Issue(s): Untold Tales of Spider-Man #17
Cover Date: Jan 97
Title: "Spidey battles Hawkeye the marksman!"
Credits:
Kurt Busiek - Writer
Pat Olliffe - Penciler
Al Williamson - Inker
Glenn Greenberg - Assistant Editor
Tom Brevoort - Editor
Bob Harras - EIC

Review/plot: Spider-Man runs into Hawkeye, who is being played by the Black Widow.

Spider-Man fights him but can tell Hawkeye doesn't really want to be a villain. He follows him around and runs into some of the Black Widow's goons but Hawkeye and the Black Widow escape.

The Black Widow has an interesting philosophy. I'm not sure if it's meant to be for real or if it's just a front to lead Hawkeye on, but her motivation seems to be providing technological secrets to the USSR in order to maintain the balance of power between the two world superpowers, preventing total domination by either side. She makes the point that the weapons that Hawkeye is stealing plans for will be used to oppress people in third world countries. Hawkeye isn't much interested in politics but doesn't like betraying his country. She has better luck bribing him with sex.

When Spidey meets up with Hawkeye again, it is in the factory of Simon Williams, who will later become Wonder Man.

Williams is having trouble competing with Stark Industries and if Hawkeye steals these plans he will be ruined (he winds up getting ruined anyway, of course). Spidey convinces Hawkeye to not be a chump.

This issue also does a good job of filling in some of the details in Peter and Betty's romance. The last we saw, in Amazing Spider-Man #15, Betty was steamed over the fact that Liz Allan was hitting on Peter.

Quality Rating: B+

Historical Significance Rating: 3 - a little insight into Hawkeye, Black Widow, and Wonder Man, which is nice.

Chronological Placement Considerations: This is after Hawkeye's first encounter with Iron Man in Tales Of Suspense #57. According to the continuity chart in UTOS #25, this issue takes place between ASM #15 and #16.

References: N/A

Crossover: N/A

Continuity Insert? Y

My Reprint: N/A

Given Busiek's oft-stated affection for Hawkeye as a character, it was just a matter of time before he would find a way to work in an "Untold" story featuring an encounter between Spidey and the archer. It's also pretty cool to see Natasha with raven hair and the forest green costume again.