The Avengers and Philosophy by Mark White

Author:Mark White [White, Mark]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: John Wiley and Sons
Published: 2012-02-13T05:00:00+00:00

Finding a Balance with Hawkeye

Doris argues that we don’t really have global character traits like honesty, courage, or compassion that apply to a large number of situations regardless of their specific circumstances. Instead, we have local character traits, which apply more narrowly and in particular situations, like “courage under fire,” or the “courage to speak out.” So who is right, Aristotle or Doris? The case of Hawkeye shows us that the answer may lie somewhere in between.

In Hawkeye’s case, the relevant character trait seems to be a need for validation or attention. Just consider his reason for becoming a costumed adventurer: he was jealous of the attention Iron Man was getting.3 This need for approval is a fixed part of Hawkeye’s character; it is a constant theme in his solo stories as well as his adventures with the Avengers, the West Coast Avengers, and the Thunderbolts. Soon after donning his heroic mantle, though, Hawkeye was diverted into a criminal career. After he was mistaken for a criminal, his hotheadedness led him to decide spitefully that if they were going to think he was a criminal, he would become one.4

Hotheadedness and a need for approval are regional character traits, lying somewhere between the global traits described by Aristotle and the local traits defended by Doris. None of Hawkeye’s regional character traits changed significantly when he went from criminal to hero. Although his experiences have tempered him somewhat, he remains the stereotypical costumed archer with a chip on his shoulder and a bad temper. Hawkeye’s rehabilitation from a criminal to a hero did not eradicate those traits; instead, he used them for better purposes. His need for approval often leads him to try to prove his worth to his fellow heroes by taking the lead on risky missions, and because of his temper he is usually the Avenger who is most upset about perceived injustice and unfairness.

Avengers Annual #16 (1987) features one of Hawkeye’s most memorable and notorious feats of heroism.5 The Grandmaster has challenged the Avengers to stop his “lifebombs” from exploding and destroying the universe. The Avengers succeed, but the Grandmaster insists they replay that challenge, which they must do until the Grandmaster wins. At that point, Hawkeye challenges him to “draw straws” for the fate of the universe. In this case, the “straws” are Hawkeye’s last two arrows, one of which has a trick attachment, and the one who chooses this arrow is the winner. The Grandmaster can’t resist this gamble and is shocked when he draws the shaft without an attachment, leaving him vulnerable just long enough to bring an end to his scheme. As we soon see, the Grandmaster actually chose the arrow with the attachment, but Hawkeye snapped the attachment off the arrow as the Grandmaster grabbed it. Cap criticizes Hawkeye for cheating, and later, at a baseball game, he tells Thor to watch Hawkeye closely because “he cheats!” Cap buys into the idea of cheating as a global character trait. As we know, though, Hawkeye is not someone who always cheats for his own gain.

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