Origin
A Creole named Samuel Barone assumed the identity of the Black Talon from a false voodoo priest named Desmond Drew. Unlike Drew, Barone was a true voodoo priest and possessed genuine supernatural abilities.
Creation
Black Talon was created by Gerry Conway and Jack Kirby and first appeared in The Avengers #152/
Major Story Arcs
He would resurrected Wonder Man as a zombie at the request of the Grim Reaper and send him to battle the Avengers. Wonder Man was subdued by his teammates and the Scarlet Witch discovered that Simon became a zuvembie in New Orleans, Louisiana. The Avengers arrived at the French Quarters and found a cult member who revealed the Black Talon’s location in Le Mort Bayou. The Avengers fought the Black Talon and his army of zombies. Black Talon summoned the spirits of the Loa and the serpent-god, Damballah for additional power. Scarlet Witch would exorcise the dark demon with her powers and use her hex magic to bombard Black Talon with wood stumps and tree branches. Black Talon is defeated and his servants abandon him.
The Grim Reaper would recruit Black Talon into the Lethal Legion but Barone and his Afro-American teammate, Man-Ape endured racial comments and abuse by their leader. Grim Reaper assigned Black Talon to create a zombie that resembled his brother Simon before he became Wonder Man. Black Talon would order a horde of zombies to attack the Vision and Scarlet Witch at their home. Vision was incapacitated when the arcane energy from a zombie surged through the synthezoid’s body as he tried to phase through the undead. Scarlet Witch was overwhelmed and taken to Black Talon and Nekra. However the Grim Reaper wanted the body of the Vision so he could transfer his mind into the zombie that resembled his brother Simon. Talon tied up the Scarlet Witch and used the devil’s dreamweed to put her to sleep. Talon knew that the Vision would eventually arrive for his wife so he performed a voodoo ceremony in a nearby cemetery to raise the undead for more protection. Black Talon wanted Nekra to be his voodoo queen but she refused since her love for the Grim Reaper was too strong. Vision found his wife after a zombie had led him to her. The two Avengers fought the Grim Reaper, Nekra, Black Talon and his zombies but Vision ceased his attack after his wife had fallen in the battle. The Legion left with the Simon zombie while Vision attended to his wife. The Vision and members of the West Coast Avengers were captured by Ultron Twelve. The Grim Reaper held them captive as he revealed his plans to recreate his brother. Mockingbird would find her friends and release them from their energy cells. During the fight, Man-Ape, Black Talon and his zombies abandoned the Grim Reaper when he needed them the most.
Ironically he would later team with Nekra and raise Grim Reaper as a zombie as well.
Black Talon is later seen at the AIM Weapons Expo on an island protected by international law. Captain America, Diamondback and Falcon disguise themselves as Crossbones, Mother Night and Jack O Lantern so they can infiltrate this expo in hopes of getting information on a criminal named Snapdragon. Batroc the Leaper arranged some pre-expo entertainment by testing the prowess of Crossbones who was actually Captain America in disguise. Black Talon is one of over a hundred super-foes in attendance. Batroc reveals to everyone that Crossbones was really Captain America and offered fifty thousand to the person that brings him down. All the hardened criminals including Black Talon rush the ring for a shot at the super soldier and a nice payout. Captain America is assisted by Falcon and Shang Chi so numerous felons including the Black Talon are taken down during this operation.
When a zombie named Joe Decosta killed a man that ruined him financially years prior, it came to the attention of Jennifer Walters and her friend Louise Mason. After Decosta exacted his revenge, the walking corpse turned himself in and District Attorney Tower wanted the two ladies to get more information on voodoo and zombies. Mason found an expert named Samuel Barone who was based in New Orleans. The two ladies paid a visit to Barone and asked him for his aid in the case involving Decosta. Barone and his powerful assistant Garth escorted the ladies to Decosta’s tomb located in a high rise cemetery. Garth removed the tomb lid and Barone only discovered a necklace of bitter herds and chicken bones inside the coffin. This necklace was suppose to restrain the zombie but Barone flung the necklace onto the She-Hulk and she was placed under his control. Garth restrained Mason while Barone revealed himself as the Black Talon. Barone had arrange a shipment of four lifeless cadavers to New Orleans and the final shipment was in a packing case inside a ship’s vessel. Barone ordered the She-Hulk to open the sealed hold and remove the coffin inside a crate marked perishable. They took the coffin to a secret location with four prepared graves and Walters placed the final coffin into the ground below. Barone ordered She-Hulk and Garth to push back the displaced soil and cover up the graves. During this process, a twig sticking out of the ground snagged onto the voodoo necklace causing it to snap off Walters. She-Hulk grabbed Talon but Garth punched the green beauty away. Black Talon ran off to complete his ritual and threw some sacred jamba sticks into the earth. The ground began to tremble and the Black Talon revealed the culmination of a year’s work. Emerging from their sacred graves was four undead mutants, Jack Winter, the Changeling, Harry Leland and Scaleface whom Black Talon called the unliving X-Humed.
