In the animated television series Gargoyles (TV series) and the spinoff comic books Gargoyles (SLG comic) and Gargoyles: Bad Guys, Gargoyles are a species of winged humanoid/reptilian creatures that are the main focus of the show.
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Several clans of gargoyles exist worldwide (although until recently, they were unaware of each others' existence), and each clan has distinct cultural and morphological characteristics. All gargoyle clans are alike in that each has a particular item, area, or concept that they strive to protect. They are fierce warriors and are incredibly powerful and resilient; their appearance and ferocity (along with the fact that they are nocturnal creatures) often means that humans vilify them as demons and monsters. Most of the world's gargoyle clans do not peacefully co-exist with humans.
Gargoyles are particularly notable for entering a sort of stone hibernation, called "stone sleep", during the day, during which they resemble gothic statues. During daylight, they can quickly heal from injury and illness, and are protected from most natural threats. However, this state makes them easy targets for destruction by their enemies and humans who hate them.[1] The character Anton Sevarius postulated that, in this hibernation, they absorb solar radiation that allows them to store energy; otherwise, he concluded, a gargoyle's strenuous activity would require a nutritional intake equivalent to eating three cows a day.[2] Damage during stone sleep can be fatal to a gargoyle. If a gargoyle dies during its hibernation, its body will remain stone.[1]
Gargoyles, despite having large wings, cannot fly, but glide on updrafts and on the wind. They have sharp claws that can dig into any kind of solid surface, and they can use this to climb vertical surfaces.[1] They are also excellent swimmers.
While not inherently immortal, gargoyles can be extremely long-lived, a result of stone sleep—which slows or halts their aging process until they wake again the following night. Even in old age (as evidenced in the episode "Grief") they are not as frail and incapacitated as other creatures. Because they spend half their day asleep as stone, they age at half the rate of a human, thus living twice as long.[3]
The main characters throughout the series.
Coldstone is the spirit of a deceased gargoyle from the Wyvern clan resurrected through science and sorcery into a cyborg body.[15] He was formed from the remains of three different gargoyles (usually called Coldstone or "Othello", his mate Coldfire or "Desdemona", and his rival Coldsteel or "Iago"),[16][17] and each personality remains mostly intact. Eventually, each personality is transferred to a separate robotic body.[18] Since the Coldstone robotic body only had one voice box, Coldstone was always voiced by Michael Dorn, regardless of the personality in control.
Iago or Coldsteel is Othello's enemy. He convinced Othello that Desdemona was secretly pursuing a relationship with Goliath.[17] He was eventually transferred into the robot shell of Coldsteel.[18] Upon Demona's reactivation of the Coldstone robot, Iago took control of the body, until Othello was convinced to help Goliath and clan.[19] In 1996, Coldsteel aided Xanatos and Coyote 5.0. in retrieving the Stone of Destiny, in exchange for removing a tracking device from his body.[13] The name Iago was used only in the script and credits.[16] Voiced by Xander Berkeley.
Demona is Goliath's former mate[1] and Angela's biological mother;[9] not frozen in stone like the others,[20] she lived through the thousand years because of a magical pact with Macbeth and developed a hatred of all humans, making her an enemy of the clan. She was named by Macbeth, after her demonic fighting skills.[21] She was voiced by Marina Sirtis.
