Thanos’ snap caused something in Hawkeye to snap as his family turned to dust. Hawkeye changed from a loving husband and father to a nihilistic vigilante, one closer to villain than hero. His work turned so bloody that even War Machine admitted that a part of him didn’t even want to find Hawkeye.
There were two lines Hawkeye said in Endgame that struck me. The first was in the scene at Tokyo when he told Black Widow: “Don’t give me hope.“
That’s where the path of vengeance takes us. Yes, Hawkeye was in excruciating pain. And that sort of pain can turn us into monsters. But we need to own that pain and never walk down this path. The moment we lose hope, we walk the path of Judas. That leads us to despair.
Jesus Himself had a few words to say about revenge when St. Peter cut off Malchus’ ear: “Put your sword back in its place,” Jesus said to him, “for all who draw the sword will die by the sword (Mt 26:52). Words we should hold dear to our hearts.
The second was in the scene on Vormir on the edge of the cliff, also to Black Widow: “You know what I’ve done. You know what I’ve become.“
These are striking words. This could jolly well be our own words when we stand before our Lord on Judgment day, when all our sins are laid bare. We as humans, are not worthy of Heaven. We have all become monsters due to our continuous sinning.
Again, Marvel paints the Christ element of Mercy and Forgiveness beautifully. “Well, I don’t judge people on their worst mistakes,” Black Widow tells him. I love it. Second chances. This truly embodies the meaning of trusting in God’s Mercy.
Christ is always ever ready to forgive us no matter what we have done, and He cannot wait to welcome us back with open arms. Question is, do we seek Him or wallow in our own despair and revenge?