History
Origin
William Cobb, better known as The Talon, is a member of the loyal group of lethal assassins known as The Talons who serve and protect the Court of Owls, a secret organization that is centuries old with immense power and influence embedded into the very architecture and history of Gotham City. The only known information about William Cobb is that he is the current Talon being used by the Court of Owls.
The Current Talon
Shortly after receiving a threat on his life, after discovering a murder victim killed with multiple antique throwing knives marked with an owl symbol, Bruce Wayne dismisses the possibility that the fabled Court of Owls exists, not thinking of it as much of the threat. He refuses to entertain the notion that there is some ancient organization pulling the strings in Gotham, as he believes no one knows the city better than he does. However, during a meeting Bruce has with Gotham mayoral candidate Lincoln March, he is warned by Lincoln that an ancient evil has come back to Gotham, awakened by the ambitious new plans for the city that Bruce has been promoting. Almost immediately, Talon bursts from an elevator, leaving two deceased security guards in his wake. After plunging a knife into Lincoln's chest, Talon attacks Bruce. Talon manages to stab Bruce multiple times, and despite eventually getting his arm around Talon's neck, Bruce is unable to choke the assassin, despite applying more than enough force. Bruce is stunned from the thought that Talon will not go down, even after he applies more than ten times the force required to crush a human windpipe. Talon throws Bruce out the window of Old Wayne Tower, and jumps after him, claiming that he "loves killing Waynes". Bruce manages to catch a gargoyle on his way down, shaking off Talon who hits the street below. EMT's pick up the seemingly dead body, but a short time later, Talon's body comes back to life, killing the people, disposing of his body into a morgue and further reinforcing the notion that Talon is immortal.
Later, as Batman, Bruce seeks answers as to how Talon found his way into Old Wayne Tower. Accosting a group of Ukrainian criminals called the "Whisper Gang" in the subway, he beats them all up and demands to know how Talon entered the Tower, as the section of the rail lines that they controlled was the only possible secret route into the building. After an altercation with half a dozen other members, The Whisper Gang member remaining in Batman's presence cannot give Bruce any answer as to how anyone could have entered the tower. After narrowly escaping from a trap in one of the Court's ancient bases, Bruce exhumes the body of his ancestor Alan Wayne. Alan was deathly afraid of owls in the last years of his life, many people considered him paranoid. He was suspected to have been killed by the Court of Owls as he had ranted about owls hunting him in the days leading up to his death. However, no one believed him at the time, dismissing his fears as the effects of senility. As Batman, he enters the sewer system to investigate the spot where Alan's body was found, and while his back is turned Talon suddenly appears and pounces.
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.
Powers and Abilities
- Cell Regeneration
Equipment
Weapons
- Coming Soon
Notes
- Nightwing #8 reveals that The Talon who has been fighting Batman during the Batman (Volume 2) Story Arc "The Court of Owls" is actually named William Cobb.