Graviton (Marvel Cinematic Universe)


 *  NOTE: This article is about the incarnation of Glenn Talbot from the Marvel Cinematic film series. The mainstream version can be found here: Glenn Talbot. 


 *  NOTE: This article is about the incarnation of Graviton from the Marvel Cinematic film series. The mainstream version can be found here: Graviton. 

"I'm Earth's last hope, Phil. Its true protector. The one who can save us all. Now either you accept that... or suffer the consequences. Kneel."

- Glenn Talbot fully losing his sanity.

"Well, now, I'll just break you in half."

- Talbot's last words, before being flung into space by Daisy.

Glenn Talbot is a major recurring character in the TV series Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., set in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. He appears as a minor antagonist in Season 1, a supporting antagonist in the first half of Season 2, and then serves as a supporting protagonist for the rest of Seasons 2, 3 and 4, before becoming the main antagonist in the second half of Season 5 as Graviton.

He is a former U.S. Air Force General and ally of S.H.I.E.L.D. before absorbing the Gravitonium to gain the power over gravity but also notably losing his sanity, believing that he can save the Earth from any threat no matter who he kills and turns against. However, he was later defeated by a Centipede-powered Daisy Johnson where he was flung into space, dying from loss of oxygen.

He is portrayed by Adrian Pasdar, who also portrayed Morgan Edge in Supergirl (2015).

Absorbing Gravitonium
After the Lighthouse was under attack from aliens sent by an intergalactic alliance known as the Confederacy, Talbot, feeling responsible for attacking the agents when General Hale and Ruby Hale brainwashed him, decided to try and make things right. After Yo-Yo and Jemma escorted him through the base, he turned against them by icing them before stepping into the element infusing chamber and absorbing 100% of the Gravitonium. After stepping out, he uses his newfound powers and quickly tears through the aliens before levitating with Coulson out of the base.

Becoming Graviton
After reaching the Confederacy ship, they are threatened by the captain, Qovas about boarding his ship without their consent. After demonstrating his powers by crushing one of the aliens, he claims the ship as his own. Talbot meets with the other leaders of the Confederacy and is told by the Kree, Taryan, who was also Kasius' father, that Earth was on course for an invasion from the Mad Titan Thanos. He then learns that he must dig deep within the Earth to become more powerful enough to face off against any threat to humanity. Talbot is intoxicated by the idea of being Earth's last hope and when Coulson warns him of Kasius' father, he doesn't listen. He forces Coulson to kneel and comply by using his powers to make him literally kneel before him after he questions his motive. When Agent May and Quake arrive to rescue them, Talbot immediately blames Coulson and believes he sent a distress call. After they arrive, Talbot threatens to kill Coulson and does not trust Quake for any reason. Hale tries to stop him by reactivating his HYDRA brainwashing, but Talbot shrugs it off and kills her instantly. He then subdues Quake and later May by threatening to kill Coulson. He then has them locked up and gives Quake to Taryan.

Gaining More Power
Desiring to find more Gravitonium to empower himself, Talbot returned to Earth using his powers on a Quinjet and sought out Carl Creel in hospital. Convincing him to hand over the Gravitonium he absorbed, Talbot started consuming Creel (who had temporarily mimicked the element), and eventually killing him. Still wanting to prove himself to his son, Talbot returned to his family home and showed off his powers to George. His wife, concerned with his sanity, contacted S.H.I.E.L.D., and when Talbot found out, he then attempted to absorb her. But, as S.H.I.E.L.D. arrived, he freed her and engaged them outside. As he proved too powerful for them to handle, his son confronted him and told him he was a villain, not a hero. Not seeing it that, Talbot flew off to gain more power.

Knowing that there is more Gravitonium buried in the Earth, Talbot kidnapped precognitive Inhuman Robin Hinton and her mother Polly, and forced the former to tell him where he can find it, which was underneath Chicago. Talbot arrived there and began tearing up the streets to reach it.

Final Battle and Death
Just before ripping the Earth open to extract the planet's Gravitonium, Graviton is confronted by Daisy Johnson, also known as Quake, who attempts to appeal to his patriotism and convince him to stop before it is too late. Refusing her advice, Graviton and Quake do battle, causing massive damage to the surrounding city. Graviton attempts to absorb Quake's body into his Gravitonium but at the last second, Quake injects herself with a modified Centipede serum, temporarily boosting her abilities. With her newly increased power, Quake launches Graviton upward with such force that he reaches escape velocity and is exposed to the vacuum of space, where he quickly perishes.

Personality
Prior to becoming Graviton, Talbot was an extremely strong-willed man. He is often quick to form judgements and opinions on situations and it is almost impossible to get him to change his mind. Although he can be quick tempered, Talbot is very brave, often risking his life for others and putting himself into dangerous situations, as when he fought Carl Creel single-handedly and stepped out unarmed into the Providence base to question Phil Coulson. However, it is possible that he still deeply cares for his family and will often put their well-being ahead of his own.

However, following him absorbing 100% of the Gravitonium and gaining powers, Talbot's sanity began to deteriorate as he became ruthless, delusional, sadistic, paranoid and murderous as he came to believe that he was Earth's last hope against any hero, including the Avengers, can handle, including Thanos. When Coulson, Daisy and May began to question his agenda and motives, Talbot's unstable paranoia has pushed him to the point of believing that they were intending on betraying him. Talbot became more blinded by the belief that everyone he trusted was betraying him that he tried to murder his own wife in front of his son.

Talbot refused to take responsibility for his actions, especially during his final fight with Quake as when he was destroying Chicago, he protested that they were casualties of war. He also displayed his hypocrisy when he ruthlessly killed Creel by transforming him into Gravitonium and consuming him just so he could gain more power. He even stopped believing in the military system that he enlisted into years before. Overall, these traits forced Quake to realized that Talbot was beyond reasoning with and needed to be defeated immediately.

Trivia

 * After his debut episode, it was widely assumed that Franklin Hall would become Graviton like his comic book counterpart and return as a major villain. These assumptions were ended after Glenn first gained his powers and became a villain much like his comic book counterpart.
 * This is the second MCU version of Glenn Talbot as he previously appeared in the non-canon video game adaption of the 2008 movie, The Incredible Hulk.
 * Though he has become the villain, Graviton, he hasn't used the moniker for the show, though we did a visual name-drop through a shot of a crate labelled "gravitonium" with the last three letters covered up by Ramorath blood splatter.
 * Due to being the one responsible for the Earth's destruction in an erased future, Talbot is considered as the Bigger Bad in the first half of Season 5.
 * Graviton is one of the few main antagonists who were killed by one of the protagonists other than Phil Coulson, including Hive (Lincoln Campbell), Eli Morrow (Ghost Rider) and Kasius (Alphonso Mackenzie).
 * While Graviton was indeed effectively killed by Quake in the Season 5 finale, co-showrunner Jed Whedon stated that he may possibly not be dead and could return in the future.