Talos the Untamed is a
fiction
Fiction is any creative work, chiefly any narrative work, portraying individuals, events, or places that are imaginary, or in ways that are imaginary. Fictional portrayals are thus inconsistent with history, fact, or plausibility. In a traditi ...
al character appearing in
American comic book
An American comic book is a thin periodical originating in the United States, on average 32 pages, containing comics. While the form originated in 1933, American comic books first gained popularity after the 1938 publication of ''Action Comics'' ...
s published by
Marvel Comics
Marvel Comics is an American comic book publishing, publisher and the flagship property of Marvel Entertainment, a divsion of The Walt Disney Company since September 1, 2009. Evolving from Timely Comics in 1939, ''Magazine Management/Atlas Co ...
. Created by writer
Peter David
Peter Allen David (born September 23, 1956), often abbreviated PAD, is an American writer of comic books, novels, television, films and video games.Buxton, Marc (March 29, 2014)"From 'Future Imperfect' to '2099': Peter David's Greatest Hits" Co ...
and artist
Gary Frank, the character debuted in ''
The Incredible Hulk
The Hulk is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Stan Lee and artist Jack Kirby, the character first appeared in the debut issue of '' The Incredible Hulk'' (May 1962). In his comic book a ...
'' #418 (June 1994). The character is a well known member of the
Skrull
The Skrulls are a fictional race of extraterrestrial shapeshifters appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The Skrulls first appeared in ''Fantastic Four'' #2 and were created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby. They originated fro ...
s due to not being able to shapeshift. He was a member of the
United Front
A united front is an alliance of groups against their common enemies, figuratively evoking unification of previously separate geographic fronts and/or unification of previously separate armies into a front. The name often refers to a political a ...
.
A reimagined version of
Talos
In Greek mythology, Talos — also spelled Talus (; el, Τάλως, ''Tálōs'') or Talon (; el, Τάλων, ''Tálōn'') — was a giant automaton made of bronze to protect Europa in Crete from pirates and invaders. He circled the island's sh ...
appeared in the
Marvel Cinematic Universe
The Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) is an American media franchise and shared universe centered on a series of superhero films produced by Marvel Studios. The films are based on characters that appear in American comic books published by ...
film ''
Captain Marvel'' (2019), portrayed by
Ben Mendelsohn
Paul Benjamin Mendelsohn (born 3 April 1969) is an Australian actor. He first rose to prominence in Australia for his breakout role in ''The Year My Voice Broke'' (1987) and since then he has had roles in films such as '' Animal Kingdom'' (2010) ...
. Mendelsohn also makes a cameo in the film ''
Spider-Man: Far From Home'' (2019), and will return in the upcoming
Disney+
The Walt Disney Company, commonly known as Disney (), is an American multinational mass media and entertainment
Entertainment is a form of activity that holds the attention and interest of an audience or gives pleasure and deligh ...
series ''
Secret Invasion
"Secret Invasion" is a comic book crossover storyline that ran through a self-titled eight-issue limited series and several tie-in books published by Marvel Comics from April through December 2008. The story involves a subversive, long-term in ...
'' (2023).
Publication history
The character was created by
Peter David
Peter Allen David (born September 23, 1956), often abbreviated PAD, is an American writer of comic books, novels, television, films and video games.Buxton, Marc (March 29, 2014)"From 'Future Imperfect' to '2099': Peter David's Greatest Hits" Co ...
and
Gary Frank and first appeared in ''
The Incredible Hulk
The Hulk is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Stan Lee and artist Jack Kirby, the character first appeared in the debut issue of '' The Incredible Hulk'' (May 1962). In his comic book a ...
