Thunderbolts: Who Is Taskmaster In Marvel Comics And What Are His Powers?

Marvel has finally dropped the much-awaited official trailer for Thunderbolts, and fans have been in awe since then. We witnessed the potent group of anti-heroes getting ready for a new mission with a lot of tension brewing between them. It was amazing seeing the characters like Yelena on screen, but everyone was surprised to see Taskmaster being a part of the group. If you’re wondering who this character is, we’ve got you covered here. Let’s see who is Taskmaster in Marvel and what are her powers.

Who Is Taskmaster in MCU?

Antonia Dreykov aka Taskmaster is the daughter of the head of the Red Room, General Dreykov. Her father never pressured her into joining the Red Room. However, Antonia was left with a disfigured face and an almost dead brain due to an explosion caused by the Black Widow and Hawkeye. After that, Dreykov gave her a new life by inserting a chip into her body. Now that Antonia has an alien device in her body, she becomes a puppet for her father, who controls her as he pleases.

Dreykov soon realizes that the chip has also given his daughter the ability to mimic almost anyone in this universe. So, he decides to keep her in the Red Room and train her in the Soviet training facility. Antonia trains for several years and emerges as the finest assassin of the Red Room. Disgusted by the burnt scars on her face, Dreykov gives her a hooded suit and names her Taskmaster. Dreykov also makes her the leader of the Black Widows and sends her on missions with a high level of challenges.

Besides the training she received in the Soviet facility, she often watched the fighting styles of the Avengers and would often try to mimic their moves during the missions. This is also seen in the movie Black Widow, where the villain closely observes Black Widow and surprises the Avenger by copying her moves with 100% accuracy.

After Black Widow joins the Avengers and leaves her fellow sisters behind, Yelena takes it upon herself to steal the Red Dust and free other Black Widows. Red Dust is a substance that frees people from mind control, so it was Yelena’s attempt to let her sisters make their own decisions and not be a puppet to Dreykov. Regardless, Dreykov sends his daughter, Taskmaster, to track Yelena and reacquire Red Dust before getting killed by Romanoff.

Taskmaster continues her mission even after her father’s death and the destruction of the Red Room. However, this mission pits Taskmaster against Black Widow. After a long fight, Black Widow defeats Taskmaster, and the girl gets exposed to the Red Dust, which, as expected, frees her from Dreykov’s mind control.

Who Is Taskmaster in Marvel Comics?

Unlike in the MCU, Marvel comics see Taskmaster as a man named Anthony ‘Tony’ Masters, who desired to become a criminal since childhood. At a very young age, he realized that he had a very unique ability to copy everything his eyes could see. For instance, he could imitate a cowboy’s rope tricks or a soccer player’s trickiest moves. He later finds out that he has photographic reflexes that could help him become a superhero or a villain. However, he chose to become a villain because that seemed more profitable.

Anthony started spending several hours in front of the television watching clips of superhero fights to hone his combating skills. Over the years, he learned the fighting techniques of several villains and superheroes, including Moon Knight, Thor, Wolverine, Spider-Man, and more. Anthony also pursued training in Swordsmanship, Martial Arts, Wrestling, Boxing, and Archery.

The Taskmaster used a unique gadget called an Image Inducer, which allowed him to project himself as a civilian using a hologram. This allowed him to blend in with the crowd without revealing his true identity. He also injected himself with a cheap replica of the Super Soldier Serum, which eventually damaged his memory.

Apart from proving himself as the most potent career criminal, Taskmaster also trained the aspiring villains. In contrast to how Taskmaster was portrayed in the MCU, the character in the Marvel comics became a villain by his own choice.

Who Is Playing Taskmaster in Thunderbolts?

Olga Kurylenko is playing the role of Taskmaster in Marvel’s Thunderbolts. She is a Ukrainian-French actress and model. Olga is known for her role as Camille in James Bond movies including Quantum of Solace and Casino Royale. This is the first time that Olga Kurylenko is making her debut in Marvel movies.