The Avalon Clan are the gargoyle eggs of Castle Wyvern that were protected by Princess Katharine, Tom, and the Magus. The eggs were taken to Avalon, where they hatched and grew to adulthood.[10] Members of the clan include Gabriel (the son of Coldstone and Coldfire), Ophelia, the gargoyle beast Boudicca, and other unnamed members.[22]
The London Clan are a prosperous English clan resembling the creatures of heraldry. The London Clan roosted at a country estate called Knight's Spur.[13] They also ran a magic shop in London to supplement their income, and until recently had abandoned their mission of protection. Their names were derived from the heraldic creatures they were based on: Leo (lion), Una (unicorn), Griff (griffin),[23] Staghart (Stag), Constance (Sow), Old Pog (Hippogriff), Lunette (winged unicorn, as she is Leo and Una's daughter) and 189 other members.[13]
Clan Ishimura was a gargoyle clan in Japan and the only clan thus far that lived in harmony with humans, teaching them bushido since feudal times. It includes Kai, the leader, Sora, Yama (who was banished from the clan for criminal activity), and several unnamed members.[24]
Guatemala Clan are protectors of the Guatemalan rainforest and associated with the Kaqchikel people's culture. The four surviving gargoyles of the clan wore special talismans linked to a special artifact called the Sun Amulet that let them avoid their stone sleep. Their names are Spanish words for precious gemstones--Zafiro (sapphire), with a unique appearance reminiscent of the Mayan deity Kukulkan; Jade (pronounced Ha-day, as it would be pronounced in Spanish), Turquesa (turquoise), and Obsidiana (obsidian).[25]
The Labyrinth Clan lived underground, protecting the homeless individuals who also lived there.
The Mutates were created when Sevarius combined animal genes with humans in an attempt to create gargoyle-like creatures for Xanatos.[2] They rebelled against Xanatos,[26] and now protect the homeless in the underground facility known as the Labyrinth.[27] They also take care of the clones. All the Mutates resembled humanoid cats with bat-like wings on their backs, and had the ability to store and discharge electricity, due to having electric eel DNA (giving them enough strength to glide).[2]
To continue with his experiments in mutating, Sevarius and Fang abducted four residents of the Labyrinth.
Both Benny and Erin are modeled after Greg Weisman's kids. They got to choose which mutated forms that their comic book versions were given.[29]
The Clones were made by Sevarius at the request of Demona and Thailog. Their intellects were originally deliberately stunted to make them obedient to Thailog, but with Thailog's supposed death they regained their freedom. Talon offered to take the clones with him to the Labyrinth to educate them.[30] Issues 3 to 5 of the comic depict Thailog later going to Castle Wyvern to persuade the clones to rejoin him, as they still had not developed free will at that time. After a battle with Goliath and his clan, most of the clones decide to return to the Labyrinth, at the insistence of Delilah. Only Brentwood decides to remain with Thailog.[7]
The clones differ from the originals by their colors, and some features like horns or teeth. To gain a physical advantage, Malibu, Brentwood, Hollywood and Burbank were aged to be in their biological 20s: older than the young trio, yet younger than Hudson.
The clones' names are places in Los Angeles, contrasting with and spoofing their counterpart protagonists' New York City placenames.
Thailog was a clone of Goliath created by Sevarius and Xanatos and given many of Xanatos's traits. He betrayed them both. He was a genius and a persistent enemy.
"Thailog" is "Goliath" spelled backwards (except the "Th," which was probably kept in that order to make the name more pronounceable).[32] He later forms a relationship with Demona, but was planning to let her and Macbeth die, in order to inherit both their fortunes. (Demona, in her human form, planned to marry Macbeth and then claim that he was dead in order to inherit his forture, Thailog planned to kill Macbeth and Demona and as her sole business partner, her Banker, he would inherit their combined fortunes).[9] Both of them later commissioned Sevarius to create a clan of clones, which he eventually betrayed.[9] He was voiced by Keith David.
Thailog eventually "dies" (or, at least, lapses into a permanent stone sleep) in the third season of the cartoon series; but he was still alive in the SLG Comic Book.
In addition to the gargoyles, human characters figure prominently in the series, both as allies and enemies of the gargoyles.
Princess Katarine is the leader of Castle Wyvern (and, by default, the Scottish clan of gargoyles) during the 990s. Katharine was at first prejudiced against the clan, but after they saved her life, she vowed to protect the clans' unhatched eggs[1] and raise them on Avalon.[10] She was voiced by Kath Soucie.
