Taskmaster - Redemption Road Revisited - Ray Wonsowski

Ok, I have to apologize here, since this is an odd continuation - I humbly ask for your indulgence....

Way back in March, when I was sending tryout scripts during the Avengers months, I sent this one for Hawkeye.  It's an idea that I've been bopping about for almost 2 years now, that I've called Redemption Road (skip ahead if you read it already or just want to get to the Taskmaster part...):

The Premise: Electro finds out he has a daughter, and when he gets out of prison, he really tries to go straight after his baby girl's mom dies. Desperate, he goes back to his old ways and gets caught by Spider-Man and Hawkeye during an armoured car heist. Hawkeye secures him, and instead of calling the authorities, offers to make Electro an Avenger.  Spidey and Hawkeye are now standing on a roof for some privacy. Electro is bound and sitting.

Panel 1:
SPIDEY (incredulous): What?!?
HAWKEYE: I'm serious, Max. Position's yours if you want it. We could always use someone with your firepower...

Panel 2:
SPIDEY (pleading with Hawkeye): Dude! Do you know how many rounds I've gone with this jamoke?!? He's a career criminal!
HAWKEYE: So was I.

Panel 3: Hawkeye squatting down on his toes, so that he's eye to eye with Electro.
HAWKEYE: I was a two-bit thief with a third rate gimmick who thought he could go toe-to-toe with Iron Man. I was an idiot.
HAWKEYE: And then one day, when him and Thor and Ant-or-Giant-Man all cut and run, Captain America came to me and asked me to save the world.
HAWKEYE: Me, and Magneto's kids.

Panel 4: Electro's face - he looks torn.
HAWKEYE: You think about that for a sec. The trust, the faith that took. To look at an Olympic-sized failure and two budding terrorists, and ask them to be better.
HAWKEYE: You think of the fecal matter I had to swallow from the press, from old punk buddies, from my probation officer, until I had proved myself not just as a hero, but an Avenger. Big Time.
HAWKEYE: Think about your daughter. Do you want to see her taken by Social Services, visiting you from the other side of a plexiglass window? Or do you want to be a real father?

Panel 5: Hawkeye leans in on Electro closer. Electro is beginning to break.
HAWKEYE: You remember when you realized your mom didn't want you, when she left you, first from the heart, then the room. I went through that same thing. Your baby's an innocent. It's your responsibility to protect her.

Panel 6: Hawkeye from Electro's POV, towering over him.
HAWKEYE: That's what we do. We protect the innocent. If we can't, we avenge them.
HAWKEYE: I believe in you, Max. Like Cap believed in me.
HAWKEYE: Except I don't want you to prove you're a hero. I want you to prove to me you're a man.

So, here we are an issue later. Electro (Max Dillon) has turned down the Avengers gig (for now), and has decided to be a metahuman "skip tracer": when a supervillain goes fugitive and misses their court date, Dillon goes after them, bounty-hunting. Picture a cross between Dog and deNiro in "Midnight Run". After his first trace goes really, REALLY wrong, he goes to get professional help from Hawkeye, who sends him...THE TASKMASTER.



Panel 1: TASKMASTER and MAX (Electro) sitting in Max's apartment. It's run-down and humble, with the Clinton (Hell's Kitchen) skyline in the window. They are sitting at a folding card table in plastic patio chairs. The floor is matte black. Between them are two chipped mugs of coffee, a pile of restaurant sugar and creamer packets, a dishtowel, and a jar of Nescafe instant coffee. A pot of boiled water sits steaming on a hotplate. There is also a folding playpen set up behind MAX. TASKMASTER is in full costume. MAX is barefoot, in blue jeans, and wearing a dark green bowling shirt with two wide yellow stripes down the front (reminiscent of his old costume). His head is shaved, and has the scars on his face that he got in "the Gauntlet" storyline:

He also has his baby daughter, TESS, cradled in his left arm, feeding her a bottle of formula with his right.  His body language should be self-conscious and uncomfortable, but more assured in what he's doing with his baby.  The baby's hands should touch Max's hands, not the bottle.
TASKMASTER has a manila file of photographs in front of him, with a USB stick drive on top of it.  He is resting his coffee cup on the table, gesturing to the file and drive.

