Spidey Battles Hawkeye the Marksman

Peter Parker and Betty Brant are heading home from a date. While Betty expresses her jealousy over the attention that Liz Allen has been giving Peter recently, they notice someone swinging across the rooftops. Seeing an opportunity to sell photos to the Daily Bugle, Peter rushes off to take them despite Betty's concerns for his safety. Managing to get away, Peter changes into Spider-Man in an alley and goes up to the rooftops. There he is attacked by Hawkeye, the outlaw archer. When the archer asks why the wall-crawler is after him, Spider-Man reminds Hawkeye that he is wanted by the police after he attacked Stark Industries.[1] As they fight, the web-slinger is impressed by Hawkeye's skill. The archer, meanwhile, explains that he just wanted to be a hero. Explaining how after seeing Iron Man in action one night he was inspired to create a costumed identity for himself. Unfortunately, when he was attempting to stop a robbery the police mistook him for the thief and tried to arrest him. He was then saved from arrest by the Black Widow who convinced him into battling Iron Man. It was during that battle that they were forced to escape when the Black Widow was injured. Hearing Hawkeye's troubling tale, Spider-Man tells him that he can still turn his life around. Unfortunately, Hawkeye has given up on his aspirations to be a hero and bowls the wall-crawler over with an explosive arrow. Recovering from the blast, Spider-Man notices that the bag of loot that Hawkeye is carrying contains medical supplies. When he manages to tag the archer with one of his spider-tracers. Unfortunately, Spider-Man realizes that he left his tracking device at home and can't follow after him.[2]

Rushing back home, Peter quickly finds the tracking device in his bedroom and rushes out, telling his Aunt May that he needs to go out to get some news photos. While at the luxury apartment of the Black Widow, the female spy is in contact with her superiors in Russia. They are unimpressed with her failed attempts to strike at Stark Industries. When she assures them that she will stop them next time, Hawkeye returns home. Although her superiors cut off contact, Hawkeye reveals that he knows that she is a foreign spy. Natasha tries to explain that she and her superiors are trying to bring about world peace, but the archer still doesn't buy it. Still, Natasha uses Hawkeye's feelings for her to convince him that he need not worry about what they are doing. Hearing this from outside is Spider-Man who has managed to track down Hawkeye thanks to his spider-tracer. The wall-crawler cannot believe that Hawkeye is buying anything the spy is saying. That's when his spider-sense goes off, warning him of the bodyguards that the Black Widow has around her apartment. The web-spinner makes short work of them all until one of the armed men fires a rocket at a theater across the street. This forces the wall-crawler to leave and web up the falling debris to save the innocent people on the street. When he returns to the penthouse across the street, the Black Widow and her minions have quickly abandoned their hideout.

The next morning, Peter is upset not only with being unable to track down Hawkeye again but also because the Daily Bugle is blaming Spider-Man for the damage done to the theater. When he tries to call Betty to make a date, he is told she isn't home. That's when Aunt May enters the kitchen and suggests that Peter go out on a date with Mary Jane Watson, the young niece of her friend Anna. Peter really doesn't want to go on a blind date with Mary Jane since he's already dating Betty and trying to fend off Liz Allen.[3] When he asks his Aunt what he should do about someone he knows could be a better person that has done some bad things, she relates to how Peter's Uncle Ben dealt with co-workers that were much the same, and how he always believed that people deserve a second chance.

Later that evening, the Black Widow uses her female charm to seduce Hawkeye into agreeing to go along with her plan to break into Williams Innovations to steal a targeting system that the company is developing. When Hawkeye later breaks into the facility and tries to steal the device he is interrupted by Spider-Man, who managed to track him down with the spider-tracer again. In the ensuing battle, Simon Williams -- the owner of the company -- comes walking into the room. Spider-Man tries to get Williams to safety, but ultimately Hawkeye manages to take the scientist hostage.[4] Spider-Man convinces Hawkeye not to do anything rash, and the confused archer eventually leaves empty-handed and without harming Williams. Unfortunately, during the scuffle, the spider-tracer planted on Hawkeye managed to fall off. As he swings for home, Spider-Man thinks about how it took a burglar murdering his Uncle Ben to make him use his powers for good and hopes that Hawkeye doesn't learn this harsh lesson before its too late.[5]

Recurring Characters

Spider-Man, Hawkeye, Betty Brant, Simon Williams, Black Widow, Aunt May

Continuity Notes

1. At the time of this story, Hawkeye and the Black Widow had just attacked Stark Industries, as seen in Tales of Suspense #57.

2. At the time of this story, Spider-Man needed a tracking device to follow his spider-tracers. He will later develop a type that he can track with his spider-tracer in Amazing Spider-Man #51.

3. Aunt May has been trying to set up Peter and Mary Jane since Amazing Spider-Man #17. He won't meet her until Amazing Spider-Man #42.

4. Here, Williams states that his company is struggling to stay in business due to competition from Stark Industries. Williams business will eventually fail, as will be seen in Avengers #9.

5. Peter's Uncle Ben was murdered by a burglar in Amazing Fantasy #15.