Editing Two-Gun Kid

{{Short description|Fictional character in Marvel Comics}}
{{Redirect|Matt Hawk|the punter|Matt Haack}}
{{Infobox comics character
|image=Two-Gun Kid 01.jpg
|caption=Two-Gun Kid (Matt Hawk / Matt Liebowicz)<br>Art by [[Scott Kolins]].
|character_name= Two-Gun Kid
|real_name=Matthew J. Hawkins<ref name="MarvelsProject">''[[The Marvels Project]]'' #8 (Marvel Comics, July 2010).</ref>
|publisher=[[Marvel Comics]]
|debut=Clay Harder: ''Two-Gun Kid'' #1 (March 1948)<br />Matt Hawk: ''Two-Gun Kid'' #60 (Nov. 1962)
|creators=[[Stan Lee]] (Writer)<br>[[Jack Kirby]] (Artist)
|alliances=
|previous_alliances=[[Avengers (comics)|Avengers]]<br>[[Fifty State Initiative]]<br>[[Desert Stars]]<br>The Sensational Seven<br>Goodman, Lieber, Kurtzberg & Holliway
|aliases=Matt Hawk, Matthew Liebowicz
|powers= Expert marksman<br>Trained hand-to-hand combatant 
}}

The '''Two-Gun Kid''' is the name of two [[Western fiction|Western]] fictional characters appearing in [[American comic book]]s published by [[Marvel Comics]]. The first, Clay Harder, was introduced in a 1948 comic from Marvel predecessor [[Timely Comics]]. The second, Matt Hawk a.k.a. Matthew J. Hawkins ([[retcon]]ned much later to Matt Liebowicz {{IPAc-en|ˈ|l|iː|b|ə|w|ɪ|t|s}}), was introduced in 1962 and has continued to appear into the 2010s. The latter Kid is better known, thanks primarily to his connection with, and later full integration into, the shared continuity of Marvel Comics known as the [[Marvel Universe]], but the Clay Harder Kid enjoyed a 14-year span in comics.

==Publication history==
The series titled ''[[Two Gun Kid (comic book)|Two-Gun Kid]]'' ran in two parts, from 1948–1949 and then from 1953–1977. Clay Harder debuted in ''Two-Gun Kid'' #1 (March 1948).<ref>{{cite book |last1=Brevoort |first1=Tom |last2=DeFalco |first2=Tom |last3=Manning |first3=Matthew K. |last4=Sanderson |first4=Peter |last5=Wiacek |first5=Win |title=Marvel Year By Year: A Visual History |date=2017 |publisher=DK Publishing |isbn=978-1465455505 |page=39}}</ref><ref>[http://www.comics.org/series/577/ ''Two-Gun Kid'' (Marvel 1948 series)] at the [[Grand Comics Database]]</ref> He was Marvel's second continuing Western character, following the [[Masked Raider]], who had appeared in ''[[Marvel Mystery Comics|Marvel Comics]]'' #1 / ''Marvel Mystery Comics'' #2–12 (October 1939 – Octctoer 1940).<ref>[http://www.comics.org/character/name/masked%20raider/sort/chrono/ Masked Raider] at the Grand Comics Database</ref> ''Two-Gun Kid'' was the company's first ongoing Western title,<ref>Markstein, Don. [http://www.toonopedia.com/twogun1.htm "Two-Gun Kid,"] Don Markstein's Toonopedia. Accessed Dec. 19, 2011.</ref> running 10 issues.

The character then moved to the [[Atlas Comics (1950s)|Atlas Comics]] omnibus ''[[Wild Western]]'', sharing the title with other Western characters like [[Kid Colt]] and the [[Black Rider (comics)|Black Rider]]. Beginning in 1953, Marvel continued the original ''Two-Gun Kid'' series from issue #11, publishing it until [[cover date]] April 1977. The Harder version of the character appeared sporadically through 1962, with [[Joe Sinnott]] being the last artist to draw the original Two-Gun Kid on a regular basis.

