Hawkeye

According to my spreadsheet of childhood memories, this was my first Avengers comic book.


It was published in March of 1974. I was four. But I got the comic when we lived on Wayne Drive, which was between Oct 75-Jul 77. So I must have been six or seven when I originally fell in love with it.

It's a reprint of Avengers #23 from 1965. It was my first introduction to the Avengers, and the first time I laid eyes on Hawkeye.


I know him like this:


You might be more familiar with him like this:


At this point, I was already a fan of Green Arrow. And I thought it was cool that Marvel had their own version. And he was purple.


Marvel Triple Action #17 was a reprint book. Reprinting issues of the Avengers from ten years previous. This was probably annoying to most Marvel fans in 1974. But I loved those reprint books. Reading stories of Justice League, Captain Marvel, Captain America, Avengers, and Fantastic Four that were published before I was born is probably what started this fascination I have with the entertainment of decades past.





And I think I have a vague memory of the kid next door in San Antonio, Texas giving me these comics. He was an older kid who loved comics. That's all I remember.


And the comic ended like this:


All Marvel comics had cliffhanger endings. Which no seven-year-old in 1976 appreciated. But I love this panel. Because I had no idea there were other Avengers not in this book and I had no idea who Iron Man and Giant Man were. I knew Thor from this comic, also from 1974:


So this particular cliffhanger ending left me in knots. I never did read that second part. But... I'm getting ready to do a complete re-read of 1960's-1970's Avengers comics. So I'll let you know how it turns out.


Jars! They're in jars! I LOVE that!

Thanks,
DCD