The Unsettling Slang of Mister Clint Barton, Part 7

The interior monologue of a superhero tells you a lot about his or her personality. Captain America, in quiet moments of repose, is likely to think on the American people and how much society has changed since the 1940s. Spider-Man will likely consider his plummeting bank account, concerns over his grades or Aunt May, or what great power is accompanied by. Thor will muse on the hallowed halls and the great green fields of Asgard, and whether or not Loki is giving Highfather Odin a hotfoot at the moment. Tony Stark is plotting his smooth, smooth romantic moves with the suave attitude and sureness of Billy Dee Williams. And Hawkeye? Do you wonder sometimes if, even when he's just thinking, whether Hawkeye uses cringeworthy, unfortunate slang when he's pinned to the floor in a sticky mess of gooey Adhesive X?


Panel from Giant Size Avengers #3 (February 1975), written by Steve Englehart and Roy Thomas, art by Dave Cockrum and Joe Giella, lettering by "L. G. Peter," coloring by Petra Goldberg

Still, who's to say that gummed up in a sticky, gloppy trap like that, we wouldn't think the same sort of unfortunate slang? But Hawkeye's always a good sport about this blog ragging him. Say, Hawkeye: Why do you always use so much unfortunate slang, huh? What's the reason?


Panel from Giant Size Avengers #2 (November 1974), written by Steve Englehart, art by Dave Cockrum, lettering by Tom Orzechowski, coloring by Bill Mantlo