Warning: This article contains spoilers for M.O.D.O.K.: Head Games #1
While fans are still eagerly awaiting the MCU debut of Taskmaster in Black Widow and the villain's ability to replicate his foes' fighting prowess to perfection, there's consolation to be found in the pages M.O.D.O.K.: Head Games #1, which may prove the Mental Organism Designed Only for Killing has a (tiny and withered) leg up as far as being able to ape his adversaries' skills and abilities in combat.
The book - from the creative team of Patton Oswalt, Jordon Blum, Scott Hepburn and Cully Hamner - finds M.O.D.O.K. in a bit of a rough spot. Having accidentally botched the heist of a Stark Industries hovertrain on account of strange visions of a family he's never known (at least not yet), he finds himself being ousted as the leader of A.I.M. (Advanced Idea Mechanics) as his underlings vote him out in a coup that enrages the equal parts brilliant and nefarious technician-turned-grotesque supervillain. Naturally, M.O.D.O.K. isn't about to go down without a fight - a fight that's as absurd as it is hilarious.
As his former underlings try to decommission M.O.D.O.K., a slaughter ensues, with the title character obliterating many of his former minions. It's a chaotic scene that only gets more insane when M.O.D.O.K. finds himself facing off against Monica Rappaccini in the A.I.M. armory, where readers see that the terrorist group has acquired quite the super arsenal. Bursting from the rubble, M.O.D.O.K. is decked out with some of Marvel's most iconic weapons and gadgets, all of which had been reverse engineered by the group over the years.
In one epic, glorious panel, M.O.D.O.K. is seen wearing an appropriately gigantic Ant-Man helmet and brandishing an A.I.M. replica of Captain America's shield and Star-Lord's blaster as a string of Deadpool grenades swings from his hip. His left hand is equipped with Wolverine claws as he wields what looks like it may be a recreation of Black Knight's sword. He's even got a sinister looking version of the Fantastic Four's H.E.R.B.I.E. the robot at his side as he charges Rappaccini. As if that's not enough, he's also equipped with Spider-Man web slingers, Klaw's sonic cannon and what appears to be a Goblin Glider.
But never count Monica Rappaccini out. Injecting herself with a syringe filled with "Banner Booster," her arm literally Hulks out. The entire scene is as hilarious as it is ridiculous and M.O.D.O.K. is only taken out when his visions begin again, allowing Monica to Hulk Smash him out of the building, though not before he has a chance to blow up the headquarters as a parting gift.
As far as fan service and Easter Eggs go, it's hard to ask for more, and considering Oswalt and Blum will also be serving as showrunners on the upcoming M.O.D.O.K. Hulu series (with the former actually voicing the villain), hopefully viewers can expect more of this kind of delightful lunacy when it's reportedly set to drop in early 2021. If the show can deliver even a fraction of the insanity seen in just the first issue of M.O.D.O.K.: Head Games, Marvel die hards are definitely in for a treat. Head Games is currently available wherever comics are sold.