'' vol. 2 #418 (June 1994). He was introduced as a guest at
Rick Jones's wedding, where he and other villains were invited by
Impossible Man
The Impossible Man is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. He first appeared in ''Fantastic Four'' #11 (February 1963), and was created by writer Stan Lee and writer/artist Jack Kirby. The Impossible ...
as a prank. In the following issue it is revealed he can't shapeshift and that he was captured by the Kree in the
Kree–Skrull War
The "Kree–Skrull War" is a story arc that was written by Roy Thomas, and drawn by Sal Buscema, Neal Adams, and John Buscema. The story was originally published in the Marvel Comics comic book title '' Avengers'' #89–97 (June 1971 – March ...
.
He returned during the
Annihilation
In particle physics, annihilation is the process that occurs when a subatomic particle collides with its respective antiparticle to produce other particles, such as an electron colliding with a positron to produce two photons. The total energy a ...
event, mainly in the four issue tie-in ''Annihilation: Ronan'' (2006). He joined the United Front, alongside characters like
Star-Lord
Star-Lord (Peter Jason Quill) is a fictional character and superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character, created by Steve Englehart and Steve Gan, first appeared in ''Marvel Preview'' #4 (January 1976) ...
,
Nova
A nova (plural novae or novas) is a transient astronomical event that causes the sudden appearance of a bright, apparently "new" star (hence the name "nova", which is Latin for "new") that slowly fades over weeks or months. Causes of the dramati ...
and
Gamora
Gamora is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer/artist Jim Starlin, the character first appeared in ''Strange Tales'' #180 (June 1975). Gamora is the adopted daughter of Thanos, and ...
.
He made his last appearances in the 2015 ongoing of ''
Howard the Duck
Howard the Duck is a fictional Character (arts), character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character was created by writer Steve Gerber and artist Val Mayerik. Howard the Duck first appeared in ''Adventure into F ...
'', where he infiltrated Earth with an actual, physical human disguise using an alter ego he called "Jonathan Richards".
Fictional character biography
Talos, considered a
Mutant
In biology, and especially in genetics, a mutant is an organism or a new genetic character arising or resulting from an instance of mutation, which is generally an alteration of the DNA sequence of the genome or chromosome of an organism. It ...
by his people, is a
Skrull
The Skrulls are a fictional race of extraterrestrial shapeshifters appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The Skrulls first appeared in ''Fantastic Four'' #2 and were created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby. They originated fro ...
that was born without the ability to shape shift. He made up for it by becoming one of the most feared Skrulls on his planet earning the title Talos the Untamed due to his savage and sinister nature. After getting captured by the
Kree
The Kree, briefly known as the Ruul, are a fictional scientifically and technologically advanced militaristic list of fictional extraterrestrials, alien race appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. They are native to the p ...
, he refused to commit suicide in the hopes of gaining glory for his survival. Instead, he was ridiculed and renamed the more humiliating "Talos the Tamed."
Talos soon found himself at the wedding of
Rick Jones and
Marlo Chandler
Marlo Chandler is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Peter David, she first appeared in ''The Incredible Hulk'' 2nd Volume (September 1988) and became an ongoing supporting charac ...
, courtesy of the
Impossible Man
The Impossible Man is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. He first appeared in ''Fantastic Four'' #11 (February 1963), and was created by writer Stan Lee and writer/artist Jack Kirby. The Impossible ...
. He found himself confronted by the
Hulk
The Hulk is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Stan Lee and artist Jack Kirby, the character first appeared in the debut issue of ''The Incredible Hulk (comic book), The Incredible Hulk' ...
and tried to get him to fight him in an attempt to reclaim glory from his people. When the Hulk found out what he was up to, he ceased fighting him. Talos left in frustration, but the Skrulls found his attempt to battle him impressive.
Talos was called to the planet Godthab Omega by
Glorian
Glorian (Thomas Gideon) is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics.
Publication history
Glorian first appeared in ''Fantastic Four'' #135 (June 1973), and was created by Gerry Conway and John Buscema.
...
where he ended up battling
Devos the Devastator
Devos the Devastator is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. He is a foe of the Fantastic Four. His first appearance was in '' Fantastic Four'' #359 (December, 1991); he was created by Tom DeFalco, Pa ...
