Why does everyone rag on Hawkeye?

[Cyclone_Joker]

It has become sort of an Internet meme to poke fun at Hawkeye in the Avengers movie. People call him useless and weak, and just generally not on the same level as the other heroes on the team. Now, sure, he isn't super strong, doesn't fly, etc. but damn he scored some nice goals in the movie.

No, he really didn't. And what little he did could have been done by anyone else. He didn't kill a space-lizard. He only set a bomb on Loki, something meaningless in the long run, and killed a couple robo-fuglies.

He nearly took down the S.H.I.E.L.D. helicarrier.

Something that was allowed only due to a hilariously massive lapse in security. The ship had no business being anywhere near the SHIELD helicarrier. It should have been blown up immediately.

He knocked Loki right out of the sky.

And that accomplished... what?

I'm not a big fan of Hawkeye, but I can give props to a non-super powered guy who manages to hold his own and score like that beside gods of myth and technology.

So can I, I just given them to Tony Stark.

People don't even give Black Widow as much crap and she doesn't have any super powers either.

She didn't do much, but at least she did more than Hawkeye, including actually kicking his ass and surviving being hit by the Hulk.

Also, she's the Smurfette. I'd have rather seen Carol Danvers, though.

But she has the finesse to handle things -- like bringing in Doctor Banner peacefully

And? Banner wasn't going to fight. Coulson could have done it. Fury or Hill could have done it. Cap probably could have done it, he's chill like that. Hell, Stark could have done it, for Pelor's sake. Banner didn't want to Hulk out, and so wouldn't unless attacked.

and interogatind,g Loki

Too late to do anything about it.

-- that the big guys would only turn into a stupid brawl.

First one no, second one I hardly see why that's bad. Maybe they'd have beaten it out of him before the idiot who didn't shoot down Hawkeye's jet was on shift.

So why do so many people belittle Hawkeye?

Because he's a character in an action movie that is pointless to the action. He's also meaningless as a character, flat and boring. Everyone else got their times to be witty and awesome, he just gave a couple decent lines that were overshadowed by his uselessness and everyone else's superior dialog.

Hakweye is a bit like Aquaman (who has powers), no one cares about him. Hawkeye lacks some sort of mojo.

Dude, Aquaman is seriously ing awesome. He's also generally one of the strongest telepaths on DC Earth, at least pre-New 52.

Hawkeye just does what? Shoot arrows? Any original background story? No. Hawkeye = Meh.

Worst part? He's even lamer than his DC counterpart, Green Arrow. Green Arrow is legit. Hawkeye is just kinda lame.

 

[Kramodlog]

Aquaman awesome!?

Vilain: Oh noes, it's Aquaman!

Henchman: Watchout! He's gonna swim!

 

[Herschel]

It has become sort of an Internet meme to poke fun at Hawkeye in the Avengers movie. People call him useless and weak, and just generally not on the same level as the other heroes on the team. Now, sure, he isn't super strong, doesn't fly, etc. but damn he scored some nice goals in the movie.

Because Jeremy Renner's version (script and all) makes Hayden Christensen and Chris Hemsworth look dynamic.

 

[Gfreak2x9]

I like Hawkeye, he is cool as far as I'm concerned. Now GreenArrow...I hate! "I'm a glorified Robin hood! LITERALLY! Yaaay!" I don't rag on Hawkeye though because hes cool!

 

[Felon]

People rag on Hawkeye because they have to rag on someone. Superheroes embody power fantasies, and the less powerful superheroes are prone to being the butt of jokes. The idea of a superhero with more finesse than firepower just doesn't appeal to a lot of people. I've been playing superhero RPG's for three decades, and there's never a shortage of people who want to play a Hulk or Green Lantern knock-off. Folks looking to play a Hawkeye or even Batman archetype are much harder to find. To many, a superhero needs to be bulletproof and good smashing stuff.

Hawkeye's got it a bit harder than most of the lightweights because of how he's often been portrayed in the comics. Writers like to portray him as being totally ham-fisted, despite being a low-power character. In a lot of Avengers comics, he just shoots these worthless explosive-tipped arrows straight at the center mass of some BBG that can go toe-to-toe with Thor. He's always getting his bow broken, his arrows deflected, and in general failing to dodge or defend himself properly. He's as bellicose as the Hulk sometimes, but lacks the muscle to back it up.

 

[Fast Learner]

I've never seen anyone mocking him. He's awesome in the Thor movie and his current comic is amazing.

Agreed, the current comic is incredible. Made me like comics again. (Well, that and Saga.)