365 Marvel Comics Paper Cut-Out SuperHeroes - One Hero, Every Day, All Year…May 18th - Hawkey
365 Marvel Comics Paper Cut-Out SuperHeroes - One Hero, Every Day, All Year…
May 18th - Hawkeye / Kate Bishop
Katherine ‘Kate’ Bishop grew up as the youngest daughter of an affluent Manhattanite family. Although her father was an emotionally distant publishing magnate, Kate admired him and tried to gain his attention and approval during her summer breaks from boarding school. Her mother Eleanor was estranged from her father and frequently absent on vacations until she died under mysterious circumstances when Kate was still young.
In her early adolescence, Kate’s father became involved in a criminal endeavor with the villain known as El Matador. The scheme had soured and it resulted in El Matador kidnapping Kate. She was rescued by the Avenger known as Hawkeye (Clint Barton) and the ordeal left a significant impression on her. Hawkeye became her role model and she strived to emulate him by helping people and learning archery (a skill she had a natural talent for).
As a teenager, Kate was sexually assaulted while walking home through Central Park. It was a terribly traumatic event and her therapist suggested that she try to sublimate her feelings of helplessness by learning self defense. Kate took the suggestion a step further, training tirelessly in multiple types of martial arts, learning swordsmanship and honing her skills at archery to a point that they bordered on the superhuman.
Kate was attending her older sister’s wedding when a group of armed men stormed the church and attempted to take the precession hostage. The recently formed Young Avengers arrived on the scene to take down the criminals, but were still quite new at acting as a team ended up needing Kate’s help to save the day. Afterward, Kate tracked down these young heroes and suggested she be to allowed to join their ranks. In that Kate did not possess any actual super powers, the Young Avengers initially balked at this suggestion. Their minds were quickly changed, however, after Kate played a pivotal role in helping the team defeat Kang The Conquerer. During the battle with the villain, Kate used weapons pilfered from the then-ruined Avengers’ Mansion, weapons that included Mockingbird’s staves, The Swordsman’s blade and Hawkeye’s bow and arrows.
Early on in her career as a heroine, Kate had trouble choosing a codename. After an encounter with Clint Barton (who was at the time operating under the moniker of Ronin), Kate was encouraged to take on the mantle of Hawkeye.
Following numerous adventures alongside the Young Avengers, Kate went on to become partners with Clint Barton. Clint had resumed his role as Hawkeye and the pair decided that they could share the name. Some time thereafter, Kate joined a new iteration of The Young Avengers and battled the inter-dimensional parasite known as ‘Mother.’
Following further adventures alongside Barton, Kate relocated to Los Angeles and began a private investigation firm. She discovered that her mother was still alive and was in league with the villainous Madam Masque, leading to multiple altercations between Kate and Masque’s criminal organization. Whilst living in LA, Kate helped to forge a new iteration of The West Coast Avengers. The team had a number of adventures together before Kate ultimately decided that managing an Avengers squad was more trouble than it was worth. As such, Kate relocated back to New York and more recently resumed her private investigatory work, taking a job for her older sister.
A version of Kate Bishop features in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, debuting in the Disney+ Series Hawkeye, and portrayed by actress Hailee Steinfeld. The heroine first appeared in the pages of Young Avengers Vol. 1 #1 (2005).
