Warning! Spoilers ahead for Taskmaster #2 from Jed MacKay and Alessandro Vitti
In the latest issue of Taskmaster from Marvel Comics, Agent Phil Coulson has broken Marvel Comics canon. Not in any major or shocking way, but just enough to create a pretty fun easter egg for Marvel fans and longtime readers. In the new series from Jed MacKay and Alessandro Vitti, Taskmaster is trying to clear his name by helping Nick Fury Jr. find Maria Hill's real killer, despite the fact that the entire spy community believes the villain himself did the crime. Together, Fury Jr. and Taskmaster are trying to look into the last case Hill was investigating, but to do that Taskmaster has to locate three of the most resourceful and capable spies in Marvel Comics, including Agent Coulson. In Taskmaster #2, the mercenary finds Coulson in the one place he can always be counted on to be on a Wednesday: his local comic book store.
In Marvel Comics, Phil Coulson was a massive lover of superheroes, which was a big reason why disenchanted by all superheroes (especially Cap).
However, Coulson is still going to his local comic book store on New Release Wednesday in Taskmaster #2, just like any dedicated comic book reader/collector. However, instead of picking up any comics about his favorite heroes as he would have before his death, Coulson picks up the latest issue of his own team the Squadron Supreme, which seem to be selling quite well according to the shop owner, as well as the solo titles of the team's individual such as Hyperion and Nighthawk. However, if fans look closer at the issue Coulson is purchasing, they can see that the cover art is the same as the actual real-life 1997 Squadron Supreme #1 cover from Marvel Comics.
While this is no doubt a great and fun Easter Egg, it does break Marvel canon somewhat. How can the Marvel Universe carry a Marvel Comics title in existence featuring a real-life cover that would potentially be detailing the Marvel Universe's fictional events within its pages? The answer? It probably doesn't. More than likely the cover art is simply what it's meant to be: an Easter Egg. The contents within are more than likely quite different and fictionalized in relation to the "real-life" exploits of the Squadron in the Marvel Universe.
All things considered, it is pretty interesting that the Squadron comics are selling well to the public of the Marvel Universe. No doubt the comics are part of a PR campaign approved by Coulson himself to generate a more positive perception of his team. However, this isn't necessarily a good thing when it's ed that Mephisto is the one who's really running the show. It seems logical that he and Coulson would want the team to be loved by the public as much as possible, as that will then make their plans for them that much easier to enact once they're ready, whatever those plans and goals may be. In any case, seeing the cover for Squadron Supreme #1 is pretty great, even it does bend or break the Marvel Comics canon a little bit.
