Here’s How & Why Hawkeye Became Ronin
Hawkeye was one of the best S.H.I.E.L.D. agents that joined the Avengers later. He was always known for his dedication and fighting for the right cause. That’s why his transformation into a vigilante had a bitter taste. But there is a reason for everything, and in this article, you can find out how and why Hawkeye became Ronin.
Hawkeye was the second person to become Ronin after Maya Lopez in the comics. He decided to detach himself from the life he led as Hawkeye because he was disappointed with the Avengers and was also in a dark place. The New Avengers gave him Ronin’s mask so he could start anew. In the MCU, Hawkeye becomes Ronin after he loses his family in the ‘blip,’ so he seeks revenge.
In both the comics and the MCU, Clint Barton hit the low point in his life before he became Ronin, and in the rest of the article, you can find out how it all went down!
Hawkeye was disillusioned with the Avengers and decided to become Ronin
Ronin’s history in the comics differs from what we saw in ‘Avengers: Endgame.’ It is interesting to note that it was never just one person who wore Ronin’s mantle. Over the years, many characters used the identity of Ronin, both heroes and villains. The first one to become Ronin was Maya Lopez, a.k.a. Echo. After the Civil War, she was sent to Japan by the Avengers to keep an eye on the rising threats there.
Disguised as Ronin, she fought against the Hand and was killed by Elektra. The Hand then revived Echo and brainwashed her, and the New Avengers decided to go to Japan and rescue her. Clint Barton joined them but was still shaken after everything in the ‘House of M’ storyline when the Scarlet Witch rewrote reality. He was also angry about the Superhuman Registration Act and didn’t want to do anything with Tony Stark and the Avengers, who supported it.
Clint joined the New Avengers but refused to be identified as Hawkeye ever again. So, the New Avengers presented him with the Ronin suit. Clint then traveled to Japan to face Elektra and the Hand, fighting alongside the New Avengers as Ronin.
In the comics, the Superhuman Registration Act is basically what the Sokovia Accords were in the MCU. It required all super-powered individuals to come forward and reveal their true identities to the Government. Clint was among those who refused to do that and rather continued fighting his battles as Ronin, leaving his life as Hawkeye behind.
Why did Clint Barton become Ronin in the MCU?
Hawkey’s transformation into Ronin in the MCU was triggered by the events in ‘Avengers: Infinity War’ when Thanos erased half of the universe’s population of existence. Clint’s family, wife, and three children were also among those. Naturally, Clint was filled with rage, and the trauma he suffered made him abandon the identity of Hawkeye, and he became Ronin, thirsty for revenge.
The scenes from the movie show Clint as Ronin in Tokyo, fighting Japanese gangsters, just like Echo does in the comics. Clint hoped that killing people who bring nothing good to the world but crimes and suffering would help him ease the pain he felt due to the loss of his family, but nothing could heal that wound.
Eventually, Natasha found him and informed him about possibly bringing back his family and everyone who disappeared in the ‘blip.’ She knew how much Clint was hurting but was also aware that killing all those people wouldn’t bring his family back. After hearing that there is a chance to reconnect with his family, Clint joins Avengers again and leaves the Ronin life behind.
However, the ‘Hawkeye’ show brings Clint’s past as Ronin again, and he has to face everything he’d done.
Why did Hawkeye go rogue?
After everything mentioned, we can conclude why Hawkeye went rogue easily. In the comics, he went through his darkest moments and felt betrayed by Tony Stark and the other Avengers who supported the Superhuman Registration Act. Also, the Scarlet Witch messed with his head severely.
In MCU, Hawkeye became Ronin and set himself on a dark path because he’d lost everything in life. First, he was on house arrest when Thanos attacked for the first time, and he helplessly watched his family disappear. He was angry at himself and the world and thought it unfair that many good people, including his loved ones, were gone and criminals who hurt others lived.
Hawkeye also felt like every other Avengers had moved on as best as they could, kept themselves busy, and contributed to a wrecked society the best that they could. So, he also did what he thought was right in a given situation.
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