TALOS THE TAMED

Real Name: Talos

Identity/Class: Extraterrestrial (Skrull) warrior

Occupation: Disgraced Warrior, Royalty

Group Membership: United Front

Affiliations: Korath the Pursuer, Ronan the Accuser
Former warrior of the Skrull Empire

Enemies: Annihilation Wave, Devos the Devastator, Glorian, the Hulk, the Kree

Known Relatives: Uncle to Empress R’Kll

Aliases: Talos The Untamed

Base of Operations: Unknown, presumably somewhere in the Skrull Empire

First Appearance: Incredible Hulk II#418 (July, 1994)

Powers/Abilities: Due to a genetic anomaly, Talos cannot shape-shift like other skrulls. However, the same defect grants him heightened strength and durability. He is also an expert at combat technique and is known to carry a very large and powerful four-bladed battle-axe.

History: Determined to rise above his outcast status due to the genetic defect that deprived him of shape-shifting powers, Talos became the most feared and respected solider in the Skrull Empire and was given the name, "Talos The Untamed." After he was captured by the Kree during the Kree-Skrull War and refused to commit suicide—thereby shaming himself—members of both warring empires knew him as Talos The "Tamed." He was thrown into disgrace and was no longer permitted to fight for the skrulls.

(Hulk#418) Due to a practical joke—courtesy of the Impossible Man—a contingent of skrull soldiers (along with many other super-powered characters and alien races) was invited to the wedding of Rick Jones and Marlo Chandler in Las Vegas, Nevada. Talos was among them. A Kree soldier spotted Talos in the crowd and began to taunt him. Talos rose to face the Kree’s challenge, but both were quickly sat back down by a stern warning from the Silver Surfer.

(Hulk#419) Presumably drunk and weary of his shamed existence, Talos threw himself from the top of the Coliseum Hotel a few hours after the wedding. The Hulk spotted his descent and initially believed the incident to be a suicide attempt. When he arrived at the scene to investigate, Talos attacked the Hulk. Having heard of the Hulk’s battles with the Super-Skrull and Trauma of the Troyjan, Talos believed the Hulk would be a worthy enough warrior to be the instrument of his demise (thus, allowing Talos to regain his honor).

Confused as to why Talos would attack him, the Hulk initially tried to simply subdue Talos. Once Talos revealed his plight, the Hulk leapt from the battlefield, unwilling to murder the skrull. Talos attacked again, trying to taunt the Hulk into fighting back. Tempted to give the skrull what he wanted, but loathe to disappoint his bride (who had just begun to warm up to him), the Hulk feigned terror and begged the skrull to leave him alone. Convinced that the Hulk was a coward and unworthy of his attention, Talos teleported himself back to his orbiting spacecraft, where he found that the other skrulls on the ship are proud of his performance.

(Annihilation: Ronan#2) - Talos was compelled to visit the planet Godthab Omega. In the town of Abyss, he fought Devos the Devastator. Devos managed to defeat Talos, but was then subsequently struck down by Gamora.

(Annihilation: Ronan#3) - When Talos came to, he found that he and Devos were both being held prisoner by Glorian, the one responsible for drawing them to Godthab Omega. Talos conferred with Devos, believing that Glorian was the one-time pupil of the Shaper of Worlds.

(Annihilation: Ronan#4) - When the planet was overrun by the Annihilation Wave, Glorian was distracted, releasing Devos and Talos. Ronan ordered the two of them to the spaceport to get off-planet with any other survivors. Talos was uncomfortable taking orders from a Kree, but complied.

(Annihilation#1) - Talos became a member of the United Front resistance that was organized by Nova, and helped defend Daedalus 5 against the Annihilation Wave.

Comments: Created by Peter David and Gary Frank.

If you were to ask me to guess Talos’s exact strength, I would probably say somewhere in the 20-40 ton range. While he was certainly able to make the Hulk feel his blows, the Hulk didn’t seem to consider Talos much of a threat until he started using his axe.

Something interesting about Talos’s axe; in the beginning of the battle, he doesn’t have it. It spontaneously appeared in the middle of the fight. The easiest explanation is probably that he had some kind of device that allowed him to teleport it from his ship right into his hands, but there was never any definitive explanation.

The reader never finds out what substance Talos’s axe is made of, however he is able to draw blood from the Hulk, which suggests something very strong.

While it’s clear that Talos regained his own personal sense of honor by battling the Hulk, and won the respect of the skrulls on the ship, it is not known whether or not he was consequently returned to service for the skrull armies, or if he has ever won back the title of "Untamed."

by Mick Martin, The Anti-Grimm and Prime Eternal

Clarifications: Not to be confused with:
Terrax the Tamer, aka Tyros of Lanlak, @ Fantastic Four I#211

Last updated: 08/19/06

Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.

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