The Mark Of A Marksman

Can YOU

Name This Marvel Villain??

If you have a drive to excel and become better at anything than anyone, having the name of Champion certainly advertises the fact. One of the richest men in the world, and standing at 9 feet tall, we don't know if "Champion" is this man's given last name or if he simply chose it for himself--but he takes it very seriously, nonetheless. And it's that drive that brings him to Hawkeye, the Marksman, who is currently frustrated within the ranks of the Avengers and thus lends an ear to what might otherwise be a futile proposal.

So off they go, to Champion's California retreat overlooking the Pacific. On the way, Champion elaborates on why he strives to improve himself and become more proficient at a skill or ability than any other--particularly those who laughed at and ridiculed him as a child.

Yeah... about those muscles. Champion could work out to his heart's content--but unless he's been getting cosmic- or gamma-ray treatments on the side, there's no way he's going to be able to take hold of and rein in a jetliner taxiing down the runway at over 50 m.p.h.

No. Absolutely not. Champion should be a blot on this runway, period.

However, this being comics and thereby completely ignoring sanity, Champion makes his flight to New York, and Hawkeye jets back with him to begin instructing him in archery. Champion learns well from Hawkeye's expertise--and after a few weeks, Hawkeye's work is done and he prepares to return to the Avengers.

And then the other size-XXXXL shoe drops, when Hawkeye notes that Champion has adopted a new clothing style--and deadly new ambitions.

Hawkeye seeks to stop Champion then and there, but Champion's outfit is rigged with offensive weaponry--and after a daring struggle that only Hawkeye could conduct, the Avenger is subdued and later wakens to find himself at one of the bomb sites.

Before Champion can fire his shot, the Avengers arrive. Thanks to a protective field around their foe, the team makes little to no headway against Champion; in addition, they find themselves well on their way to becoming the laughing stock of henchmen unions nationwide.

Only the Vision remains a threat, though he diverts to free Hawkeye. From here, with only two pages left in the story, things rush to a close without much regard to what corners the story cuts to get there, since the goal is to give Hawkeye his moment.

Hawkeye is perhaps a little flustered, given the stakes involved; specifically, it's California that will go "bye-bye," not the entire country, though admittedly that's small comfort to Californians. But more importantly, how exactly is the Vision helpless here? He could either block the arrow's impact with his own frame, or blast it out of the air with his eye beams. His logic is also questionable: If Champion's null field prevents any assault, how is Hawkeye going to reach him?

But reach him he seemingly does, and with a maneuver that demonstrates to Champion that he didn't quite learn everything his mentor had to teach.

Champion would go on to face the Avengers again, this time with the Squadron Supreme playing a part in the conflict. His intricate plot would end in failure--and when last he was seen, his battles were being waged in court.

If he ever got around to becoming the best attorney there is, he should be out in two shakes.