TASKMASTER:  ...so after talking with Barton and your attorney, Mr. Murdock, I went over your material.  You are quite possibly, Max, potentially as powerful as Magneto.  You pack a tremendous amount of power...

MAX:  Thanks.

Panel 2 - Same as Panel 1, except TASKMASTER leans back on the chair's back legs, pointing a gloved hand at MAX.

TASKMASTER:  You're also absolute crap in a fight.  Spider-Man has, more often than not, knocked you out in one punch.  You've got a glass jaw.

TASKMASTER:  Daredevil has also put you down quick.  In groups like the Sinister Six, you're likely the first to be getting the ten-count.

Panel 3 - Same as above, but MAX is looking down at TESS, who is pushing the bottle out of her mouth.  MAX is trying not to look ashamed.

TASKMASTER:  PowerPack beat you up once.  And your weakness is water.

TASKMASTER:  Water, Mr. Dillon.

Panel 4 - Same as above, but MAX is putting the baby bottle on the table as TASKMASTER passes him the dishtowel, his skull mask looks like it's smiling good-naturedly.

MAX:  ...er, yeah, well...

TASKMASTER:  Oh, no, no - please!  Believe me, I've trained worse.  You should see some of the lulus Hydra sends me.

TASKMASTER:  All things being equal, I think we can...

Panel 5 - Same as above, but MAX is putting the towel over his left shoulder while propping TESS up a little bit.  TASKMASTER is putting the stick drive in one of his pouches, while he opens the file.

MAX:  What are you thinking, fighting styles?  Kung-fu?  Boxing?

TASKMASTER:  Actually, I'm thinking the opposite.  I'm gonna teach you to fight dirty.

TASKMASTER:  I'm talking schoolyard dirty.  Eye-poking, ear-clapping, kick'em-in-the-yarbles dirty.  Three Stooges on a bender dirty.

Panel 6 - Same as above, but MAX is patting TESS's back, trying to burp her.  TASKMASTER's arms are wide in a gesture of explanation, as he leans further back on the rear chair legs.

MAX:  I dunno, man.  I mean my rep is low enough, do I wanna add "girly-slap" to my resumé?

TASKMASTER:  Look, you got a dangerous felon to bounty out.  That's not a criminal to you, or a wanted man.  That's your paycheck on its feet.  College tuition on two legs.

TASKMASTER:  Don't worry about trying to look all John Woo.  You need fast takedown, and stay-down, so you can get power-dampeners and cuffs on.  Before he finds a garden hose.

Panel 7 - Same as above, but...TESS burps, causing her to discharge a fair amount of electricity around her.  A lot of it feeds into MAX, who looks completely unfazed, but some knocks TASKMASTER off his chair, and his hood off his head.

TESS:  *bra-a-ap*

SFX:  KZZA-AKK!

Panel 8 - TASKMASTER is on the floor, eyes wide, his chair is skidded into the corner, and he is looking at, and running his hand over, the floor.  MAX is smiling/smirking crookedly at TESS as he cleans her mouth with the towel.  She is giggling.

MAX:  (to TESS) ...and that's why we don't go to children's birthday parties.

TASKMASTER:  I was wondering about the rubber flooring.

MAX:  (to TESS)  Papa's little joy-buzzer...

TESS:  *grggl*

...to be continued...

Taskmaster, Cut Faster - Niel Jacoby

To artist: go with what you think makes the best layout.