. They were both captured and imprisoned when the planet suddenly came under attack by the
Annihilation Wave
"Annihilation" is a 2006 crossover storyline published by Marvel Comics, highlighting several outer space-related characters in the Marvel Universe. The central miniseries was written by Keith Giffen, with editor Andy Schmidt.
Publication histo ...
allowing the two to escape. Talos soon ran into
Ronan the Accuser
Ronan the Accuser is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Ronan was created by writer Stan Lee and artist Jack Kirby and he first appeared in ''Fantastic Four'' #65 (August 1967). He is the Supreme A ...
, whom he hated for being a
Kree
The Kree, briefly known as the Ruul, are a fictional scientifically and technologically advanced militaristic list of fictional extraterrestrials, alien race appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. They are native to the p ...
, but was forced to heed his warning about leaving the planet.
He was once again humiliated, this time by his own people, when
Queen Veranke refused to allow him to be a part of the
Secret Invasion
"Secret Invasion" is a comic book crossover storyline that ran through a self-titled eight-issue limited series and several tie-in books published by Marvel Comics from April through December 2008. The story involves a subversive, long-term in ...
due to him not having the ability to shape shift. Though Chancellor Kal'Dul didn't lose the hope of Talos' possible participation.
Talos became a member of the United Front to fight the Annihilation Wave.
Talos next showed up at
Howard the Duck
Howard the Duck is a fictional Character (arts), character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character was created by writer Steve Gerber and artist Val Mayerik. Howard the Duck first appeared in ''Adventure into F ...
's private investigations in make up and a beard as Jonathan Richards. He tasks Howard with finding a necklace that was stolen by the
Black Cat
A black cat is a domestic cat with black fur that may be a mixed or specific breed, or a common domestic cat of no particular breed. The Cat Fanciers' Association (CFA) recognizes 22 cat breeds that can come with solid black coats. The Bombay b ...
. When Howard finally retrieves it, Talos abandons his disguise to reveal that the necklace contains the Abundant Gems, less powerful versions of the
Infinity Gems
The Infinity Gems (originally referred to as Soul Gems and later as Infinity Stones) are six fictional gems appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics, named after and embodying various aspects of existence. The gems (Mind, Pow ...
that can still make one "marginally" powerful, which he plans to use to gain favor with the Skrulls again. He was defeated by Howard and his friend Tara Tam, and apprehended by the
Fantastic Four
The Fantastic Four is a superhero team appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The team debuted in ''The Fantastic Four'' #1 ( cover dated Nov. 1961), helping usher in a new level of realism in the medium. It was the first ...
.
In the aftermath of the "
Empyre
"Empyre" is a 2020 comic book storyline published by Marvel Comics. This storyline follows the events of ''Incoming!''. It was published in July of 2020.
Premise
The Avengers, the Fantastic Four and various other heroes of the Marvel univers ...
" storyline, Emperor Hulkling dispatched him to investigate the Kree and Skrull bases that went dark with Av-Rom, Keeyah, M'lanz, Virtue, and Tarna. Two days later, a Kree/Skrull Alliance armada headed by General Kalamari finds Talos' escape pod. After recuperating in the sick bay, Talos recaps to Kalamari about what happened on his mission that involved an encounter with
Knull. Talos then informs Kalamari that his distress beacon on his escape pod is a warning that Knull is coming. Outside the ship, Knull is riding a Symbiote Dragon as he swoops in for an attack.
Powers and abilities
Unlike his Skrull brethren, Talos is incapable of shapeshifting and has been branded as having a genetic defect by his people.
To make up for this, he has been granted superhuman strength and durability and can hold his own against the likes of the Hulk. He possesses a cybernetic eye after losing his real one in combat.
