Marlowe's crew is supposed to be a highly-trained clandestine organization, with roots stretching back to Elizabeth I and earlier.  Sort of like CIA/MI6 secret intelligence service type ops... so the idea is they have lots of means to confound their enemies like a secret arm of the CIA or MI6 might, for example. Like Cutter says, manipulating their enemies through espionage, deception, fear.  

This is based on real-life clandestine ops, and "the art of deception". Groups like the CIA really used magician's tricks as well as drugs, etc. to trick and frighten their enemies. So - you can assume there's a rational explanation behind these mysteries... e.g., a bulletproof vest, an escape rope/wire, whatever--which looks "magical" but has a rational explanation, just like a magician's trick.

Magic, tricks, deception, illusion, perception vs. reality - these are themes throughout the game.

Amy Hennig said that^

They had to shoot someone with a dart in order to somewhat control them, but it wasn't even perfect. We saw Cutter snap out of it and we also noticed how Drake went mad by it. NONE of that compared to the water that was in the City of Brass/Ubar/Iram of the Pillars. Once drinking from the water, you were seeing things that had a far more impact... Sully dying is a good example. The supposed "Djinns" are also an example of this. Since the organisation focuses on fear and deceit, it is very clear why they would want this power.

Dude!  I swear I was just thinking about that part about ten minutes ago!!  I don't even know why.  I thought it was awesome and so funny--Drake was like, "I can use the stars to guide me" *looks up at the sky and sees a billion stars* "I shoulda joined the Navy...." 

I don't know why that popped into my head but I thought about that and laughed to myself.   And here's the part that seems surreal--I actually thought about bumping this thread and mentioning that part.  I think I've been to critical of the game and I wanted to talk about some of the good parts.  I just got home from work like ten minutes ago, log into VGChartz, and the thread is back and you mentioned exactly waht I wanted to mention!!

I swear, I'm not making any of this up!!

Zombified dude was because of the spiders. They had molested him ;)

Talbots story according to Amy hennig =

Marlowe's crew is supposed to be a highly-trained clandestine organization, with roots stretching back to Elizabeth I and earlier.  Sort of like CIA/MI6 secret intelligence service type ops... so the idea is they have lots of means to confound their enemies like a secret arm of the CIA or MI6 might, for example. Like Cutter says, manipulating their enemies through espionage, deception, fear.  

This is based on real-life clandestine ops, and "the art of deception". Groups like the CIA really used magician's tricks as well as drugs, etc. to trick and frighten their enemies. So - you can assume there's a rational explanation behind these mysteries... e.g., a bulletproof vest, an escape rope/wire, whatever--which looks "magical" but has a rational explanation, just like a magician's trick.

Magic, tricks, deception, illusion, perception vs. reality - these are themes throughout the game.

So no, he's no super human. He's a member of an organisation that focuses on the "art of deception".