Avengers Assembly 6

Two-Gun Kid

Tactical Advantage: Kid is a marksman on par with Cap or Hawkeye, a fast draw and handy with a variety of firearms, including modern weaponry. His time-travel adventures give him a little firmer footing than some Avengers, like Triathlon or Echo, in those situations. He is also a gifted tracker and former lawyer, both of which come in handy in his capacity as a bounty hunter and (former?) member of the Initiative. For someone in a world he never made etc, Matthew has an awful lot of contacts out there that run the gamut. It goes without saying that he has an expansive knowledge of the American southwest. For what it’s worth, he can ride a horse; I always thought it would be cool if he got the Black Knight’s old horse somehow. Speaking of which, he has Hawkeye’s old sky-cycle right now, which is awesome. +3

Tactical Disadvantage: Guns are really only very great at one thing, and it’s a thing the Avengers try to never ever do Unless Absolutely Necessary, which it far too often turns out to be. So, essentially, Matthew’s one trick – shooting stuff – is one that he isn’t even allowed to fully exploit in most Marvel Comics, lest he become a vest-wearing Punisher. He’s also an obvious weak link in the field, an easy first target to reduce the number of opponents, demoralize the team, and break the line. Still, there’s nothing about Matthew that makes him a specific liability. Just a general one. -2

Headliner: Not for fifty years or so. +1

Look: It’s a Kirby Western motif; just different enough to identify but otherwise built out of a kit. You love it or you don’t. Guess what? +1

Founder: No. +0

Matthew Hawk nee Liebowicz (How did I not know this? Thank you, internet!) is an awesome character. Hell, he was awesome at the time, with quick-draw stories full of colorful rogues and outrageous situations. It was like if George Lucas fell in love with Crash Corrigan instead of Commando Cody or Scrooge McDuck. Transplanted to the Marvel Age and carried through to modern times, the character has a self-assure charm and neat hook that has endeared him to many. He’s the definition of a fan-favorite. Yet he never really took off in popularity as he might. A few factors go into this…some people just don’t like Western chocolate in their superhero peanut butter. Some people look at Matthew’s outfit and think Sherriff Woody more than Clint Eastwood. But a lot of the reason he never stuck around is that superheroes (and depending on your definition Kid certainly qualifies) aren’t allowed to just be nice, likable, heroic, and fun; they must also be tortured, disturbed, transgressed, or transgressive. “Interesting” or “complicated” or “serious.”

Not every character needs a rape in their past or a dead party clown at their birthday; these Western characters had plenty of skeletons in their closet already (those who weren’t in the closet…). That's the business, though: Ralph Dibny was a fan favorite, a guest star who at best could hope for being a co-star and getting the occasional mini. Ralph didn’t become important until his pregnant wife was murdered and her rape outed. For whatever reason, those creators who have used Matthew have mostly shied from doing this, preferring to let him return to limbo. It seems those are the only two options. Still, could be worse. He could be Ronin.

Now, again, I love Two-Gun Kid and I would love to have him on, say, my dream Avengers roster. But I cannot let my personal feelings cloud my judgment here: he is far from the quintessential Avenger. I think he’s a great character, sure; as originally written he had a similar motivation (helping others is the right thing to do) and supporting framework (“Matt, the Two-Gun Kid was just here!” “Aw shucks!”) as Superman, only with lots of cowboys and gorillas (ok so exactly like Superman, then). But all of his skills can be duplicated by other, more versatile or more powerful Avengers, all of whom are more popular and longer-lived. He’s a hero but so has Jarvis been whenever the need arose. On a Keith Giffen-style “pick the personalities, not the superheroes” Avengers he would be an awesome addition. Otherwise…it’s supporting cast territory for Matthew Hawk. Damn but time traveling cowboys are bittersweet. +2

Total: 5

Once an Avenger, always an Avenger; he’s just not much of one.


Aww, don't be sad, Matt. Next week is the first installment of this feature to get a negative score!