Shafted

Following the death of his wife Bobbi Morse, aka Mockingbird, Hawkeye has retreated to t he Canadian Rockies to mourn alone.[1] Here, he spots two men on snowmobiles chasing after a cariboo. Seeing this as an unfair hunt, Clint wrecks their snowmobiles and tells them to walk the rest of the way back to civilization.

With the animal gravely injured, Hawkeye then races after it to put it out of its misery. As he pushes his way through the snowy terrain his entire life plays out before him. His time at the circus where he all of his archery and fighting skills from the Swordsman and Trickshot. His desire to become a hero only to be seduced by the Russian spy known as the Black Widow into fighting the likes of Iron Man. Followed by his redemption when he was asked to join the Avengers.[2] Since Bobbi’s death he doesn’t feel like much of a hero anymore.

His thoughts are interrupted by some a howl unlike any other type he has heard before. When he finally catches up to the caribou, some other animal had already gotten to it and ripped it to shreds. Following the trail of blood deeper into the wilderness, Clint is surprised to discover a massive complex has been built out in the middle of nowhere. Getting a closer look through his binoculars, Hawkeye discovers that this is an operation being run by the Secret Empire. Deciding to get in for the close look, Clint traverses down to the valley. Once he reaches the facility, the security starts going off. Ducking into the brush for cover, he sees a group of soldiers heading out into the woods, confirming that someone or something else set off the alarm. A helicopter spotlight gives Clint a glimpse of what they are after: A humanoid wolf-like creature. Just like the hunters on their snowmobiles, Clint doesn’t like these mercenaries going after an unarmed creature.

While the creature manages to get away, the Secret Empire soldiers continue to search with Hawkeye following them from the shadows. It’s then that Clint discovers that his old mentor Trick Shot and a woman calling herself Javelin are part of the search operation. Trick Shot suddenly becomes aware of Hawkeye’s presence and fires an explosive arrow in the brush. Clint is just fast enough to fire a counter-shot that causes the arrow to blow up in mid-aid. As the two lunge around shooting arrows at one another, Javelin manages to get the drop on Hawkeye. However, he manages to throw her off of him and dart off without a trace.

Hawkeye manages to catch up with the chopper just in time to witness them gun down the creature they were following. Furious, Clint fires his last Adamantium tipped arrow into the helicopter’s engine causing it to explode. Surprisingly, the creature is still alive so Clint picks it up and races back toward civilization to get help. The closest town he can find is the quiet logging village of Dunroman where he hopes that someone has the medical skills to help his wounded friend.

Meanwhile, the Secret Empire’s Council of Ten calls in Trick Shot and Javelin to make a report. They explain Hawkeye’s involvement and how he managed to escape with the creature they created. The Council members are furious until things are called to order by Viper, who is running the show. She tells them that Hawkeye couldn’t have gone far and their next course of action is to track him down and kill him, as well as anyone else who comes into contact with the creature they created.

Recurring Characters

Hawkeye, Rover, Secret Empire (Viper, Trick Shot, Javelynn)

Continuity Notes

1. Mockingbird seemingly died in Avengers West Coast #100. However, it is later revealed that this was actually a Skrull spy who took her place. Bobbi will turn up alive again in Secret Invasion #8 and the truth explained in New Avengers: The Reunion #2.

2. Hawkeye glosses over some of his early history. The details:

   • He mentions his time at the circus. Clint ran away from home to join the circus. This led to his being trained by both the Swordsman and Trick Shot. See Avengers #19 and Solo Avengers #2.

   • He was seduced by the Black Widow in Tales of Suspense #57. Later joining the Avengers in Avengers #16.

Topical References

• Javelin’s cell phone is depicted as an analogue model with push buttons, no screen, and an antenna to pick up signals. This should be considered a topical reference as this is an obsolete technology.