The Hawkeye series looks to finally give Clint Barton (Jeremy Renner) his time to shine. In a story ripped right from the comics, Clint will meet his student and friend Kate Bishop (Hailee Steinfeld) as they face down the Tracksuit Draculas in New York before coming home for the holidays. One of the new characters being introduced is Maya Lopez, aka Echo (Alaqua Cox). A longtime hero in the comics, Echo will finally be getting the live-action treatment that will lead into her own series following Hawkeye's conclusion. But who is the new character, and what is she capable of?
Echo's Tragic Origin Began When She Was a Child
Echo first appeared in Daredevil #9 by David Mack and Joe Quesada, where she gets into a fight with the Man Without Fear, but her story began long before she faced Matt Murdock. Maya Lopez is a member of the Cheyenne Nation of Native Americans and grew up with her father. Born deaf, she quickly developed a love of the arts. To provide for her, Maya's father was a mob enforcer for Wilson Fisk, aka the Kingpin.
One day Fisk ordered his death, and when Maya found her father dying, he paced a bloody hand on her face. This handprint later becomes a defining look for the character. Impressed by his daughter's skill, Fisk took her in and gave her the best in education and combat training. After becoming an assassin for Fisk, he sent her to kill Daredevil, making her believe he killed her father. Not long after their fight, Daredevil convinced Maya of the truth, putting her on the side of right.
Echo Has Been an Avenger, Vigilante and Cosmic Being
Since becoming a hero, Echo has worked with the New Avengers under the name Ronin and has been a part of significant events like World War Hulk and Secret Invasion. While she isn't as famous as heroes like Black Panther and Thor, she has made a name for herself by being a reliable ally and capable fighter. In her time as a hero, she has also taken to the streets and joined other vigilantes like Moon Knight to stop more minor scale threats. Most recently, however, she has become the vessel for the Phoenix Force, which has granted her all of its abilities and placed her under the care of the Avengers.
Echo's Powers Make Her a Heroic Version of Taskmaster
Like Taskmaster, Echo has photographic reflexes. This allows her to almost perfectly mimic any movement that a hero does after seeing it only one time. As a child, this skill allowed her to appreciate the arts and helped her to be a successful pianist. Echo is also multilingual, which has helped her on her globetrotting adventures. Thanks to her love of the arts, she is also a skilled dancer and acrobat, which has helped her become an even better martial artist. Like Daredevil, she also has skills in marksmanship and weapons proficiency, but it's up to her to keep her body fit to perform these tasks.
Echo's Weaknesses Are Very Human in a Superhuman World
While Echo can copy any move and read lips with great skill, she isn't without weaknesses. The most apparent weakness she has is her limitations as a non-superhuman. Without the Phoenix Force, Echo is subject to the same wear and tear as any other hero of her caliber. That being said, she typically overcomes these limitations thanks to her internal fortitude. A more apparent weakness, however, involves her deafness. While she is an expert lip reader, she solely relies on her vision. As a result, being in the dark, where it's more difficult to see, leaves her vulnerable to attacks. Fortunately, Echo is one of Marvel's smartest and most capable fighters, meaning she'd rarely place herself in a situation that leaves her vulnerable.
Watch Echo come to life when Hawkeye premieres with two episodes on Nov. 24 on Disney+.