Panel 1: Taskmaster, Mysterio, El Toro Rojo, and Silencer are sitting at a table in the middle of a crowded Bar With No Name. A bottle of Bucky Beer is in Taskmaster's hand, and El Toro Rojo has a large bottle of Grey Goose. The bar is emphatically not bumpin', and absolutely cannot be said to be thumpin'. Mysterio is clearly nudging Taskmaster, and Silencer is leaning towards Taskmaster.

El Toro Rojo: MAAAAAAAN, THIS BAR IS LAME.

Mysterio: IF ONLY SOMEONE WERE AROUND TO LIVEN UP THE PROCEEDINGS.

Silencer: ...

Inset panel: Taskmaster looks like he's pretending to be very put upon to be asked, but still begrudgingly aquiescing. Maybe he's rolling his eyes.

Taskmaster: ALRIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIGHT. I GUEEEEEEEEEEEEESS I'LL TRY SOME STUFF.

Panel 2: Taskmaster is walking across a stage, his progress shown by ghosted images of Spider-man and himself alternating He has a mic and is clearly drunk, but not crazy so. The one connected to the third balloon should be looking directly at the viewpoint.

Taskmaster: OOH, LOOK AT ME I'M SPIDER-MAN, I THINK I'M SO FUNNY. HEY PASTE-BOY, EASY ON THE WHITE STUFF, THIS SUIT'S TAILORED! OH MAN, LOOK AT ME SWING AROUND AND PUNCH FURRIES, I'M SO RAD.

Taskmaster: ON THE SIDE I GET SOME FROM A SEXY CAT BURGLAR AND I STILL WHINE ABOUT HOW I CAN'T GET PLAY, MAYBE BECAUSE I SOLD THE DEVIL MY MARRAIGE TO MY HOT WIFE SO MY OLD-ASS GRANDMOTHER WOULDN'T DIE OF A FRIGGIN' GUNSHOT WOUND.

Taskmaster(this is the one where he's looking at the viewpoint): YEAH, I SAID IT. WHATCHA GONNA DO, DORK-BOY?

Taskmaster: YOU KNOW HOW MANY TIMES I'VE BEEN GUNSHOT WOUNDED? I DON'T, BECAUSE I GET GUNSHOT WOUNDED ALL THE DAMN TIME! IT'S ALMOST PART OF MY BALANCED BREAKFAST AT THIS POINT.

Panel 3: Taskmaster is doing one-handed vertical pushups while beer-bonging. An image of Captain America is ghosted clearly next to him to show who he's taking the skills from. The supervillains in the bar look on.

Many of the supervillains in the crowd: CHUG! CHUG! CHUG! CHUG!

Panel 4: Taskmaster is cutting it up on the wheels of steel, and is fully domed on the sauce by this point, bubbles, swaying, and all. At least 2 DJs are ghosted with him. The crowd is hyped and Mysterio has a mic and has opened his fishbowl as a fog machine

SFX: DEEJAYING NOISES(not what I actually want in there, maybe some music notes and scritchy-scratch noises, go with what you go with)

Mysterio:
YEAH YEAH YEAH!
AND YOU DON'T STOP!
TASKMASTER, HE DON'T STOP!
HE PROBABLY WON'T STOP!
I'D LIKE TO KNOW IF HE CAN STOP!
HE GOES ON!

Crowd: WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

Mysterio: LIKE A MARATHON!

Taskmaster - To Do List - J.D. Coughlan

Panel 1: Close-up of a to do list. On the list is:

HOMEWORK
BUY MOM BIRTHDAY PRESENT
DISHES
GET A GIRLFRIEND
CLEAN ROOM
DEFEAT MORTAL KOMBAT

CAPTION: Many years ago...

Panel 2: A young Tony Masters clutches the list in one hand, his other hand raised over his head in exasperation.

TONY: Gah! These chores -- these tasks -- they're such a burden!

TONY: They, more than anything, are what's holding me back from achieving greatness!

Panel 3: Tony crumples the list. There is an intense look of determination on his face now.

