If You Wrote Comics: Black Widow, Hawkeye, and Mockingbird

[Tiamatty]

The story that suggests there weren't female heroes in silver age Marvel. We can debate how well or poorly they were portrayed but you definitely had Wasp, Sue Storm, and Marvel Girl. After that Black Widow, Shanna, and The Cat. I actually remember an issue of West Coast Avengers where the Thing shows up and Bobbi has a thought balloon where she's admiring the FF as her generation's first great heroes, so of course she's aware of Invisible Girl.

The other one is the whole Phantom Rider thing. I emotionally get why Cain did her retcon, but now that old West Coast Avengers story makes no sense. If she just had an affair, then why did she left PR die, etc?

The lack of women wasn't a continuity error. It was making the point that women existed only as tokens. It was not intended as a literal statement, but as a figurative one.

[Killerbee911]

What would I do with these characters in my head they should be a third group to along with Avengers and X-men.I think that group should be Shield.The first book and flagship book would be Secret Avengers: Agents of Shield which would include

Captain Marvel- Leader
Mockingbird
Black Widow
Hawkeye
War Machine
Falcon
Quake

I thought that they hit on mark with Secret avengers and IDW does a pretty good job with GI joe series. So that is were I would be pulling the inspiration for the books pseudo superhero spy stuff facing off against A.I.M, Hydra and Hand whereas the Avengers are facing off against bigger more big world ending or cosmic style stuff. And I always thought that it is weird in Marvel that government doesn't have a dedicated superhero group who can't just say we quit. From the Secret Avenger book I would spin out the other books with agents basically being Jason Bourne or James Bond in the Marvel universe.The books should be a little easier to write with supporting characters, enemies and missions being provided from the Shield set up.

Hawkeye- I like the Ultimate Version setup but I like 616 personality.I think people holding on the past suit is silly

Black Widow-Black Widow is perfect,You can write mercenary and spy stories all day for her.She works in the superhero world but is better used sparingly that way.I have no idea how Black Widow doesn't have consistent long running series

MockingBird- MockingBird I would do only as limit series I understand that she has her own personality and quirks and powers but I believe you would thread the same ground as Black Widow and quite frankly with Maria Hill, Sharon Carter, Quake, Melinda May, Contessa Valentina Allegra de la Fontaine,etc that statement could go for a lot characters. The Batman family of characters has proven people are willing to read characters with the same basic setup doing the same exact things but I would be hesitant to give her a solo book.

Falcon- wasn't mentioned in the OP post but I thought I would sneak him to the discussion. The movie version and Ultimate version are so much better than 616 version. I would do everything I can to make Falcon into the Ultimate Version I would give him closer ties to Shield and would increase his intelligence to match the ultimate version.

I think these characters are core to a pseudo grounded story style telling style that occasional jump to main stream comic bookish stuff and once you present Hydra and Aim as flesh out legit organizations can tell stories forever.

[Matternativ]

If I were to write a Hawkeye book the first thing I'd do is get Checetto on the art and Rosenberg as my Co-writer to bring in his brilliant dialogues.

Following that I'd start with a scene were Nat and Clint just hang out, be that as a couple or friends.
This is very much inspired from this Noto Cover:


I just love it and always have, casual interactions are my jam.
Either way in the midst of talking, joking or something more steamy if you that's what we'd be going with they hear a suspicious sound and barely make it out of wherever they are before the room explodes.
Someone wants them dead.
They soon find out it's Hydra and for some reason no one knows were Steve Rogers is.
The following issues are mostly both of them finding Steve and kicking Hydra butt.
The Punisher gets in the way sometimes so they kick his butt too and once they find steve who is obviously captured they team up with other targeted Superheroes, namely Mockingbird, Jess Drew, Barnes and hell why not? -> Laura Kinney.
Boom, this team up book just became an actual Team Book and it's the Secret Avengers.

The second arc would be something entirely different: Their team being officially an Avengers team makes them all the target of a laser beam that warps them to the other end of the Universe.
Some Aliens are under Siege and heard of the Legendary Avengers.
Sadly this variation is just not the actual Avengers and full of street level heroes Following initial disappointment and despair as those aliens had used their last bit of energy to get them there, the Secret Avengers decide to do the Job anyway. Up against enemies far above their level and far away from earzth they have to be crafty to win this.
The reason I went with that idea is that I always think the Street Level Avengers don't really get their due. For that reason I'd also remove Cap from that arc because he is the one who always gets to look good/strong anyway.

