Marvel Comics (Earth-616)

Taskmaster

Taskmaster

Tony Masters was born with “photographic reflexes,” granting him the ability to perfectly copy the movements of anything he sees. This comes at the cost of his brain erasing non-combat related memories to store more space for his skills. Initially, he worked as an instructor to supervillain henchmen. After his academy closed, he became a mercenary, taking on high-paying jobs.

Photographic Reflexes

  • Explains his ability. (source) (Avengers #196)
  • Allows him to copy someone’s speed and agility. (source) (Marvel Team-Up #103)
  • Can copy voices and mimics Tony Stark’s voice to access his lab. (source) (Taskmaster #1)
  • Perfectly copies someone’s voice after a short conversation with them. (source) (Taskmaster #2)
  • Has a photographic memory. (source) (Taskmaster #4)
  • Can easily switch from style to style. (source) (Age of Heroes #3)
  • Fighting alongside people he’s forgotten allows him to remember them through muscle memory. (source) (Taskmaster #4)
  • Overwhelms an opponent by using every style in quick succession. (source) (Taskmaster #4)
  • His brain forgets non-combat related memories to make up space. (source) (Avengers Academy #9)
  • Analyzes fighting styles in seconds and counters just as fast. (source) (Captain America #5)
  • Known Style: Angel. (source) (Avengers Academy #9)
  • Known Style: American Avenger. (source) (Avengers Academy #9)
  • Known Style: Black Knight. (source) (Deadpool #2)
  • Known Style: Blazing Skull. (source) (Taskmaster #3)
  • Known Style: Bullseye. (source) (Ant-Man #3)
  • Known Style: Captain America. (source) (Avengers #196)
  • Known Style: Daredevil. (source) (Avengers #196)
  • Known Style: Destroyer. (source) (Taskmaster #3)
  • Known Style: Deadpool. (source) (Deadpool #36)
  • Known Style: Elektra. (source) (Age of Heroes #3)
  • Known Style: Fandral. (source) (Avengers Initiative #33)
  • Known Style: Hawkeye. (source) (Avengers #196)
  • Known Style: Iron Fist. (source) (Avengers #196)
  • Known Style: Liberator. (source) (Taskmaster #4)
  • Known Style: Moon Knight. (source) (Captain America #4)
  • Known Style: Puck. (source) (Alpha Flight #5)
  • Known Style: Punisher. (source) (Deadpool vs The Punisher #4)
  • Known Style: Shang-Chi. (source) (Wolverine #168)
  • Known Style: Silver Samurai. (source) (Taskmaster #4)
  • Known Style: Spider-Man. (source) (Avengers #196)
  • Known Style: Swordsman. (source) (Captain America #5)
  • Known Style: Tigra. (source) (Avengers #223)
  • Known Style: Typhoid Mary. (source) (Avengers Initiative #20)
  • Known Style: Winter Soldier. (source) (Avengers Initiative #34)
  • Known Style: Wolverine. (source) (Agent X #1)
  • Has hours of James Bond and Mission Impossible skills stockpiled. (source) (Taskmaster #1)
  • Moves silently and weightlessly due to copying a ninja. (source) (Taskmaster #1)
  • Is a good cook, golfer, and skier. (source) (Taskmaster #3)
  • Can replicate reference videos at double speed to speedblitz someone who could catch a bullet after it was fired, but this puts heavy strain on his body. (source) (Taskmaster #4)
  • Copies someone’s mastery of chi in 10 minutes when it took them 10 years. (source) (Daredevil #292)
  • Copies a move he sees on TV. (source) (Taskmaster #10)
  • Absorbs and masters an opponent’s technique and immediately counters it. (source) (Taskmaster #2)
  • Copies J’kramak K’ythri, a complex martial art from an alien race that requires a lighter skeleton and unlocks a portion of the brain, but it overwrites his memories. (source) (Taskmaster #4)
  • His skill improves with each sword stroke against Fandral. (source) (Avengers Initiative #33)
  • Identifies and isolates 18 katas of Captain America’s shield skills and teaches it to USAgent. (source) (Captain America #334)
  • Recognizes Falcon used a move from Captain America’s style. (source) (Captain America Annual #11)
  • Identifies how a man is cheating at poker and replicates his move despite it taking years to master. (source) (Taskmaster #1)
  • Deduces Mutant Zero was Typhoid Mary from her fighting style. (source) (Avengers Initiative #20)
  • Deduces Captain America was Bucky from his fighting style. (source) (Avengers Initiative #34)
  • Counters Captain America’s move perfectly and knows Iron Man was going to attack him from behind. (source) (Avengers #196)
  • Anticipates Spider-Man would attack him from behind and uses his momentum against him. (source) (Marvel Team-Up #102)
  • Anticipates Hawkeye would shoot a razor arrow at him. (source) (Avengers #223)

