It's True: Hawkeye Just Ditched His Bow For a Sick New Weapon

Warning: Contains SPOILERS for Avengers: Assemble #5! It seems unthinkable to consider that Hawkeye would ever, under any circumstances, abandon his iconic bow. Clint Barton has time and again proven that he is willing to charge head-first into battle alongside super-soldiers, cosmic powerhouses, and even literal gods against threats that range from city-wide threats to potentially world - or even universe - ending villains. And every single time, Hawkeye uses his bow. But now, as hard to believe as it may be, Hawkeye just ditched his bow for another weapon - and it’s admittedly pretty sick.

In Avengers: Assemble #5 by Steve Orlando and José Luís, Hawkeye and the rest of the AVENG.E.R.S. (Avengers Emergency Response Squad) are fighting the Serpent Society. While the Serpent Society are usually pretty insignificant villains, the team has a bit of an advantage over the Avengers in this case. Not only are they more powerful than they’ve ever been before, but they’ve also managed to corrupt the Avengers’ leader, Captain America.

The Serpent Society transformed Captain America into a snake-mutant, which not only turned Cap against the Avengers, but also hurt the Avengers’ morale to see their leader reduced to something like that. However, the Avengers fought on nonetheless, including and especially Hawkeye, even after he lost his bow during the battle. Thankfully, Night Thrasher packed an extra weapon for Hawkeye to use to replace the bow he ‘ditched’: a slingshot.

Hawkeye Trades His Bow for a Slingshot in Marvel Comics

The Slingshot Would Make for a Perfect Permanent Backup Weapon for Hawkeye

By all accounts, a slingshot is the perfect backup weapon for Hawkeye. It’s compact, requires the same level of accuracy as a bow and arrow, and is incredibly unassuming. No one will be filled with fear or dread upon seeing a slingshot on the battlefield, but in the hands of someone like Hawkeye, it’s as deadly a weapon as any other.

Plus, in this issue of Avengers: Assemble, it proves to be just the ticket for the Avengers’ ultimate victory over the Serpent Society. Hawkeye uses the slingshot to hit She-Hulk with a gamma-upgrade that amped-up her powers to an insane degree, and it only worked because none of the other members of the Serpent Society saw it coming. This is an advantage Hawkeye could always have in battle if he keeps this slingshot as his permanent secondary weapon - something he should absolutely do for future stories.

This Slingshot is Far From the Only Secondary Weapon Hawkeye Has Used

Hawkeye has Used No Shortage of Weapons that Aren’t His Bow in Marvel Comics

While seeing Hawkeye ditch his iconic bow for another weapon - slingshot or otherwise - is admittedly pretty shocking, this is far from the first time he’s done so. Over the years, Hawkeye has proven that he isn’t shackled to his bow, as he’s used weapons that range from swords and boomerangs to even Captain America’s shield, and has shown that he’s just as deadly with them as he is with the bow and arrow. Hawkeye literally just prefers his bow as his primary weapon, but he’s deadly no matter what, and his latest outing with a slingshot proves it.

Sure, Hawkeye may be no stranger to using weapons that aren’t his bow in Marvel Comics, but those weapons were always used as a substitute as opposed to being one that actually compliments his bow. The slingshot is the perfect weapon for Hawkeye, not as a replacement for his bow, but as an addition to his permanent arsenal - and it definitely needs to stick around.

Avengers: Assemble #5 by Marvel Comics is available now.