Respect Taskmaster (Marvel 616)

[u/TooAmasian]

Respect Taskmaster!

Big...small..there's no task I can't master.

Tony Masters was born with "photographic reflexes," giving him the ability to perfectly copy the movements of whatever he sees at the cost of his brain erasing non-combat related memories to store more space for his skills. With this technique, he chose to work behind the scenes as an instructor to supervillain henchmen as he knew that was where the big bucks lied. After his academy was shut down, he took up the job as a mercenary and took whatever job paid the highest.

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Photographic Reflexes

General

• His explanation of his ability, Avengers #196

• Allows him to copy someone's speed and agility, Marvel Team-Up #103

• Can copy voices and mimics Tony Stark's voice to access his lab, Taskmaster #1

  • Perfectly copies someone's voice after a short conversation with them, Taskmaster #2

• Has a photographic memory, Taskmaster #4

• Can easily switch from style to style, Age of Heroes #3

• Fighting alongside people he's forgotten allows him to remember them through muscle memory, Taskmaster #4

• Overwhelms an opponent by using every style in quick succession, Taskmaster #4

• His brain forgets non-combat related memories to make up space, Avengers Academy #9

• Analyzes fighting styles in seconds and counters just as fast, Captain America #5

Known Styles

• Angel, Avengers Academy #9

• American Avenger, Avengers Academy #9

• Black Knight, Deadpool #2

• Blazing Skull, Taskmaster #3

• Bullseye, Ant-Man #3

• Captain America, Avengers #196

• Daredevil, Avengers #196

• Destroyer, Taskmaster #3

• Deadpool, Deadpool #36

• Elektra, Age of Heroes #3

• Fandral, Avengers Initiative #33

• Hawkeye, Avengers #196

• Iron Fist, Avengers #196

• Liberator, Taskmaster #4

• Moon Knight, Captain America #4

• Puck, Alpha Flight #5

• Punisher, Deadpool vs The Punisher #4

• Shang-Chi, Wolverine #168

• Silver Samurai, Taskmaster #4

• Spider-Man, Avengers #196

• Swordsman, Captain America #5

• Tigra, Avengers #223

• Typhoid Mary, Avengers Initiative #20

• Winter Soldier, Avengers Initiative #34

• Wolverine, Agent X #1

Other Copied Skills

• Has hours of James Bond and Mission Impossible stockpiled, Taskmaster #1

• Moves silently and weightlessly due to a ninja he copied, Taskmaster #1

• Is a good cook and also good at golfing and skiing, Taskmaster #3

• By watching his reference videos at double speed, he can replicate it and speedblitz someone who could catch a bullet after it was fired, but this puts heavy strain on his body, Taskmaster #4

Copying Effectiveness

• Copies someone's mastery of chi in 10 minutes when it took them 10 years, Daredevil #292

• Copies a move he sees on TV, Taskmaster #10

• Absorbs and masters an opponent's technique and immediately counters it, Taskmaster #2

• Copies J'kramak K'ythri, a complex martial art from a race of aliens that descended from birds requiring a lighter skeleton and unlocking a portion of the brain to execute never before seen parries and feints, but it overwrites his memories, Taskmaster #4

• With each sword stroke against Fandral, his skill improves, Avengers Initiative #33

Skill Recognition

• Identifies and isolate 18 katas of Captain America's shield skills and teaches it to USAgent, Captain America #334

• Recognizes Falcon used a move from Captain America's style, Captain America Annual #11

• Identifies how a man is cheating at poker and replicates his move despite it taking years to master, Taskmaster #1

• Deduces Mutant Zero was Typhoid Mary from her fighting style, Avengers Initiative #20

• Deduces Captain America was Bucky from his fighting style, Avengers Initiative #34

Anticipation

• Counters Captain America's move perfectly and knows Iron Man was going to attack him from behind, Avengers #196

• Anticipates Spider-Man would attack him from behind and uses his momentum against him, Marvel Team-Up #102

• Anticipates Hawkeye would shoot a razor arrow at him, Avengers #223

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Strength

Lifting

• Objective

  • Lifts up concrete rubble, Secret Avengers

• Scaling

  • Flips over Iron Man, Taskmaster #1

Striking

• Objective

  • Warps the door of a pigeon coop with a punch, Agent X #4
  • [Shield] Cracks a concrete wall by slamming his shield, Daredevil #318
  • Slams someone's head into the ground, cracking it, Taskmaster #4
  • Cuts someone's head off and embeds his sword into concrete in a single slash, Taskmaster #4
  • Sends Peter Parker and Miles Morales flying out of a window, Spider-Men II #2
  • Busts through a solid wall, Squirrel Girl #15
  • Warps a metal door with a kick, King in Black: Thunderbolts #3