The Magus was a court magician of Castle Wyvern and Katharine's top advisor. It was the Magus who cast the spell that imprisoned Goliath's clan in stone, believing that the Viking Hakon had murdered the Princess and blaming the gargoyles for her death. He later discovered that Princess Katharine had been rescued by Goliath; unable to restore the gargoyles (as Hakon had burned the page with his counterspell), he agreed to place Goliath under the same spell, so that he might one day be reunited with his clan.[1] The Magus guided Princess Katharine and the eggs to Avalon, and harbored unrequited feelings for the princess for many years. He died after using a great deal of energy to defeat the Weird Sisters.[10] He was voiced by Jeff Bennett.
Tom the Guardian was a peasant boy at Castle Wyvern who was eager to make friends with the gargoyles—especially Lexington and Brooklyn—despite his mother's objections.[1] He also accompanied Princess Katharine and the gargoyle eggs to Avalon, where he took on the role of Guardian, protecting the eggs and training the young gargoyles when they hatched. The grown Tom became Katharine's lover and confidante.[10] Young Tom was voiced by J.D. Daniels, and The Guardian was voiced by Gerrit Graham.
Mary, Tom the Guardian's mother, was fiercely anti-gargoyle like Katharine,[1] but had a change of heart as she, too, vowed to protect the eggs. Along with Finnella, she did not go to Avalon, instead choosing to stay on Earth and guard the Grimorum Arcanorum, stating that, "a woman alone might run into trouble: two women can cause plenty of it".[10] When a Timedancing Brooklyn arrived in Scotland in 997, Mary recognized him as one of the gargoyles from Goliath's clan. Together, the three of them joined Constantine's enemies, led by King Kenneth III. She and Finella would continue guarding the Grimorum while leaving 997 with Brooklyn.[13] In October 1996, Mary (or a woman resembling her) attended a Halloween party atop The Eyrie Building.[7] Voiced by Kath Soucie.
The Archmage was an evil sorcerer and an enemy of the gargoyle clan at Castle Wyvern. He was defeated by Goliath,[4] but his future self saved him from his fall in a perpetual time paradox—as his future self existed in the 1990s, and rescued his past self, without any explanation for how the loop began. The Archmage continues to live through this loop, despite his later defeat, after rescuing himself in the past.
The Archmage was encouraged to conquer the world, but first had to retrieve the objects he most desired: the ancient book of magic spells named the Grimorum Arcanorum, the Phoenix Gate and the Eye of Odin—as well as to conquer Avalon as a base of operations. His future self secured an alliance with the Weird Sisters to watch out for the mystical artifacts, as well as guide the destinies of Demona and Macbeth, advising them to bend Oberon's law of non-interference.
Future Archmage brought his past self nearly a thousand years into the future, where his past self swallowed the Grimorum in order for it to set foot on the island ("human magic" is not allowed on Avalon by law; consuming it created a "legal loophole"), thus making him very powerful. However, he was defeated by Goliath, who stripped him of the Eye of Odin, causing the Grimorum to turn the Archmage into a pile of dust.[10] During some unspecified time, the enhanced Archmage undertook additional time travel, thus meeting a Timedancing Brooklyn.[34] He was voiced by David Warner.
The Captain of the Guard was the head of Castle Wyvern's garrison in 994. Resentful of the lack of appreciation that he and the gargoyles received for defending the castle, he struck a deal with Demona and the Vikings to have the castle sacked, forcing out the humans and leaving only him and the gargoyles. The plan included sabotage, such as severing bowstrings, but backfired when the Viking leader Hakon shattered most of the gargoyles during the day after the siege, prompting Goliath and the survivors (Hudson, Brooklyn, Broadway, Lexington and Bronx) to go after the Vikings for revenge. The Captain was killed along with Hakon in 994, when they fell off a cliff,[1] but their spirits remained trapped in the area as punishment for their actions. When Goliath returned to the Wyvern site a thousand years later, the Captain and Hakon, in spirit form, attempted to steal Goliath's lifeforce and thus free themselves from the area. He stopped midway, after realizing his guilt for his treachery, and instead turned on Hakon. Having atoned for his sins, his spirit was set free to rest in peace.[35] Voiced by Ed Gilbert.
