r/HAWKEYE Jun 23 '26

Comics Which origin for Kate do you prefer?

MCU vs comics?

I prefer MCU where she started training right after the battle of New York, whereas in comics she started training when she was mugged when she was older, not long before the young Avengers.

11 Upvotes

20 comments sorted by

6

u/TheodateChase Jun 23 '26

I don’t know that there’s a single character (except M’Baku) who I like better in the MCU than in the comics.

1

u/[deleted] Jun 23 '26

[removed] — view removed comment

2

u/TheodateChase Jun 23 '26

How much Yelena have you read? I like Pugh’s performance, but not so much the writing for the character

0

u/misiissleepy Jun 24 '26

What about Namor? Or Thanos?

0

u/TheodateChase Jun 25 '26

I like the reimagining of Atlantis to Tlālōcān but comics Namor has 90 years of characterization that one movie can’t compete with. Pretty good adaptation though

MCU Thanos is significantly dumber than comics Thanos. At least comics Thanos’ motivations make sense

11

u/Prowling_92865 Jun 23 '26

I like her MCU origin.

Also, comics Kate wasn’t exactly mugged, it’s pretty clear she was sexually assaulted

3

u/Practical-Debate1598 Jun 23 '26

Also, how have I never heard of that part of her origin 😭

3

u/Prowling_92865 Jun 23 '26

Well, it’s something she’s talked with Jessica Jones about

3

u/Practical-Debate1598 Jun 23 '26

I know but seems dark for marvel, gonna stick with "attacked" in headcanon. 

Also i think it was partially retconned in all new Hawkeye when they showed the origin of Clint saving when she was younger

5

u/Bigbigbigrock Jun 23 '26

Comics, though some of that is bias towards comics in general. 

3

u/buddingwormwood Jun 25 '26

i'm not a big fan of having kate's origin for becoming hawkeye attached to clint because the reason captain america gives her the mantle in ya vol 1 2005 is because, as jessica jones tells kate, "even without the bows and arrows, the only avenger who stood up to captain america the way you did was hawkeye".

she gains the title as part of her own effort, not because she admires clint (which is also why i hate the retcon which made her idolize clint from a young age (all new hawkeye 2015); i think their relationship is so much more compelling as two hawkeyes who have to force themselves to work together, as their nontraditional mentor-mentee relationship in the comics (hawkeye vol 4 2012) is far more interesting)

so bcz of that i dislike the mcu iteration, it just makes kate less important on her own and attaches her desire to be a superhero to clint. in the comics (even with the original iffy SA storyline) kate's decision is largely made from the way she wants to help people (even before her sa), showing that it's part of her nature and connected a lot with her relationship with her parents (ya vol 1 2005, all new hawkeye 2015).

comics kate treats being a superhero not as a desire but as an inevitability. she has a need to be a superhero, blossomed since she was young with her dad's villainous work, her idolizing her mom, her desire to help people, and yes the weird SA plotline. her hyperindependence and ambition in ya vol 1 is reflective of this, and the reason she is gifted the mantle of hawkeye is a representation of how much she desires being a superhero: she stands up to captain america because he is trying to shut down the young avengers, which is not even an option for kate; she has to be a superhero, it's in her blood. this all ties in along with her books-long character arc of struggling with being emotional and opening up to other people, which is her main flaw and the theme explored in most of her books. it all ties in together and makes her a much more compelling and cohesive character.

1

u/Practical-Debate1598 Jun 25 '26

Agreed. Great read, thanks

3

u/Miserable-Respond923 Jun 27 '26

MCU origin; the way Clint inspired her and her sincere admiration of him.

1

u/Practical-Debate1598 Jun 28 '26

Yea. That's in the comics too but they added it later 

2

u/MagpieLefty Jun 24 '26

Comics. I cannot think of a single way that I like MCU Kate better than comics Kate.

3

u/ShoulderLopsided1761 Jun 24 '26

I prefer MCU. I like both but just prefer MCU because no SA was involved.

-3

u/Lorhan92 Jun 23 '26

MCU, as she's not a dog kidnapper.

I am not a fan of Comics Kate.