BLACK TALON
Real Name: Pascal Horta
Identity/Class: Enhanced human
Occupation: Criminal
mastermind and Nazi sympathizer (WWII era);
Group Membership: Leader of a small a criminal empire
Affiliations: Dr. Steiner, Strangler Burns, Baron Boche (Nazi agent), Black Talon's gang (Monk, Red, Slugger & Spider), possibly the Black Toad
Enemies: Captain America, Bucky, the Human Torch (Jim Hammond), Dr. Martin Livingstone, Dora Livingstone, the Young Allies
Known Relatives: None
Aliases: Captain Weatherbee (disguise)
Base
of Operations: Underground
lair beneath the streets of New York City, USA;
First Appearance: Captain America Comics#9/5 (December, 1941)
Powers/Abilities: His right hand once belonged to a psychotic murderous man called Strangler Burns. Over time, the blood from his new hand began to mix with his own, driving him mad and giving him murderous thoughts. His new hand gave him an unknown level of superhuman strength and also seemed to have a mind of his own in which he could not control it (indicating a possible possession by Strangler Burns spirit upon his death.) He was a gifted artist with a near genius intellect. Although he had no formal training in combat, he was a savage fighter and was able to hold his own against both Captain America and Bucky, and knew how to wield a gun. He also had a number of giant pets of unknown origin that he used as traps to deal with intruders. Among them were a giant spider named Teena and a giant octopus.
History:
(Captain America Comics#9/5 (fb) - BTS) - Pascal Horta was once was a talented painter whose art was featured in every important gallery across the world. On the verge of becoming the greatest modern day painter, he tragically lost the use of his right hand which was crushed in an automobile accident. His old friend and personal physician, Dr. Steiner convinced him that he could have the ability to once again paint his masterpieces by amputating the useless limb and grafting a new one from a donor. Reluctantly, he agreed to the operation and was given a new hand that had belonged to Strangler Burns, a murderer who, as final decent gesture before he was scheduled for execution by electric chair, provided the doctor to use. The operation was a total success and Horta was able to once again began to paint but the blood from his new “black” hand began to mix with his own and slowly his mind took on his donor’s personality, driving him completely mad. Unable to control his now murderous impulses, he renamed himself the Black Talon and hired a gang of ruthless criminals before setting out to kill off rival artists and paint their gruesome deaths on canvas.
(Captain America Comics#9/5) - After murdering one of his rivals, the Black Talon was confronted by Captain America and Bucky who heard the death screams coming from the building he was in. The Black Talon ambushed the two heroes, nearly strangling them, and made his escape as the police started to arrive. Later that night, the Black Talon, now at his home along with his gang of thugs, was besieged by Captain America and Bucky. He and his men savagely attacked and managed to capture the two heroes and tied them up. The Black Talon, while in the process of painting their upcoming deaths, revealed his origin to the two captives. Captain America, escaping his ropes, quickly surprised the Black Talon and during a brief struggle punched him through a nearby window. While tumbling out the window, the Black Talon was lucky enough to land in a nearby tree whose branches broke the fall and he decided to escape, vowing to one day get even with Captain America.
(Young Allies#2) - Deep underground, below the streets of New York, the Black Talon met with the Nazi spy chief, Baron Boche, and agreed to aid the Nazi in his attempt to conquer the USA and aid Germany to take its natural resources for their war efforts. Learning that the American explorer, Dr. Martin Livingstone, had been sent to discover new lands, he decided to send his men after his daughter in the hope of learning about the explorer's discoveries. He learnt that her father had discovered a new island and with his gang set out to abduct her to obtain information on where this "New America" was located. In the process of grabbing Dora Livingstone, the Black Talon and his men were attacked by the Young Allies who rescued her. The Black Talon later pulled up alongside her in a car and grabbed her once more, pulling her inside, but again the Young Allies appeared and rescued her. Frustrated, he opted to use the sewer tunnels and broke into her house. Gaining entrance, the Black Talon managed once again to abduct the girl but, just like before, the Young Allies quickly chased after him. Knowing this would happen, the Black Talon set up a series of traps to deal with the young heroes such as a watery whirlpool of death and a giant pet spider named Teena, but these were unsuccessful and again Dora was rescued. The next day, the Black Talon tried to capture Dora as she embarked on a ship to find her father according to the latitude and longitude reading he had sent her. Again, the villain was unsuccessful as the Young Allies helped her to escape. Now disguising himself as Captain Weatherbee, he offered his services to command the ship for Dora Livingstone alongside her new crew, the Young Allies, in sailing to the island of New America deep within the Sargasso Sea.
