Hawkeye (Kate Bishop)
| Kate Bishop | |
|---|---|
| File:YNGAVN010.jpg Kate Bishop (front and centre). Art by Jim Cheung | |
| Publication information | |
| Publisher | Young Avengers |
| First appearance | Young Avengers #1 (April, 2005). |
| Created by | Allan Heinberg Jim Cheung |
| In-story information | |
| Alter ego | Kate Bishop |
| Team affiliations | Young Avengers |
| Notable aliases | "Hawkingbird", "Knightress" (both are suggested code names, she has yet to settle on one) |
| Abilities | Excellent archer |
Kate Bishop is a fictional character, a member of the Young Avengers, a team of superheroes in the Marvel Comics universe. Her costume appearance is patterned on Hawkeye and Mockingbird.
She first appeared in Young Avengers #1 (April, 2005). The issue was scripted by Allan Heinberg and drawn by Jim Cheung.
Character history
A "normal" civilian forcibly introduced to the Young Avengers in an early rescue attempt made by the team, Kate has demonstrated skill and level-headedness in high pressure situations. Independent, tough-minded, and blunt, she is also an excellent archer. Her encounter with the young team led her to investigate them on her own, following them to Avengers headquarters and donning the gear of Mockingbird and Hawkeye, as well as what may be Swordsman's sword and Black Widow's belt. When Kate first appears wearing Mockingbird's mask, Patriot jokingly refers to her as "Hawkingbird." She invites herself to join to the team after freeing them and helps them in their battle against Kang the Conqueror. She was subsequently confirmed as a member of the team.
After the team's first adventure stopping Kang the Conqueror, Captain America and Iron Man ordered the team to break-up and refused to train the team without the parents' consent. But Kate Bishop still wants to be a Young Avenger. Thinking the worst Captain America and Iron Man can do is tell their parents, Kate takes the team to an abandoned warehouse previously owned by one of her father's companies, Bishop Publishing, which becomes the team's lair. She also has new uniforms made for them.
It's been hinted at that she and team member Patriot have a chemistry, which is under strain now that it's been revealed how he got his powers. When first meeting Thomas Shepherd she is struck speechless. It seems like she has some interest in the new Young Avengers Still, she's the driving member of the team, pushing everyone to stay together and borderline leading when Patriot's not around, even giving him occasional orders.
Young Avengers Special revealed that sometime prior to joining the team she was brutally attacked in (what appears to be) Central Park. The exact nature of the attack is not made clear—only the initial ambush is shown on panel. It may have been a mugging or perhaps there was sexual assault involved. At first, the incident left her traumatized, but then it spurred her to engage in intense combat training. So far the team is unaware of this incident as Kate only told her therapist and Jessica Jones.