Taskmaster
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Template:Superherobox Taskmaster is a fictional character, a supervillain in the Marvel Universe.
Character biography
The man who would become the Taskmaster first demonstrated unusual abilities during childhood. After watching a cowboy show on television, he found himself able to duplicate the sophisticated rope tricks he had just watched the cowboy perform. Psychiatrists, called in at the mother's request, termed the boy's rare ablility "Photographic Reflexes". He would later learn the hard way that before you learn how to dive you must first learn how to swim as he nearly drowned. He employed his talent several times during his youth for professional gain, most notably when he became a star quarterback of his high school football team after watching one pro football game. Upon graduation, he briefly considered a career as a crimefighter, but opted for becoming a criminal, which he perceived to be more lucrative.
Taskmaster then began a program of observing the fighting techniques of a large number of superhumanly powered adventurers through archival television news broadcasts. He initially used his fighting skills to execute several successful grand larcenies, but he had not properly anticipated the dangers involved. He decided to use his stolen capital to establish a center for training aspiring criminals to become polished professionals. His goal was to become a supplier for criminal orginaizations around the world. Designing a costume, he took the name Taskmaster and began to train a large number of thugs.
After battling the Avengers, the Taskmaster would eventually be captured by federal agents and imprisoned. Douglas Rockwell of the Commision on Superhuman Activities made an agreement with the Taskmaster to train John Walker to become the new Captain America in exchange for a reduction in his sentence. Douglas Rockwell was actually an agent for the Red Skull within the Commision. After Walker's training was completed, the Skull arranged for Taskmaster to escape from prison in order to continue training other agents for the Red Skull.
The Taskmaster continued to train numerous villains and thugs until the Avengers begain to search out and shut down his academies across the United States. Taskmaster expanded his profession and became a mercenary in order to make up for the loss of profit while still continuing his training at various academies. This led Taskmaster to join Agency X in missions from time to time.
Powers and abilities
Taskmaster possesses the ability to to duplicate any physical action he has seen as long as it is within his physical limititations as a normal, if very fit, human being.
He also has a photographic memory.
External links
- TaskmasterSite.Com (fan page) (http://www.taskmastersite.com/)