Elisa Maza is a NYPD detective, friend of the Gargoyles,[1] and later love interest for Goliath. Voiced by Salli Richardson. Her family also figures prominently in the series:
Macbeth, former King of Scotland, was loosely based on the Shakespearean character as well as the real historical figure. He is eternally bound to Demona and is forced to live in conflict with her forever; neither one can die until one kills the other.[21] Initially an enemy of the gargoyles, he later becomes their ally. He was voiced by John Rhys-Davies.
The Pack (Wolf, Jackal, Hyena, Coyote, and formerly Fox and Dingo) are mercenaries organized by Xanatos first to be TV stars, then to hunt gargoyles. They were subsequently "upgraded" into more deadly forms through the use of genetic and cybernetic enhancements.[12] Unlike the others, Coyote is a robot constructed in Xanatos' image, sent to infiltrate and lead the Pack. Lexington harbors a bitter hatred against them.[6]
Fox (born with the name Janine Renard)[38]had her name legally changed. She is the daughter of entrepreneur and business magnate Halcyon Renard, and his ex-wife Anastasia Renard (the name used by Titania, "Queen of the Third Race", while in the guise of a mortal human woman.).[11] A former mercenary and former leader of The Pack, Fox quit the group and married David Xanatos.[33] They later had a son, Alexander Fox Xanatos.[11] Like many villains of the series, Fox initially had no love for the Gargoyles, seeing them as pawns to be manipulated. However, after they saved Alex, she changed her opinion and went out of her way to make amends—particularly to Lexington, who she had once hurt. She was voiced by an uncredited Laura San Giacomo.
Tony Dracon is an organized crime figure in New York,[5] Dracon knows about the Manhattan Clan that often foil his plans,[39] and has a score to settle with Elisa. He often clashes with Goliath and Broadway.[40] In his last appearance, he was imprisoned with Czech gangster Brod.[41] He was voiced by Richard Grieco.
Margot Yale and Brendan Quarters are a yuppie couple who have the misfortune of running into the gargoyles often.[1] Margot became the assistant district attorney of one of the New York City boroughs, and spoke out against the gargoyles in a heated televised public debate with Macbeth, who defended them. During the Halloween Party at the top of the Eyrie Building, she berated Brendan for dressing as a Gargoyle (as other partygoers had done). Brendon later came across Goliath, injured, and sent for a doctor.[7] Margot is voiced by Marina Sirtis, and later by Tress MacNeille in Season 3. Brendon is voiced by Pat Fraley.
Jeffery Robbins is a blind author, and a friend of Hudson. He helps Hudson find Macbeth. Afterwords, he taught Hudson how to read, and decided to write a book based on the Scrolls of Merlin which he called The Sword and the Staff.[42] When Demona unleashes a spell to turn the citizens of Manhattan to stone by broadcasting the spell on all television channels, Hudson and the clan visit Robbins and discover that blind people are immune to the spell.[21]
During the Halloween of 1996, Robbins admitted to being aware that Hudson is a Gargoyle—due to the late night visits, Scottish accent, scents of leather and concrete, and Hudson's refusal to shake his hand.[7] (The scene was based on a similar one from a Goliath Chronicles episode).[43]
Robbins helps a blind Hudson recover his eyesight after discovering Hudson is a gargoyle.[44] Voiced by Paul Winfield.
Vinnie Grigori is another man who has had various encounters with the Manhattan clan, whom he blames for an unfortunate string of bad luck. He is seen first as a motorcycle rider whose bike is "stolen" and crashed by Lex; Grigori had his license revoked, as his recollection of Lex would lead the judge to believe he was intoxicated. He is next seen as a security guard for Cyberbiotics' airship—the night Goliath and Demona destroy it. He is at Sevarius's labs when Goliath captures Sevarius to force him to make a cure for the Mutates (for which Grigori was fired). He later shows up carrying a huge bazooka, which he uses to finally get revenge on Goliath—stalking Goliath as he and Hudson battled Wolf and the spirit of Hakon—shooting him in the face... with a banana cream pie.[45]
He appeared as a reluctant recruit of the Quarrymen under pressure from Castaway, where he worked to save Goliath and Elisa from being killed. He then left to take a job in Japan.[7] He eventually leaves on flight 994[13] and ends up lost in Tokyo.[28] Vinnie's name and voice is a spoof of the character Vinnie Barbarino from the show Welcome Back, Kotter, and even refers to the Bazooka he used on Goliath as Mr. Carter. The cream pie that it shoots is a tribute to another Disney show, Bonkers, which Gargoyles creator Greg Weisman once worked on.[46] He was voiced by Jeff Bennett.