In other media
Marvel Cinematic Universe
Ben Mendelsohn
Paul Benjamin Mendelsohn (born 3 April 1969) is an Australian actor. He first rose to prominence in Australia for his breakout role in ''The Year My Voice Broke'' (1987) and since then he has had roles in films such as '' Animal Kingdom'' (2010) ...
portrays
Talos
In Greek mythology, Talos — also spelled Talus (; el, Τάλως, ''Tálōs'') or Talon (; el, Τάλων, ''Tálōn'') — was a giant automaton made of bronze to protect Europa in Crete from pirates and invaders. He circled the island's sh ...
in media set in the
Marvel Cinematic Universe
The Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) is an American media franchise and shared universe centered on a series of superhero films produced by Marvel Studios. The films are based on characters that appear in American comic books published by ...
. This version is able to shapeshift, has a wife named
Soren (portrayed by
Sharon Blynn
Sharon Blynn is an American actress and cancer activist. She founded her "Bald is Beautiful" organization for ovarian cancer awareness, and to empower women to define their beauty and wholeness for themselves on their own terms, in sickness and ...
) and an unnamed daughter, and is the leader of a faction of
Skrull
The Skrulls are a fictional race of extraterrestrial shapeshifters appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The Skrulls first appeared in ''Fantastic Four'' #2 and were created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby. They originated fro ...
refugees attempting to escape a genocidal war waged by the
Kree
The Kree, briefly known as the Ruul, are a fictional scientifically and technologically advanced militaristic list of fictional extraterrestrials, alien race appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. They are native to the p ...
.
* Talos first appears in the live-action film ''
Captain Marvel'' (2019). While seeking refuge from the Kree, Talos and his people received unexpected aid from renegade Kree scientist
Mar-Vell
Captain Marvel (Kree name Mar-Vell, Earth alias Walter Lawson) is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character was created by writer-editor Stan Lee and designed by penciller, artist Gene Colan ...
, who had rejected her species' war with the Skrulls and fled to Earth. Mar-Vell sheltered Talos and his family while working on a
Tesseract
In geometry, a tesseract is the four-dimensional analogue of the cube; the tesseract is to the cube as the cube is to the square. Just as the surface of the cube consists of six square faces, the hypersurface of the tesseract consists of eig ...
-powered engine that would have allowed the Skrulls to settle beyond the Kree Empire's reach. However, the Kree eventually found and killed Mar-Vell. In 1995, Talos continues to lead the Skrulls in their fight with the Kree, during which they capture
Carol Danvers
Carol Susan Jane Danvers is a character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Roy Thomas and artist Gene Colan, Danvers first appeared as an officer in the United States Air Force and a colleague of the ...
. Using a mind-probing machine on her, Talos and the Skrulls discover that she knew Mar-Vell, but before they can learn more, Danvers breaks free and escapes to Earth. Talos and a small group of Skrulls pursue her and take on human disguises, with Talos assuming the role of
S.H.I.E.L.D.
S.H.I.E.L.D. is a fictional espionage, special law enforcement, and counter-terrorism agency appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby in ''Strange Tales'' #135 (August 1965), it often deals ...
director Keller.
They eventually find her and Talos arranges a parley to reveal to Danvers and S.H.I.E.L.D. agent
Nick Fury
Colonel Nicholas Joseph "Nick" Fury Sr. is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer/artist Jack Kirby and writer Stan Lee, he first appeared in ''Sgt. Fury and his Howling Commandos ...
the truth of the Kree-Skrull war. Sympathizing with his cause, Danvers leaves Earth to help the Skrulls find a new home.
