Hawkeye

Clint Barton aka Hawkeye is a superhero featured in Marvel Comics. He is frequently associated with the Avengers, leading some branches of the team.

History
Clinton Francis Barton was born to Harold and Edith Barton in Waverly, Iowa. The youngest of two siblings, he had an older brother named Charles Bernard Barton, who generally tended to go by Barney. Harold Barton was a violent alcoholic who was particularly abusive to Clint in particular. Barney taught Clint how to fight back, but it became a moot point when Harold inadvertently killed himself and Edith in a drunk driving accident. As orphans, Barney and Clint were shuffled from one foster home to another, eventually deciding to take their chances on the streets rather than risk being separated by the adoption process. The two brothers eventually came upon a traveling circus and became roustabouts. They quickly caught the attention of two star performers, knife thrower Jacques Duquesne and master archer Buck Chisholm. Clint was trained by both men; they were impressed by his aim, but noted that he had more natural talent with the bow. His relationships with his mentors deteriorated when it was discovered that Duquesne had a gambling problem, and he had been embezzling from the carnival in an attempt to pay off his debts. By this time Barney had grown disillusioned with the life of a "carny" and had decided to join the Army.

With Duquesne and Chisholm exposed as criminals, Clint briefly continues as a solo performer, but doesn't quite have the level of showmanship his former mentors had. He is performing to an indifferent crowd at Coney Island when Tony Stark and Pepper Potts arrive on a date. A Ferris Wheel breaks loose, prompting Tony to suit up as Iron Man to save the day. Witnessing the event, Clint begins to think that he could use his skills to be a superhero, as he already has a costume and an alter-ego "Hawkeye, the world's greatest marksman." In his first patrol, he manages to successfully thwart a jewel theft. Unfortunately for Hawkeye, the cops mistake him for a criminal and he is forced to flee.

The Black Widow, at the time a loyal Red Room operative with interests hostile to the Avengers, rescues Hawkeye from the cops and takes him to her safehouse. As Hawkeye had always had a soft spot for beautiful women, Black Widow easily manipulates him into becoming a pawn in her schemes to destroy Iron Man. Natasha upgrades Clint's equipment, providing him with explosive arrowheads, and few others dipped in a corrosive solvent capable of eating through Iron Man's armor.

Armed with his upgraded equipment, Hawkeye goes after Iron Man. Not wanting to actually kill anyone, he uses the corrosive arrows, forcing Iron Man to flee, leaving the damaged pieces of his armor behind. Hawkeye then steals the discarded pieces, figuring that Black Widow's employers can analyze them, then heads to the docks at LaGuardia Airport where he is to rendezvous with Black Widow. Iron Man equips a set of backup armor and tails Hawkeye to the rendezvous point, but Hawkeye and Black Widow are able to escape in a boat, using the dense fog to their advantage.

Hawkeye is next seen attempting to steal some medical supplies, but is stopped by Spider-Man. Spider-Man reminds Hawkeye that he is a wanted fugitive due to his attack on Stark Industries, prompting Hawkeye to explain to the misunderstanding that drove him to crime in the first place. Spider-Man tells Hawkeye it's not too late to turn his life around. The Webslinger lets him go, but plants a tracking device on him, following him back to Black Widow's safehouse. Spider-Man's words have planted a seed of doubt in Hawkeye's mind, but Black Widow appeases him by telling him they are targeting corrupt corporations that are threats to world peace. Black Widow sends Hawkeye to steal a targeting system developed by Williams Innovations, but he is foiled by Spider-Man and forced to escape. The two would target Iron Man again, but Black Widow would eventually start to develop feelings for Hawkeye. Seeing this as a potential conflict to her loyalty, her handlers fake her death and have her undergo a new series of brainwashings. Hawkeye came to realization that the Black Widow's bosses had ultimately been manipulating both of them, while seeing them as nothing more than expendable pawns the entire time. This prompted Hawkeye to take Spider-Man's words to heart and renounce crime.

During a stint as a vigilante tackling street level crime, Hawkeye saved Ed Jarvis, the butler for the Avengers, from a mugger. Jarvis revealed that the Avengers were undergoing a lineup change and were in need of new members. Hawkeye made his way to Avengers Mansion, and argued his case to join the team. With recommendations from Iron Man and Jarvis, Captain America brought him on as a member alongside Quicksilver and Scarlet Witch.