Print Friendly and PDF

Taskmaster cover art

Taskmaster

(1980s version)


Comics Marvel Universe
Power Level: ,
Game system: DC Heroes Role-Playing Game
Role:

Jump to the game stats

Context

Taskmaster is a popular Marvel Comics villain and occasional anti-hero, who can duplicate the most skilled super-heroes’ moves. He also runs an underworld academy, which answered the longstanding question about where super-villains find their henchmen.

This profile is an older one, made before Taskmaster received most of his character development. Since it’s about his early years and he appeared in 1980, you can consider this a Taskmaster-as-seen-during-the-1980s profile.

Advertisement

Background

  • Real Name: Unrevealed.
  • Marital Status: Single.
  • Known Relatives: None.
  • Group Affiliation: Headmaster of the “Crime College”.
  • Base Of Operations: Unrevealed.
  • Height: 6’2” Weight: 220lbs.
  • Eyes: Unrevealed Hair: Unrevealed

Powers and Abilities

Taskmaster possesses the innate ability called “Photographic Reflexes”. It enables him to watch another person’s physical movements and duplicate them without practice, no matter how complex. Once a victim has been studied by the Taskmaster, he has the uncanny ability to anticipate their every movement.

Taskmaster (Marvel Comics) posing on a white background

Among the studied have been:

Taskmaster also makes use of a vast arsenal of replica’s based on his “victims” weaponry, all to great effect.

Advertisement

History

As a child, the Taskmaster amazed his family by being able to mimic whatever he saw other people do, including the rope tricks performed by TV cowboys. Studied by doctors, he was determined to have “Photographic Reflexes”. Among other things, this enabled him to lead his high school football team to victory after he saw a pro quarterback play.

Torn between becoming a hero or a villain after graduation, he opted to go for the big money. He opened a school for criminals, training thugs and then renting them out to various criminal groups.

Personality

After some minor solo criminal exploits, Taskmaster realized he would much rather let others do the fighting. To implement this he opened an ever-moving Crime Academy, so he could train would-be criminals.

Play Taskmaster smart, while far from a coward, his motto seems to be “He who fights and runs away…”

Quotes

“Whatever I can’t duplicate, I can anticipate !”

DC Universe History

After escaping his first fight with the JLA, Taskmaster maintained a low profile in the DCU. He trained various criminal groups’ agents (H.I.V.E., Kobra, etc.) until he was eventually caught. He was offered amnesty in exchange for readying the Suicide Squad for an important mission.

Sharing


Game Stats — DC Heroes RPG

Tell me more about the game stats

Taskmaster

Dex: 10 Str: 04 Bod: 06 Motivation: Mercenary
Int: 08 Wil: 08 Min: 06 Occupation: Professional Criminal
Inf: 08 Aur: 06 Spi: 06 Wealth: 010
Init: 030 HP: 100

Powers:
Adaptation: 12, Danger Sense: 12, Recall: 12, Weakness Detection: 12

Skills:
Acrobatics: 12, Animal Handling (Riding): 08, Artist (Actor, Dancer): 08, Charisma: 08, Martial Artist: 11, Military Science (Camouflage, Demolition, Field Command): 08, Thief: 10, Vehicles: 10, Weaponry (Missile Weapons, Shield): 12, Weaponry (Firearms): 11, Weaponry (Exotic Weapons, Heavy Weapons, Melee Weapons): 10

Bonuses and Limitations:

  • All Powers are Elementally Linked.
  • Adaptation can only Target Physical Skills. Skill must be visually seen in action to be Adapted. Adaptation can Adapt any number of Skills but no Skill can be higher APs of Adaptation.
  • Danger Sense RAPs are added to next Initiative, Danger Sense is an Automatic Action, and can only be used against victims of his Adaptation.
  • Recall is Only for Physical Movements or Techniques.
  • Weakness Detection Can only target the OV of Characters that have been victims of his Adaptation.
  • All Physical Skills are Powered Skills and Contingent on Adaptation.

Advantages:
Ambidextrous, Headquarters: Expansive, Leadership, Lightning Reflexes, Luck, Omni-Scholar [Physical Scholars Only].