• Scaling

  • One shots Ant-Man and Yellowjacket, Avengers #195
  • [Shield] Throws his shield as hard as Captain America, Avengers #196
  • [Shield] Draws blood from Daken with a shield bash, Daken: Dark Wolverine #11
  • Sends Bullseye flying with a punch, New Avengers #59
  • [Shield] Knocks out Black Cat with a shield toss, Amazing Spider-Man #16 HU
  • He and Bullseye knock out Deadpool with a punch, Despicable Deapool #298
  • [Shield] Draws blood from Sebastian Shaw with a shield swipe, Secret Empire United
  • One shots Karnak, Secret Warrior

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Durability

Physical

• Objective

  • Is fine after being hit by a speeding car, Daredevil #293
  • Is fine after being kicked through a wooden wall by an enraged Spider-Man, Amazing Spider-Man #308
  • Survives a close range grenade, Deadpool #62
  • Survives Sue cratering him into the ground, Civil War #7
  • Takes an explosive that blows a large hole through the ceiling, Battle Scars #3
  • Tanks a hit from Sebastian Shaw that sends him flying into a concrete wall, cracking it, Secret Empire United
  • Tanks a hit from Quake that busts a large hole through a thick concrete wall, Secret Warriors #6

• Scaling

  • Was fine taking a blast from Penance, that was strong enough to send people flying into concrete, cracking it, Avengers Intiative #30
  • Is fine after a beating from Spider-Man, Amazing Spider-Man #15
  • Takes a punch from Luke Cage, New Avengers #63
  • Is fine after a punch from Flash Thompson Venom sends him flying into a wall, Secret Avengers #29
  • Takes a hit from War Punisher, Punisher #226

Other

• Piercing

  • Is fine after taking a blunderbuss shot to the chest that sends him flying out of a building, Moon Knight #5
  • Tanks sniper fire to the chest, Battle Scars #3

• Heat

  • Tanks a flamethrower canister exploding on him, Punisher #9

• Electrical

  • Gets up from Jessica Drew's Venom Sting, Spider-Woman Origin #2
  • Is still able to fight after taking Mile's Venom Blast, Spider-Men II #5

• Tanks a Venom Punch from Miles, Miles Morales: Spider-Man #33

• Energy

  • Is hospitalized but survive Doom's energy blast, which is described as a plasma wakefield blast, with magic mixed in, Avengers Initiative #31

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Speed

Combat

• Avoiding Gunfire

  • Catches a bullet, Taskmaster #4
  • Blocks close range gunfire, Moon Knight #5
  • Blocks bullets with a chain, Thunderbolts #131
  • Blocks bullets after they were fired, Battle Scars #3
  • Blocks sudden gunfire, Daken: Dark Wolverine #11
  • Evades close range gunfire, Steve Rogers #12

• Avoiding Other Projectiles

  • Blocks an arrow shot from behind by Hawkeye, Avengers #22
  • Dodges a close range throwing knife after it's thrown, Moon Knight #4
  • Catches a shuriken after it's thrown behind him, Moon Knight #5
  • Blocks an RPG after it's fired, Daken: Dark Wolverine:11
  • Blocks Spider-Man webs after they're fired, Spider-Men II #5

• Combat Specific

  • Easily avoids Iron Man's hits, Taskmaster #1
  • Disarms 2 people and catches their guns midair, Taskmaster #4
  • Quickdraws and kills a group of cops before any of them can fire at him, Taskmaster #4

• Scaling

  • Outdraws Deadpool's own pistol from him, Deadpool #2
  • Miles says Taskmaster is just as fast as he is, Miles Morales: Spider-Man #33

Travel

• Movement

  • A Shield agent claims no one can most that fast after seeing him run, Marvel Comics Present #2

• Agility

  • Leaps over a dozen feet in the air, Avengers Initiative #32

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Skill

General

• Performs a training exercise in 20 seconds when it took John Walker 15 minutes, Captain America #334

• Can fight with his eyes closed, Elektra #7

• Easily breaks into Maria Hill's personal quarters at the Shield HQ, Marvel Comics Present #2

• Uses Cho Hulk's momentum against him and sends him flying into a concrete wall, cratering it, Squirrel Girl #15

