The Talons are a cult of bodyguards and assassins for the Court of Owls secret society.
History[]
Origin[]
Throughout the Court of Owls' existence there has always been the Talons sect, a loyal group of lethal assassins that serve The Court. They are sent out when The Court of Owls feels that their existence or goals are being threatened. The Talons are first mentioned in the old Gotham City nursery rhyme story about the Court of Owls; in this old story a figure is simply known as Talon. There have been many different Talons throughout the existence of the Court of Owls, but it is not known exactly who these assassins are- only that they are known by one name: The Talon.
Battle in The Labyrinth[]
Talon holds Bruce captive in a giant maze constructed by the Court for over a week, during which time Bruce had no food but only a constant supply of drugged water from a fountain, which causes him to have vivid, disturbing hallucinations. He desperately tries to find a way out of the maze while Talon watches him from the shadows. Upon finding a weak tile on the floor, he rips it out and enters a room filled with pictures of Batman. He screams "I'm not listening! I'm not listening to you!" while Talon slowly walks up to him and impales him from behind with a sword. While the battered and bleeding Bruce crawls across the floor of the labyrinth, Talon looks up to the Court and asks them how they wish to see Batman die. The youngest member tells Talon "Hurt him......more", so the assassin proceeds to thrash Bruce, finally kicking him through a wall and leaving him for the Court to tear apart. Weakened and close to succumbing, Bruce contemplates surrendering to his fate and meeting his end at the hands of the Court. Then he spots a broken portrait of his ancestor Alan Wayne. The terror in Alan's expression fills Bruce with a potent burst of rage and anger, and he pounces back on his feet. Talon is amused by his defiance and walks up to end him, but Bruce charges at him and violently beats him around the labyrinth. After beating him unconscious, Bruce uses the potassium chlorate in a nearby camera to trigger an explosion that drops him into the river as an escape route.The members of the Court walk up to Talon's unconscious form and one of their leaders (an elderly woman) decides to have him disposed of since it's unlikely he would recover psychologically from the beating he received at Batman's hands. She then turns to the room filled with caskets, all filled with Talons, and gives the order to wake them all up for the war against Batman.
Talon leaders[]
1600s Talon[]
The oldest surviving Talon is Uriah Boone.
1666 Talon[]
- See: Ephraim Newhouse
1840s Talon[]
- See: Henry Ballard
1850s Talon[]
- See: Alexander Staunton
1940s Talon[]
- See: Mary Turner
1950s Talon[]
- See: Alton Carver
1980s Talon[]
- See: Xiao Loong
1990s Talon[]
- See: William Cobb
Current Talon[]
- See: Calvin Rose
Background Information and Notes[]
Scott Snyder created the Talons and Greg Capollo designed their gear. They serve the same function as the League of Assassins do to the Brotherhood of the Demon, but are based locally in Gotham rather than abroad.