Welcome back, True Believers! With 2020 behind us, we’re excited to kick off the new year with our newest post-launch hero, Clint Barton as Hawkeye and his own Operation: Future Imperfect! We know how many members of our community are looking forward to Hawkeye and have heard their calls ever since our initial reveal at E3 2019. Now, we can finally answer where Hawkeye is! We first met Clint in Kate Bishop’s Operation, Taking AIM, where she brought him back from the brink of a huge AIM conspiracy involving the manipulation of time itself. Operation Hawkeye: Future Imperfect marks Chapter 2 of Season One, where we continue diving into the consequences of the Tachyon Project and come face to face with a possible future where all hope is lost.
Clint Barton is the original Hawkeye: a peerless marksman, master swordsman, and proud dog parent. Clint first appeared in Tales of Suspense (1954) #57, and his first solo comic series was Hawkeye (1983) #1. From his humble heroic beginnings in the circus troupe that taught him how to handle a bow and sword, to his life as a crime-fighter operating out of his New York apartment, to a secret SHIELD agent, and, finally, to a member of the Avengers, his skill and devotion to justice earned him recognition, opportunity, and friendship among Earth’s Mightiest Heroes. However, despite his impressive skillset and the trust of his teammates, he found himself grappling with feeling like he couldn’t make a meaningful contribution to the super-powered, superhuman Avengers team. In Future Imperfect, a storyline inspired by Marvel Comics’ Old Man Hawkeye series and the Hawkeye (2012) “My Life as a Weapon” storyline, you will be taking Clint on a perilous journey to a future Earth and stepping into a new biome known as the Wasteland to find the missing Nick Fury, come face-to-face with the villain Maestro, and save the world. Did we mention his canine pal Lucky will also be featured in this Operation?
As Kate Bishop’s mentor and close friend, Clint and Kate have similarities in their skillset due to being mentor and protégé, but nevertheless, they are two different fighters each with their own style. Clint’s bow skills are second to none in the Marvel Universe, and we took inspiration from his Ronin period to create his sword abilities, which makes him a powerful melee and ranged hero.
Whereas Kate blinks around the battlefield as a blur of never-ending strikes to multiple foes, Clint is the steadfast hunter, taking down his foes with powerful, precise hits one at a time until he’s the only one left standing. Clint’s Quick Reflex Intrinsic Ability allows him to sidestep enemy attacks and parry with a fast-staggering bow shot. His Dead Eye Skill allows him to focus his aim on a single target, increasing damage and reaction with razor arrows. With Ranger’s Momentum, snap to targets instantly and zero-in on weak points.
Clint’s ranged arsenal makes him a one-man-army with many different unique arrow types. Grapple Arrows let Clint traverse the environment with ease and is also an intrinsic heavy attack, reeling into enemies before slashing them with his sword. His intrinsic attacks include Boomerang Arrows that seek out targets before returning. Use Implosion Arrows to cluster enemies together or draw them away from you. Tripwire Arrows stagger weaker enemies and push back larger foes with a spread of projectiles tethered together with energy. Parry enemies with Rocket Arrows, which attach to targets, sending them airborne! Pulsar Arrows attach to surfaces and build up energy before exploding. The more they build up, the bigger the boom!
Clint’s Heroics are themselves three different arrow types. His Assault Heroic uses Nightstorm Arrows: launch it into the air and rain down projectiles to decimate areas of the battlefield. Just as important, his Recovery Arrow Support Heroic unleashes nanobots that swarm nearby allies and restore their willpower. The Hunter’s Arrow Ultimate Heroic is an AI guided projectile that flits across the battlefield, piercing through targets. Once upgraded, fire two at once, add explosive charges, or focus damage on player-targeted foes. Count on Hunter’s Arrow to dish out an aerial assault with damage equal to a fleet of arrows, punishing enemies all over the fight no matter who Clint has in his sights.
And for when you want to get up close and personal with enemies, take out Clint’s katana to dish out powerful melee damage. His light attacks are swift, decisive cuts to strike at his foes. His heavy attacks put his full strength behind each blow, sending out powerful slashes meant to strike several enemies in front of him at once. He can use his light attacks in-air to combo airborne targets, or his heavy attacks to quickly slam down onto foes, smashing them into the ground. He has several sword attacks meant to launch enemies into the air so that he can juggle them while they’re vulnerable. By the time they come back down, getting back up isn’t going to be an option.
Like Kate, Clint comes with loads of outfits and emotes to express himself. Keep an eye on our social media for sneak peeks at some of his cosmetics!
Clint shoots into Marvel’s Avengers on March 18. Share with us your awesome fan content—we love seeing the incredible shots from our super talented video game photography community, your different powerful builds, your exciting reaction videos, and, as always, your consistent feedback! We look forward to seeing you there!