''Two-Gun Kid'' #60 (Nov. 1962) retconned the Clay Harder character out of existence, turning him into a [[dime novel]] character who had inspired the second Two-Gun Kid, Matt Hawk.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Cronin |first=Brian |date=2023-04-01 |title=Why Did Marvel Introduce a Brand-New Two-Gun Kid? |url=https://www.cbr.com/marvel-two-gun-kid-replacement-jack-kirby-stan-lee/ |access-date=2023-05-19 |website=CBR |language=en}}</ref>

The 1995 ''Sunset Riders'' miniseries made the Two-Gun Kid Jewish, [[retcon]]ning Matt's true last name as Liebowicz.<ref name="Two-Gun Kid 1995">''Two-Gun Kid: Sunset Riders'' (1995).</ref>

==Fictional character biography==
===Clay Harder===
Clay Harder, the original Two-Gun Kid, debuted in ''Two-Gun Kid'' #1 (cover-dated March 1948), published by Timely Comics, the predecessor of Marvel Comics.<ref>{{cite web |last=Brevoort |first=Tom |title=The First TWO-GUN KID Story! |url=https://tombrevoort.com/2025/01/18/the-first-two-gun-kid-story/ |website=Tom Brevoort |date=January 18, 2025 |access-date=April 14, 2025}}</ref> He was one of Marvel’s earliest continuing Western characters and starred in the publisher's first ongoing Western title.<ref>{{cite web |title=Two-Gun Kid Comic Book Price Guide |url=https://www.qualitycomix.com/comic-price-guide/two-gun-kid |website=QualityComix.com |access-date=April 14, 2025}}</ref>

Harder is depicted as a young man in his mid-to-late 20s with bright blond hair. He wears an all-black suit with a placket shirt and a broad-brimmed black hat. His signature weapons are two long-barreled revolvers, which he carries in individual overlapping gun belts.

In his early adventures, Harder rides a horse named Cyclone and is portrayed as a wandering cowboy who combats injustice across the American frontier. He is known for his exceptional marksmanship and is also an accomplished singer and guitarist, often performing during his travels.<ref>{{cite web |last=Brevoort |first=Tom |title=The First TWO-GUN KID Story! |url=https://tombrevoort.com/2025/01/18/the-first-two-gun-kid-story/ |website=Tom Brevoort |date=January 18, 2025 |access-date=April 14, 2025}}</ref>

Some stories portray Harder as the son of a rancher named Seth Harder. After his father is killed by an outlaw named Bull Yaeger, Clay sets out to bring the outlaw to justice, marking the beginning of his life as the masked gunfighter known as the Two-Gun Kid.

Harder's stories remained popular through the 1940s and 1950s, including appearances in titles like ''Wild Western''. However, with the publication of ''Two-Gun Kid'' #60 (November 1962), a new character—Matt Hawk—was introduced under the same moniker. Clay Harder's adventures were later retconned as fictional dime novels within the Marvel Universe.<ref>{{cite web |title=Marvel Quietly Replaced the Two-Gun Kid With a New Version |url=https://www.cbr.com/marvel-two-gun-kid-replacement-jack-kirby-stan-lee/ |website=Comic Book Resources |date=July 3, 2023 |access-date=April 14, 2025}}</ref>

===Matt Hawk/Liebowicz===
Matt Hawk wears a similar outfit to Clay's, only with an orange-and-black spotted vest, a slightly narrower-brimmed hat, two revolvers on a single gun belt, and a black mask covering the top half of his face.

In the [[American frontier|Wild West]], Matt Hawk is a [[lawyer]] from [[Boston]], [[Massachusetts]], who is inspired to fight evil as a masked crime fighter of the 19th-century American West by the stories of the fictional Two-Gun Kid, Clay Harder. After being trained in combat by the gunfighter Ben Dancer, the character assumes the dual identities of Matt Hawk and the Two-Gun Kid. With his horse Thunder, his partner "Boom Boom" Brown, and a pair of pistols, he becomes one of the West's most prolific heroes, often teaming up with the [[Rawhide Kid]], [[Kid Colt]], or the [[Phantom Rider]]. In one of his first adventures, Matt fights an [[Extraterrestrial life|alien]], and in other early outings he fights criminals who can only be called [[supervillain]]s such as the outlaw the [[Panther (comics)|Panther]]. During one adventure, he is brought to the present day via [[time travel]] and joins the [[superhero]] team of the [[Avengers (comics)|Avengers]].<ref>''[[The Avengers (comic book)|The Avengers]]'' #142–144 (Dec. 1975–Feb. 1976).</ref> He fights alongside them before leaving to wander America alongside his teammate [[Hawkeye (Clint Barton)|Hawkeye]],<ref>''The Avengers'' #161–162 (July–Aug. 1977).</ref> and eventually returns to his own time,<ref>''The Avengers'' #172–175 (June–Sept. 1978).</ref> occasionally making a cameo appearance in other Western tales or stories of time travel.