TONY: Well, no more!

Panel 4: Large, taking up most of the page. Tony in a dramatic pose, fist in the air.

TONY: As God as my witness, I vow to master every task!!!

Inset: The present Taskmaster sits with a beer across a table from Batroc the Leaper. Taskmaster is leaning back casually, Batroc looks skeptical.

TASKMASTER: Yeah, so, anyway, that's my origin story, or whatever.

END OF PAGE

Taskmaster – Vault – Shaun Richens

PAGE ONE

SPLASH PAGE.

1. TASKMASTER in this costume, stands in the centre of a bank vault. At his feet, unzipped and over flowing with cash are two duffle bags. His hands are raised in the air, his two pistols thrown to the floor. Standing in the foreground and doorway to the bank vault are a SWAT team in full gear, their guns trained on TASKMASTER.

        

         SWAT LEADER:

         Hands in the air.

         TASKMASTER:

 What are the chances of you guys believing me when I tell you that I don’t remember how I got in here?

Taskmaster - The Devil's In The Details -Dan Hill

PAGE TWENTY TWO: Six wide panels all stacked on top of each other.

Panel One:
CLOSE up on the KINGPIN’s mouth as he talks into a telephone.


KINGPIN: Do it.

CAPTION: Memory ties into our most primal of feelings.  

Panel Two:
A shot from behind Kingpin, his hands clasped behind his back, as he stands looking out through huge glass windows in his penthouse overlooking New York City.

The sun is just rising creating a beautiful vista. 

CAPTION: But none more so than fear.

Panel Three:
CUT TO a musty looking locker room. Pieces of TASKMASTER’s costume lie on a wooden bench near a set of lockers.

CAPTION: Memory serves to remind us why we should be afraid.

Panel Four:
Close up on a pair of hands as they tie a pair of laces belonging to a pair of red boots. 

CAPTION: It amplifies that fear, heightens it.

Panel Five:
Close up on the Taskmaster’s mouth. He’s unmasked and grinning like a Cheshire Cat. He’s going to enjoy this one. 

CAPTION: It reminds us of the things we love...

Panel Six:
Close up on the waistband of a pair of boxing trunks. The text on the waistband reads:

‘Battling Jack Murdock’

CAPTION: ...and what it means to lose them.

Taskmaster - Teacher's Threat - Grant McLaughlin

Four rows of panels.  First row is a single panel.  Second row is two panels.  Third row is a single panel.  Fourth row is also a single panel.

1 - Taskmaster stands at the front of what looks like a regular school classroom.  The difference, of course, is that the desks are filled not with children but with aspiring henchmen.  However, beyond that, it's pretty much identical.  Taskmaster has a teacher's desk, on the blackboard "Mr. Taskmaster" is written in chalk.  That kind of thing.  As well, make it clear that one of the aspiring henchmen is sleeping on his desk at the front of the class.

CAPTION: Then.

TASKMASTER: Alright, chumps, you're here to learn to be the best henchmen you can be.  That's fine and dandy, but if you take my class, you follow my rules.

2 - Taskmaster delivers a mighty kick to the desk with the sleeping guy.  The desk flips over and the guy wakes with a shock, too late to do anything but smash into the ground.  In the background, try to show that one of the other students is chewing gum (or at the very least, have a distinctive guy who can appear in the next panel).

TASKMASTER: No sleeping!

3 - Taskmaster punches the guy who was chewing gum so hard that the gum (and some teeth) are flying out of the guy's mouth.

TASKMASTER: No gum!

4 - A shot from the back of the room.  Two aspiring henchmen are passing a note between themselves.  Their hands are both outstretched; the note is in the process of being passed.  Beyond their hands, Taskmaster is visible at the front of the room, looking towards them.  He is in the process of drawing his sword.

TASKMASTER: And don't even think about passing notes...

