Warning: minor spoilers for Taskmaster #5!
As any MCU fan knows, murder of former SHIELD head Maria Hill.
The Taskmaster miniseries - from Jed MacKay and Alessandro Vitti - has seen Tony Masters, aka the super-villain Taskmaster, taking on some of Marvel Comics' heaviest hitters, using his photographic memory to absorb the information he needs to prove he's not behind the murder. But all the while, Taskmaster has been tracked by a vengeful Black Widow - the one hero he fears, and someone he's worried is forcing him to play right into the real killer's endgame.
Now, a Marvel Comics preview of Taskmaster #5 shared by Superman stand-in antihero Hyperion - and surviving with a mix of Batman-like forward planning and the fact that absolutely everyone seems to underestimate his abilities. Sadly for him, Black Widow isn't making that mistake, and everyone involved in this tale of espionage has made it clear that when Natasha wants you dead, it's only a matter of time.
The preview shows Black Widow leveraging a single moment of inattention on Taskmaster's part, wrecking his ride - and incapacitating unlikely ally Nick Fury Jr. - just as he's on his way to reveal the truth of Maria's death. Judging her explosives perfectly for the decommissioned SHIELD vehicle Fury was driving, the scene makes it clear that, had Taskmaster been traveling alone, he'd already be dead. It's only thanks to Natasha's concern for Fury - and a handy ejector seat - that Taskmaster gets another chance to survive.
Natasha chases Taskmaster into some nearby woodland, and the race is on not for him to defeat the black-ops Avenger, but for him to find the information that will call her off. Told from the point of view of a villain, Taskmaster has pulled off the surprising trick of showing what it would be like to be pursued by an indefatigable hero. Compared to the MCU - where the heroes are generally the ones fighting against impossible odds to survive the attentions of mysterious villains - it's refreshing to see Black Widow fulfill her potential as the one Avenger you never want to cross. Taskmaster #5 will be available from comic retailers March 24.
Source: Comic Watch
