In a perfect world, Hawkeye would be everyone’s favorite superhero. Both Hawkeyes—Clint Barton, the original Hawkeye, whose tragic upbringing didn’t turn him into a brooding Bruce Wayne but rather an endearing screw-up with a love for strays and commitment issues, and Kate Bishop, a sharp-tongued but level-headed young woman whose insecurities ring far truer than those of the superhumans surrounding her—are exemplary characters, worthy of their own titles and roles in the Marvel cinematic universe. (Sadly, this hasn’t really been the case yet. As Jeremy Renner has pointed out, his Hawkeye barely spoke in The Avengers, and he’s featured in 47 seconds of Thor; Kate, meanwhile, is one of scads of Marvel women who haven’t gotten any screen time in the five years since the MCU took off; we’re not going to count the Edward Norton Incredible Hulk, for reasons that should be obvious.) When you look at the relationships they foster—the close, almost familial connection they share, Kate’s tense partnerships with her fellow Young Avengers, Clint’s many romantic slips and falls—they become all the more interesting. And while it’s fun to pick apart Clint’s failed marriage to Mockingbird or his long-standing partnership with Natasha Romanov, who he refers to in the latest Hawkeye run as his “work wife,” it’s infinitely more enjoyable to examine Kate’s potential relationships, one in particular.
(Before we dig any deeper here, yes, there’s a third Hawkeye, or there was, but he was an evil Hawkeye and he’s also taken up the mantel of Daredevil in a more significant role, so we’re just going to skate over him and say Clint and Kate are the only true Hawkeyes. Fair? Fair.)
“Potential” is an important word here, because Kate does tend to hold boys’ interest, from latter-day Spiderman Miles Morales to Marvel Boy, a rather Malfoy-looking alien named Noh-Varr. But as wonderful as some of her exes can be, Kate deserves better. Kate deserves someone clever, strong, and sexy, someone who shares the qualities readers have come to admire in Kate.
Kate Bishop deserves America Chavez.
The Marvel Database wiki identifies America’s occupation as “interdimensional adventurer,” and it’s not wrong. With a single stamp of her Doc Marten-clad foot, America can propel herself and those around her into different dimensions. Plus, she can fly and she’s literally bulletproof, therefore making it OK that her codename is Miss America. It’s a frankly ridiculous codename, but she’s incredible enough that she can call herself whatever she wants.
On top of that, America is bold (understandable when you take into account the super-strength), sassy, and bright, more than willing to rock a pair of short shorts in the name of justice. She doesn’t share Kate’s easygoing, flirtatious nature, but she certainly has her intensity.
But it takes a while for the two of them to realize that’s a good thing.
When they first cross paths in the latest Young Avengers run, Kate and America’s relationship is terse at best. Neither is used to working with a team, but in no time, the two of them are sparring in the back of a spaceship and America’s calling Kate “Princess” while opening up multiverse portals.
When it’s necessary for the two of them to work alongside each other, they do, and it’s clear their combat styles are complementary. They’re equally good at defusing tension within the ranks, whether it’s America babysitting the teen incarnation of Loki or Kate helping Teddy Altman (Hulkling) and Billy Kaplan (Wiccan) navigate their rocky romance. And when the Big Bad’s been laid to waste and it’s time to unwind, they get ready for the club at Kate’s place, America being as adorably surly as always.
All of this—side-by-side fighting, snarking at supervillains, such all-important rituals as confirming that you do, indeed, look as hot as you think you do—leads to a moment in the final issue that more than justifies the outpouring of Amerikate fic and fanart. The mood starts as celebratory and quickly turns reflective as the team discusses relationships past and present. It comes up that America is bisexual, leading Kate to wonder out loud if she’s the only one on the team who’s straight. (Indeed, the Young Avengers are the most LGBT-friendly superhero squad in the Marvel universe.) That’s when America says something that makes me want to write a fic about her and Kate sharing an ice cream cone in Central Park’s Sheep Meadow:
“Princess. I’ve seen the way you look at me. You’re not that straight.”
Is America asking Kate up to her room to look at her etchings? No. Is Kate declaring her affection for America from the rooftops? Not quite. But did Kate’s prospective interest in America just become canon? Well, yes, thanks to writer Kieron Gillen, it did. And shippy sighs are heard ‘round the fandom world.
As of now, there isn’t a new Young Avengers comic on the horizon, and Kate’s been kicking around California in Matt Fraction’s Hawkeye, so her relationship with America is yet to be developed. But considering the LGBT-friendly nature of Young Avengers—Billy and Teddy Altman literally save the world with their love near the end of the run, and with a stomach-churningly adorable kiss at that—and that pivotal exchange at the close of issue 15, it’s not at all out of the realm of possibility that we’ll see Amerikate become canon. In its current absence, just browse the Amerikate tag on Tumblr. No one will judge you if you just end up scrolling through hundreds of cosplay photos instead.
I’m into it.
I’m just glad you didn’t point out that there’s another Hawkeye. A fourth one. That one doesn’t count, either, OK?
totally doesn’t count, it’s fine
Big talk for a nearly indestructible super-woman who can throw tanks to the moon!
[ETA: I feel more engaged with Hawkguy’s story than Kate’s at the moment, because it’s more fun to watch the screwups and Kate seems to have more of a handle on how to function in the world, but I am grateful that Fraction has announced that (a) he won’t kill the dog and (b) Kate and Clint will never hook up.]
Did you read/hear his story about the dog? It’s here:
http://missbuster.tumblr.com/post/79463496166/tra…
Just CTL + F for Applejack. My heart.
AWWWW
Love Fraction. Love the Clint story more than the Kate story right now (good on you, OP). Love that Hawkguy/Hawkeye won’t ever happen in Fraction, because I just feel like their bond is so much more familial, sibling-esque than anything romantic. Plus, huge age difference! Plus, Clint’s in love with Phil Coulson anyway!
