Meet Taskmaster, The Skull-Faced Master Combatant Coming To The MCU

At 2019’s Comic-Con International in San Diego, the first footage of 2020’s Black Widow was revealed to the world. It included a look at the film’s primary antagonist, Taskmaster, which left comic book fans thrilled and everyone else wondering “Who is Taskmaster?” The supervillain known as Taskmaster is one of Marvel Comics’ greatest fighters, but there are few who would put “Tasky” and The Avengers at the same level of prominence. The Marvel Cinematic Universe has a habit of elevating lesser-known characters to new heights of popularity, and that seems inevitable for Tony Masters – an individual who was perhaps previously best recognized for the excellent Marvel Legends Taskmaster action figure currently on the market. Long-time readers of Marvel Comics, however, know that Taskmaster is far more than just a generic baddie with a sword and shield – he’s one of the best hand-to-hand combatants in all of comic books and has one of the most unique power sets to boot. Photo: Marvel Comics Tony Masters was born with the innate ability of “photographic reflexes,” though there’s never been any indication that he’s a mutant. While still a young boy, Masters discovers that his power allows him to replicate the movements of anyone he observes in motion, meaning he can learn to ball like a pro just by watching basketball on TV and can learn to dive like an Olympian just by hanging out at the pool. In a world full of superheroes and other individuals with marvelous abilities, Masters’s photographic reflexes have potential – though he doesn’t realize their full implications until he reaches adulthood. His powers are what eventually lead him to become the villain known as Taskmaster, but not before a brief period in which he attempts to use his gifts for the greater good. The […]

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