5 - Taskmaster stands next to a guy who is missing a hand.  Taskmaster has a look of recognition on his face (maybe snapping his fingers and pointing to emphasize the point), as if he just remembered who the person opposite him is.  The guy without a hand looks annoyed.

CAPTION: Now.

TASKMASTER: Oh, you're that guy!

Taskmaster – What’s in a Name - Ben Rosenthal

1.  A wide panel from side on, with Deadpool on his knees, laughing uncontrollably.  Taskmaster is standing opposite him, sword pointed at Deadpool’s head.

CAPTION (Taskmaster)

I remember it like it was yesterday.

The first time I met Wade.

DEADPOOL

AHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHA

2.  Same as Panel 1, with Taskmaster raising his sword away from Deadpool’s head.  Deadpool is not laughing, but wiping a tear away from his still masked face.

DEADPOOL

No, really.  Why did you call yourself Taskmaster?

TASKMASTER

Because....I’m a master....of any task.....

3.  Same as Panel 2, however Taskmaster has lowered his sword.  It is like he has just realising how lame his name actually is.  Deadpool and Taskmaster are looking at each other in the eye.

4.  Same as Panel 3, but with Deadpool rolling around on the floor in a fit of uncontrollable laughter.  Taskmaster’s head hangs low.

CAPTION (Taskmater)

@#*%

So....can I write a Deadpool mini yet?

Taskmaster – Villains for Hire: In With the New Boss – MK Stangeland Jr.

(The premise: SHOCKER and SANDMAN are trying to start up their own team, one that’s not supposed to let itself be concerned with pettier things like revenge. In an effort to get some legitimacy for their team, they’ve recruited TASKMASTER by getting him a fix for his memory problem.*)

(6 Panels)

Panel 1: SHOCKER and SANDMAN lead TASKMASTER into their warehouse headquarters. It’s largely empty, but does have a few crates of supplies and a small computer setup in the middle of the room.

SHOCKER: Here’s where we call ‘home’. Not much yet, but we’re hoping that’ll change once business picks up.

TASKMASTER (1): It’s a dump.

TASKMASTER (2): First order of business is going to be cleaning and organizing.

Panel 2: SHOCKER and SANDMAN have stopped in their tracks – TASKMASTER keeps walking. SANDMAN looks at SHOCKER.

TASKMASTER: Make this place at least resemble a real headquarters.

SHOCKER: Excuse me? Who put you in charge?

TASKMASTER: All part of the deal.

Panel 3: SHOCKER approaches TASKMASTER with his arm out and pointing. TASKMASTER has turned glance in SHOCKER’s direction, but otherwise stands in place.

SHOCKER: That wasn’t part of the deal.

TASKMASTER (1): Wasn’t it?

TASKMASTER (2): I must have forgotten to mention it.

TASKMASTER (3): But trust me, I’m doing you a favor by taking over.

Panel 4: SHOCKER and TASKMASTER stand face to face, both with their arms crossed in front of them. SHOCKER looks angry; TASKMASTER just looks annoyed.

SHOCKER: A favor?

TASKMASTER: Believe me, it’s better than your little duo deserves.

Panel 5: Overhead view. SANDMAN stands near SHOCKER and TASKMASTER. SHOCKER’s position hasn’t changed, but TASKMASTER is pointing at SANDMAN.

TASKMASTER (1): You think you’re going to get respect and recognition just because I’m part of your little gang? That ain’t how it works.

TASKMASTER (2): You’re a two-bit punching bag for Spider-Man. Who you think’s going to take you seriously as a team leader?

TASKMASTER (3): And I’d bet my good sword and shield that Sandy here doesn’t know the first thing about leading a team, let alone a business.

Panel 6: Upward view of TASKMASTER as he points back to himself.

TASKMASTER (1): Me? I’ve got what both of you are lacking.

TASKMASTER (2): I’ve got big name connections and the know-how to make this setup work.