Pressure Points

• Strikes a nerve cluster in the neck to cause immediate unconsciousness, Avengers Initiative #3

• Palm strike to the nose to send bone and cartilage fragments into the brain to instantly kill, Taskmaster #4

Marksmanship

• Purposely shoots someone in a way to avoid their vitals, Taskmaster #1

• Throws 2 pens through someone's eyes, Moon Knight #3

• Accurately throws a crossbow into someone's face, Moon Knight #5

• Ricochets his shield off the Achilles' tendon of 3 giants to take them down, Avengers Initiative #3

• Swings like the best baseball players, Bullseye: Perfect Game #2

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Equipment

Weapons

• Sword

  • Pierces Venom, Secret Avengers #30
  • Stabs an LMD, Secret Warriors #6
  • Blocks a hit from Miles Morales, Spider-Men II #2
  • His sword erupts the ground and knocks out Peter and Miles, Spider-Men II #4
  • Cuts a symbiote in half, King in Black: Thunderbolts #1

• Shield

  • Blocks gunfire, Avengers #196
  • Is an exact replica of Captain America's shield except it can decapitate people, Deadpool vs The Punisher #3
  • Cuts off Evil Deadpool's hand off, Mercs for Money #3

• Bow and Arrow

  • Disruptor Arrow stuns Iron Man, Avengers #196
  • Claims the Electro-Shaft arrow would short out Jocasta's defense field, Avengers #196
  • Concussion arrows blows holes through the concrete rooftop, Captain America #44
  • Wide-Band Focused Particle Explosive arrow knocks out The Thing, Deadpool #35
  • Pierces through 3 people, Devil's Reign: Villains for Hire #1
  • Hits Miles with arrows despite his Spider-Sense warning him, Miles Morales: Spider-Man #31
  • Explosive arrows hurts Miles, Miles Morales: Spider-Man #31

• Gun

  • Breaks off a reinforced steel door, Marvel Comics Present #2
  • Knocks out Reed, Civil War #7
  • Knocks out Scorpion, Amazing Spider-Man #13
  • Knocks out the Lizard, Amazing Spider-Man #19 HU
  • Sends the Punisher flying away, Punisher #9

• Energy Construct Generator

  • Captain America's shield, Taskmaster #1
  • Webslinging, Taskmaster #2
  • Shurikens, Spider-Men II #2

• Misc

  • Throws out multiple shurikens, Battle Scars #2
  • His suit shocks Miles Morales, Spider-Men II #2
  • His knife can cut through Miles' web, Miles Morales: Spider-Man #31
  • Has electric gauntlets and a collar that takes away powers, Devil's Reign #2
  • Has Ampere's electric rings and can electrify his sword, King in Black: Thunderbolts #1

Gadgets

• Magnesium Flare

  • Blinds the Avengers, Avengers #196
  • Escapes from Spider-Man and Ant-Man, Marvel Team-Up #102

• Hologram Projector

  • Changes his appearance to a civilian, Taskmaster #1
  • Disguises as a woman, Taskmaster #2
  • Copies the appearance of someone, Taskmaster #2
  • Creates a holographic projection, Taskmaster #3

• Misc

  • Magnetism device turns paperclips into a sword construct and then trap Ant-Man, Ant-Man #3
  • Has knockout gas, Taskmaster #1
  • Magnetic device to wipe computer data, Taskmaster #1
  • Retina copying device, Marvel Comics Present #2
  • Can see through Miles' cloak, Miles Morales: Spider-Man #31
  • Has earplugs and lenses to protect him from a sonic and light attack, Miles Morales: Spider-Man #31

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Notable Fights

Against Random Characters

• Easily defeats a group of cops of FBI officers, Taskmaster #2

• Easily defeats Batroc's and Tarantula's daughters, Agent X #6

• Easily defeats a large group of his former students, Taskmaster #1

• Easily defeats 2 Asgardian warriors, Avengers Initiative #32

Against Named Characters

• Has the upper hand against Hawkeye, Avengers #223

• Has a short fight that gets interrupted with Falcon, Captain America Annual #11

• Defeats Elektra by copying Daredevil, Elektra #7

• Goes even against Daredevil until their fight gets interrupted, Daredevil #293

• Defeats the Cat, Wolverine #167

• Defeats Zaran, Wolverine #167

• Is defeated by Mr. X, Wolverine #168

• Surrenders to Moon Knight despite having the advantage over him due to his spookiness, Moon Knight #6

