Finding himself in Wakanda, Taskmaster's battle with Black Panther's Okoye reveals that she may be stronger than Captain America himself. A member of the Dora Milaje, Okoye has been a powerful figure in the Black Panther comics since her debut in 1998 and the renewed popularity following her portrayal in the Marvel Cinematic Universe saw her return to the pages after a considerable absence. She's as formidable as she's ever been and that will be proven true when she faces off against Taskmaster, AKA Tony Masters, in Taskmaster #4.
Created by Christopher Priest and Mark Texeira in Black Panther #1, Okoye was one of the Dora Milaje, T'Challa's wives-in-training, and when he admitted he had no interest in marrying her, she remained by his side as his valet and loyal bodyguard. Helping T'Challa whenever necessary, Okoye faded into the background until actress Danai Gurira's portrayal in Black Panther saw her return with her appearance and skills matching her cinematic counterpart. Since T'Challa's appointment as the chairman of the Avengers, Okoye served as the leader for the Agents of Wakanda, a hand-picked group of individuals serving as a support team and helping to gather information on potential threats.
Since Taskmaster was framed for Maria Hill's murder, his only ally, Nick Fury, Jr, has guaranteed his help in clearing his name in exchange for Taskmaster's help in accessing the Rubicon Trigger which requires the kinesic signatures of three influential leaders in the superhero community. After obtaining Agent Phil Coulson and Director Ami Han's signature, Taskmaster #4 by Jed MacKay and Alessandro Vitti sees Taskmaster in Wakanda engaging with the nation's secret police, the Hatut Zeraze. After facing superheroes like Hyperion, White Fox and his persistent hunter Black Widow, Tony Masters considers these well-trained and armed henchmen a pleasant return to normal. After he takes them out, Okoye leaps down to engage him, finding Taskmaster's presence and attempt at small talk annoying. Although she remains his only remaining obstacle, he can't help admire and compliment her strength. "That kick should have shattered your sternum. I seen Batroc use it on Captain America one time. Winded him, which tells you all you need to know." Check out these preview pages from Marvel Comics below:
Taskmaster's primary power is his photographic reflexes that allow him to memorize and retain any fighting moves or styles he witnesses to be used for future battles. Despite her training and Wakandan weapons, Okoye does not have any superpowers and hasn't undergone any enhancements in the past. Despite this, she was able to brush off a kick that caused damage to Steve Rogers. Taskmaster goes from oddly flirting with Okoye to being in awe of her, an interesting juxtaposition that feels a little more like something one would expect from Deadpool than Taskmaster.
Although Taskmaster gives Okoye high praise, she'll have to do more than absorb a kick to stop him from accomplishing his mission. Taskmaster's dedication to redeeming his name and reputation has seen him survive beatdown after beatdown and yet he still persists, unconsciously mimicking MCU's Captain America's signature quote. No matter how many Hatut Zeraze he takes down, how many generals or how much technology Wakanda throws at him, Taskmaster can do this all day. Or at the very least until Black Widow catches up.
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