Taskmaster (character)

For other uses, see Taskmaster.
Taskmaster
Taskmaster on the cover of The Avengers #196 (June 1980).
Art by George Pérez.
Publication information
PublisherMarvel Comics
First appearanceThe Avengers #195 (May 1980)[1]
Created by
In-story information
Alter egoAnthony "Tony" Masters
SpeciesHuman mutate
Team affiliations
Notable aliases
  • Tasky
  • Contingency T
Abilities
  • Master assassin and tactician
  • Master martial artist and hand-to-hand combatant
  • Expert swordsman, marksman and archer
  • Photographic reflexes

Taskmaster (Anthony "Tony" Masters)[2] is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer David Michelinie and artist George Pérez, the character made his debut in The Avengers #195 (May 1980).[3] Possessing photographic reflexes that allow him to mimic any fighting style at the cost of his long and short-term memory, he has served as an adversary of Marvel Universe superheroes such as Captain America, Ant-Man, and Spider-Man. He is usually depicted as a mercenary hired by criminal organizations to act as a training instructor.[4] He is the biological father of Finesse.

The character has been adapted from the comics into various forms of media, including several animated television series and video games. A female version of Taskmaster named Antonia Dreykov appears in the Marvel Cinematic Universe film Black Widow (2021), portrayed by Olga Kurylenko. Kurylenko will reprise the role in the upcoming film Thunderbolts* (2025).

  1. ^ Misiroglu, Gina Renée; Eury, Michael (2006). The Supervillain Book: The Evil Side of Comics and Hollywood. Visible Ink Press. ISBN 9780780809772.
  2. ^ Taskmaster vol. 2 #3. Marvel Comics.
  3. ^ DeFalco, Tom; Sanderson, Peter; Brevoort, Tom; Teitelbaum, Michael; Wallace, Daniel; Darling, Andrew; Forbeck, Matt; Cowsill, Alan; Bray, Adam (2019). The Marvel Encyclopedia. DK Publishing. p. 370. ISBN 978-1-4654-7890-0.
  4. ^ Rovin, Jeff (1987). The Encyclopedia of Super-Villains. New York: Facts on File. pp. 336–337. ISBN 0-8160-1356-X.[1]