Despite the presence of some insanely skilled hand-to-hand combatants in the Marvel Universe, there’s one character who stands out for an entirely different reason. Yes, the Taskmaster! Taskmaster’s ability to mimic and retain the moves of his opponent makes him a deadly foe. In just a few seconds, Taskmaster can understand his opponent’s entire repertoire of moves which gives him an undue upper hand. In recent times, Taskmaster has enhanced this ability by using SS-Hauptsturmführer serum. Despite this ability, the Taskmaster has been defeated by Deadpool and Moon Knight in hand-to-hand combat.
Taskmaster has been confirmed to make his appearance in the upcoming Black Widow movie. His abilities make him a lethal assassin in the Marvel Universe. But, how far would he fare against the best martial arts specialists of DC Universe? Let’s find out!
5. Win Against- Green Arrow
Oliver Queen is undoubtedly one of the top hand-to-hand combatants in the DC Universe. His archery skills are even superior to his melee combat, making him arguably the best marksman among all heroes and assassins.
Yet, this is not enough to defeat Taskmaster. In the Marvel Universe, Taskmaster has fought against Hawkeye and has mastered all his moves. Considering that Hawkeye and Green Arrow are on the same level of skillset, this round goes to Taskmaster.
5. Lose To- Damian Wayne
The son of the Dark Knight and the Daughter of the Demon, Damian Wayne is a force to be reckoned with. Trained since the age of 4 under the tutelage of Ra’s Al Ghul himself, Damian is a prodigy with exceptional talents.
Despite his abilities, he is often underestimated for his young age and short stature. His years of training under Ra’s Al Ghul, resilience, and mental fortitude which he built under Batman gives him an upper hand against Taskmaster. Let’s not forget Damian is one of the few characters who has defeated Nightwing. His viciousness and bloodlust make him the most dangerous Robin till date.
4. Win Against- Jason Todd
As Robin, Jason Todd is trained in a variety of martial arts. From Aikido to Ninjutsu, Jason Todd has mastered many of the techniques under the tutelage of Batman. He is also an expert marksman which makes him even more lethal.
Despite his training and skills, Jason Todd might have a hard time against Taskmaster. Of all the Robins, Jason is the most emotional one which can easily give Taskmaster an opening. Unlike Damian, Jason’s mental fortitude can be broken down by Taskmaster with his surprise attacks.
4. Lose To- Cassandra Cain
The daughter of two greatest assassins of DC Universe, Cassandra Cain was born to David Cain and Lady Shiva. Taught from a very young age to be a lethal assassin, Cassandra Cain simply outclasses Taskmaster in every field.
Her peak physical conditioning paired with a near-superhuman level of mental cognition makes one of the finest hand-to-hand combatants. Her training to recognize the slightest change is breathing, muscle movement and centre of gravity is almost a form of pre-recognition which helps her in predicting her opponent’s next move. Being trained by Batman, Lady Shiva, and Bronze Tiger, her mental resilience and resistance towards pain are almost legendary. Taskmaster’s mimicking ability won’t help him much as Cassandra can simply predict the moves and improvise on the go.
3. Win Against- Wildcat
An unparalleled boxer, Wildcat has trained the likes of Batman and Black Canary. His agility, strength, and lethal punches put him in the top echelon of martial artists.
Yet, it might not be enough to take down a master assassin like Taskmaster. Despite being a legendary boxer, Wildcat has mastered only a few forms of martial arts which puts him at a disadvantage against Taskmaster who has mastered and retained over a hundred forms of fighting techniques.
3. Lose To- Lady Shiva
A martial arts grandmaster, Lady Shiva is arguably the most proficient martial artists in the DC Universe. Her status is legendary as the Dark Knight himself has said that she is the best fighter on the planet.
Her ability to read her opponent’s move well in advance always gives her an upper hand. A lethal fighter, she does not hold back in her fights. It would be lucky if Taskmaster can come out alive out of this fight. Having single-handedly fought the League of Shadows and Ra’s Al Ghul, her Leopard Blow can instantly kill a person.
2. Win Against- Catwoman
A master burglar and romantic interest of Batman, Catwoman can hold her ground against some of the best fighters in DC.
Despite being a peak gymnast and an efficient fighter, her fighting repertoire is limited which gives the Taskmaster an advantage. As the Taskmaster can easily mimic her fighting style, she does not stand a chance to win against him. The Taskmaster is also physically superior and his years of retained fighting styles of Captain America, Iron Fist, and Shang-Chi will simply outclass Selina’s style.
2. Lose To- Nightwing
The true successor of Batman, Nightwing‘s amiable personality has fooled many a proficient warrior. The protector of Bludhaven, Nightwing’s agility is truly on another level.
An accomplished acrobat and an aerialist, Nightwing relies more on stealth rather than brute strength. A master tactician, he is almost on par with Batman when it comes to gaining an upper hand even against insurmountable odds. Having stood his ground against Deathstroke and Ra’s Al Ghul, Nightwing can easily outclass Taskmaster.
1. Win Against- Black Canary
Black Canary has a unique fighting style owing to her learnings under Wonder Woman, Lady Shiva, and Wildcat. Yet, she might have a hard time against Taskmaster.
Apart from mimicking her techniques, Taskmaster also carries a variety of weapons which can neutralize her quite easily. A few minutes into the fight, the Taskmaster can render her useless by predicting all her moves. Her last chance to win would be the Canary Cry but it would be too late by then.
1. Lose To- Batman
The most dangerous man on the planet, Batman is not someone Taskmaster should engage in the first place. A master of 127 martial arts, the Dark Knight is also a legendary marksman as stated by Deathstroke.
Trained under Ra’s Al Ghul and Lady Shiva, Batman has defeated both of them on different occasions. Having the strongest of wills and the second most intelligent person on the planet, it’s game over for Taskmaster. Let’s not even delve into his utility belt or his gadgets which has rendered gods powerless.
Notable characters who can defeat Taskmaster:
Bronze Tiger, Ra’s Al Ghul, Deathstroke, Richard Dragon, Connor Hawke, and Karate Kid can defeat him without even unleashing their full potential. Better luck next time, Taskmaster!
