Barney Barton <WIP>
Charles Bernard Barton (a.k.a. Trickshot)
Barney Barton is the older brother of Clint Barton, and was trained alongside him in trick archery and fencing at Carson's Carnival.
He was a member of the Alliance, using the code-name Trickshot, and is currently serving a sentence on the Raft for his role in the Los Angeles Incident.
Along with several of his Alliance team-mates, he was recruited by General Ross to his Thunderbolts.
Mental characteristics
Personal history
Early Life
Barney Barton grew up in Waverly, where his father had a butcher's shop, with his parents and younger brother, Clint. He and his brother were very close - Clint had lost his hearing as a child, and relied on Barton to act as his sign-language interpretter. His brother's disability, and their father's alcoholism, meant to took a protective pseudo-parental role with his brother. This parental role became more literal when their parents were killed in an drink-driving incident.
Following the accident, the brothers were placed in a series of foster homes, but never settled. When Carson's Carnival visited Waverly, the boys ran away and joined the Carnival as roustabouts. They were mentored by the Swordsman, who took them under his wing and taught them both fencing and trick shooting.
When Barton was 15, the Swordsman revealled to him that he was running a number of criminal enterprises on the side, including burglary in the towns they passed through and embezelling funds from the circus itself. He brought Barney in on his various schemes, and although initially somewhat reluctant, Barton enjoyed the additional income and became a willing participant.
Both as a result of his additional funds, and due to his wanting to build an independant life for himself, he and Clint grew apart. When Clint uncovered the Swordsman's embezzelment, Barton witnessed the beating the Swordsman gave Clint and chose not to intervene, leaving his brother behind when the Carnival moved on.
He eventually left the Carnival, becoming a (largely unsuccessful) career criminal.
The Alliance
Although he was not financially successful, his skill with archery was well known among criminal circles. When Samuel Sterns began looking for criminals with gimmicks who he could pass off as heroes, Barton was one of his first recuits.Barton, along with Mach IV, Songbird, Bi-Beast, Boomerang, and Atlas former the Alliance. While ostenisbly acting as heroes, the Alliance's role was to cover up the results of Sterns's experimentation, such as killing Geoffrey Crawford, and to place bombs containing gamma mutagen throughout the city.
When Bruce Banner uncovered Sterns's role as the team mentor and decided to attempt to cure his gamme poisoning, Barton was brought back into contact with his estranged brother, who was assisting Banner in his investigations.
Barton attempted to reconcile with his brother, and while his initial attempted were rebuffed, he did eventually apologise for not protecting Clint from the Swordsman when they were teenagers.
Although they had been aware of, and participated in, Sterns's criminal activities, none of the Alliance were aware of Sterns's true goal; mutating every human in San Francisco. When they discovered what he was planning, they chose to return and assist Hawkeye and the Hulk in saving the city.
In the aftermarth of the attack, Barton chose to allow himself to be arrested by S.H.I.E.L.D for his role in setting up the attack, rather than seeking to flee the law. Before being taken to the Raft, he once again apologised to his brother, and this time his apology was accepted.
The Thunderbolts
<Under Construction>
Sexuality
Heterosexual
Education
Barton's school attendance became irregular after the death of his parents, and he stopped attending entirely after joining Carson's at age 13. As a result he is literate and numerate, but lacking in many arears of his education.
Mental Trauma
Barton was forced to grow up too quickly after the death of his parents, as he felt it was his responsibility to care for his brother. He rebelled against this role as a teenager, and consistently rejects maturity and responsibility as an adult.
Morality & Philosophy
Although he professes to be largely amoral, Barton will usually only hurt others when it serves a specific purpose, and does not cause paid for his own enjoyment. He has a deeply held, if limited, moral code, and avoids hurting children and animals where possible. He does not believe in honour amongst thieves, and will betray teammates if it is advantageous to do so.
Social
Family Ties
Prisoners on the Raft are rarely permitted visitors, but since their reconcilliation Clint has begun writing to his brother when he can, and has encouraged his children to do the same.
Hobbies & Pets
Although he uses it primarily for his work, he genuinely enjoys archery.
When he can get access to them, he still follows the comic strips he and Clint had enjoyed as children, especially Garfield and Popeye.
Relationships
Wealth & Financial state
Barton is extremely bad with money, regularly burning through funds which should have lasted months in a matter of weeks or even days. As a result, he is perpetually broke and usually fairly deeply in debt.
Current Location
Species
Ethnicity
Year of Birth
1968 CE
50 Years old
Birthplace
Waverly, Iowa
Family
Spouses
Siblings
Children
Pronouns
He/Him
Gender
Male
Aligned Organization
Other Affiliations
Related Plots