By [ad_1]
Hawkeye’s trick arrows are iconic, but while the Disney+ series had more than ever, some of the best are still missing from the archer’s quiver.
WARNING: The following contains spoilers for Hawkeye, now streaming on Disney+.
Hawkeye’s trick arrows are the closest the hero comes to having superpowers, and the new Disney+ series expands his arsenal more than ever before in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. From start to finish, Hawkeye features some of the best arrows in the archer’s arsenal, from his Pym particle arrows to acid arrows and many more. And yet, there are still a few items missing from the character’s quiver seen in the comics.
Over the years, the Hawkeye of the comics has used more trick arrows than one miniseries could convey, but there are a few missing items that fans would have loved to see. Whether they appear in a sequel series or a spinoff adventure, there are still more tricks left up Hawkeye’s sleeve that the MCU has yet to include.
The finale to Hawkeye builds up to a climactic battle where Clint Barton and Kate Bishop fire off some of the coolest arrows they could make. With seemingly no concept too far out or whacky for the TV series to adapt, the fight included an electromagnetic arrow that snatched away the Tracksuit Mafia’s weapons, a freeze arrow that iced a goon’s leg and even an airbag arrow that created a massive cushion on its target. Up until the TV series, the MCU was far more reserved in showing off Hawkeye’s arsenal, restricting him to a zip drive arrow here or an exploding arrow there. But by proving there’s no arrow too silly to adapt, that means other trick arrows not yet included could see a future adaptation.
Many arrows Clint has pulled out in the comics are one-off gimmicks he rarely demonstrates again. For example, an arrow with a buzzsaw at the end he calls his “Texas chainsaw” arrow shows up to battle humanoid cacti in West Coast Avengers. In the same series, he uses a grounding arrow so that electricity flows harmlessly through his own body, and at one point, he even finds use for his “inkjet arrow,” which he breaks the head off of to use as a pen. What Clint’s intended purpose for an inkjet arrow could have been and where else such niche weapons may come in handy are something of a running gag in the comics akin to Batman’s “shark spray.” The joke is that Hawkeye has an arrow for every occasion, and seeing that played up more in future MCU installments could be a lot of fun.
But there are some mainstay trick arrows the series still did not adapt. One of the more regular trick arrows Clint uses in the comics that did not feature in Hawkeye is his rocket arrows. While the show did have exploding arrows, and Hawkeye invariably does use arrowheads with rocket-propelled grenades attached to them to increase both their distance and their destruction, the rocket arrows of the comics often serve as a handy escape from danger. When attached to a cord, they are so strong that they can pull him through the air. One rocket arrow was so strong, it saved both him and Mockingbird from a pit they were trapped in. While the visual of an arrow pulling Hawkeye through the air may seem goofy, it’s not exactly as silly as the plunger arrow seen in the show.
Another arrow Clint has used more than once in the comics is a water arrow, with the concept being relatively straightforward but the use having a variety of applications. Containing a capsule of water at its head, Hawkeye finds clever applications for the seemingly useless weapon. While blinded in the solo series Blindspot, Hawkeye used the water arrow to create a puddle that helped him target a foe who splashed through the puddle, and in Widowmaker, the arrow could be used in arctic environments to flash-freeze around his opponents. Taking such seemingly useless gimmicks and finding ingenious ways to incorporate them into the fight is part of the fun of any Hawkeye appearance, and seeing the character double down on that in future MCU properties could only be an improvement.
Far more practical are the ways that Hawkeye utilizes arrows with technology specific to the Marvel universe. The Disney+ series featured his Pym arrows that can grow or shrink their targets, but the comics also feature adamantium and vibranium arrows that prove to be some of his most useful. Capable of shearing through any material or sapping the vibrational energy from a target, incorporating the sci-fi materials into his already fantastical armory is a sensible progression for the character on screen.
As many arrows as Hawkeye already had, there are plenty more left to portray. With the series leaving off with both Clint Barton and Kate Bishop well-versed in the arts to projectile trickery, there’s no telling what either one could fire off next.
To see the trick arrows Clint and Kate use throughout their series, watch all six episodes of Hawkeye, now streaming on Disney+.
About The Author
[ad_2]
