Ronin (Marvel Comics)

Ronin
Ronin. Art from the cover of New Avengers #11. Art by David Finch.
Publisher	Marvel Comics
First appearance	New Avengers #11 (November 2005)
Created by	Brian Michael Bendis, Joe Quesada
Characters	Maya Lopez (Echo) Clint Barton (Hawkeye) Alexei Shostakov (Red Guardian) Eric Brooks (Blade)

Ronin is an used by multiple characters in the Marvel Comics Universe. The Ronin identity was created by Brian Michael Bendis and Joe Quesada, though the characters who have adopted the identity were pre-existing characters created by other writers.

The name "Ronin" refers to the Japanese term for a masterless samurai, a lone warrior.

Maya Lopez was the first person to don the Ronin identity. A deaf woman with photographic reflexes, Maya became Ronin to investigate the Silver Samurai in Japan.

Maya Lopez first appeared as Ronin in New Avengers #11 (November 2005), though the character appeared on the covers of several earlier issues.

New Avengers writer Brian Michael Bendis revealed in the introduction to the New Avengers Vol. 1 Hardcover collection that his original intention was to make Matt Murdock the true identity of Ronin, but could not do so due to a conflict with the plans for the character in the Daredevil comic book title.

Clint Barton is the second person to don the Ronin identity, becoming Ronin when he rejoined the New Avengers in the aftermath of Civil War. He attempted to hand the costume back to Echo after she was rescued from the Hand, but Echo declined and allowed him to keep it. Clint Barton later resumed his Hawkeye identity during the start of the Heroic Age.

A new Ronin was introduced in the "Widow Maker" crossover between the Hawkeye & Mockingbird and Black Widow titles. The new Ronin initially starts assassinating spies and eventually targets Mockingbird and Black Widow. He is later revealed as Alexei Shostakov, Black Widow's ex-husband (aka Red Guardian).

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