TALES OF SUSPENSE #57: The Circus of Emotions

Published: September, 1964

“Hawkeye, the Marksman!”
Script: Stan Lee
Art: Don Heck
Letters: Sam Rosen

Themes of lust, revenge and, most of all, jealousy, fuel this latest Tale of Suspense, coming to us directly from the pristine offices of Stark Industries, and, of all places, the circus! But then this is the not the first time a circus has figured prominently in Marvel comics, and surely it will not be the last. There’s no more likelihood of that happening than of all these characters suddenly getting their emotions under control, making intelligent decisions, and effecting positive change in their lives. No, I think we’ll let Stark and company continue to perform for us in their three-ring circus for as long as they like, so we can enjoy the inevitable melodrama.

It all begins when Happy asks Iron Man to ask Stark to put in a good word for him with Pepper (“She hasn’t given me a DATE in weeks!”). We don’t see Iron Man’s reaction to this bold request, but one panel later, Stark reflects that he has no right to be jealous because Happy wants to date Pepper. After all, he reasons, “a man like me,” (transistor powered chest devise, injured heart, could die at any moment, yada yada…) “can’t very well allow ROMANCE to enter his life!”

Stark is, of course, a notorious womanizer, so I have to wonder about his definition of “romance.” He frequently takes Veronica Vogue out for dinner, and perhaps back to his place to “look at his etchings,” but apparently, in his eyes, that’s NOT romance. Yet, if he were to go on even one date with Pepper, a woman he actually has feelings for, that would be…romance.

It’s refreshing to see that Stark appears to have at least some concept of the difference between lust and love.

THE COMEDY OF ERRORS
Last time we visited with Tony Stark, he made an amusing Freudian slip in calling his date “Pep-” instead of Pamela, and I think Dr. Freud would have some fun with this one as well. Trying to be a good buddy, Stark approaches Pepper with Happy’s request, but how does he start the conversation?

“Pepper, I have something to ASK you! It’s about a DATE…”

Now, what in the world is Pepper supposed to think? “A DATE??” she exclaims expectantly before throwing her arms around her hunky boss.

Of course, that’s exactly the moment Happy shows up, and you know what he’s thinking. Betrayed. Stark tells Pepper he needs to explain, but instead, he allows himself to be hoodwinked by her misinterpretation, and that evening, Tony Stark takes Pepper Potts out on an actual date.

Only it’s not a romantic date. Oh, no. Unable to trust himself, Tony takes Pepper to the most unromantic place he can think of—the circus.

So now, here’s our romantic triangle: Stark is jealous because Happy wants to date Pepper, Happy’s jealous because Stark is actually dating Pepper, and Pepper is jealous because Pamela never had to trudge through elephant manure on her dates with Tony Stark.

But wait! Here’s someone new, who’s also about to become jealous. At the circus we meet Hawkeye, less than wowing the crowds with his unerring marksmanship. (“Get that bum off the stage and bring on the dancin’ girls!”) When a carnival ride goes out of control, Iron Man saves the day and steals the show. Yea, Iron Man!

Oh, how Hawkeye would love some of that attention! So he gets this brilliant idea: he’ll become a superhero! After all, how hard could it be? Fashion a costume, create some super-cool weapons, and he’s in business. Right?

Seems easy in theory, but on his very first do-gooding gig, Hawkeye tries to stop a jewel thief, and when the thief drops the bag, in a Spider-Man-esque turn of bad luck, two cops discover Hawkeye leaning over the loot. But rather than standing up straight, puffing out his chest and explaining himself in a deep, manly voice, he panics and makes a run for it.

As fate would have it, he runs right into the arms of the Black Widow. She’s impressed with Hawkeye’s “adventurous and powerful appearance,” and he’s impressed with Black Widow’s…well, everything. He’s in love. Or really, only lust, but that’s good enough; it will get the job done.

The job Black Widow puts before Hawkeye is a plan to defeat Iron Man, and after the incident at the circus, he’s only too happy to oblige. It’s the proverbial killing of two birds with one stone: not only will he get his chance to impress the hot chick, he’ll also have his revenge against that shiny showoff, Iron Man.

Okay. Got it all straight? Are we ready for the fight scene now? No, not yet. While all this is going on, Stark’s been mulling over his sub-par outing with Pepper and decides he wants to take her out for a more “glamourous evening.” Could it be he’s finally coming to terms with his true feelings? Well, sort of. Almost. But not quite. Because even as he’s on the brink of self-realization, he chides himself for sounding like “a fella in LOVE.” Even within the confines of his own thought balloon, he refers to Pepper as “that fabulous female,” once again reducing her to an alluring alliteration, rather than thinking of her as a real person.

JEALOUS MUCH?
But at least he’s making some progress, right? However, when he returns to the office, with every intention of asking Pepper out on a more romantic date, he walks in on Happy, asking Pepper out to the drive-in! Oh, could the timing be any worse?

And could Pepper have possibly chosen a worse time to decide to make Tony JEALOUS? She gladly gives Happy a date, and also sticks it to Tony, with “I’d be delighted to go to the movie with you, Happy! It’s certainly more romantic than being walked all over Coney Island with an ice cream cone!”

Ouch.

Well, Stark deserves that one, but Pepper should really have more sense. Doesn’t she pay attention at movies? Doesn’t she read P.G. Wodehouse? This “make him jealous” strategy almost never works, and very often, it completely backfires.

But enough about them. Let’s get back to Hawkeye.

