Frequent contributor Dan suggested that we take a look over the next few weeks at some of the worst moments in Avengers fashion history in honor of the blockbuster movie release. I thought it was a great idea, and where better to begin than the Purple Poltroon, leader of the Worst Dressed Team In Forever (aka the West Coast Avengers), Clint Barton, the one and only Hawkeye!
First, props to the Marvel film department, who in their infinite wisdom dressed Hawkeye this way for the film:
Snazzy, snug, modern, functional. All the things the actual comics costume is not:
Comic book Hawkeye, it's bad enough you run around in purple and blue. It's bad enough you have giant floppy boots and suspenders. It's bad enough you wear a mask so ridiculous there's no way you could see around it, hawk eyes or not. And it's bad enough that you have emblazoned your initials on your hat in case you forget it in the cloak room during kindergarten, because Captain America does that too and no one thinks less of him for it.
But, dude, seriously -- riding around on a hover-Vespa is not doing your "street cred" any good.
Shockingly, however, this is not the worst Hawkeye has ever looked. Oh my, no. That honor goes to this lovely ensemble, radiant in powder blue:
Allow me to fill you in, Clint -- what you want is some pants. Because when you're worried about not being intimidating enough, the first thing you want to do is to trade in your hover Vespa for an Olivia Newton-John inspired sweatband. And the second to last thing is to ditch your britches in favor of running around in a mini-skirt.
Clint Barton, you've come a long way, baby.
(All images and characters © Marvel Entertainment.)
Awww. I kinda like the classic Hawkeye look. That particular picture isn’t the most flattering example of it, though.
This is Hawkeye from Marvels Ultimates line
http://i.annihil.us/u/prod/marvel//universe3zx/images/thumb/e/e5/Ult_Hawkeye.jpg/406px-Ult_Hawkeye.jpg
I like the hover-Vespa. But yeah, his powder-blue ensemble was a bit of yerrch.
I refuse to acknowledge that version of Ultimate Hawkeye exists. Everything after the Millar/Hitch Ultimates 2 is dead to me.
I did like Renner as hawkeye and the look they went with (loved how the quiver and trick arrows worked).
Of course the porn perody of the Avengers even makes fun of his original look. here is the SFW trailer, they actually do a great job with the costumes. http://youtu.be/V6h6LglQTGw
Jeff, have you seen the aforementioned “blockbuster movie release” of the Avengers? If so are you planning to favor us with your review thereof? Inquiring minds want to know!
This. The last couple runs Ultimate Avengers and Ultimates are finally repairing the damage Jeph Loeb did to characters/title, but if there was a storyline that somehow established that Ultimatum and Ultimates 3 were all just terrible fever dreams projected onto reality by a sick telepathic mutant boy or something and then retconned everything away…. I wouldn’t argue with it.
I remember making an off-hand comment about being grateful his movie costume did not involve the mask and my step dad just about died laughing as he wholeheartedly agreed with me.
Thankfully, the toga/minidress monstrosity only lasted a few issues. I am (wishfully) remembering a drunken binge that lead to the change. Heck, knowing Clint he probably just lost a bet. I can see it going something like this:
Beast: Hey, Clint, bet you can’t take out that robot with a toy bow!
Hawkeye: what are we betting?
Beast: The loser wears a minidress for a costume for six months!
Hawkeye: I’d love to see that! You’re on!
(arrow from toy bows hit the exact mark and does nothing)
Beast: (Laughing) It will be baby blue! (Still laughing, he almost loses his balance)
At least that’s how I think it went down.
I don’t know if el Jefe has, but I’m about to watch it for the second time. After that, I’ll post the review that I already started.
Yeah, great job with all of them actually, though I preferred Cap’s costume from his own movie.
Oh god, the 90s!
Well the ultimates gave the MMD a lots of good ideas about costumes.
Some of the old ones are not good.
Sadly, NOT the Nineties, though it sure as heck looks like it. The original Millar/Hitch run on the Ultimates pretty much set the stage for the Marvel Movie Avengers, and was one of the best series of the decade. You can see a ton of their influences in the film from the costumes to the plot to the characterizations.
After they left the book got turned into this Image-era abomination, both in terms of art and story. Just dreadful. I lasted two issues before dropping it.
Jeff, I’m adding my voice to the choir on two points:
1. We’re all looking forward to our resident Head Geek’s (…you) geekgasmagorical review.
2. Love Jeph Loeb– love ’em– but his Ultimates run, in fact, everything “Ultimate” (…X-Men, Spiderman, etc.) after Ultimatium has been a disappointment.
The only thing I wish Renner had was some sort of mask, goggles, or glasses…but definitely not the traditional Hawkeye mask. Though, I sometimes like it (depending how it’s done and the rest of the costume), it definitely wouldn’t fit with the movie costume.
Dear God, Clint, who designs your costumes? If it was Janet, I’m starting to doubt her expertise as a fashion designer. I mean, let’s not forget Clint Barton’s turn as Goliath (as much as we’d like to).
The powder blue tunic thing makes me think that Clint wanted to be Diana, Goddess of the Hunt, without really stopping to remember that Diana is female.
In his defense, however, at least he’s not Wonder Man. But I think Hawkeye is quickly becoming the second person to be awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award for Bad Costuming.
Also, I too am looking forward to a Heromachine review of The Avengers (which I’ve seen, and say is full of awesome. I’m actually jealous of anyone who’s watched it twice).
the hoverthing looks uncomfortable.
I know it is a little late for it, but I found this… God bless Pinterest. http://pinterest.com/pin/213639576043644395/
Keep in mind, he had been traveling with a circus, which is how he got the powder blue mini-dress.