Nearing the island, he secretly sent a telegraph to Baron Boche who sent out his own expedition to follow their coordinates. His actions were discovered by Jeff, one of the Young Allies, but he quickly escaped and disguised himself once again. The ship suddenly hit turbulent water and the passengers and crew were washed ashore on the mysterious island called New America without Toro, who had been knocked overboard and thought dead. As the Young Allies began to set up a camp on the beach, the Black Talon ran off into the jungle and met up with a village of strange-looking savages who he then convinced to hunt down and capture the Young Allies. He then ran off to send a message to his Nazi ally and prepared for his arrival. The Young Allies soon escaped capture from the natives and he tried to trick them by creating a ghostly trap, later luring them into a strange pyramid, sealing them inside before making off with Dora Livingstone. He returned to the beach and met with Baron Boche who, along with a large armed force of men, guns, tanks and several planes, awaited him. After escaping the pyramid, the Young Allies, along with the newly discovered and previously missing Dr. Martin Livingstone, attacked the Nazi base camp in order to rescue Dora. However, the Young Allies were soon captured by the overwhelming forces in the Nazi camp. The Young Allies later escaped confinement and destroyed the Nazi invaders by sabotaging their tanks and munitions. Nevertheless, the Black Talon escaped by plane and traveled back to the USA. Once back in America, he shot down the plane used by the Young Allies and lured them into a trap after they crash landed. He captured Dr. Martin Livingstone and his daughter at gunpoint as a giant octopus attacked the Young Allies and then made off with them to his underground base. The Young Allies once again escaped and Toro left to summon Captain America and the Human Torch to help them fight the Black Talon. In his hideout, the Black Talon tried to extract the longitude and latitude coordinates of New America from Dr. Livingstone by threatening to pour molten lava on his daughter. As the information was just about to be revealed, he and his gang were attacked by the combined forces of the Young Allies, Captain America and the Human Torch who made short work of his men. The Black Talon was knocked unconscious by a simultaneous punch to the face from Captain America and the Human Torch. He was presumably taken away to jail soon after.
(Captain America Comics#18) - Disguised as Professor Wemblem, the Black Talon led an expediton to Egypt to find a priceless shard of heiroglyphs. Cap and Bucky acted as his assistants. He led them into a trap and sent a force of demons, vampires and other monsters from a tomb to attack the heroes. These creatures were summoned by his secret partner, the Black Toad, and both villians began to gain the upperhand on the surprised heroes. **This turned out only to have been Captain America's dream and may not really have happened.**
Comments: Created by Otto Binder (writer), Jack Kirby (pencils), Syd Shores (inks).
Baron Boche's real name was revealed in Marvel Atlas#1. Black Talon's gang members Red & Slugger were named in Black Talon's entry in Captain America: America's Avenger (2011).
Profile by AvatarWarlord72.
CLARIFICATIONS
:
Black Talon has no known connections to:
Dr. Steiner was an old friend of Pascal Horta. After revealing to his friend that his crushed hand would have to be amputated, he convinced Pascal Horta to undergo an experimental procedure involving grafting a new hand to his useless limb. Using the hand from a condemned African called Strangler Burns, he successfully completed the operation. Steiner warned Pascal Horta that there might be unforeseen complications as the blood from his new hand may mingle with his own and asked him to report anything unusual that occurred with regard to his new hand.
--Captain America Comics#9/5
Strangler Burns was huge and vicious African man condemned to die in the electric chair for committing untold acts of murder. As a final act of goodness to make peace with himself, he agreed to donate his right hand to Dr. Steiner to be used and grafted onto Pascal Horta’s useless limb. His subsequent execution was never seen but he was likely put to death shortly after the operation. His donated hand's blood later mingled with Pascal Horta and the artist began to turn mad and act like the vicious killer.
--Captain America Comics#9/5
Baron Boche (Ulbrecht Arzt) was a Nazi spy master in America and approached the Black Talon to join forces with him to help conquer the United States and aid Germany with stealing the nation’s natural resources. The Black Talon accepted the Baron's offer of untold wealth and power. He was later sent a message to follow his ship to the newly discovered island called New America and, along with a large military force consisting of soldiers, tanks, munitions and a few cargo planes, he landed on the island’s beach and set up camp. Later, after capturing the Young Allies alongside the Black Talon, he began to interrogate Dr. Martin Livingstone. The Young Allies escaped their confinement and sabotaged his tanks which crashed into the munitions shed and detonated the explosives held inside. Baron Boche and his soldiers presumably perished in the explosion.
Boche was a derogatory slang term in French and applied as a slur to German soldiers in WWI---Grendel Prime
--Young Allies#2
The Black Talon employed a number of hired goons to help carry out his nefarious plans and used them to help murder his enemies. They later assisted him in abducting Dora Livingstone. Four gang members were named: Monk, Red, Slugger & Spider, although many were seen but not named in the stories. All of them were eventually captured by the Young Allies, Captain America and the Human Torch and taken into custody alongside the Black Talon.
--Captain America Comics#9/5 (Young Allies#2
Teena was a giant pet spider that the Black Talon had somehow acquired or created and which he used trap the Young Allies as they were trying to rescue Dora Livingstone deep under the streets of New York City near his secret base. The Young Allies were able to push the giant spider off a ledge into a chasm and it apparently perished during its descent.
--Young Allies#2
images:
(without ads)
Captain America Comics#9/5, p1, panel 1 (Black Talon main)
Young Allies#2, p16, panel 3 (Black Talon with gun)
Captain America Comics#9/5, p45, panel 5 (Dr. Steiner)
Captain America Comics#9/5, p45, panel 6 (Strangler Burns)
Young Allies#2, p2, panel 2 (Baron Boche)
Young Allies#2, p9, panel 7 (gang)
Young Allies#2, p25, panel 3 (Teena)
Appearances:
Captain America Comics#9/5 (December, 1941) - Otto Binder (writer), Jack
Kirby
(pencils), Syd Shores (inks), Stan Lee (editor)
Young Allies#2 (Winter, 1941) - Stan Lee (writer/editor), Al Gabriele
(pencils), George Klein (inks)
Captain America Comics#18 (September, 1942) - Otto Binder (writer), Al Avison (artist), Stan Lee (editor)
Last updated: 05/22/12
Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.
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