- "And due to the extreme nature of these crimes, this task force will have special powers and privileges... Like overtime. And... no body cameras. That sort of thing."
- ―Wilson Fisk to Phil Gallo[src]
The Anti-Vigilante Task Force, also known by its acronym AVTF, is the taxpayer-funded New York City Police Department task force, founded by Wilson Fisk to end the vigilantism in New York City. Established in 2027, the AVTF became Fisk's private militia, enforcing his rule over the city as a part of the Safer Streets Initiative.
History[]
Foundation[]
Mayor's Task Force[]
- "A task force. Hand-picked by me."
"This is every bad apple in the barrel." - ―Wilson Fisk and Phil Gallo[src]
Following Wilson Fisk's election as the Mayor of New York City, the New York City Police Department went through significant budget cuts, with Phil Gallo openly opposing Fisk's mayorship. When Muse started to terrorize the city, murdering innocent people for his art, the NYPD was ill-equipped with stopping him on their own. Fisk then moved with the foundation of the specialized task force, aimed at taking down vigilantes and other masked criminals, as a part of his anti-vigilante platform. The task force would be provided with certain privileges like overtime, while also allowed leniency regarding their conduct, namely no body cameras.
Wilson Fisk puts together the Task Force
Fisk handpicked a number of the NYPD officers, known for their questionable conduct and idolization of Punisher's brutality on criminals. Although Gallo disapproved of his picks, Fisk went ahead on spoke with a number of the officers he picked, such as Connor Powell and Cole North. While they were viewed unfavorably due to their excessive methods, Fisk praised their ability to get results, recruiting them to be a part of the Anti-Vigilante Task Force. As Buck Cashman provided the officers with their new gear, Fisk railed them up and encouraged them to stand their ground and not let Muse or other masked criminals terrorize New York.[1]
Anti-Vigilante Campaign[]
Hunt for Muse[]
AVTF investigates at Muse's Lair
- "I'll put out an APB."
"No! Don't. The Task Force can handle this. You are the thin, dark line protecting this city. Remind them of that." - ―Connor Powell and Wilson Fisk[src]
As the New York City Police Department finally gained a solid lead on Muse from Angela Del Toro, the AVTF assisted the police with the investigation. While the police examined Muse's Lair, Connor Powell suddenly encountered Daredevil, but before Powell could do anything, Daredevil knocked him out and fled while he was unconscious. Powell reported his encounter with Daredevil to Wilson Fisk and informed him that the woman on Muse's sketches was identified as Heather Glenn, who was likely to be Muse's next target.
AVTF finds Muse's dead body next to Heather Glenn
Powell suggested to put out an APB on Muse, but Fisk instructed the AVTF to handle the killer directly to prove that they were capable of upholding the order in New York City. Powell and Cole North led the AVTF to Glenn's office, where Muse was locked in a confrontation with Daredevil. As Powell and North entered the office, Daredevil was gone and all they found was Muse's dead body and unconscious Glenn who was then hospitalized.
AVTF receives credit for taking Muse down
Later, Fisk arrived at the crime scene in person and North reported to him that by the time they made it inside the office, Muse was already dead, and that Daredevil was also present at the scene. However, Fisk decided to change the narrative and give all the credit for stopping Muse to the AVTF, omitting Daredevil's involvement entirely, which North accepted. Due to Fisk's manipulation of the media reports, the public was led to believe that the AVTF brought Muse down. The AVTF officers joined Fisk for a press conference, during which he held up Muse's discarded mask and reaffirmed his commitment to protecting the city from the masked criminals.[2]
Excessive Methods[]
- "I'm not sure if you've seen the latest numbers but vigilante crime is down 30% since the Task Force deployed."
"And the ACLU is filing thirteen different lawsuits over their excessive methods." - ―Buck Cashman and Sheila Rivera[src]
With the media reporting on the AVTF successfully bringing Muse down, Wilson Fisk authorized them to enforce his anti-vigilantism platform on the streets. Since the AVTF deployed, the vigilante crime in New York City went down by 30%, according to the reports. However, the public viewed the AVTF unfavorably due to their excessive methods and the American Civil Liberties Union filed thirteen lawsuits over their conduct. Fisk remained unbothered by the pushback, certain that the AVTF's excessive methods were bringing the results.[3]
Black & White Ball[]
- "In case you haven't noticed, I don't answer to you anymore."
"Listen, what you... What the Task Force is doing is dereliction of duty."
"Go have a fսckin' canape, Commissioner." - ―Connor Powell and Phil Gallo[src]
When Wilson and Vanessa Fisk held the Black & White Ball at Gracie Mansion to raise funds for the Red Hook Port Revitalization Project, the AVTF provided security for the event. The officers were stationed inside and outside the building, making sure the ball was going smoothly. When a journalist disguised as a waiter took a photo of Wilson, he ordered Powell and the AVTF to find and deal with him, as no active press was allowed at the event.
Connor Powell confronts the journalist
Powell and his colleagues caught the journalist and took away his phone, before Phil Gallo intervened and ordered Powell to let him go, threatening to charge him with assault. Powell responded by burning the journalist's hand with frying oil, claiming that the AVTF answered to the Mayor directly and Gallo had no authority over them. Gallo was baffled by Powell's blatant brutality, saying that the AVTF's actions were a dereliction of duty, but Powell ignored his protests and the AVTF took the journalist away.