Yeah, I’m so glad that his affection for her is non-sexual and brotherly. Kate’s supposed to be his protege, not his hot teen girlfriend. It would have REALLY creeped me the fuck out otherwise.
I think of him as the screwed-up uncle, your older relative who has some amazing skills and whom you adore but whose life choices make you facepalm.
Lest we forget, a moment of silence for the best fictional TV series ever: Dog Cops. That part when Sergeant Whiskers saves the baby?
Knowing they were never going to get together is actually what convinced me to start reading. One of my favorite things about the Kate in LA story is that despite all her facepalming at him she’s actually screwing-up in really similar ways to Clint because they’re better together: http://cdn.culturemass.com/wp-content/uploads/201…
FUCK. YES.
Kate Bishop is my all-time favorite and I just want every comic to be about her forever.
I’m kind of bummed that she and America aren’t in the YA Original Sins storyline, but they do text them and America is on a date with a non-superhero lady so LET THE SPECULATION BEGIN.
AMERICA CHAVEZ. Love her costume design. Also love her.
In a perfect world America Ferrera would play her and then we’d have everything.
Noh-Varr I hate you SO MUCH uggggggh.
America is my favourite lady superhero. I want her to have either all the girlfriends or a single shining perfect girlfriend.
I want to hate Noh-Varr because he doesn’t deserve Kate, but one of his first lines is “Kate, I come from a dimension where there is transcendental peace and universal enlightenment. But there are no close harmony girl groups.” So I can’t really hate him. I can only dislike him. Damn my affection for close-harmony girl groups!
Ugh god I love Young Avengers so much it is physically painful. This was the teenage queer superhero team I needed back when I was a teenage queer superhero comic book enthusiast.
AND KATE. MISS AMERICA.
I ship it. Hell yes.
The last run was sooooooooo good. Art+story=SO. And it ended in style. That never happens. On one hand, I’m so afraid of another writer getting a hold of them…on the other, I miss them.
Added Young Avengers to my library holds! *rubs hands together in gleeful anticipation*
My list of holds is entirely Matt Fraction comics, plus An Untamed State and Under the Skin, because I saw the movie earlier this summer and it was so amaziweird that I felt instantly compelled to read the source material.
wait, wait. you can borrow comics from the library?
Because I’m in desperate need of Fraction’s Hawkeye.
My library has a decent selection of comics! I’ve gotten some Captain America and Invincible Iron Man from them before.
Young Avengers deserved suuuuuch a longer run. All of the characters are addictive and amazing. Someone point me to the good fics though because Amerikate sounds delicious…
This is where I go for my fix: http://katequeerly.tumblr.com/
It’s not very rich in fic–this is kind of a rare pair still, which is ludicrous–but I love the fanart and there are occasionally rec lists. Plus, Kate Bishop cosplay. Yowza.
BLESS YOU
Oh my god I am so glad someone wrote this! Young Avengers was so good and this piece is excellent!
I love Young Avengers. I hate Kieron Gillen. I love AmeriKate. I hate “you’re not that straight.”
Also, anyone remember in Hawkeye Annual when Kate went speechless and amazed at how hot Whitney Frost was getting out of a pool? I so wish she had come to her own conclusions about her sexual identity instead of being told by another character.
This, from the most put together and socially adept character in the Marvel universe!
Same here. I share your pain.
That “not that straight” line always felt wrong to me. Maybe that’s just my opinion, but someone’s sexual identity is their own damn business and nobody has the right to tell them they’re wrong. Even if theyvery well might be. Throwing it into someone’s face tike that is an agressive gesture – something you’d use on someone offensively homophobic to put them down, not on a teammate/friend. America doesn’t mince words, but through the entire run she never talks like that to Kate.
I love AmeriKate, but I hate this line so much.
YESSSSSSS
I haven’t even read Young Avengers yet, but I’ve seen various panels floating around tumblr and I am onnnnnn board.
My boyfriend and I contemplated doing a Wiccan/Hulking pairing at a comic-con. Though a Ms. America Chavez and Kate Hawkguy costume isn’t off the table.
Um, read that panel in Young Avengers again. America confirms she’s a lesbian. She says she kissed one guy and didn’t like it. Everyone in the fandom I talk to calls her a lesbian. Its Kate that is hinted as bi. This was great but the very last bit was strange since I thought you knew the books better than that.
We’re talking about this, right?
On rereading this particular bit, I can see that I may have been out of line calling her bi rather than a lesbian; she’s kind of rejecting the idea of a romance with a guy outright. When I read it, I took as that being just one guy, thinking maybe she’d try again, however experimentally.
Interesting footnote, in the story where everyone runs into bits of their past or parents. We see America’s parents happen to be a lesbian couple. Based on this scene I came to the conclusion the she’s come from an alternate universe where being homosexual was the norm, and being straight was the uncommon. So the whole “experimental college phase” is girls hooking up with dudes which is delightful
HEADCANON ACCEPTED
Can’t you edit the article then? Right now it’s spreading misinformation.
Okay, well if you aren’t going to update your piece then you’re erasing her sexuality. Lesbians are constantly accused of being secretly bi and when she outright states she doesn’t find guys attractive and you continue to ignore that then ugh. I’m done. We are constantly having our sexuality made into a joke or a phase in TV and movies.
Delurking to post that I am graphic novels librarian at my library. It's a tough genre and not a lot of librarians like it (or understand it). I was given the assignment recently, and Hawkeye was one of the first things I added. Go to your library and check out ILL, you'll be surprised what you find!
lovely article, I am so happy that AmeriKate has caught on, they’re fucking wonderful, and I love them so fucking much, I want them to get their own series!