Hawkeye is one of the original Avengers in Marvel comics, first appearing in Tales of Suspense #57 in 1964. His real name is Clint Barton, and he’s an expert marksman armed with a bow and trick arrows.
In recent years, some fans have theorized that Hawkeye may actually be a Skrull imposter. The Skrulls are a race of shape-shifting aliens who have repeatedly tried to infiltrate Earth by impersonating superheroes and other influential people.
So could it be possible that the Hawkeye we know is actually a Skrull in disguise? Let’s closely examine the evidence.
Hawkeye’s Backstory and Origins
When looking for clues that a character may be a Skrull imposter, their origins are often enlightening.
Hawkeye grew up in Iowa where he developed exceptional skill with a bow and joined a traveling circus. After witnessing Iron Man in action, he was inspired to become a costumed superhero himself. He soon joined the Avengers and has been a mainstay member of the team ever since.
Nothing about Hawkeye’s early life or origins seems out of the ordinary. He has a clearly defined backstory and development arc. Of course, Skrulls are capable of fabricating detailed false histories, but there’s no obvious red flag here to suggest Hawkeye isn’t who he claims to be.
Key Facts about Hawkeye’s Origins
- Grew up in Iowa
- Learned archery skills at a young age
- Joined a traveling circus where he performed trick shots
- Inspired by seeing Iron Man in action
- Has no ties to extraterrestrial activities or races like the Skrulls prior to becoming Hawkeye
His personality and motivations also seem authentic and consistent with his background. Overall, Hawkeye’s origins do not point to him being a Skrull imposter.
Hawkeye’s Actions and Personality
In addition to backstory, a character’s actions, personality, and relationships can provide clues about their true nature.
Hawkeye is known for his brash attitude, competitiveness with other heroes, and tendency to disobey orders. He forms close working relationships and friendships with other Avengers members, especially Captain America. And he’s always ready to sacrifice himself for the greater good.
None of this seems atypical for Hawkeye based on his established history. And there are no obvious inconsistencies or unusual behaviors that would point to him being an undercover Skrull agent.
Key Personality Traits and Actions of Hawkeye
- Cocky, brash attitude
- Frequently competes with and plays pranks on other heroes
- Disobeys orders from team leaders like Captain America
- Forms close partnerships with other Avengers
- Willing to sacrifice himself for teammates and innocents
The Skrulls primarily work to sow mistrust and discord among Earth’s heroes. But Hawkeye has only helped bring the Avengers together over the years. He shows no signs of trying to subtly fracture the team.
Hawkeye’s Superhuman Abilities
While seeking to replace Earth heroes, Skrulls try to perfectly replicate their powers and abilities. Let’s examine Hawkeye’s skills and see if there are any gaps that may betray him as an imposter.
Hawkeye has no inherent superpowers, but is simply an extraordinary archer and combatant. His abilities include:
- World class archery accuracy and precision
- Expert use of wide array of trick arrows
- Exceptional reflexes, dexterity, and hand-eye coordination
- Peak human strength, endurance, and agility
- Expert in acrobatics and hand-to-hand combat
- Skilled pilot and driver of various vehicles
Hawkeye has displayed these talents consistently over decades of appearances. A Skrull replacement would have to be highly proficient across a wide range of combat and physical skills to successfully mimic Hawkeye without raising suspicion.
There are no obvious gaps in abilities that suggest Hawkeye is limited by what a Skrull could realistically imitate. He has shown capabilities expected of an elite human Avenger.
Hawkeye’s Superhuman Feats
- Bullseye accuracy hitting small, moving targets
- Ricocheting arrows off multiple surfaces to hit enemies
- Firing multiple arrows at once with consistency
- Using fine-tuned arrow tricks like boomerangs and nets
- Holding his own in hand-to-hand against powerful foes like Red Hulk
His demonstrated accuracy, reflexes, and combat speed are within realistic human limits. A Skrull is fully capable of replicating everything Hawkeye has shown in the field.
Hawkeye’s Interactions with Known Skrulls
When the Avengers have directly encountered Skrulls, Hawkeye has reacted appropriately as his authentic self would.
For example, when numerous heroes were replaced by Skrulls during the “Secret Invasion” storyline, Hawkeye remained free and joined the resistance effort. He fought against the Skrull imposters, ultimately helping win the invasion.