Black Talon ordered his undead mutants to attack She-Hulk but she smashed Scaleface into lizard goop and threw the Changeling into his zombie teammates. Black Talon and the X-Humed sped off in a hearse while Walters freed her friend. Two cops saw the hearse drive by when one officer saw the king, Elvis inside. The officer wanted to get his autograph and started to chase the hearse. Walters and Mason heard about the chase on a police radio and caught up to Black Talon. She-Hulk raced in front of the hearse with their flying car and flipped a u-turn. She turned on her headlights which blinded the driver, causing the hearse to veer off the road. Black Talon crashed through the windshield and She-Hulk discovered that the Changeling tipped off the cops by impersonating Elvis. Black Talon couldn’t control all four mutants at once and the Changeling wanted to be free since he tried to do his best to clean his slate before his actually death. The undead mutants were placed back into the ground to rest in peace and the Black Talon was taken away by the cops.
A demon war would take place between Mephisto and his son, Blackheart over the soul of Wonder Man. The Black Talon is aware of this demonic clash and decides to join this war. Black Talon performs a ceremonial ritual called the daughter’s dance to summon the spirit of Lotus. She tells Barone that her master Mephisto is calling us and the Black Talon decides to join his forces. Black Talon recruits Man-Ape and Goliath to join his cause. Black Talon also asked Baron Zemo, the Enchantress and the Executioner to join forces as the new Masters of Evil. They attacked Wonder Man and Beast but the Enchantress, Zemo and Executioner turned out to be elaborate illusions created by Mephisto. Black Talon would teleport Wonder Man and Beast to Mephisto’s realm. Blackheart and the Grim Reaper would appear in Mephisto’s lair and war breaks loose over the soul of Wonder Man. Simon was able to tap the full depths of his power and began to turn the tide of battle against Mephisto. The Lord of Lies offered Lotus as a sacrifice to Black Talon so he would be granted more power. Black Talon kills Lotus with his claws and begins to manifest demonic snakes to attack Wonder Man. However the magical upgrade was no match for the Avenger and Black Talon was forced to return Wonder Man and his friends back to the earthly realm.
Black Talon would sense great mystical energy within the resurrected Mercedes Wilson who was the wife of Deadpool. Barone comes to the home of Wade Wilson in Bolivia and commands his zombie army to break through his door. Wilson tells his friend Monty to protect Mercedes and for them to hide inside a metal pod. Barone removes his robe and reveals himself as Black Talon after the merc with a mouth is overwhelmed by the undead. Deadpool finds his chicken head opponent hilarious and breaks down in laughter. Barone was ridiculed so much about his outrageous outfit, even his zombie army began to snicker and chuckle. Mercedes and Monty were discovered by the zombies and taken to the Black Talon. Barone wanted to sacrifice Deadpool during a voodoo ritual and sever his spiritual bond from his wife. Black Talon plunges the ceremonial knife deep into Deadpool’s chest and leaves him for dead. Deadpool’s friend, Monty was pretending to be under the control of the houngan but he was able to distract Black Talon when he said “brains is good food”. Deadpool quickly recovered because of his regenerative abilities and shot Barone in the shoulder. Deadpool broke one of Barone’s ankles and proceeded to break the Black Talon’s wrists. Barone was in so much pain and eventually lost control over his zombies. The undead army crumbles to dust and Black Talon is defeated.
He has been in the Marvel Zombies 4 as a cocaine dealer with zombies working for him. He holds the Zombie Simon Garth and the head of the Deadpool zombie in a dungeon after discovering the mystic necklace worn by Garth. He then offers to sell it to the Hood. He is later under attack by the zombie cloud and has no choice but to team up with Jennifer Kale and combine her magic and his to trap the zombie cloud and trap it into Simon Garth’s body.
Recently he and his zombies was attacking civilians in Time Square, allegedly trying to get attention from the Avengers, so he could try to have his revenge on them, but was killed shortly after by the Punisher, who shot him twice in the chest.
A Council Of Masters
Max Fury, the leader of the Shadow Council has assembled a new Masters of Evil in the sovereign nation of Bagalia where Black Talon is presently a member. Black Talon is present when Max Fury and the Masters of Evil capture John Steele after he attempts to escape Bagalia with the Serpent Crown and the Crown of Thorns.
Powers & Abilities
The Black Talon is a true houngan or voodoo priest with supernatural abilities. His true principal power is the ability to create and telepathically control zombies. Talon usually performs some type of voodoo ritual to raise the dead and these zombies are under his complete control until they are beyond his immediate vicinity. Talon can also project his thoughts to a limited degree and generate illusions.
Paraphernalia & Weapons
The Black Talon will employ various voodoo items against his enemies. Talon uses necklaces made out of bitter herbs and chicken bones to restrain his zombies. These necklaces can be used on living beings which paralyzes the wearer and places them under his control. He currently wears the Amulet of Damballah which grants him various magical abilities and the power to command snakes and other reptiles. Talon completely controls whoever holds the twin Amulet of Damballah to the one he wears. His gloves and boots are equipped with razor sharp talons. Black Talon also carries a knife or bone club as weapons.