After that I'd go for a few 1-2 issue stories that focus on two characters and their interaction each while they do Secret Avengers stuff back on earth.
Eventually I'd split the team to those who remain the Secret Avengers and some that get drafted to the main team, namely jess, Nat and Clint. The latter would then start to wear an actual custome again. A modern version of his classic custome I'd say.

Alternatively to all of that I'd just do the same as sneakironicity and pick up the Avengers Assemble storyline with widow's token were she begrudingly agrees to help Clint out with something she's sure he should not do.

[Sneakronicity]

If I were to write a Hawkeye book the first thing I'd do is get Checetto on the art and Rosenberg as my Co-writer to bring in his brilliant dialogues.

Following that I'd start with a scene were Nat and Clint just hang out, be that as a couple or friends.
This is very much inspired from this Noto Cover:


I just love it and always have, casual interactions are my jam.
Either way in the midst of talking, joking or something more steamy if you that's what we'd be going with they hear a suspicious sound and barely make it out of wherever they are before the room explodes.
Someone wants them dead.
They soon find out it's Hydra and for some reason no one knows were Steve Rogers is.
The following issues are mostly both of them finding Steve and kicking Hydra butt.
The Punisher gets in the way sometimes so they kick his butt too and once they find steve who is obviously captured they team up with other targeted Superheroes, namely Mockingbird, Jess Drew, Barnes and hell why not? -> Laura Kinney.
Boom, this team up book just became an actual Team Book and it's the Secret Avengers.

The second arc would be something entirely different: Their team being officially an Avengers team makes them all the target of a laser beam that warps them to the other end of the Universe.
Some Aliens are under Siege and heard of the Legendary Avengers.
Sadly this variation is just not the actual Avengers and full of street level heroes Following initial disappointment and despair as those aliens had used their last bit of energy to get them there, the Secret Avengers decide to do the Job anyway. Up against enemies far above their level and far away from earzth they have to be crafty to win this.
The reason I went with that idea is that I always think the Street Level Avengers don't really get their due. For that reason I'd also remove Cap from that arc because he is the one who always gets to look good/strong anyway.

After that I'd go for a few 1-2 issue stories that focus on two characters and their interaction each while they do Secret Avengers stuff back on earth.
Eventually I'd split the team to those who remain the Secret Avengers and some that get drafted to the main team, namely jess, Nat and Clint. The latter would then start to wear an actual custome again. A modern version of his classic custome I'd say.

Alternatively to all of that I'd just do the same as sneakironicity and pick up the Avengers Assemble storyline with widow's token were she begrudingly agrees to help Clint out with something she's sure he should not do.

This is like my dream book right here. I'm still mourning the loss of Secret Avengers years later, and really want a new one starring Clint, Nat, and Jess. I love how this is set up as a Clint/Natasha team-up book to start (my other dream book) and builds into Secret Avengers, and the focus on character interaction over big heavy plots. It's the kind of team book I love. Also some interesting plot ideas in there.

[Matternativ]

This is like my dream book right here. I'm still mourning the loss of Secret Avengers years later, and really want a new one starring Clint, Nat, and Jess. I love how this is set up as a Clint/Natasha team-up book to start (my other dream book) and builds into Secret Avengers, and the focus on character interaction over big heavy plots. It's the kind of team book I love. Also some interesting plot ideas in there.

I had a feeling you'd like it

[Sneakronicity]

I had a feeling you'd like it

I'm so predictable lol.

Fun fact: I don't buy floppies anymore, I either buy digital, trades, or both, but I managed to get the issue with that Noto cover. It's just so perfect!

[Matternativ]

I'm so predictable lol.

Fun fact: I don't buy floppies anymore, I either buy digital, trades, or both, but I managed to get the issue with that Noto cover. It's just so perfect!

Nnnnice. It's one of my favourites ever.

[responsarbre]

Actually, here's a good direction for a Black Widow story: have her team up with Songbird to find out about Ghost kidnapping Jolt on the North Pole in Thunderbolts #12.

She has ties to Melissa from their connections during the early days of the team and their (sadly) brief team-up in the Diggle days, and she got to know Ghost while she was leading the T-Bolts, so it's reasonable that she would be keeping tabs on him. Even moreso after he apparently decided to join up with Hydra in Punisher.

(Yes, this is partially motivated by me finally reading Old Man Logan and being upset about there being a Thunderbolts story with Black Widow that manages to forget her ties to the team.)