Connections:
Criminal Underworld (High), Government (Low).

Equipment:

  • COSTUME [BODY 08, Cold Immunity: 02, Flame Immunity: 02, Sealed Systems: 06, Shade: 06, Skin Armor: 02, Limitation : Skin armor can only be used against edged weapons].
  • MEDIUM SHIELD [BODY (Hardened Defenses) 05, Enhance (EV): 01 (cap is 04), Recommended STR 02, Descriptor: Bludgeon, Note: OV/RV bonus when using the Block Manoeuvre is 2 APs, Note: the OV bonus for the Shield Cover Manoeuvre is 2 APs].
  • Sword [BODY 045 Enhance (EV): 02 (cap is 06), Descriptor: Slashing, piercing].
  • Billy Club [BODY 04, Enhance (EV): 01 (cap is 04), Descriptor: Blunt]. The club can be used as a stick, a staff, or nunchaku].
  • .45 Pistol [BODY 03, Projectile weapon: 04 Ammo: 07, R#: 3. Often carries modified ammo such as comic books Explosive (EV: 06), Rubber (Bashing Damage), and Tranquilizer (Poison Touch: 06, Bashing Damage)].
  • Longbow [BODY 03, Enhance (EV): 01 (cap is 04), Enhance (Range): 03 (cap is 06), Ammo: 01, Recommended STR: 03, R#02, Limitation: Low Penetration, Descriptor: Piercing] and Quiver [BODY 03, Note: the Quiver has room for 36 arrows].
  • 10 AP AC Omni-Gadget (x1).

Standard Arrows include:

  • Normal Arrows (x12) [BODY 01, EV 03, Note: both Hunting and Blunt exists].
  • Acid Arrow [BODY 01, Acid: 08, R#2].
  • Bola Arrow [BODY 01, EV 03, Snare: 06, Bonus: User adds 2 to final Dice Roll when entangling target, R#2].
  • Boomerang Arrow [BODY 01, Gliding: 04, Note: excellent for performing Trick-shots with, R#2].
  • Cable Arrow [BODY 04, STR 08, Gliding: 04, Range 4 APs Line, R#2].
  • Electro-Arrow [BODY 01, Lightning (No Range): 08, R#2].
  • Explosive-Tip Arrow [BODY 01, Bomb: 08, R#2].
  • Flare Arrow [BODY 01, Flash: 08, R#2].
  • Long Distance Arrows (x6) [BODY 01, EV 03, Bonus: Effective Range is at +1 AP for these arrows].
  • Putty Arrow [BODY 01, Glue: 07, R#2], Net Arrow [BODY 01, Snare: 07, R#2].
  • Rocket Arrow [BODY 01, Flight: 04, Bomb: 09, R#2].
  • Smoke Bomb Arrow [BODY 01, Fog: 08, R#2].
  • Screamer Arrow [BODY 01, Gliding: 04, Sonic beam: 08, Bonus: Area Effect, R#2].
  • Suction-Tip Arrow [BODY 04, Cling: 06, Thief (Stealth): 04, Gliding: 04, Range 3 APs Line, R#2].
  • Tear Gas Arrow [BODY 01, Fog: 08, Sensory Block: 06, R#2].

Grenades include:

  • Concussive [BODY 01, Super Breath: 05, Grenade Drawback, R#3].
  • Explosive [BODY 01, Bomb: 08, Grenade Drawback, R#3].
  • Fragmentation [BODY 01, Bomb: 05, Claws: 05, Grenade Drawback, R#3].
  • Flash/Bang [BODY 01, Flash: 10, Sensory Block (hearing): 08, Grenade Drawback, R#3].
  • Smoke [BODY 01, Fog: 08, Grenade Drawback, R#3].
  • Tear Gas [BODY 01, Chemical Attack: 08, Grenade Drawback, R#3].

Design Notes

See the Echo/Ronin profile for a more modern technical approach of photographic reflexes.

By Jackson.

Source of Character: Marvel Universe.

Follow us