Strength

  • Lifts up concrete rubble. (source) (Secret Avengers)
  • Flips over Iron Man. (source) (Taskmaster #1)
  • Warps the door of a pigeon coop with a punch. (source) (Agent X #4)
  • Cracks a concrete wall by slamming his shield. (source) (Daredevil #318)
  • Slams someone’s head into the ground, cracking it. (source) (Taskmaster #4)
  • Cuts someone’s head off and embeds his sword into concrete in a single slash. (source) (Taskmaster #4)
  • Sends Peter Parker and Miles Morales flying out of a window. (source) (Spider-Men II #2)
  • Busts through a solid wall. (source) (Squirrel Girl #15)
  • One shots Ant-Man and Yellowjacket. (source) (Avengers #195)
  • Throws his shield as hard as Captain America. (source) (Avengers #196)
  • Draws blood from Daken with a shield bash. (source) (Daken: Dark Wolverine #11)
  • Sends Bullseye flying with a punch. (source) (New Avengers #59)
  • Knocks out Black Cat with a shield toss. (source) (Amazing Spider-Man #16 HU)
  • He and Bullseye knock out Deadpool with a punch. (source) (Despicable Deapool #298)
  • Draws blood from Sebastian Shaw with a shield swipe. (source) (Secret Empire United)
  • One shots Karnak. (source) (Secret Warrior)

Durability

  • Is fine after being hit by a speeding car. (source) (Daredevil #293)
  • Is fine after being kicked through a wooden wall by an enraged Spider-Man. (source) (Amazing Spider-Man #308)
  • Survives a close range grenade. (source) (Deadpool #62)
  • Survives Sue cratering him into the ground. (source) (Civil War #7)
  • Takes an explosive that blows a large hole through the ceiling. (source) (Battle Scars #3)
  • Tanks a hit from Sebastian Shaw that sends him flying into a concrete wall, cracking it. (source) (Secret Empire United)
  • Tanks a hit from Quake that busts a large hole through a thick concrete wall. (source) (Secret Warriors #6)
  • Is fine after a beating from Spider-Man. (source) (Amazing Spider-Man #15)
  • Takes a punch from Luke Cage. (source) (New Avengers #63)
  • Is fine after a punch from Flash Thompson Venom sends him flying into a wall. (source) (Secret Avengers #29)
  • Takes a hit from War Punisher. (source) (Punisher #226)
  • Is fine after taking a blunderbuss shot to the chest that sends him flying out of a building. (source) (Moon Knight #5)
  • Tanks sniper fire to the chest. (source) (Battle Scars #3)
  • Tanks a flamethrower canister exploding on him. (source) (Punisher #9)
  • Tanks an electrical attack. (source) (Avengers Intiative #30)
  • Gets up from Jessica Drew’s Venom Sting. (source) (Spider-Woman Origin #2)
  • Is still able to fight after taking Mile’s Venom Blast. (source) (Spider-Men II #5)
  • Is hospitalized but survives Doom’s energy blast, which is described as a plasma wakefield blast, with magic mixed in. (source) (Avengers Initiative #31)

