Whether you’re a fan of the Marvel Zombies storyline or just a casual comic book reader, the chances are you’ve seen this character before. This version of Hawkeye appeared in the DLC for the Marvel Avengers RPG and also made an appearance in the main campaign. He’s a fan favorite because of his unique look and his role as the leader of the team, but there’s more to this hero than that.
He was first introduced in a story that explored one of the alternate universes within the Marvel Universe. During the event, it was revealed that SHIELD had created an experimental group of NuHuman children that they called Project Communion. These kids had a creepy appearance and telekinetic powers. During a mission to Antarctica, the children turned on their captors and escaped. The team that remained, including Kate Bishop and Clint Barton, was able to save one of the children. However, the other two were taken by The Mandarin. After the battle, Maria Hill told Clint and Kate that they were too dangerous to keep around.
Barton was infected with the encephalopathic virus that overloaded his limbic system. This caused him to become a zombie. The hero was later rescued from his zombie state by the team and given a serum by Pym that reversed the transformation. The team soon discovered that he was infecting other heroes as well. Among those that were infected were Happy Hogan and Sharon Carter.
While some of the zombified heroes did not spend a lot of time on screen, these characters made an impact. The most notable of these was T’Challa. As the brains of the group moving forward, he was essential in helping Wanda and Vision survive their zombie state.
Another member that was an important addition to the team was Kurt Banner. He acted as the military lead of the team and made an epic sacrifice for the sake of his team. He was a major part of the final battle in which the team saved Wakanda from a zombie Thanos with a nearly complete Infinity Gauntlet.
The next time fans see the zombified Hawkeye will be in Marvel’s What If? episode five. The official What If account tweeted out posters for the episode that show both a zombified Captain America and a zombified Hawkeye.
It’s unclear exactly what will happen in this alternate reality but it looks like the Avengers may be forced to fight a zombie horde. If this is the case, it will be interesting to see how the team fares against these undead villains. This Marvel Zombies t-shirt is available in adult and kid’s sizes on the TeePublic website. It’s a great way to celebrate this alternate reality and the iconic MCU hero. You can find it online and in stores. Be sure to check out our full selection of Marvel shirts and accessories. This item is a must-have for any die-hard fan of Marvel. Order yours today!