AVTF protects Wilson and Vanessa Fisk from Benjamin Poindexter
Having escaped from Rikers Island, Benjamin Poindexter got past the AVTF and infiltrated Gracie Mansion with the intention to kill the Fisks. Poindexter was able to kill one officer with a carving fork and steal his rifle, before taking position at the balcony and taking a shot at Wilson. He survived due to Matt Murdock shielding him and taking the bullet for him, so Buck Cashman and the AVTF mobilized to protect the Fisks and evacuate them to safety. As the chaos broke out at the event, the AVTF searched the premises, but Poindexter was able to slip away and went into hiding.[3]
Wilson Fisk's Militia[]
- "They're gonna go out there and hunt down not only Poindexter, but all vigilantes! There'll be no body cams, no due process, no warrants!"
"Sir, that not only goes against the operating principles of the NYPD, it's illegal. I mean, next, you'll be condoning the use of lethal force."
"'Condoning?' Absolutely not. Encouraging, Gallo! Encouraging!" - ―Wilson Fisk and Phil Gallo[src]
In response to Benjamin Poindexter's attempt on his life, Wilson Fisk demanded to put the AVTF out on the street for a massive crackdown on not just Poindexter, but all vigilantes in New York City. Phil Gallo strongly objected to Fisk essentially encouraging the use of lethal force, while Sheila Rivera pointed out that Fisk's decision without a proper cause was bad optics. Fisk then made a decision to engineer a city-wide blackout to plunge New York into chaos and justify strengthening his control over the city.
AVTF gets ambushed by Daredevil
Despite Matt Murdock risking his life to save him, Fisk decided that he was too much of a liability and ordered to find him and take him out. As Buck Cashman failed to kill Murdock at Metro-General Hospital, Cole North and the group of the AVTF officers arrived at Murdock's apartment, ready to put him down. Upon entering the building, the AVTF found the apartment completely empty, but it turned out to be an ambush, staged by Daredevil and Punisher.
Despite being outnumbered, both vigilantes were able to fight off the AVTF, with Punisher killing multiple AVTF officers, while Daredevil chose to neutralize them non-lethally. As the battle concluded, the AVTF team suffered major losses and Punisher informed Daredevil that North was Hector Ayala's killer. Daredevil confronted North, but he expressed no remorse and simply stood by Kel Shanahan and his fellow police officers, showing no fear of death. As Daredevil and Punisher argued over killing North, one of the AVTF officers threw a grenade, so the vigilantes were forced to flee to escape from the explosion.
Due to the blackout, New York spiraled into chaos, with citizens rioting on the streets and indulging in looting. The New York City Police Department had no capacity to quell the chaos on their own and Burt ended up shooting dead a young man involved in the looting. Saunders called him out, but Burt put the man's hat down on his face to write him up as a masked vigilante, whom the AVTF were legalized to use lethal force against.
Connor Powell tries to recruit Punisher into the AVTF
Having failed to track down Daredevil and Punsiher, the AVTF units received an order to fall back to Red Hook Pier to regroup. Punisher listened on their communications through North's radio and headed to the AVTF's base and attempted to massacre all of them. He was able to kill numerous AVTF officers, before being subdued and tied down, with Connor Powell speaking with him personally, accompanied by his colleagues wearing copycat Punisher Vests. Powell told Punisher that most AVTF officers were his fans and offered him to join their ranks, but Punisher harshly rejected them, prompting the AVTF to beat him down while he was defenseless.
AVTF witnesses the murder of Phil Gallo
Upon finding out that Gallo was trying to conspire with Rivera to challenge his authority, Fisk ordered Luke to intercept Gallo and drive him to Red Hook Pier. When Gallo was brought to them, Fisk gathered the AVTF and addressed them, claiming that Gallo failed to uphold the interests of the officers of the law, while denouncing the flawed system that brought chaos to the streets of New York. Fisk then proceeded to attack Gallo and brutally murdered him in front of the AVTF officers, who did not intervene despite their visible discomfort, remaining loyal to Fisk.
New York Martial Law[]
Safer Streets Initiative[]
On the next day, after the power was restored, Wilson Fisk addressed the citizens of New York City, putting all blame for the city's misfortunes on the vigilantes, while also claiming that the New York City Police Department was no longer capable to uphold the law. He enacted the Safer Streets Initiative, putting New York under martial law and giving the AVTF full authorization to use any methods to neutralize all vigilantes on sight. The AVTF was also assigned to guard Fisk's personal jail, where his enemies like Punisher and Swordsman were kept, although Punisher managed to trick Anthony Petruccio and escape.[4]
Appearances[]
In chronological order:
Daredevil: Born Again | Episode 1.06: Excessive Force- Daredevil: Born Again | Episode 1.07: Art for Art's Sake
- Daredevil: Born Again | Episode 1.08: Isle of Joy
- Daredevil: Born Again | Episode 1.09: Straight to Hell
- Daredevil: Born Again | Season Two (unreleased)
Trivia[]
- In the comics, the Thunderbolt Units was a task force, established by Mayor Wilson Fisk as a part of his Powers Act, aimed at criminalizing vigilantism in New York City.
- AVTF also shares similarities with V.I.G.I.L. (Vigilante Infraction General Interdiction and Limitation), a police task force created to hunt down vigilantes, such as Punisher.
- Wilson Fisk refers to the AVTF as "the thin dark line protecting this city." This is a reference to the phrase "Thin blue line," a real-world term strongly associated with the Blue Lives Matter movement.
