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The MCU changed many things about iconic Marvel superheroes, starting (but not ending) with their costumes. Clint Barton, AKA Hawkeye, was among those who saw a change of both his character and his attire. Clint has been around a while in the comics, and during his existence, he has worn many different suits. His style often depends on the comic book era, or on the events in his life.
Just like with the new Hawkeye, Kate Bishop, some of Clint's superhero suits worked better and some worse. Today, the fans have quite a large sample of Hawkeye's costumes from the comics to observe. Among these outfits, it's possible to identify the best costumes the archers ever wore.
8 Kate Bishop's Updated Suit
Just like the heroes change over time, so do their superhero suits and costumes. Kate Bishop, the new Hawkeye mentored by Clint, initially started with a suit put together from leftovers of other superheroes. She eventually upgraded her suit, first to a body armor and then to a purple suit.
Of all the three options, the purple suit is probably the best. Not only is it light enough to allow Kate to move fast, but the color also looks great. It also immediately allows the readers to recognize the character as Hawkeye, since Clint Barton uses the same color scheme.
7 Hawkeye's Short-Lived Costume
In the Avengers Spotlight, Clint briefly sported a new suit. While it wound up being short-lived, it wasn't a bad choice. In this story, Clint wears a body armor in blue and purple, and carries a yellow bow and arrows.
The colors go well together, and the suit is still characteristic enough for Hawkeye thanks to its inclusion of the purple color. Hawkeye's partially bare arms could potentially be a disadvantage here, but since Clint usually operates from a larger distance, this doesn't have to cause trouble for him.
6 Ronin
By far one of the most drastic transformations happened when Clint became Ronin. This took place during a dark period in Clint's life, after the Civil War in the New Avengers series. Clint mostly went underground because of the war, so the new persona of Ronin fit his status as someone who was hiding from the world. He kept this identity during the Secret Invasion, storyline which required a more direct approach from many heroes.
The all-black suit looked good, but even more importantly, it symbolized the change Clint underwent. It also helped him stay anonymous, since he was lying low after the Civil War.
5 The Classic Look
Every hero has to start somewhere, and that includes their suits. Hawkeye's classic look works even today, even though some readers who are only familiar with the modern comics might consider it outdated.
However, the original suit not only helped Clint become established as a unique hero, but it also served as a source of inspiration for many suits and costumes that came after it. Its importance for Hawkeye as a superhero therefore shouldn't be underestimated — it helped define the character.
4 The Ultimate Hawkeye
The Ultimate Marvel comic book series is known for reimagining well-established heroes in a creative way while still preserving their core. In Clint's case, he not only got a somewhat altered backstory (for example, he was now married and had children), but also a new suit.
This modern and sleek piece is one of the best Hawkeye costumes ever. Sporting shades of red and black along with cool sunglasses, overall, Hawkeye's new suit screams "experienced, capable fighter." Plus, it's not as colorful and attention-grabbing as other Hawkeye's costumes, which served Clint well while working for S.H.I.E.L.D.
3 The Updated Classic
Classics become established for a reason, but after some time, a slight update never hurts. Hawkeye first appeared in the comics in the 1960s, so by the 1980s, a change was inevitable.
As a result, Clint got an updated version of his classic suit thanks to his then-wife, Bobbi Morse, AKA the superheroine Mockingbird. The new suit had just enough old features to keep Hawkeye recognizable, but it looked more practical for fighting than the previous version.
2 The Kate Bishop Series Suit
Behind this complicated name lies the suit Clint wears in the Matt Fraction Hawkeye series. While he's training and working alongside Kate Bishop, this is the outfit Clint dons. The suit itself is the most simple one of Clint's looks, and it works.
It's mostly black, but still has a little bit of Hawkeye's signature purple. What's more, it looks comfortable and practical for the task of fighting and training younger superheroes. Unlike some more elaborate costumes, this one proves that in simplicity lies the beauty.
1 His Captain America Costume
Many MCU fans might not know that Clint was also a Captain America for a while. When the real Captain was dead, Tony Stark persuaded Clint to take over. While that wasn't the most brilliant move and Clint soon gave it up (after meeting Kate Bishop, the new Hawkeye), it's difficult to overlook that Clint pulled it off — and in this outfit, he looked fantastic doing it.
Clint has both the height and physique in the comics to pass off as Captain America. Thanks to his fighting skills and fitting attire, he managed to sell it for the single-story he appeared in as the star-spangled hero.