With Taskmaster set to step into the upcoming Black Widow movie, it’s time to dive into a long history that’s strange even by the standards of the Marvel Universe. From a school for supervillains to the South American village populated by Hitler clones, here’s the truth behind the Taskmaster.
The Taskmaster made his first appearance in 1980’s Avengers #195, arriving on the last page to set up his full appearance in the next issue and kick off a long career of supervillain exploits. Created by David Michelinie and George Pérez, he has a super-power usually referred to as “photographic reflexes.” That’s a fancy way of saying that if he sees someone doing something, he can replicate that action exactly, and he keeps that skill for the rest of his life. That would be a pretty impressive ability in the real world, but this is a dude who lives in the Marvel Universe. He can settle in with some footage of Spider-Man or Black Panther, and hop off the couch a few hours later with the ability to perfectly replicate their movements.
Of course, there’s a limit to all this: photographic reflexes are Taskmaster’s only power. That means that while he can watch Captain America throwing his shield and replicate the movement, he doesn’t have Cap’s super-strength behind it. Still, he’s come away from his many battles against the Avengers with some pretty impressive abilities.
While he’s done his share of hands-on villainy, the Taskmaster’s true calling has always been in education. Of course, his “school,” the Taskmaster Academy, is less of a learning institution and more of a for-profit training center for henchmen. For a low price, Taskmaster teaches classes of aspiring supervillains not only how to fight like superheroes, but, more importantly, how to fight against them. Keep watching the video to see more about the Marvel villain that’s about to be huge!
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Taskmaster Academy | 1:10
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Tony Masters | 3:59
Taskmaster: The Movie | 5:01