As theMCU’scast of superheroes keeps growing and faces off with increasingly difficult foes, fans have continued to debate whom among them isthe best of the best. Most tend to focus on the characters' individual power, arguing that their physical strength compared to each other and the franchise’s deadliest villains should secure a number-one rank. By this logic, Wanda Maximoff, with her reality-bending abilities and formidable sorcery that could’ve destroyed Thanos inAvengers: Endgameon its own, is at the top — a placement confirmed by Marvel Studios boss Kevin Feige.
However, when it comes to ranking the MCU heroes, some fail to acknowledge their success rate, and there’s only one Avenger who has never been defeated in a major battle.Hawkeyeis often quoted asone of the weakest team membersbecause of his lack of supernatural powers, otherwordly technology, and reliance on archery, combat training, and tactical decision-making. Overall, he is bound by human limitations amid superhuman counterparts and opponents, so it’s no surprise that Hawkeye isn’t ranked well. Despite his subpar reputation, he does hold a winning track record. Throughout his time in the MCU, Hawkeye has contributed to all the most crucial Avenger wins, beat all his toughest adversaries, and even found success in his few, minor defeats.
The Avengers' Losses
Even though the Avengers have repeatedly saved Earthfrom various threats, no win was easy, and their failed missions were devastating. One example would be when Brock Rumlow, a.k.a. Crossbones, blew himself up in Lagos, Nigeria. Although the team believed they’d defeated him, once a hidden bomb went off, Wanda mistakenly sent him too close to a nearby building while trying to contain the blast. The catastrophe led to his death among several Wakandan relief workers. This incident, combined with the unsavory public views of the Avengers after the Battle of Sokovia’s civilian deaths, resulted in the Sokovia Accords — cementing internal discord between team members and government agencies.
Such dissension weakened the Avengers in future battles, leaving some members to take on villains without the full team’s support. Thor and Hulk failed to prevent Hela and Surtur from destroying Asgard, and then failed to stop Thanos from killing most of the remaining survivors as he acquired the Power Stone. Thus, the Avengers' most notable defeat against Thanos began inAvengers: Infinity War,as he was able to then retrieve the rest ofthe Infinity Stoneswhile the team was split up,and snap away half of all life in the universe.
Regardless of the unbalanced power between the core members,the Avengers' efforts were most hindered by infighting and legal issues that broke everyone up. During Thanos' world-ending operation, some superheros were preparing for war in Wakanda, some were in space, and some (Hawkeye) were on house arrest. Although they were able to eventually beat Thanos inAvengers: Endgame, they couldn’t win without everyone’s help, including a less-powerful hero like Hawkeye.
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Hawkeye Has Never Lost a Major Battle
While Hawkeye wasn’t present for the Avengers' most unsuccessful missions, he always took part in their victories. During Loki’s New York invasion in the first Avengers movie, he was established asone of the initial six membersof the team to foil his plans. InAvengers: Age of Ultron, Hawkeye not only retrieved Vision’s body in the Battle of Seoul, but also acted as a key player in Ultron’s final defeat. Additionally,he was the only Avenger who avoided Wanda’s mind control powers as his heightened archery senses alerted him to her approach.
When it came to the most significant battle with Thanos inAvengers: Infinity War,Hawkeye was on house arrest during his team’s loss. However, he returns inAvengers: Endgameto reverse the foe’s mass genocide for good. In the epic final Battle of Earth, he survives Hulk’s snap explosion and carries the gauntlet (and the fate of the world) to safety while escaping Thanos' minion Outriders. He eventually succeeds, passing it off to a series of his comrades until it reaches Tony Stark, who ends Thanos once and for all. Overall,despite his lack of superhuman powers, Hawkeye has played a crucial role in the Avengers, not only helping them win when it mattered most, but also remaining relatively unharmed and always ready to fight again.
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Hawkeye’s Minor Defeats Weren’t in Vain
For anyone already listing off Hawkeye’s defeats in the comments, it’s important to note their scale, how he adapts from them in future battles, and whether his loss was necessary (a.k.a. a win in hindsight). InThe Avengers, Hawkeye falls under Loki’s mind control. During this time, the archer suffered a minor loss in ascrap with Black Widow.
Despite Natasha kicking his butt, the fight ultimately freed him from Loki’s influence, making it a win for Hawkeye as well as the Avengers, who could use his help once again. As for Loki overpowering him in the first place, Hawkeye learns from it quickly. When Wanda later tries a similar tactic against him inAvengers: Age of Ultron,he avoids her spell, stating, “I’ve done the whole mind control thing. Not a fan.” With Loki, Hawkeye had little time to react before becoming an enemy pawn. With Wanda, his impressive adaptability and sharpened awareness of his surroundings prevented a similar fate.
Since then, Hawkeye has never experienced another defeat in battle. Although,it could be argued that the Avenger suffered losses when he couldn’t save Quicksilver or Black Widow. However, their deaths weren’t for nothing. They sacrificed themselves to save Hawkeye, and to save countless others. So, even if they were personal failures to him, their deaths were still necessary for the ultimate success of the team and of the universe.
