Modern adaptation of the Minoan-Mycenaean figure of Talos

There have been numerous modern adaptations of the Minoan-Mycenaean figure of Talos, a gigantic man of bronze in Crete, which figures in some Greek mythology. The grotesquely threatening figure of the colossal man of bronze with a hidden weakness has appealed to the inventors of fantasy fiction and computer games.

Film and TV

*In the original pilot episode of "", "The Cage" (later reworked into the first season episode "The Menagerie"), the planet to which the USS "Enterprise" is lured is called Talos IV (part of a larger "Talos star group"), and its inhabitants are called "Talosians."

*In the season 5 episode of "Babylon 5", "Sleeping in Light," which coincidentally is the "final" episode of the series, originally intended to be the Season 4 finale (series finale before Season 5 was picked up), the EarthForce Destroyer "Talos" is seen at stationkeeping outside the Babylon 5 station when Ranger One, former Earth Alliance President John Sheridan visits the station on his "Sunday Drive," before his rendezvous with Lorien and the First Ones at Coriana Six, the location of the final battle of the Shadow War.

*The 1963 film "Jason and the Argonauts" features a detailed stop motion animation sequence of Talos as a bronze giant in battle with the Argonauts, animated by Ray Harryhausen.

*On the Disney animated series "Gargoyles", in the second season episode "The New Olympians", modern-day descendants of prominent Greek mythical figures set up sanctuary on a remote island. Among them is Talos, or rather a new version of Talos, depicted as a hulking bronze centurion with glowing red eyes inside a faceless helm. The new Talos obviously has upgrades that the elder Talos would have lacked, as seen in one sequence when he threatens Proteus with some sort of laser cannon built into the top of his arm.

*The story of Talos may also have inspired the origin of the Japanese anime robot Mazinger Z.

*In the animated television series "Mummies Alive!", Talos is a sentient bronze statue created by the main antagonist, Scarab. Talos has several abilities such as growing to a height of over 90 feet, using his body to reflect light to cause a blinding flash, and absorbing various types of metal to make himself stronger and taller. He is considered one of the single most powerful characters in the series.

*In the children's action/adventure television show, "Class of the Titans", the main villain reawakens Talos, casting a protection spell over his ankle bolt to keep it from being removed. Three of the seven heroes come up with a plan and manage to knock Talos into the island volcano.

*In "Stargate Atlantis", One of the Asurans is named Talus; a name that is suiting, since Humanoid Replicators, including the Asurans, are Automatons themselves, like the Talos of Greek Mythology.

*The final episodes of the Japanese tokusatsu series "Kyoryu Sentai Zyuranger" featured a gigantic knight robot called Dora Talos. The robot is carried into the english adaption of Mighty Morphin Power Rangers as Cyclopsis.

*In the "Justice League" episode "Paradise Lost", Wonder Woman battles a giant bronze automaton which is guarding an ancient relic. She defeats it by smashing its leg and punching its head off.

*In the early nineties animated series "X-Men", the episode "Weapon X, Lies, and Videotape" features a metallic robot called Talos. It's silver, but metallic and has the achilles heel under his armor.

Literature

*In Book Five of Edmund Spenser's allegorical poem the Faerie Queene, Talus (now made of iron) appears as the law-enforcement sidekick of Artegal, the Knight of Justice.

*In the novel "All the King's Men" by Robert Penn Warren, the author originally chose the surname Talos for the character eventually renamed Willie Stark, a Southern governor. The name was intended to highlight the character's protective and yet parasitic relationship with the poor rural 'hicks' who made up his constituency. On the advice of his editor, Warren changed the surname to sound more stereotypically Anglo-American, but a restored version of the novel edited by literary critic Noel Polk and released in 2001 reverted to the original surname of Talos.

