Black Widow‘s Taskmaster proved to be an excellent fighter and a nearly unbeatable foe. Unlike in the comics, however, the masked opponent’s ability to mimic numerous fighting styles appears to stem from their suit’s advanced technology. And that could directly lead to the Marvel Cinematic Universe debut of another villainous character: the Super-Adaptoid, one of The Avengers’ most powerful foes.
Treated as an elite agent in service of the Red Room, Black Widow‘s Taskmaster was a formidable opponent, capable of copying her every move, as well as those of her fellow Avengers. The film’s big twist came when it was revealed Taskmaster was actually Antonia Dreykov, daughter of the Red Room’s director, believed to have died years earlier. A combination of analysis technology and her father’s mind control allowed Antonia to become a perfect mimic. That same technology could well lay the foundation for the Super-Adaptoid.
The MCU Has Laid the Foundation for the Super-Adaptoid
In Marvel Comics, the Adaptoid is the product of A.I.M. experiments brought to life with the Cosmic Cube. The android is can analyze the Avengers and copy their abilities perfectly, turning its body into Thor’s hammer or Hawkeye’s arrows just as readily as it employs Captain America’s fighting skills. Much as in the comics, the MCU’s Taskmaster creates the possibility of having analysis technology capable of copying such a range of equipment and abilities. Indeed, Taskmaster’s own shield, bow and claws mimic those of Captain America, Hawkeye and Black Panther.
If such technology were brought to life by forces similar to the Cosmic Cube, already presented in the MCU as the Tesseract, these could easily become the recipe for Super-Adaptoid. Indeed, many heroes, such as Captain Marvel and Vision, already derive their powers from similar sources of cosmic energy. It’s already known from WandaVision that Vision’s abilities were replicated in an android created by the government. In fact, many of the MCU’s latest projects seem to revolve around replicating the abilities of the Avengers, with U.S. Agent and the new Black Widow being recruited by Valentina Allegra de Fontaine toward some mysterious end.
Super-Adaptoid’s Arrival in the MCU Could Be Total Chaos
A being as powerful as the Super-Adaptoid isn’t easy to control. The android is notorious in the comics for breaking free from attempts to manipulate it. And the more powers it copies, the more powerful it becomes. Granted the powers of Hulk and Thor, or even villains like Thanos and Dormammu, it’s difficult to believe that any single hero could be strong enough to stop the Super-Adaptoid. And threats too powerful for any one hero are exactly the kind of forces the Avengers were created to combat.
While Taskmaster’s portrayal in Marvel’s Black Widow may differ greatly from the source material, it was likely done in such a way for a reason. Making Antonia the baseline for such a powerful figure as the Super-Adaptoid could render her almost-robotic existence as eerily prescient. There is always a larger plan at work whenever the MCU is concerned, so this could be laying the groundwork for something grander.
Starring Scarlett Johansson, Black Widow is available to stream on Disney+.