The 1995 ''Two-Gun Kid: Sunset Riders'' [[miniseries]] reveals that Matt had married, only for his wife to die during childbirth; this series also reveals that the Kid had brought a cache of modern weapons back with him from the future. He was forced to stage his own death in order to free a man accused of murder, which got him embroiled in an international conspiracy for a hidden treasure.<ref name="Two-Gun Kid 1995"/> The later miniseries ''[[Blaze of Glory (comics)|Blaze of Glory]]'' (2000) depicts the Kid as retired from gunplay, going by the name of Clay Harder and working as a full-time lawyer. The Rawhide Kid convinces him to return to action, but the Two-Gun Kid dies in battle against the racist mercenary Nightriders, alongside his old partners Kid Colt and the [[Outlaw Kid]].<ref>''Blaze of Glory: The Last Ride of the Western Heroes'' #4 (Mar. 2000).</ref>

Later, [[She-Hulk]],<ref>''[[She-Hulk]]'' vol. 2, #3 (Feb. 2006).</ref> after dealing with the [[Time Variance Authority]], is given the chance to free one time-traveling Avenger out of continuity limbo. She chooses the Two-Gun Kid. It's clarified that his heroic nature prevents him from being returned to his own time, as he would inevitably try to fix things.

In present time, he learns his previous modern-day encounters with the Avengers has resulted in his law license and other paraphernalia being kept in an Avengers safety-deposit box. Once he learns She-Hulk works for a law-firm, Goodman, Lieber, Kurtzberg & Holliway, he tries to become her colleague. He comes to the conclusion he will never be able to catch up on current laws and becomes a bounty hunter.<ref>''She-Hulk'' vol. 2, #5 (Apr. 2006).</ref> His first catch is the supervillain [[Bushwacker (comics)|Bushwacker]].

For a time he rooms with the [[Awesome Android]], who has reformed and is also an employee of the firm. Liebowicz travels using a twin-engine jet cycle, donated to him by his superhero friend [[Hawkeye (Clint Barton)|Hawkeye]].

During the company-crossover story arc ''[[Civil War (comics)|Civil War]]'' (2006–2007), Liebowicz becomes a bounty hunter and works alongside She-Hulk, helping her to apprehend supervillains. He is later sent to [[Arizona]] to lead the [[Desert Stars]] team of the [[Fifty State Initiative]].<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://forum.newsarama.com/showpost.php?p=5572067&postcount=13 |title=NEWSARAMA - View Single Post - Cup o' Joe May - 23<!-- Bot generated title --> |access-date=2008-05-24 |archive-date=2009-03-27 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090327120528/http://forum.newsarama.com/showpost.php?p=5572067&postcount=13 |url-status=dead }}</ref> In this capacity he is injured in ''Avengers: The Initiative'' #16 (2008), but is recovered by ''Avengers: The Initiative Special'' #1 (2009).