Hakon was the leader of the Vikings who sacked Castle Wyvern in 994 and destroyed most of the gargoyles. He was killed, along with the Captain of the Guard, when they fell off a cliff, but their spirits remained trapped in the area as punishment for their actions.[1] When Goliath returned to the Wyvern site a thousand years later, the Captain and Hakon, in spirit form, attempted to steal Goliath's lifeforce to free themselves from the area. Hakon's spirit reappeared throughout the series, trying to take revenge on Goliath.[35] Before his death, Hakon apparently fathered children who became the ancestors of Pack member Wolf. His spirit later bonded to his ax. After the ax was destroyed by Hudson, his spirit dissolved.[45] He was voiced by Clancy Brown.
Finella is a Scottish princess from 995. Finella was conned into helping Constantine set a deadly trap for King Kenneth upon Constantine's promise to marry her. Less than pleased at his betrayal and engagement to another, Finella helped Princess Katharine and the Magus get the eggs to Avalon and escape from Constantine, who wanted to marry Princess Katherine in order to secure his claim to the throne and destroy the eggs. Finella did not follow Katharine and company onto Avalon, instead choosing to guard the Grimorum Arcanorum with help from Tom's mother Mary.[10]
In 997, while Timedancing, Brooklyn arrived to save Finella and Mary from one of Constantine's soldiers. Together, the three of them joined Constantine's enemies, led by King Kenneth III. The book was taken from Finella, during the fight, by Constantine's sorceror, Brother Valmont. After it was retrieved by Brookyln, Finella and Mary continued guarding the Grimorum, leaving 997 with Brooklyn.[13]
In October 1996, Finella (or a woman resembling her) attended a Halloween party atop The Eyrie Building.[7]
She was loosely based on the real historical character Finnguala, and was voiced by Sheena Easton.
Arthur Pendragon was once the legendary and Future King of Britain. Pendragon was based on the legend of King Arthur. He was awakened by Elisa to help fight the Archmage in Avalon. Though he had neither Merlin nor his knights nor the famed sword Excalibur, he fought Macbeth and won. He then decided to explore the modern world on his own, so as not draw attention to himself.[10] Arriving in England, he was joined by the English gargoyle Griff, and battled Macbeth—with the help of the Manhattan Clan—to reclaim Excalibur. After defeating Macbeth and reclaiming Excalibur, he set off along with Griff on a journey to find Merlin.[47]
Descendants of King Duncan I, the Hunters are fighters that have sworn under the Hunter Mask to hunt down Demona and destroy all gargoyles. The current generation (consisting of Jason, Jon, and Robyn) come to New York after hearing of gargoyle encounters. However, Jason and Robyn Canmore eventually come to realize that all gargoyles are not the threat to humanity that Demona is, and drop the Hunter cause.[48] Their brother Jon, initially apprehensive, develops a deep hatred for the gargoyles, drops the Hunter persona, and changes his name to John Castaway. As Castaway, he leads an anti-gargoyle group reminiscent of the Ku Klux Klan called the Quarrymen.
Jason was recovering in the hospital[7] while Robyn was recruited into The Redemption Squad.[28]
The three modern Hunters are Jason (voiced by Diedrich Bader), Jon (voiced by Scott Cleverdon), and Robyn Canmore (voiced by Sheena Easton).
Banquo (a man) and Fleance (a woman) are two mercenaries who worked for Macbeth. They helped him retrieve the first Scrolls of Merlin[42] and the sword Excalibur.[47] They later left his service to work for the Quarrymen. Their first mission as Quarrymen had them, and Castaway, pursuing Goliath and Elisa to the destroyed Clocktower.[7] Banquo and Fleance are named after the characters Banquo and Fleance in Shakespeare's play The Tragedy of Macbeth.