TASKMASTER (3): So either step in line and let me do my job, or else watch this team fall apart by the end of the month.

END PAGE

Why Taskmaster?

Why not Taskmaster?

Taskmaster is probably better known for his superpower of ‘Photographic Reflexes’, where he has the ability to watch someone do something and then replicate that action perfectly. Or even lets him know what moves his opponents are going to use next by reading their body language.

But it could also be argued that his real power are his ‘super-senses’. As in his ‘business sense’ and his ‘common sense’.

Because unlike most villains, Taskmaster isn’t in the business of petty crime, accumulating power, or swearing revenge on whatever heroes spoiled his last operation.  Instead, Taskmaster is more interested in making his living by more intelligent means. Such as training thugs for other villains who ARE in the business of petty crime and accumulating power. Or mercenary work. He’s not even opposed to working for people like SHIELD or the US Government if the reward is right (or if it gets him out prison time).

Arguably, he’s not even so much a villain as being on whatever side of the law is most beneficial for him at that point in time. It’s just that more often that not, it’s more beneficial for him to be a bad guy.

And that, I suppose, it the reason I picked him – because in a world full of villains who are looking to be on top of the world or get rich quick, Taskmaster knows better. And better yet, he knows full well there’s a market for folks like him who can profit from such evil schemes without taking on the burden for what happens when those evil schemes fail.

– as YouTube will tell you, .

And remember, folks at home: If you want to show us what you’ve got or even just have some fun, YOU TOO can play along at home by writing your very own one page Taskmaster-based script and posting it in the comments section below!

Captain America: The Shield – Shieldboarding – MK Stangeland Jr.

(4 Panels)

Panel 1: Long panel. AGENT TASKMASTER (see my Exiles-based script from Apocalypse week for more information) is wearing a winterized version of his normal costume. He is chasing after the fleeing enemies by using CAPTAIN AMERICA’s shield – which he picked up in a different universe – as an impromptu snowboard.

AGENT TASKMASTER’s speech bubble should carry from this panel to each of his other speech bubbles on the page to indicate that everything he’s saying on this page is part of a single phrase.

AGENT TASKMASTER: D@*%, -

Panel 2: Close-up on the fleeing enemies as they turn around to fire their guns on AGENT TASKMASTER.

Again, his speech bubble continues from the previous panel and continues on to the next one.

SFX: THU-THU-THU-THU-THU!

AGENT TASKMASTER: - do I –

Panel 3: Large Panel.

AGENT TASKMASTER jumps into the air as he continues to move, causing the shield to block the oncoming gunfire even as it remains near his feet. One of his arms reaches down to the edge of the shield to help pull this off. Whichever arm does this should be reaching across to the opposite side of his body, in order for him to seamlessly move from this panel to when he’s throwing it forwards in the next panel.

Behind AGENT TASKMASTER is a ‘ghosted’ image of a snowboarder performing the same move (but with a snowboard instead of a shield) in order to show what moves AGENT TASKMASTER is copying in order to pull the maneuver off, much in a similar style to what’s been used previously when he’s copied other peoples abilities – this could potentially be a lawyer-friendly version of a famous professional snowboarder like Shawn White in order to both help get the idea across better and make the move seem all that more impressive.

Again, his speech bubble continues from the previous panel and continues on to the next one.

SFX: tink! TINK! tink!

AGENT TASKMASTER: - ever love –

Panel 4: Large panel as AGENT TASKMASTER flies towards the panel. He is throwing the shield ahead of him as he does to try to smack the two fleeing enemies with it – the way he does this should flow naturally from the previous panel.

Behind AGENT TASKMASTER is a ‘ghosted’ image of CAPTAIN AMERICA as if he were throwing the shield, indicating just who AGENT TASKMASTER is copying the move from, if it wasn’t obvious by itself.

Again, the speech bubble from this panel should continue from the previous panel.

AGENT TASKMASTER: - this shield!

(END PAGE)