In the [[Marvel Legacy]] [[Falcon (comics)|Falcon]] series, Two-Gun Kid is found in [[Mephisto (Marvel Comics)|Mephisto]]'s Hell, eventually helping Falcon escape.<ref>''[[Falcon (comics)|Falcon]]'' vol. 2 #4 (Jan. 2018).</ref>

====''The Marvels Project''====
In ''[[The Marvels Project]]'' the Two-Gun Kid is seen as an elderly patient of Dr. Thomas Halloway. He captivates Halloway with stories of a coming "Age of Marvels," which detail the exploits of the Avengers and other modern-day Marvel heroes. Halloway believes Hawk/Liebowicz' stories are fantasies generated by his advanced age and senility. After Hawk passes away, Halloway learns Hawk bequeathed him his mask and guns, inspiring him to become the superhero the [[Angel (Thomas Halloway)|Angel]].<ref>''The Marvels Project'' #1 (Oct. 2009).</ref> In the epilogue to the final issue, Hawk{{mdash}}now referred to as Matt Hawkins{{mdash}}is seen in the present day as a young man, accompanying [[Captain America|Steve Rogers]] (Captain America) to the home of Halloway's grandson, Jason, to once again bequeath the mask and guns, as well as Halloway's journal, in the hopes that Jason will follow in his grandfather's footsteps.<ref name="MarvelsProject" />

The character appears in the 2010 [[miniseries]] ''[[Rawhide Kid]]: The Sensational Seven''.

==Reception==
* In 2022, ''[[CBR.com]]'' ranked Matthew Hawk 3rd in their "10 Most Powerful Lawyers In Marvel Comics" list.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Avina |first=Anthony |date=2020-06-07 |title=The 10 Most Powerful Lawyers In Marvel Comics |url=https://www.cbr.com/marvel-comics-most-powerful-lawyers/ |access-date=2022-11-07 |website=CBR |language=en-US}}</ref>

==Other versions==
A new modern-day version of the character, a teenager, stars in the five-issue ensemble [[miniseries]] ''Six Guns'' (#1-4 [[cover-date]]d Jan.-March 2012), by writer [[Andy Diggle]] and artist Davide Gianfelice, and also starring the extant female mercenary [[Tarantula (Marvel Comics)#Maria Vasquez|Tarantula]] and new contemporary versions of the Marvel [[Old West]] heroes Tex Dawson a.k.a. the [[Western Kid]]; the [[Black Rider (comics)|Black Rider]]; and [[Matt Slade (comics)|Matt Slade]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://marvel.com/news/story/16788/six_guns_trigger_happy|title=Six Guns: Trigger Happy|date=October 6, 2011|first=Jim|last=Beard|publisher=Comic News (column), [[Marvel.com]]|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20111207115103/http://marvel.com/news/story/16788/six_guns_trigger_happy|archivedate=December 7, 2011|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://marvel.com/news/story/16160/six_guns_locked_and_loaded|title=Six Guns: Locked and Loaded|date=June 23, 2011|first=Jim|last=Beard|publisher=Comic News (column), [[Marvel.com]]|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110810022542/http://marvel.com/news/story/16160/six_guns_locked_and_loaded|archivedate=August 10, 2011|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>[http://www.maelmill-insi.de/UHBMCC/smisc6.htm#S6259 "''Six Guns'' (2012)"] at The Unofficial Handbook of Marvel Comics Creators. [https://web.archive.org/web/20120512201954/http://www.maelmill-insi.de/UHBMCC/smisc6.htm Archived] from the original (required scrolldown) November 20, 2011</ref>

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
* [http://www.toonopedia.com/twogun1.htm Don Markstein's Toonopedia: The Two-Gun Kid (Clay Harder)]
* [http://www.toonopedia.com/twogun2.htm Don Markstein's Toonopedia: The Two-Gun Kid (Matt Hawk)]
{{Avengers characters}}
{{Marvel Western Characters}}
{{Stan Lee}}
{{Jack Kirby}}
{{Larry Lieber}}
[[Category:Avengers (comics) characters]]
[[Category:Characters created by Jack Kirby]]
[[Category:Characters created by Stan Lee]]
[[Category:Comics characters introduced in 1948]]
[[Category:Comics characters introduced in 1962]]
[[Category:Fictional characters from Boston]]
[[Category:Fictional gunfighters in comics]]
[[Category:Golden Age adventure heroes]]
[[Category:Jewish superheroes]]
[[Category:Marvel Comics male superheroes]]
[[Category:Marvel Comics superheroes]]
[[Category:Marvel Comics Western (genre) characters]]
[[Category:Vigilante characters in comics]]
[[Category:Western (genre) gunfighters]]