We are already introduced to a lot of interesting characters with the new Disney+ show, Hawkeye. The very first episode sets up a narrative for a possible villain that might end up being the underlying narrative of the series. While there’s a lot of mystery surrounding the characters we have been introduced to so far, one character seems to have given us a very specific antagonizing tone. While fans of the comics might be aware of Jack Duquesne from the Hawkeye series, let’s take a look at who Jacques Duquesne a.k.a. The Swordsman is in the comics. We’re also going to see how Hawkeye changed Jack Duquesne.
Jacques Duquesne in Hawkeye
The narrative of Hawkeye opens by introducing us to the character of Kate Bishop and this very opening clarifies the impact Hawkeye has on her. There is not much told about her except for the training montage graphic art opening title sequence that resembles the style of the Matt Fraction Hawkeye comics. But the major narrative opens up when we get to the present day where she is seen visiting her mother Eleanor Bishop and soon-to-be stepfather Jack Duquesne.
Kate gets suspicious of Armand Duquesne and follows him to discover an underground auction of items that have been acquired from the Avengers Compound. Here we see that there’s some sort of rivalry between the uncle and the nephew. Later we discover that he is killed around the end of the episode with a possible stab wound. There’s a major reference to Jack being fond of swords that is indicated throughout the two episodes and he even defeats Kate in a sword fight.
Who is the Swordsman?
Jack Duquesne a.k.a the Swordsman has a very interesting history in the Marvel comics with his narrative built around Hawkeye. Ths Swordsman has often appeared as the prime antagonist of Hawkeye various times in the comics. Jack started out as an average traveling circus performer with a knack for wielding sharp bladed weapons that were a part of his acts. He has a serious gambling problem and had a dark history in the form of a murderous soldier of fortune in Vietnam.
The Swordsman & Hawkeye
There is a massive connection between the characters of Jacques and Clint Barton, as when the latter ran away from his home to join the circus, it was Jacques who gave him a chance to recognize his talents. Barton became his apprentice and this is where Hawkeye learned his hand-to-hand combat and weapon master skills. But all this changed when Barton caught him committing armed robbery in order to pay off his debts. This event caused them to part their way as Barton became an Avenger and Jacques ended up becoming a criminal as the Swordsman.
It is not yet known if this narrative will be followed in Hawkeye because there seems to be no focus on Barton’s past. In fact, Jeremy Renner is actually older than Tony Dalton (Jack Duquesne). So, it is likely that MCU’s Clint may not have been trained by Jack. But there is a clear chance that we will get to see Jacques showing his Swordsman skills as was indicated by the first episode. One of the major debates following the episodes has been whether he did kill his uncle Armand in the series. Armand is also based on the comics and he was actually Jacques’ father and had a similar fate when a servant killed him with a sword.
A major focus has been put on the character of Jacques because the second episode ends with a hint of the possibility that Jacques might have killed his uncle. Even the maximum benefit this murder would have would be to him. But a lot is yet to be revealed about the character of Eleanore Bishop and there is a chance they are mixed together into something. There were various moments where we did get to see her hiding something from Kate. We can be sure about one thing, and that is the fact that we will get to see Hawkeye and Jacques share the screen in an upcoming episode of Hawkeye.
Hawkeye returns next Wednesday with episode 3. We’ve also got several other upcoming MCU shows for Disney Plus including Ms. Marvel, Moon Knight, She-Hulk, Secret Invasion, Ironheart, I am Groot, Armor Wars, Echo, Wakanda, Loki season 2, What If…? Season 2, Agatha House of Harkness, Werewolf by Night, and Okoye.
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