Buck Chisholm worked as an archer for a traveling circus, who also freelanced as an assassin on the side. Although the Swordsman was training a young boy named Clint Barton in the art of acrobats and throwing knives, Buck thought the young Barton would be better in the ways of the bow. So Buck started training Barton along with the Swordsman. Both mentors tried to persuade the young Barton into a criminal career but to no avail.
Years later Buck found out that he had cancer so he tracked Barton down to die in a final battle. Barton won but spared his life. Now the cancer is in remission, he still freelances himself to the highest bidder.
Recently cancer has returned. Trickshot was apparently captured by Baron Zemo was acting as a benefactor for Barney Barton. Zemo withheld cancer treatment from Trickshot while he was forced to train Zemo's young protege in the skills of archery, much in the same way he trained Hawkeye.
Zemo had the new fully trained archer drop off the sick Trickshot whose cancer was fully metastasized on the doorstep of the Avengers in an act to taunt Hawkeye. Trickshot soon succumbs to cancer with Hawkeye at his side.