** Mendelsohn described Talos in this film as "more laid back, a bit tougher,
nda little bit nastier" compared to his human persona, Keller (whom Mendelsohn also portrays), who is more "buttoned-up". He further elaborated, "The thing is, when you're Skrullin', there's a kind of take-no-prisoners vibe about it, which is more relaxed.
s a humanThis guy’s got to follow protocol because it's S.H.I.E.L.D." When portraying Talos, Mendelsohn uses his native Australian accent, and an American accent while he is in his S.H.I.E.L.D. disguise, which Mendelsohn compared to that of American politician
Donald Rumsfeld
Donald Henry Rumsfeld (July 9, 1932 – June 29, 2021) was an American politician, government official and businessman who served as Secretary of Defense from 1975 to 1977 under president Gerald Ford, and again from 2001 to 2006 under Presi ...
. Mendelsohn noted there was "a very lengthy discussion" regarding the accent for the Skrulls, adding "There's a certain kind of earthy correctness to an Australian delivery". It took Mendelson a "couple of hours" to have his makeup and prosthetics applied to portray Talos.
Executive producer Johnathan Schwartz added that "it's sort of fun to show off both the Skrull's powers and Ben's range as an actor because he's very different in all of those parts."
Polygon
In geometry, a polygon () is a plane figure that is described by a finite number of straight line segments connected to form a closed ''polygonal chain'' (or ''polygonal circuit''). The bounded plane region, the bounding circuit, or the two toge ...
noted that one of the big motifs in the film is the way that war can corrupt people on every side of it, and that a lot of Talos' character arc has to do with this.
Den of Geek!
''Den of Geek'' is a US and UK-based website covering entertainment with a focus on pop culture. The website also issues a bi-annual magazine.
History
''Den of Geek'' was founded in 2007 by Simon Brew in London. In 2012, DoG Tech LLC licensed ...
considered Mendelsohn's portrayal of Talos a highlight of the film.
* In the live-action film ''
Spider-Man: Far From Home'' (2019), set in 2024, Talos and Soren pose as 'Nick Fury (portrayed by
Samuel L. Jackson
Samuel Leroy Jackson (born December 21, 1948) is an American actor and producer. One of the most widely recognized actors of his generation, the films in which he has appeared have collectively grossed over $27 billion worldwide, making him ...
) and
Maria Hill
Commander Maria Hill ( ) is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by Brian Michael Bendis and David Finch, the character first appeared in '' The New Avengers'' #4 (March 2005). As a form ...
respectively to give
Peter Parker
Spider-Man is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer-editor Stan Lee and artist Steve Ditko, he first appearance, first appeared in the anthology comic book ''Amazing Fantasy'' #15 (August ...
a parting gift from
Tony Stark
Iron Man is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character was co-created by writer and editor Stan Lee, developed by scripter Larry Lieber, and designed by artists Don Heck and Jack Kirby. The charac ...
and recruit him to fight the
Elementals.
* Talos will appear the upcoming
Disney+
The Walt Disney Company, commonly known as Disney (), is an American multinational mass media and entertainment
Entertainment is a form of activity that holds the attention and interest of an audience or gives pleasure and deligh ...
television series ''
Secret Invasion
"Secret Invasion" is a comic book crossover storyline that ran through a self-titled eight-issue limited series and several tie-in books published by Marvel Comics from April through December 2008. The story involves a subversive, long-term in ...
''.
Video games
Talos appears as a playable character in ''
Marvel Puzzle Quest
''Marvel Puzzle Quest'' is a video game released by D3 Publisher and Marvel Entertainment on October 3, 2013, and developed by Demiurge Studios. The fourth installment in the '' Puzzle Quest'' series, it is a free-to-play, match-three ''Bejeweled ...
'' as part of the ''Captain Marvel'' film tie-in update.
References
External links
Talos the Untamedon the Marvel Wiki
*
Talosat Marvel Cinematic Universe Wiki
{{DEFAULTSORT:Talos the Untamed
Characters created by Peter David
Comics characters introduced in 1994
Fictional characters with superhuman durability or invulnerability
Marvel Comics aliens
Marvel Comics characters with superhuman strength
Marvel Comics extraterrestrial supervillains
Marvel Comics supervillains
Skrull
Superhero film characters