Source: marvel.com

Chapter 7: The Thunderbolts

After leaving the West Coast Avengers, Hawkeye tooled around a little bit before re-signing with the main squad. Around this time, the quirky and beloved new superhero team known as the Thunderbolts revealed themselves as the Masters of Evil in disguise, and tried to conquer the world.

After putting a stop to that tomfoolery, the Avengers had to decide what to do with the Thunderbolts, who actually did want to be heroes. And the answer was to appoint a chaperone. And who better to help reform a team of villains than a reformed villain? So Hawkeye stepped up to lead the team. There was some initial resentment, but eventually they came to respect him.

This Thunderbolts run is one of the peak Hawkeye stories of all time, and the ultimate moment in his decades-long character arc. In the Avengers, Hawkeye went from being the firebrand who challenged authority at every turn to being in charge of his own team and having to keep them in line. Yes, Hawkeye led the WCA, but that team was made up of his friends. He never really had to lay down the law. But the Thunderbolts were a team of firebrands who needed a strong authority figure. After years of character development, Hawkeye was finally the guy to provide that.