THE CAT CAME BACK (2000)

Just Hawkeye left the Avengers and took over the Thunderbolts, the Grim Reaper resurrected a number of deceased Avengers to attack Earth's Mightiest Heroes, including Hawkeye's wife Mockingbird. When he broke her free of the Reaper's control, Mockingbird whispered a warning to Hawkeye before returning to the land of the dead. 

Now Hawkeye believes he may have a chance to save Mockingbird's soul, taking his personal mission straight into Hell and bringing the Thunderbolts with him. Little does he realise it's actually one of the Defenders who's about to make a comeback...

MCG Note: A number of characters are shown in Hell who may be the souls of deceased individuals; as some have since been revealed to be alive I'll assume they were just demonic manifestations designed to torture the Thunderbolts.

Minor Crossover: These two stories are directly related and events clearly lead from one to the other, but they can both be read individually.

• Thunderbolts Annual 2000[1/2]
• Avengers Annual 2000

 Thunderbolts Annual 2000[1/2]
Hawkeye leads the Thunderbolts into Hell to stop the hero-turned-Hell-Lord Daimon Hellstrom from taking over the various nether realms. Instead, Hellstrom offers Hawkeye the chance save Mockingbird's soul from Mephisto's realm and return her to Earth, restored to life. But Hellstrom lied and it's not until the T-Bolts return to Earth that they discover the soul they've saved belongs to Patsy Walker, aka Hellcat.

Avengers Annual 2000
Patsy Walker is invited back to her home town of Centerville by her old friend Hedy Wolfe. But she discovers something dark at the centre of Centerville when a new set of super-powers begin to emerge and investigates as Hellcat. Moondragon senses Patsy's panic and summons the Avengers, Hawkeye and Songbird. The group discover the Sons of the Serpent's plot to spread racism across America using dark magics. The Avengers defeat the Sons and the resurrected Salem's Seven, restoring tranquility to Centreville. Patsy decides to stay there when the Avengers depart, not realising Nicholas Scratch has become the town's mayor...

Thunderbolts #41 (2000) 

Moonstone's secondary Kree personality resurfaces.

X-Men: Magik #1-4 (2001) 

The struggle for power between the Hell Lords continues during CAST THE MAGIK.

Thunderbolts #45 (2000) 

Moonstone's Kree personality is explained and dealt with during MAXIMUM SECURITY.

Hellcat #1-3 (2000) 

'Mayor Nicholas' is revealed to be Nicholas Scratch; Hellcat confronts Scratch who reveals he's working for Dormammu; Scratch also allies himself with Satannish in an attempt to become Sorcerer Supreme of the new Underworld; Hellcat calls on the Avengers to end Scratch's plans.

Defenders #1 (2001) 

Hellcat rejoins the Defenders.

Secret Invasion #8 (2009) 

The real Mockingbird is revealed to have been a prisoner of the Skrulls this whole time while the 'Mockingbird' who died is revealed to have been a Skrull (the 'Mockingbird' summoned by the Grim Reaper and the one in Hell must've been impostors or possibly the deceased Skrull imposter) during SECRET INVASION.

X-Factor #250-256 (2013)

The Hell Lords finally battle each other for the domination of planet Earth with X-Factor Investigations opposing them as part of the Hell on Earth War.

See how this story fits into the wider Marvel Universe continuity:

• AVENGERS: Living Legends (1999-2000)

Hawkeye and the Thunderbolts vol.1

Thunderbolts Omnibus vol.2

Includes Avengers Annual 2000 and Thunderbolts Annual 2000.

Avengers by Busiek & Perez Omnibus vol.2
Avengers Assemble vol.4
Include Avengers Annual 2000.