Introduction to Echo
The Disney+ series Echo continues the eponymous hero's journey after she learns the true nature of her father's death, which differs notably in the Marvel Cinematic Universe from her Marvel Comics counterpart.
A close-up of Echo's face bathed in red light in Hawkeye
Echo, AKA Maya Lopez, is a deaf Native American hero who is first introduced in the MCU timeline and Marvel Comics as a villain. The two iterations share some similarities regarding her general trajectory and some of the key players. However, there are some key differences between the MCU's Echo and her comic book counterpart - most notably regarding her father's murder, which will be important for the character's future in the MCU.
A close-up of Echo from Marvel Comics.
Echo's Father in the MCU
During the Disney+ series Hawkeye, Echo is the leader of the Tracksuit Mafia, a faction within Wilson Fisk's expansive criminal empire. As a child, Echo was raised by her father, William, who led the Tracksuit Mafia before her. However, at some point during the Blip, Echo's father is assassinated by Clint Barton - who was operating as the murderous vigilante Ronin. Echo pursues Barton through Hawkeye after seeing Kate Bishop wearing Barton's Ronin outfit and believing the assassin has resurfaced.
Maya Lopez stands in the snow in Hawkeye
The narrative reaches a critical juncture, however, when Clint Barton reveals that he was given William's location by somebody working for Fisk. In the MCU, Wilson Fisk, AKA Kingpin, raised Echo after William's death, acting as a surrogate uncle. During her investigation, Echo confronts another Tracksuit Mafia member, Kazi Kazimierczak, who was suspiciously absent from a meeting the night William died. Ultimately, Echo learns that it was Fisk who orchestrated William's death, feeding his location to Ronin so that he would be targeted. During the season finale, Echo confronts Kingpin and seemingly kills him off-camera - in the same manner Echo kills Kingpin in the comics.
Echo holds a gun up to Kingpin in Hawkeye
Echo's Father in Marvel Comics
Echo in Marvel Comics was introduced in Daredevil in 1999 as the daughter of a henchman for Wilson Fisk. Like in the MCU, Kingpin orchestrated his death and subsequently adopted Echo, concealing the circumstances surrounding her father's death. Instead, Kingpin raised her to believe that Daredevil had killed her father. As Echo honed her skills, she became a deadly martial artist who eventually confronted Daredevil.
Kingpin pinches a young Maya Lopez's cheek in Hawkeye
While nothing has been officially confirmed, it seems that the Kingpin in Echo is indeed the same continuity of the character from Daredevil season 1-3. During this, Daredevil reveals the truth, exposing Kingpin's deceit. This revelation prompted Echo's allegiance to shift, turning her against Fisk and aligning herself with Daredevil as a powerful ally. The complex journey of Maya Lopez showcased her resilience and evolution from a manipulated foe to a formidable force on the side of justice. In Marvel Comics, Lopez drops the Echo name and creates the persona Ronin before Clint Barton later uses it. This change in backstory will feed into Echo's development in the MCU with Disney+'s Echo.
Echo (Alaqua Cox) looks on in anger in Hawkeye series.
