Moon Knight vs. Taskmaster

[Sharpandpointies]

And that would make sense, to me. Similarly, Titania, who was ridiculously more powerful than Spider-man, was treated like trash by him and had her self-confidence absolutely shattered, and ended up pretty much phobic of him. Of course, like with Power Man, this was a new character in one of their first few fights.

I'm leery of a guy who HAS faced down all kinds of much more dangerous/lethal threats break down bawling because Moonknight just won't go down. ^_^

[The Arbiter]

Didnt Superboy Prime develop a "flash phobia" of sorts? Lol

[Sharpandpointies]

Didnt Superboy Prime develop a "flash phobia" of sorts? Lol

After getting humiliated by them a few times, yep.

[Pendaran]

Nothing to do with "the plot demands." Cap won because his will and spirit were stronger.

He won because his opponent literally stood there and did nothing so he could have time to recover.

[The Dork Knight]

Nice scans, Dork. Of course, by 'nice', I mean 'good catch'. That's some manga-level BS, right there. O_o

Predictably, the fight ends the only way these type of "knows / copies all fighting styles" fights always do - with Cap going "off script" with "street style" to beat him
https://i.postimg.cc/3rv3WVhK/RCO009.jpg

Which is particularly unfortunate because earlier in the fight in the previous issue, Cap specifically remarks on Taskmaster's ability to adapt to styles. In this fight alone Taskmaster uses the styles of Daredevil, Moonknight, Iron Fist, Swordsman, Cap himself... but God forbid someone should go "street" on him

https://i.postimg.cc/QtRs0kQG/RCO018.jpg

This whole sequence begins with Taskmaster surprise attacking Cap with a poisoned arrow (I'm not using this fight as evidence of TM's ability against Cap but rather the PIS he has to endure as a villain), which by Cap's own admission leaves him unable to keep up with him

https://i.postimg.cc/SNbk9dQc/RCO022.jpg

But then Cap has "something to fight for " and starts hulking up for that big comeback *rollseyes*

[The Dork Knight]

Why should some people be scared of harmless house spiders? Why should some people be scared of buttons?

Why should Taskmaster be scared of the guy whose ass he kicked in the previous issue? Because he put on a costume?

Fear isn't always rational.

Clearly not for Taskmaster at least considering his reaction to all of a costume change. And it's not even like some kind of urban myth kind of "perhaps it isn't a costume perhaps its supernatural" kind of deal- he specifically knows the guy whose ass he recently kicked is under the costume

Nothing to do with "the plot demands." Cap won because his will and spirit were stronger.

Yeah and "Deathstroke beat the Flash because his will was stronger"

I'm saying it doesn't really make a lot of sense for the guy who kicked the other guys ass and specifically already mimicked his fighting style in the previous issue, to then be scared to defeat by the same style in the next issue though

[Sharpandpointies]

Predictably, the fight ends the only way these type of "knows / copies all fighting styles" fights always do - with Cap going "off script" with "street style" to beat him
https://i.postimg.cc/3rv3WVhK/RCO009.jpg

Oh my GAWD...!

Excuse me, I must go and...I don't know, compose a long, rambling post about bullcrap fighting stuff.

I'll check out the scans tonight -- I can't here, work blocks 'em -- but I'm sure they will just be awwwesome. -_-

Thanks. I mean, for the scans. ^_^

[Sharpandpointies]

Tim Drake Robin, Huntress, and Cap must get together to compare notes.

[The Arbiter]

Tim Drake Robin, Huntress, and Cap must get together to compare notes.

Huntress is beautiful and perfect and smart and much more powerful than Wonder Woman and faaar more STREET than anyone else and anyone who disagrees is wrong and false and tricksy.

[Sharpandpointies]

At this point you're flat-out trolling for a Gundam pic. Captain England style, no less. ^_^

Also, those scans...'take them down to the street'? Cap, noooo. 'Smart dumb-asses too brilliant to know what they don't know'. What does this even mean, with regards to fighting, when the other guy has...well, everything? Including, presumably at this point, 'teh street'? And you're already so poisoned you 'can't keep up'? And blinded, to boot?

Also, it really doesn't sound like Cap.

Ugh. The writing...

[Guy1]

Also, those scans...'take them down to the street'? Cap, noooo.
.

The master at work.

[Powerboy]

At this point you're flat-out trolling for a Gundam pic. Captain England style, no less. ^_^

Also, those scans...'take them down to the street'? Cap, noooo. 'Smart dumb-asses too brilliant to know what they don't know'. What does this even mean, with regards to fighting, when the other guy has...well, everything? Including, presumably at this point, 'teh street'? And you're already so poisoned you 'can't keep up'? And blinded, to boot?

