The character was created by Peter David and Gary Frank and first appeared in The Incredible Hulk 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 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.[1][2][3]
He returned during the Annihilation event, mainly in the four issue tie-in Annihilation: Ronan (2006). He joined the United Front, alongside characters like Star-Lord, Nova and Gamora.[4][1]
He made his last appearances in the 2015 ongoing of Howard the Duck, where he infiltrated Earth with an actual, physical human disguise using an alter ego he called "Jonathan Richards".[2]
Talos, considered a Mutant by his people, is a Skrull that was born without the ability to shapeshift. 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, 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."[5]
Talos soon found himself at the wedding of Rick Jones and Marlo Chandler, courtesy of the Impossible Man.[6] He found himself confronted by the 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.[7]
Talos was called to the planet Godthab Omega by Glorian where he ended up battling Devos the Devastator.[8] They were both captured and imprisoned when the planet suddenly came under attack by the Annihilation Wave allowing the two to escape.[9] Talos soon ran into Ronan the Accuser, whom he hated for being a Kree, but was forced to heed his warning about leaving the planet.[10]
Talos 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" due to him not having the ability to shapeshift. Though Chancellor Kal'Dul didn't lose the hope of Talos's possible participation.[11]
Talos became a member of the United Front to fight the Annihilation Wave.[12]
Talos next showed up at Howard the Duck'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.[13] 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 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.[14]
In the aftermath of the "Empyre" storyline, Emperor Hulkling dispatched Talos 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's 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.[15]
Unlike his Skrull brethren, Talos is incapable of shapeshifting and has been branded as having a genetic defect by his people.[1][11] 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 biological eye in combat.[16]
Talos appears in media set in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), portrayed by Ben Mendelsohn. This version is able to shapeshift, has a wife named Soren (portrayed by Sharon Blynn) and a daughter named G'iah (portrayed by Auden L. Ophuls and Harriet L. Ophuls as a child, and by Emilia Clarke as an adult), and is the leader of a faction of Skrull refugees attempting to escape a genocidal war waged by the Kree.
Talos first appears in the film Captain Marvel (2019).[17][18] While seeking refuge from the Kree, Talos and his people received unexpected aid from renegade Kree scientist Mar-Vell 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-powered engine that would have allowed the Skrulls to settle beyond the Kree Empire's reach but 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. Using a mind-probing machine, Talos and the Skrulls discover that Danvers knew Mar-Vell, but before they can learn more, Danvers breaks free and escapes to Earth. Talos and a small group of Skrulls pursue Danvers and take on human disguises, with Talos assuming the role of S.H.I.E.L.D. Director Keller.[19] They eventually find Danvers and Talos arranges a parley to reveal to Danvers and S.H.I.E.L.D. agent Nick Fury 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 appearance as "more laid back, a bit tougher, [and] a little bit nastier" compared to his human persona, Keller (also portrayed by Mendelsohn), 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. [As a human] This guy's got to follow protocol because it's S.H.I.E.L.D." Mendelsohn uses his native Australian accent while portraying Talos in his Skrull form and an American accent while he is posing as Keller, which Mendelsohn compared to that of American politician Donald Rumsfeld. 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.[19] 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."[20]Polygon noted that the film explores how war is able to corrupt people on all sides, and that a lot of the character arc for Talos involves this motif.[21]Den of Geek! considered Mendelsohn's portrayal of Talos a highlight of the film.[22]
In the Disney+ television series Secret Invasion,[24] Talos and Fury combat a rogue Skrull group led by Gravik who plots to orchestrate a nuclear war amongst humanity and manipulated G'iah into joining his side, until Talos is killed by Gravik. G'iah recovers his body, lays him to rest in a private funeral with help from Fury's wife Varra, and later avenges his death by killing Gravik in a duel.
^ abRonald Byrd, Michael Hoskin, Gabriel Shechter, John Rhett Thomas, Stuart Vandal, Jeph York (w). Skrulls!, vol. 1, no. 1 (July 23, 2008). Marvel Comics.