He also has shown no unusual mercy or hesitation in battling Skrulls compared to other alien threats the Avengers have faced. And Skrulls in disguise have never shown any signs of recognizing Hawkeye as one of their own.
Hawkeye Battling the Skrulls
- Fought against Skrull invasion force during the “Secret Invasion” storyline
- Joined underground resistance to battle Skrull imposters of heroes
- Showed no mercy or hesitation fighting the Skrulls
- Skrulls never indicated Hawkeye was one of them
Based on these interactions, there is no evidence that Hawkeye has any connection to the Skrulls outside of being their enemy.
Hawkeye’s Team-Ups with Ms. Marvel and Spider-Woman
Two heroes who have been revealed as Skrulls in the past are Ms. Marvel and Spider-Woman. If Hawkeye has teamed up closely with them, it could lend credence to him also being a Skrull.
Hawkeye has indeed fought alongside both Ms. Marvel and Spider-Woman at times as fellow Avengers. However, this in itself does not prove anything. Nearly every Avenger has teamed up with these two heroes when they were not known to be Skrulls.
And Hawkeye exhibited no unique chemistry or unusual knowledge of their capabilities that would suggest he was colluding with them during missions. He treated them as he did any ally during battles.
So while he has interacted with Ms. Marvel and Spider-Woman, there were no obvious giveaways hinting Hawkeye was secretly affiliated with them as a fellow Skrull.
Hawkeye’s Team-Ups
- Teamed up at times with Ms. Marvel and Spider-Woman as fellow Avengers
- Showed no unusual chemistry or insider knowledge when working with them
- Interacted with them as he did any ally during battles
Analysis of Hawkeye Being Replaced at Birth
One possibility is that the real Clint Barton was secretly replaced as a baby by a Skrull who later became Hawkeye. Could this explain why he shows no outward signs of being an imposter?
For this to be possible, Skrulls would have had to:
- Secretly abduct infant Clint without leaving any evidence
- Swap in a Skrull baby convincingly identical to a human
- Fake medical records and birth certificates for the imposter Clint
- Ensure the adopted Barton family never caught on to the deception
While Skrulls have excellent spy and infiltration skills, pulling off this history for Hawkeye seems highly unlikely. There’s no indication in backstories that anything unusual happened around Clint’s actual birth.
And the Skrull baby would have to completely mask its alien abilities and appearances for decades before becoming Hawkeye. Overall, the evidence does not reasonably support this abduction and replacement theory.
Feasibility of Abducting and Replacing Baby Clint Barton
- Skrulls would need to secretly abduct infant Clint
- Convincingly identical Skrull baby substitute needed
- Faking medical records and birth certificates difficult
- Adopted parents not catching on improbable
- Skrull baby hiding alien tendencies for decades unlikely
Hawkeye’s Romantic Relationships
Hawkeye has had notable romantic relationships with fellow heroes like Mockingbird and Black Widow over the years. If he was truly a Skrull, this could compromise the identities and intel of these heroes.
But there is no evidence Hawkeye has obtained damaging inside information on allies through these relationships. And he exhibits normal human intimacy, affection, and passion consistent with his personality.
A Skrull focused solely on the impersonation likely would not pursue such in-depth romantic bonds. The fact that Hawkeye engages in meaningful relationships lends more proof to his authenticity.
Hawkeye’s Heroic Love Interests
- Major romantic relationships with Mockingbird and Black Widow
- No signs of exploiting these romances for intel gathering
- Displays convincing emotional intimacy and affection
- A strictly professional Skrull likely would not pursue such bonds
Conclusion
Based on thorough analysis of his history, abilities, relationships and actions, there is no convincing evidence indicating Hawkeye is secretly a Skrull imposter.
While Skrulls have disguised themselves as numerous heroes before, everything we know about Hawkeye fits consistently with his longtime existence as Clint Barton. Any replacement would require an impractically thorough and undetectable deception.
While an interesting fan theory, the notion that Hawkeye is truly a Skrull infiltrator does not hold up well to scrutiny. All signs point to him being the one and only Clint Barton fans have known for decades. The Skrulls may still replace him someday, but for now the authentic Hawkeye continues fighting the good fight as an Avenger.