Also, it really doesn't sound like Cap.

Ugh. The writing...

I noticed the dialogue too, nothing like Cap.

It sounds a lot like some of the old "Tomb of Dracula" comics.

Yes he is stronger than me, faster than me, more powerful than me and probably more skilled but [Drumroll] I AM DRACULA! And you know what that means. It's like Duck Dodgers saying "Duck Dodgers to the rescue" BLOOEY! only in reverse 'cause it's my comic book dammit. Look at the cover. Does it say, "Tomb of Dracula's opponent of the issue"? NO! It says "Tomb of DRACULA"! That means I win because it's my comic- mine! Mine! MINE! I AM DRACULA! Poof! I said it! I win!

Excuse me, sir, but that silver covering only covers your body, right? I mean, you are still flesh and blood inside, right? HA! Gotcha! Hammerlock! I win!

Excuse me, Ma'am, but you breathe, right? You do? Kick to the stomach while you are inhaling. Oh I am soooo clever. I win.

I'm getting really mad here so [flurry of wild punches with eyes closed]. Cool. I just punched out a guy who went toe to toe with Thor and I'm the underdog, the emotional favorite, so let's ignore how absurd this is.

Now we have Cap: Hey it's my comic and I'm loyal, thrifty and brave. I win no matter that you've whupped people far beyond me.

"Martial arts in reality is not like martial arts in the movies. It's not just a bunch of tricks that will allow you to beat somebody who is just plain better than you." [Oh, wait. That last one was my real life martial arts instructor. Never mind. That one is true].

[Sharpandpointies]

Agree with the above. To add...

Now we have Cap: Hey it's my comic and I'm loyal, thrifty and brave. I win no matter that you've whupped people far beyond me.

It's also the tone. 'Smart dumb-asses too brilliant to know what they don't know'. It's...I don't know...snotty and insulting, rather than analytical. Almost childish. It doesn't sound like Cap, unless Cap has been written REALLY differently recently.

[hareluyafan1]

I'm sorry, but this explanation doesn't work for me.

Such irrational fears don't occupy the same space as 'I've actually faced far more terrifying threats than you, but you scare me.' Moonknight isn't something outside of Tasky's normal worldview, he's not even something especially terrifying IN that worldview, but he's certainly not 'something really alien that seems to give most people the creeps' (I'm not talking buttons, here).

Also, I strongly doubt that Tasky has developed a phobia of Moonknight, himself.

Further, one might say that if it's a completely irrational fear of Moonknight, then great, it's an irrational fear without any basis in fact. Much like a fear of buttons, to take your example (which would be a disturbingly real fear to someone with koumpounophobia, but they would be the first to admit said fear is not founded in any actual hint of danger or threat from the buttons). So said fear would have nothing to do with Moonknight just keeping coming at him (seeing as other, far more powerful people might do the same, and it hasn't yet driven Taskmaster into a nervous breakdown).

So, either it's a rational fear -- Moonknight actually scares him because of what Moonknight is doing, which doesn't make sense given the kinds of vastly superior, much more dangerous people Tasky has faced without getting all panicky -- or it's an irrational one -- Moonknight scares him...because of who-the-heck-knows, but nothing really rational to do with what Moonknight is accomplishing.

Either way, it doesn't really track too well.

Good points. I'll have to think about that.

John Ostrander played with irrational fear to comedic effect in his Heroes for Hire run. Shortly after Luke Cage adopted the hero name of Power Man, an Avengers villain who was already using that name showed up to contest the name. That Power Man was a cheap knock-off version of Wonder Man at the time, probably closer to Spider-man in strength level, so it was a stretch that Luke beat him til he was out cold. Many years later, that villain reformed and became a hero known as Atlas. Now he was more like a giant version of Wonder Man and significantly more powerful than Luke. But he was very nervous and deferential to Luke because he irrationally clung to the memory of that past beating.

Awesome! That's what I like to see. Characters who act like actual people with personalities and quirks.

Oh my GAWD...!

Excuse me, I must go and...I don't know, compose a long, rambling post about bullcrap fighting stuff.

I hear ya Sharp. I can't stand that trope either. It's just dumb.

It's also the tone. 'Smart dumb-asses too brilliant to know what they don't know'. It's...I don't know...snotty and insulting, rather than analytical. Almost childish. It doesn't sound like Cap, unless Cap has been written REALLY differently recently.

That too.

[big_adventure]

I'm leery of a guy who HAS faced down all kinds of much more dangerous/lethal threats break down bawling because Moonknight just won't go down. ^_^

What kinds of comics are YOU reading Sharp???