• Spars against Finesse, Avengers Academy #9

• Has the upper hand against Bucky, Avengers Initiative #34

• Stomps Nick Fury Jr., Battle Scars #1

• Easily defeats Jessica Drew, Spider-Woman Origin #2

• Has the upper hand against Laura until she stabs him with her foot blade, All New Wolverine #3

• He and Black Ant easily defeat Black Cat and she admits she'd have trouble fighting Taskmaster alone, Amazing Spider-Man #16 HU

• Has the upper hand against Venom by using Spider-Man's style and beats him harder once he lights his sword on fire, Secret Avengers #30

• Stalemates against Iron Fist with only one arm, Iron Fist: Heart of the Dragon #1

Against the Avengers

• Has the upper hand until he's taken out by a surprise move from a charging Captain Marvel, Avengers #26

• Easily defeats the Avengers Initiative in a training exercise, Avengers Initiative #9

• Is beating the Avengers but ultimately gets defeated by Squirrel Girl, Unbeatable Squirrel Girl #15

Against Captain America

• Stalemates with Captain America, Captain America #44

• Has a short inconclusive fight, Battle Scars #2

• Has the upper hand against Captain America after poisoning him but loses once Captain America thinks about Sharon, Captain America #4/5

Against Deadpool

• Has the upper hand against Deadpool but eventually loses due to his unpredictability. Deadpool #2

• Has a short fight against Deadpool, but gets knocked out by a sleeping dart from behind while obscured in a sandstorm, Cable/Deadpool #36

• Has the upper hand against Deadpool by using the Punisher's style, Deadpool vs The Punisher #4

• Holds his own against Deadpool and Punisher by using the other's style against the other, Deadpool vs The Punisher #4

• Is beating Deadpool before he stops the fight to let a hobo pass and then defeats Deadpool with help from Bullseye, Despicable Deadpool #298

• Defeats Evil Deadpool, Mercs for Money #3

Against Punisher

• Easily defeats the Punisher using his own style against him, Deadpool vs The Punisher #4

• Holds his own against Deadpool and Punisher by using the other's style against the other, Deadpool vs The Punisher #4

• Has the upper hand against the Punisher but gets hit by a speeding car before he can finish the fight, Punisher #9

Against Spider-Man

• Defeats Spider-Man with a ricocheting baton, Marvel Team-Up #102

• Does well against both Peter and Miles before escaping, Spider-Men II #2

• Him and Black Ant lose to Spider-Man, Amazing Spider-Man #2

• Has the upper hand after studying Spider-Man's moves, Amazing Spider-Man #14

• Has the upper hand against Ben Reily in close range, Devil's Reign #2

[u/HighSlayerRalton]

Nice

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It might be worth putting

His brain forgets non-combat related memories to make up space

before

Fighting alongside people he's forgotten allows him to remember them through muscle memory

to afford greater clarity.

---

By watching videos at double speed, he can replicate it and speedblitz someone who could catch a bullet after it was fired

It's worth noting that this strains him beyond his physical limits; he can't operate at 2× speed for long, or often.

---

Him and Black Ant lose to Spider-Man

'He', not 'him'.

[u/TonyBennett3]

Fantastic Job! My favorite villain! I remember his debut, and like 6 months later Deathstroke popped up in the Teen Titans. George Perez didn't change much! In the '80's when everyone was retconned into being a Mutant, I was surprised he didn't join an X-Team or Magneto at least. He's obviously a Mutant.

[u/cleantoe → u/TonyBennett3]

Wait, so Deadpool is based on Deathstroke who is based on Taskmaster? I guess Marvel came full circle.

[u/Jermz12345]

Nice thread, but I’m pretty sure the Destroyer he copied was a WW2 hero, not Drax

[u/ZeroAssassin72]

He was great til they ret-conned him unnecessarily. There was no need to suddenly need hi to lose memories to store his skills, when that was never a thing before. And originally he was born with it, but now it was due to a serum? All utterly unnecessary, and detracts from a great character. Ruined it a lot for me

[u/MarshalTim]

Very well assembled!

[u/Deadpoolforpres]

Fantastic RT. I kinda hope he gets more respect in WWW given his notable fights and skill

[u/LV__426]

I would probably add a note that he won't copy from Moon Knight who takes too much damage in his fights.

[u/Vampire-Lawyer]

Great RT. Those Spider-Men II issues felt like an entirely different taskmaster.

[u/HappyGabe]

Punching 2 Spider-People out and taking a hit from Luke Cage should be listed as outliers.