Even though Taskmaster proved to be the only Avengers-level threat on his first appearance, he wasn’t the first Marvel villain to be able to perfectly replicate another character’s skills just by watching them fight. In fact, Spider-Man fought this first “Overseer” long before the Avengers faced the official version of the villain.
Anthony Masters, also known as Taskmaster, made his Marvel comics debut in Avengers #195 by David Michelini and George Perez. In the issue, the Avengers are looking for an institution for mentally ill criminals only to find out that this is a cover for a training center for villains, and the experienced fighter who is behind the training of villains is none other than the Overseer. Taskmaster was chosen to teach the other bad guys how to fight like the heroes they hate because he has the ability to mimic the physical skills of anyone he watches. This makes Taskmaster a huge threat to anyone who challenges him.
In The Amazing Spider-Man #8 by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko, Peter Parker and his classmates are presented with a presentation by a famous scientist and inventor who developed the greatest problem-solving machine ever created: a living brain. A living brain is a classic robot that can understand anything with enough information, including someone’s fighting style. When the Living Brain fails, Peter Parker starts acting like Spider-Man, trying to destroy it. Unfortunately, it turned out to be more difficult than expected, since every movement of Spider-Man was perfectly copied by the Living Brain right after the Spider made them.
The power of the Living Brain is eerily similar to that of the Overseer, or rather, the Overseer is the same as the Living Brain, since the robo-villain first appeared almost two decades before the Overseer challenged the Avengers. However, although the Living Brain appeared long before the Taskmaster, the Masters were a clear upgrade in both style and skill. The living Brain has almost sunk into obscurity after Spider-Man eventually found a way to defeat him by the end of this issue, while Taskmaster has become not only a fairly constant thorn in the side of the Avengers, but also to lead his own team of villains in the style of “Suicide Squad”, known as the Thunderbolts. In addition, the Taskmaster’s aesthetic is undoubtedly stunning: the hooded skull’s face exudes an intimidating look, which is reinforced by his almost unsurpassed skill set.
While the Living Brain was introduced before Taskmaster and has the same impressive ability to reproduce the physical skills of anyone he watches, Taskmaster greatly overshadows the Living Brain as a truly iconic villain. However, regardless of whose influence was more lasting, the fact remains that Spider-Man fought Marvel’s first “Overseer,” and he did it long before the Avengers.
