Real name: Barbara "Bobbi" Morse Barton
First appearance: Astonishing Tales #6, 1971
Base of operations: California
Classification: human
Known relatives: Clint Barton/Hawkeye (husband)
History:
Barbara Morse was a S.H.I.E.L.D. agent whose assignments made her an
ally of the jungle lord Ka-Zar. She subsequently used the costumed
identity of the Huntress* and later Mockingbird to expose the
corrupt activities of certain S.H.I.E.L.D agents. After being
injured in her work she received a commendation by then S.H.I.E.L.D.
Director Nick Fury, who used her information to expose dozens of
subversives within S.H.I.E.L.D. Resigning from S.H.I.E.L.D.,
Mockingbird was hired to investigate Cross Technological Enterprises
(CTE), where she clashed with security director Hawkeye. The two
soon discovered that CTE was working for the criminal Crossfire
helping to implement his plans to brainwash super heroes into
killing each other off. The two joined forces against Crossfire and
his underlings, becoming attracted to each other in the process. At
the case’s successful conclusion, Mockingbird proposed to Hawkeye
and the two married. When Hawkeye was appointed head of the West
Coast branch of the Avengers, Mockingbird became the team's first
new recruit and was instrumental in helping Hawkeye form the new
team.
Months later, during a time traveling adventure in 1876, Mockingbird
was abducted and drugged by the crazed vigilante called the Phantom
Rider (Lincoln Slade), who attempted to force her to become his
bride. Regaining her senses, Mockingbird fought the Rider and
allowed him to fall to his death. After the West Coast Avengers
returned to their home era, Mockingbird kept the nature of the
Phantom Rider’s death a secret. However, the Rider’s ghost soon
appeared and told the Avengers what had transpired. Distraught that
an Avenger (especially his wife) had allowed a man to die, Hawkeye
became estranged from his wife, and Mockingbird re-entered into
government service. She participated in Operation: Vigilance, a
program to provide protection from any potential threat from the
Vision, only to rebel once she discovered the program's full agenda.
Helping the Avengers to rescue the Vision, she was gradually
reconciled with Hawkeye. Together they helped train the Great Lakes
Avengers and Mockingbird became good friends with Ashley Crawford.
The pair eventually renewed their relationship, only for Mockingbird
to perish while protecting Hawkeye from the demonic Mephisto. She
has since been resurrected by the Grim Reaper for his Legion of the
Unliving, but turned against him. Before returning to the realm in
which she was paying her penance for killing the Phantom Rider, she
gave a warning to the Avengers which eventually led to the
resurrection of Hellcat.
* This was at least a year before DC Comics created their famous
Huntress, Helena Wayne (later recreated as Helena Bertinelli) that
Barbara appeared in Marvel Super Action #1, January 1976, under that
codename. Since DC established their heroine with the same codename,
Marvel doesn't seem to have used the codename Huntress since,
possibly due to copyright reasons.
