the Avengers and marry (and later divorce) Hawkeye. The two worked together for some time on the Avengers, and even had their own run of comics, Hawkeye And Mockingbird, by Jim McCann and David Lopez. Their marriage wasn't easy, with Mockingbird's death (and revival), and a divorce disrupting their wedded bliss. They may not be married anymore, but the romance has always been popular with fans, and it looks as though Mockingbird might be making her way to the MCU, thanks to this popularity.
4 West Coast Avengers Let Hawkeye Lead For The First Time
There have been a lot of spin-offs from the Avengers, but the first was the West Coast Avengers, founded by Hawkeye. This was one of the first times fans were able to see Hawkeye as a leader, which helped to boost his profile away from the main Avengers line-up. The West Coast Avengers were very different from the main team, nicknaming themselves the 'Wackos'. After Barton passed on the Hawkeye moniker to Kate Bishop, she reformed the West Coast Avengers, maintaining the connection between this more irreverent team and the Hawkeye name.
3 The Avengers Is Hawkeye's Home
The most famous team that Hawkeye has ever been a part of is definitely the Avengers. Hawkeye first joined the team in the 1960s, along with Quicksilver and Scarlet Witch. Black Widow also joined the team at around the same time. Throughout his history with the team, Hawkeye has played a key role in many classic stories, founded the first spin-off team, and mentored others. Thanks to the MCU, Hawkeye has become one of the most famous members of the Avengers, making this one of his most successful team-ups to date.
2 Black Widow Is Hawkeye's Oldest Partner
Hawkeye seems to work well in a partnership. One of his best-known and most popular pairings is with the former KGB agent, Black Widow. The two first met when Hawkeye was sent to kill her, although Black Widow was able to turn him to her side and go after Iron Man instead. Their early romance was strained by Hawkeye's reluctance to be a villain, and both eventually joined the Avengers, turning to the side of good.
Despite this, their romance was short-lived, although the close bond between these two heroes is undeniable. Their friendship has been an interesting way for readers to see a softer side of both of these characters. It's no wonder that they're seen as a classic duo.
1 Kate Bishop Is Hawkeye's Perfect Partner
Hawkeye's best partnership is with Kate Bishop. At a young age, Kate idolized Hawkeye, as a superhero without any powers. Hawkeye acted as a mentor to the young hero, and the two worked together for a long time, with Kate eventually also taking on the Hawkeye name. Kate might not be as famous (yet) as Black Widow, but her partnership with Hawkeye has been defining for both Barton and Bishop.
Matt Fraction and David Aja's Hawkeye run, largely regarded as the definitive Hawkeye series, also stars Kate Bishop. This story explores the relationship between the two, and the way Kate's more optimistic outlook balances out Barton's more serious nature. Inspired by Fraction and Aja's work, Disney+'s Hawkeye series has finally brought the other Hawkeye into the MCU, suggesting there's a lot more to this partnership to come.