THE SORTA SUPERHERO
I have to admit, as I began reading, I was a bit confused about Hawkeye. The narrator describes him as “one of the most startling arch-villains of all time!!” but the Hawkeye I know (Jeremy Renner in the Marvel Cinematic Universe) is one of the good guys. Well, that’s okay, because in the MCU, Black Widow is also one of the good guys. In these early comics, however, she too is on the wrong side of the law. I’m sure tons of stuff will happen to both of them, causing their loyalties and motivations to vacillate like one of those tall smiley-faced wind puppets that encourage you to buy a car…or visit the circus.

But here’s the confusing part for the readers of 1964: Hawkeye is wearing purple and blue. These colors may be near each other on the light spectrum, but in the Marvel Universe, they’re on opposite sides of the eternal battle between good and evil. What’s going on here? Didn’t Hawkeye get the superhero memo on proper dress attire? Oh, that’s right. He’s freelancing it, hasn’t joined the superhero union yet. Hawkeye wisely chooses cowl and boots, (and perhaps not so wisely, a giant “H” on his forehead), but he hasn’t yet tuned into the subtleties of color. It’s almost like the creators want the readers to be confused about his intentions.

Hawkeye doesn’t start out wanting to be a villain. He wants to be a superhero, and get the same respect as the other superheroes. However, even though there’s nothing wrong with wanting respect, we have to ask: is that the best foundation for a superhero career? Hawkeye’s self-centered motivations are less than noble. And can we really have superheroes who are less than noble? Isn’t that an oxymoron?

I’m reminded of Han Solo’s famous speech from the original Star Wars, when he first meets Princess Leia: “I’m not in this for you, sister. I’m in it for the money. I expect to be well paid.” Well, Hawkeye’s kind of like that. He’s not in it for money, but like Solo, his reasons are less than pure. In fact, his desperate attempt to gain respect and notoriety is even less wholesome and more pathetic than Solo’s honest self-evaluation. Solo is a mercenary, and he knows it. Hawkeye’s intentions may be honorable, but his motivation is entirely self-serving.

Being found by the cops with a bag of stolen goods probably wouldn’t have been enough to permanently set him down the wrong path. He simply panicked. But why? Because he hasn’t been through Superhero Training 101, where he would have learned that the first rule of being a superhero is… DON’T PANIC!! If Hawkeye wasn’t so consumed with envy, he might have asked Iron Man to mentor him. Totally different outcome.

Let’s admit it: Poor Hawkeye needs all the help he can get. He has no scientifically or divinely appointed superpowers; he’s just a good shot. Without training or mentoring, or even a subscription to Fantastic Four comics, about this time he’s probably realizing that putting on a costume and grabbing a quiver full of sharp arrows is merely the preamble to the superhero gig. Running from the cops was a stupid mistake. He still has a lot to learn. He can be forgiven.

I DID IT ALL FOR LOVE
But here’s where he can’t be forgiven. At least not yet. Falling in almost immediately with the “daring, dazzling, dangerous Black Widow,” he lets himself be carried away on a tidal wave of lust and revenge. Add that to his ample inferiority complex and stewing pool of jealousy and what do you get? A perfect recipe for disaster.

So now at last we come to the part of the story that all little boys wait for. At Black Widow’s behest, Hawkeye sneaks into Stark Industries, and he and Iron Man fight. Pages 13 through 17 are all about the fighting. An arrow with a rusting agent temporarily puts the tin man in jeopardy, but the end result is that one of Hawkeye’s arrows bounces off Iron Man’s armor, injuring the Black Widow.

Hawkeye is mortified, and runs off with his belusted fallen comrade, hoping to get her to the doctor before the fog rolls in. Of course I jest in calling her “belusted.” Hawkeye is completely convinced it’s much more than that. “She has to live!! She has to be MINE!! She’s the only one I’ve ever loved!!” It seems peculiar that he has developed such a deep devotion to Natasha in so short a time, but perhaps this life-or-death traumatic experience will bind them together as nothing else could.

Yet, I have to wonder…

If Black Widow lives (and I feel pretty certain she does), will she disdain Hawkeye for his inability to defeat the dreaded Iron Man? Or, will she be impressed by his devotion, and love him in return? Or, will she merely continue to use him for her own evil purposes?

Also…

Will Hawkeye get himself one of those handy-dandy “Don’t Panic” buttons, or at least sign up for some superhero correspondence courses? Perhaps he’ll buy himself a packet of Ritz dye so he can make a clear proclamation regarding his position in the Marvel Universe?

And even more questions:

Will Pepper read P.G. Wodehouse and finally realize that elaborate schemes to make your crush jealous almost always backfire? Will Stark ever ask Pepper out for that “glamourous evening”? And if so, what will she wear? More curiously though, just how cozy did Pepper allow Happy to get with her at the drive-in?

As our story closes, Iron Man reverts to handsome Tony Stark in the privacy of the night shift’s skeleton crew at the factory. He ponders his co-workers enjoying a murder mystery (and perhaps each other) at the drive-in. “Nothing more I can do now,” he decides, “except wait for morning.” Which confirms my suspicions that the way these superheroes manage to juggle career, love life and superhero exploits all within the same 24 hour day that you and I have is because…they never sleep!

Well, that’s okay with me. It leaves more time for not only their marvelous superhero exploits, but also for the topsy-turvy developments in their personal lives, which are so much fun—if not for them, at least for us.

THE WATCHER’S POWER
The Watcher deals harshly with the glib, unsuspecting space pirates targeting planet T-37X, because it just so happens that T-37X is the Watcher’s home planet, and thereby excluded from his directive to never interfere with “other races.” He can do anything he wants to anyone who comes messing around on his home turf.

So…okay, he got out of this one legally—but we won’t be able to use this excuse again.