Speed

  • Catches a bullet. (source) (Taskmaster #4)
  • Blocks close range gunfire. (source) (Moon Knight #5)
  • Blocks bullets with a chain. (source) (Thunderbolts #131)
  • Blocks bullets. (source) (Battle Scars #3)
  • Blocks sudden gunfire. (source) (Daken: Dark Wolverine #11)
  • Evades close range gunfire. (source) (Steve Rogers #12)
  • Blocks an arrow shot from behind by Hawkeye. (source) (Avengers #22)
  • Dodges a close range throwing knife after it’s thrown. (source) (Moon Knight #4)
  • Catches a shuriken after it’s thrown behind him. (source) (Moon Knight #5)
  • Blocks an RPG after it’s fired. (source) (Daken: Dark Wolverine:11)
  • Blocks Spider-Man webs after they’re fired. (source) (Spider-Men II #5)
  • Easily avoids Iron Man’s hits. (source) (Taskmaster #1)
  • Disarms 2 people and catches their guns midair. (source) (Taskmaster #4)
  • Quickdraws and kills a group of cops before any of them can fire at him. (source) (Taskmaster #4)
  • Outdraws Deadpool’s own pistol from him. (source) (Deadpool #2)
  • A Shield agent claims no one can move that fast after seeing him run. (source) (Marvel Comics Present #2)
  • Leaps over a dozen feet in the air. (source) (Avengers Initiative #32)

Skill

  • Performs a training exercise in 20 seconds when it took John Walker 15 minutes. (source) (Captain America #334)
  • Can fight with his eyes closed. (source) (Elektra #7)
  • Easily breaks into Maria Hill’s personal quarters at the Shield HQ. (source) (Marvel Comics Present #2)
  • Uses Cho Hulk’s momentum against him and sends him flying into a concrete wall, cratering it. (source) (Squirrel Girl #15)
  • Strikes a nerve cluster in the neck to cause immediate unconsciousness. (source) (Avengers Initiative #3)
  • Palm strike to the nose to send bone and cartilage fragments into the brain to instantly kill. (source) (Taskmaster #4)
  • Purposely shoots someone in a way to avoid their vitals. (source) (Taskmaster #1)
  • Throws 2 pens through someone’s eyes. (source) (Moon Knight #3)
  • Accurately throws a crossbow into someone’s face. (source) (Moon Knight #5)
  • Ricochets his shield off the Achilles’ tendon of 3 giants to take them down. (source) (Avengers Initiative #3)
  • Swings like the best baseball players. (source) (Bullseye: Perfect Game #2)

Equipment

  • Sword pierces Venom. (source) (Secret Avengers #30)
  • Sword stabs an LMD. (source) (Secret Warriors #6)
  • Sword blocks a hit from Miles Morales. (source) (Spider-Men II #2)
  • His sword erupts the ground and knocks out Peter and Miles. (source) (Spider-Men II #4)
  • Shield blocks gunfire. (source) (Avengers #196)
  • Shield is an exact replica of Captain America’s shield except it can decapitate people. (source) (Deadpool vs The Punisher #3)
  • Shield cuts off Evil Deadpool’s hand. (source) (Mercs for Money #3)
  • Disruptor Arrow stuns Iron Man. (source) (Avengers #196)
  • Claims the Electro-Shaft arrow would short out Jocasta’s defense field. (source) (Avengers #196)
  • Concussion arrows blow holes through the concrete rooftop. (source) (Captain America #44)
  • Wide-Band Focused Particle Explosive arrow knocks out The Thing. (source) (Deadpool #35)
  • Gun breaks off a reinforced steel door. (source) (Marvel Comics Present #2)
  • Gun knocks out Reed. (source) (Civil War #7)
  • Gun knocks out Scorpion. (source) (Amazing Spider-Man #13)
  • Gun knocks out the Lizard. (source) (Amazing Spider-Man #19 HU)
  • Gun sends the Punisher flying away. (source) (Punisher #9)
  • Energy Construct Generator creates Captain America’s shield. (source) (Taskmaster #1)
  • Energy Construct Generator creates webslinging. (source) (Taskmaster #2)
  • Energy Construct Generator creates shurikens. (source) (Spider-Men II #2)
  • Throws out multiple shurikens. (source) (Battle Scars #2)
  • His suit shocks Miles Morales. (source) (Spider-Men II #2)
  • Magnesium Flare blinds the Avengers. (source) (Avengers #196)
  • Magnesium Flare helps him escape from Spider-Man and Ant-Man. (source) (Marvel Team-Up #102)
  • Hologram Projector changes his appearance to a civilian. (source) (Taskmaster #1)
  • Hologram Projector disguises him as a woman. (source) (Taskmaster #2)
  • Hologram Projector copies the appearance of someone. (source) (Taskmaster #2)
  • Creates a holographic projection. (source) (Taskmaster #3)
  • Magnetism device turns paperclips into a sword construct and then traps Ant-Man. (source) (Ant-Man #3)
  • Has knockout gas. (source) (Taskmaster #1)
  • Magnetic device to wipe computer data. (source) (Taskmaster #1)
  • Retina copying device. (source) (Marvel Comics Present #2)