*In Valerio Massimo Manfredi's novel "Spartan", Talos is the name given to the crippled Spartan child who was exposed in the Taygetus mountains by his father due to Spartan law decreeing all newborns who were weak or disabled be abandoned in the nearby mountain range. When the baby is found by the elderly Helot shepherd he is named after the mythical bronze giant Talos who was said to have his weakness in his right leg. The child's deformity laid within his right leg and hence he was given the name Talos. In addition the name would remind the young boy of his disability in future in order to further compel him to strengthen himself.

*"Talos of the Wilderness Sea" is a comic by Gil Kane and Jan Strnad.

*In the "Book of the Long Sun" novels written by Gene Wolfe, a talos (as talus) is a simple-minded chemical automaton made from bronze utilising tracks for movement. They were part of the ship's complement of chemical crew that were used to protect areas of the asteroid that the colonists (cargo) inhabited. Some of them were reprogrammed for personal use and protection by the inhabitants and the gods of Mainframe. A more intelligent creation, "Doctor" Talos, is a supporting character in Gene Wolfe's "Book of the New Sun".

* In Percy Jackson and the Titan's Curse, an earlier version of Talos is found in the god's junkyard, which Annabeth describes as "defective". When Bianca steals a figurine from the junkyard, the statue attacks, but she is able to defeat it by climbing into an access panel under its foot, and destroy it from the inside. Unfortuneately, she loses her life in the process.

Games

*In the computer game "Dark Quest IX", level 14, "Danger in Hades", Talos is a huge monster who the player must defeat with Infernal Fire Bolts and Inferno Blasters to pass to the next level, "Trouble in Dis".

*In the tabletop wargame "Warhammer 40,000" the Talos is an automaton in the form of a scorpion. It is used as a torture device by the Dark Eldar.

*In "Dragon Quest VIII", Talos is the name of a monster that can be captured and placed on a monster team. He looks like the traditional "Dragon Quest" stone statue, a clear reference to this mythical figure.

*Talos is a "triple iron golem" serving the archdevil Dispater in the "Dungeons & Dragons" roleplaying game. Talos is also the name of an evil god of thunder and destruction in the game's "Forgotten Realms" campaign setting.

*In "The Elder Scrolls" series, the first emperor of the Cyrodiilic Empire (Tiber Septim) was named Talos at one point. He also used an automaton by the name of Numidium. He would later become one of the Nine Divines.

*Talos is a boss monster in "Shining Force II", mistakenly named "Taros", a good example of Engrish. On the combat screen, Talos appears as two legs and a sword moving up and down, because it's too tall to all show.

*In Castlevania: Harmony of Dissonance Talos appears right at the beginning where Juste has to outrun him until he gets to the castle bridge, which Talos falls through. Talos appears later in the underground caverns as a Boss. The only way he can be hurt is to attack his ankle, which apparently was broken in the fall.

*In the videogame "" Talos is an automaton sent by the Roman army to destroy the walls of Sparta. The player must defeat him through use of catapults.

*In the MMORPG "City of Heroes", Talos was a giant superhero looking something like a minotaur who perished fighting huge monster, which tore cracks in the earth and created an island. A great statue of the hero was erected near there, and the island was named 'Talos Island' in his honor.

*In " Age of Mythology" the mythical unit, Colossus, resembles Talos from "Jason and the Argonauts" - although the unit can be killed like any other in the game. It can also be upgraded from Bronze to Silver and then again to Gold.

*In " Brigandine", a level 30 Golem unit changes into a Talos, an upgrade from the Bronze Golem.

*In the game Knight Online talos is a very high level boss thats on the big 4 top bosses in the game.

*In the video game , the final boss is a bio-organic weapon known as T-A.L.O.S. Initials stand for Tyrant (in reference to the T-Virus) - Armoured. Lethal. Organic. System.

Other

*The UN commercial embargo against General Raoul Cedras of Haiti was named Operation TALOS.

*The Bendix RIM-8 Talos was a long-range naval surface-to-air missile, and was among the earliest surface-to-air missiles to equip United States Navy ships.

*Talos (as Talus) is in the "Monster in My Pocket" series. He bears a strong resemblance to the likeness in "Jason and the Argonauts".

Notes