The Third Race, also known as Oberon's Children, were magical, shapeshifting, and often fickle creatures and fairies from around the world. They were not all literally descended from Oberon, but he was their leader and he governed all of the Third Race strictly. They possessed incredible powers, were immortal, and had a fatal weakness to iron. Regardless, as long as they were in the real world, Oberon forbade them from interfering in human events.
Oberon was the lord of Avalon. He possessed godlike powers and was the most powerful being in the whole series. Very arrogant and impudent, it was by his edict that Avalon was abandoned and the Third Race forced to live with humanity. Oberon later himself left Avalon to join them. He was also responsible for The Gathering, in which the Third Race left the rest of the world and congregated in Avalon.[11] He was voiced by Terrence Mann.
Titania was Oberon's (recently re-married) wife and Queen of Avalon. Posing as the human Anastasia during part of her 1,000-year exile, she was the ex-wife of Halcyon Renard, and Fox's biological mother. A highly-skilled manipulator, she aided the Manhattan[11] and Avalon Clans on several occasions, while frequently keeping Oberon in check. She was voiced by Kate Mulgrew.
The Weird Sisters—Phoebe, Selene, and Luna—were a trio of powerful magic users named after the goddesses of the Moon and based on the witches from Shakespeare's Macbeth. They looked after Demona and Macbeth, and made them immortal.[21] Their motivation, however, was to aid The Archmage in his revenge upon Katherine, Tom, and The Magus.[10] All three were voiced by Kath Soucie.
Puck was a trickster fairy. His magic was the reason why Demona became human during the day, instead of turning to stone.[20] It was eventually discovered that he was Owen Burnett, having made a deal with Xanatos to serve him faithfully. Because of this deal and his affinity for humans, he was banished from Avalon and had his powers erased by Oberon. Since the Gathering, Puck could only use his powers when he was teaching or protecting Alexander Xanatos.[11] He was voiced by Brent Spiner.
The rest of the Children of Oberon were fairies, gods, and other various creatures from cultures and mythologies worldwide that lived in Avalon until they were all expelled by Oberon. They were forcibly called back to Avalon by him one thousand years later in an event known as The Gathering.
The Lost Race was a sentient race of Earthlings whose evolution predated the Three Races and has since become extinct, although Greg Weisman has yet to reveal when or how this occurred. In fact, he writes, "it's hard to give a category to something that currently I have no intention of discussing. But 'Lost Race' seems as good a moniker as any—as a place-holder."
What is known is that the Lost Race, the gargoyles, the humans, and finally Oberon's Children appeared on Earth in that order. The Lost Race is in fact from Earth, and Greg denies their having any contact with extraterrestrials. Although they eventually became extinct, the Lost Race was still around when Oberon's Children first evolved, as they were aware of the Children's existence.
Brooklyn encountered this race on his time-travels to the past during his Timedancer adventures. Greg confirmed that the Lost Race has left behind relics and artifacts from their civilization. It is speculated by fans that these may include the ruins in the Archmage's Cave, notably the Megalith Dance, although Greg refuses to confirm or deny the possibility.
The Steel Clan were a series of robots built by Xanatos, modeled from the likeness of the gargoyles—specifically, Goliath. Originally meant to replace the gargoyles, Xanatos used them for his own personal army.[1] He also wore a battle suit modeled in their likeness.[51] An iron version of the Steel Clan was made to fight against Oberon.[11] Xanatos later used an Iron and Steel Clan robot to aid Coldsteel and Coyote 5.0 in retrieving the Stone of Destiny.
The New Olympians were a group of fantastical sentient beings resembling creatures and gods from Greek Mythology. They had traveled to the island of New Olympus after being driven there by fearful humans in Classical Antiquity, and their descendants were able to remain hidden through advanced cloaking technology. Several of them shared names with characters from mythology, although they were not intended to be identified with those characters, unlike some children of Oberon. According to Gargoyles creator Greg Weisman, they are descended from Oberon's children, though the show makes no mention of this, and there is also a resident gargoyle clan on the island.