Notable Fights

  • Easily defeats a group of cops of FBI officers. (source) (Taskmaster #2)
  • Easily defeats Batroc’s and Tarantula’s daughters. (source) (Agent X #6)
  • Easily defeats a large group of his former students. (source) (Taskmaster #1)
  • Easily defeats 2 Asgardian warriors. (source) (Avengers Initiative #32)
  • Has the upper hand against Hawkeye. (source) (Avengers #223)
  • Has a short fight that gets interrupted with Falcon. (source) (Captain America Annual #11)
  • Defeats Elektra by copying Daredevil. (source) (Elektra #7)
  • Goes even against Daredevil until their fight gets interrupted. (source) (Daredevil #293)
  • Defeats the Cat. (source) (Wolverine #167)
  • Defeats Zaran. (source) (Wolverine #167)
  • Is defeated by Mr. X. (source) (Wolverine #168)
  • Surrenders to Moon Knight despite having the advantage over him due to his spookiness. (source) (Moon Knight #6)
  • Spars against Finesse. (source) (Avengers Academy #9)
  • Has the upper hand against Bucky. (source) (Avengers Initiative #34)
  • Stomps Nick Fury Jr. (source) (Battle Scars #1)
  • Easily defeats Jessica Drew. (source) (Spider-Woman Origin #2)
  • Has the upper hand against Laura until she stabs him with her foot blade. (source) (All New Wolverine #3)
  • He and Black Ant easily defeat Black Cat and she admits she’d have trouble fighting Taskmaster alone. (source) (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. (source) (Secret Avengers #30)
  • Has the upper hand until he’s taken out by a surprise move from a charging Captain Marvel. (source) (Avengers #26)
  • Easily defeats the Avengers Initiative in a training exercise. (source) (Avengers Initiative #9)
  • Is beating the Avengers but ultimately gets defeated by Squirrel Girl. (source) (Unbeatable Squirrel Girl #15)
  • Stalemates with Captain America. (source) (Captain America #44)
  • Has a short inconclusive fight with Captain America. (source) (Battle Scars #2)
  • Has the upper hand against Captain America after poisoning him but loses once Captain America thinks about Sharon. (source) (Captain America #4/5)
  • Has the upper hand against Deadpool but eventually loses due to his unpredictability. (source) (Deadpool #2)
  • Has a short fight against Deadpool, but gets knocked out by a sleeping dart from behind while obscured in a sandstorm. (source) (Cable/Deadpool #36)
  • Has the upper hand against Deadpool by using the Punisher’s style. (source) (Deadpool vs The Punisher #4)
  • Holds his own against Deadpool and Punisher by using the other’s style against the other. (source) (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. (source) (Despicable Deadpool #298)
  • Defeats Evil Deadpool. (source) (Mercs for Money #3)
  • Easily defeats the Punisher using his own style against him. (source) (Deadpool vs The Punisher #4)
  • Holds his own against Deadpool and Punisher by using the other’s style against the other. (source) (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. (source) (Punisher #9)
  • Defeats Spider-Man with a ricocheting baton. (source) (Marvel Team-Up #102)
  • Does well against both Peter and Miles before escaping. (source) (Spider-Men II #2)
  • Him and Black Ant lose to Spider-Man. (source) (Amazing Spider-Man #2)
  • Has the upper hand after studying Spider-Man’s moves. (source) (Amazing Spider-Man #14)
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