in avengers #43, released in 1967, jan turns 23:

(btw):

so i just went ahead and rolled with the early 60s comics playing out in real time, which they largely did–peter goes through high school and graduates in real time, starts college, the x-men and fantastic four age–but that stops around ‘67 or so (with many liking to use franklin richards birth in '68 as a benchmark for marvel time). so, 23 in '67? 21 in '65 is my assumption.

well this is the first i’m hearing of friendship having levels so i can’t help you there

but! they are very close friends. they both started out on the avengers together- the first second wave team! or, to rephrase, the second iteration. the no-good baby villains (both just kinda falling into it for a blip tbh) redeeming themselves by joining the avengers and being hated by the public. they fought each other (mostly clint and pietro), they griped (ok mostly clint), they kinda sucked at teamwork (do i have to say it). but the point is, they came up as heroes together, overcoming and learning side by side (with pietro, begrudgingly) and forming a steadfast lifelong bond.

they’ve been confidantes with each other’s worries and insecurities, and were what you can call best friends in a medium where they both mostly appeared in team books with ever-changing rosters.

then avengers disassembled and house of m happened and wanda suffered from being-used-in-a-comics-event disease and killed clint twice. so. that was a little straining on their relationship. what with the trauma. and the fainting upon seeing her (potentially. let’s move past this encounter)

but they’re good now. they have diner dates

well there’s instances of clint singing lyrics occasionally, like “green door” playing on the jukebox in a diner when bruce walked in. buuuut you’ve got decades of comics where clint may have brought up lyrics so obviously you might be hard-pressed for consistency in genres and likes what with evolving music and an ever expanding roster of writers

like when clint chooses kiss over springsteen when declaring new jersey allegiances in hawkeye v4 - truly a fraction bias bleeding through. i mean…

[sidenote: does anyone know what this shirt is supposed to say. my initial guess is a play on oshkosh b'gosh?]

he also likes simon & garfunkel:

he’d rather be a sparrow than a snail. uuuh he is just a poor boy in the company of strangers running scared. etc etc

now do i remember any other song lyrics or artists referenced right now? no </3 i will say that it’s not something often brought up