They were led by a winged man named Boreas (voiced by Dorian Harewood), and their Chief of Security was a Minotaur named Taurus (voiced by Michael Dorn). A robot named Talos—an upgraded version of the Talos first constructed by Daedalus and also voiced by Dorian Harewood—is a high-level advisor. A villainous shapeshifter named Proteus (voiced by Roddy McDowall) seemed to be the island's worst criminal. Other named members of the race included Helios (voiced by Rob Paulsen), Ekidna (voiced by Charity James), and Kiron (voiced by Frank Welker). In the last two instances, the use of the letter "k" in the spelling was intended by the show's creators to differentiate the characters from their mythological namesakes.
The New Olympians appeared during the "Avalon World Tour" story arc in the episode The New Olympians, in which Elisa Maza arrived on the island along with her three "gargate" companions (Goliath, his daughter Angela, and Bronx). Because of their past experiences with the human race—Taurus at one point specifically mentions the murder of his ancestor by Theseus—the New Olympians harbored a strong hatred against Elisa and humans in general. This inverts the show's usual premise, in which many humans are prejudiced against creatures such as gargoyles. After an encounter with Proteus, Elisa managed to convince some New Olympians—particularly Taurus—that not all humans are evil.
A spinoff show, itself entitled The New Olympians, was planned; the Gargoyles episode featuring the characters was a "backdoor pilot". A series pitch was produced, revealing that the new series' storyline would have revolved around the New Olympians revealing themselves to humanity in front of the United Nations. The pitch, which is shown at Gathering conventions, introduced several new characters and hinted at a Romeo and Juliet-style romance between Sphinx (a New Olympian female) and Terry Chung (a human male). Although the series was never picked up, Greg Weisman has said that elements would have been included in the main Gargoyles series had it continued. Terry Chung appears as a trick or treater in the Gargoyles comic issue number four, which places the beginning of New Olympians at least a decade after the 2006 issues.[7] He appears with during New Year's Eve of 1996 with his first cousin Tri Chung.[28][29]
Proteus escapes to New York to exact his revenge. Taurus leaves New Olympus to pursue him. This is not considered canon by Weisman.[52]
Nokar was a sentinel and member of the N'Kai (interstellar aliens who oppose the Space-Spawn empire), Nokkar waited on Easter Island to protect the Earth. While there, he was revered as a god by the natives, and the Easter Island Statues were modeled after him. He once captured Goliath and Angela, believing them to be Space-Spawn in disguise. He was voiced by Avery Brooks.
Tazmanian Tiger was a supervillain who robbed a bank in Sydney. His actions caught the attention of Dingo and Matrix (both of whom were Australia's crimefighters). He wore a skin tight costume and mask. His gloves had a set of razor sharp claws that were able to damage Matrix. He was assisted by two Thylacines named Benjamin and Natasha.[28]
In the Gargoyles universe, The Illuminati were a secret society started by Sir Percival, the Fisher King, that controlled and manipulated a large portion of the world, including politics and organized crime. Xanatos was a member of the Illuminati, which aided him in making his fortune (through a predestination paradox—Xanatos had instructed himself to travel through time).[33] Bluestone was inducted into the society after gangster Mace Malone's failed attempt to capture Goliath. Matt's former partner in the FBI, Martin Hacker, was also a member of the Illuminati.[53] Thailog joined as a new member at some unspecified time, and was the first gargoyle known to be part of the Society.[7] The Society was last seen headed by Peredur fab Ragnal.[13]
Each member was of a certain numerical rank. When two members of the society encountered each other in private, they would share their rank.[7]
Matt Bluestone was a former FBI agent who was assigned to be Elisa's partner after the shooting incident.[5] Elisa's chief thought it was too dangerous for Elisa to be working on her own, and assigned Bluestone as her partner so that she would have someone covering her—despite Elisa's adamant protests that she did not need a partner. Bluestone is a big believer in conspiracy theories, especially the Illuminati.[51] He was given the option to join the Illuminati by his former partner. He was one of the few humans who were friends with the Manhattan Clan.[53] He was voiced by Thomas F. Wilson.
