Marvel’s Avengers Comic Reveals Black Widow’s First Meeting With Taskmaster

Fans of Earth’s greatest superhero team will have to wait a little longer than they had perhaps expected for Marvel’s Avengers to arrive.

Earlier this year, developer Crystal Dynamics delivered the disappointing news that its much-anticipated action-adventure had slipped from its original summer launch window to September. The additional several months, it said at the time, will enable the studio to ensure it delivers the best possible experience in the fall, which will allow fans to live out the ultimate power fantasy as Iron Man, Hulk, Thor, Captain America and Black Widow.

In the interim, however, Marvel has been publishing a series of tie-in comics for the upcoming title, each of which delves into the backstory of various individual characters. Previous issues have already revealed a number of interesting side stories and potential NPCs players will be interacting with in-game, including S.H.I.E.L.D. director Nick Fury and Thor’s mischievous adopted sibling, Loki.

Black Widow #1 is the latest issue due to be released and, as if the title didn’t already give it away, takes a look at expert assassin’s past life. And you can check out some of the panels from it below.

The preview reveals that Widow, having defected from Russia, goes into training with several other S.H.I.E.L.D. operatives, one of which is revealed to be Tony Masters. Comic book buffs will immediately recognize the name as that belonging to Taskmaster, a supervillain capable of copying any ability he witnesses first-hand. We’ve known for some time, of course, that the character will feature prominently in Marvel’s Avengers‘ narrative, though this is the first time we’ve seen any member of the Avengers interact with him prior to the events of A-Day.

How Black Widow’s past ties with Taskmaster in-game remains to be seen, of course, but the stage is certainly set for some interesting twists and turns when Marvel’s Avengers finally launches on September 1st.