Martin Hacker was Matt Bluestone's former partner in the FBI[39] and an Illuminati operative, Hacker's job was to intentionally mislead Matt away from the Illuminati. When this failed, it was Martin who conferred membership onto Matt on the behalf of the Illuminati.[53]
After Manhattan discovers the existence of gargoyles, Hacker checks in on Matt Bluestone and John Castaway, as well as giving Xanatos an invitation to the White House from the Illuminati. While meeting all three of them, he claims a different objective from The Illuminati. With Matt Bluestone, he claims that the Illuminati agree that people aren't ready to encounter gargoyles. With Xanatos, he says the Illuminati feel it is time for humans and gargoyles to meet. As for John Castaway, he claimed that the Illuminati agree that the gargoyles should be destroyed.[7]
Norman Ambassador escorted Princess Elena to Castle Wyvern in 975. Both were attacked by the Archmage's bandits and rescued by Xanatos (who followed Demona into the past). Out of gratitude, and due to being a fellow Illuminatus, he allowed Xanatos and his family to join them at Wyvern. He also took a couple of envelopes with him at Xanatos' request—one containing a rare coin to give to a younger David Xanatos in 1975; the other containing details on how the coin was obtained, thus inspiring himself to travel back in time.[33]
Mace Malone was a leading gangster in the 1920s who was recruited into the Illuminati because of his underworld dealings. In 1924, the crime syndicates became aware of their vulnerability to the Illuminati, resulting in Mace having to disappear. He had a long life due to rejuvenation drugs. His habit of visiting Flo Dane alerted Matt Bluestone to his presence, who saw a photo with Mace wearing a society emblem and received confirmation of his suspicions from Mace's stepson Jack. As a result, Matt was offered membership if he brought a gargoyle to the abandoned Hotel Cabal, an Illuminati base. Though Matt brought Goliath, he secretly filled Goliath in on Mace's plan and left a hotel key for Goliath to escape. Mace, however, lost his key in the confusion.[53] Eventually, he died of dehydration.[54]
Mr. Duval is first mentioned in the Gargoyle: The Goliath Chronicles episode "The Journey" (adapted into the first two issues of the SLG comic series). Duval tried to call Xanatos, but Xanatos shows no interest in receiving the call. Hacker tells Xanatos that the call was an invitation to the White House for an Illuminati assignment.[7]
For unspecified reasons, Duval's left eye and arm are replaced with cybernetic attachments, and he has an unexplained disdain for Blanchefleur. He is also very important to Peredur.[13]
While Duval doesn't appear onscreen, Greg Weisman envisioned the voice of the character to be Eddie Marsan.[55]
Shari is a teenage girl introduced in the Gargoyles (SLG comic) comics series. She appeared as a new resident of The Labyrinth, and was introduced to the Mutates and Clones. After Thailog came to reclaim the clones, Shari left to warn Goliath, but was lying. Her name was revealed as she arrived at Nightstone Unlimited, applying to be Thailog's executive assistant. Before Thailog attacked her, however, he spotted an Illuminati pendant around her neck and welcomed her as a member of the Illuminati—which he had recently joined as a lower-echelon member.
Thailog soon demanded a story from Shari, and so she told him of a lost tale from The Avalon World Tour. How she learned of that adventure was not specified.[7]
Shari went on to relate the legend of the Stone of Destiny to Thailog. She appeared to be more than she seemed.[13]
Quincy Hemings made his first appearance in the SLG comic. He is a Chief Steward at the White House. Xanatos meets him at the White House, and mistakes him for Duval due to their shared rank number. Hemings mentioned being on staff since the administration of Theodore Roosevelt, and being in his current position since the Lyndon B. Johnson administration. He gave Xanatos an assignment from The Illuminati.[7] The assignment required Xanatos to retrieve the Stone Of Destiny.[13]
While Hemings doesn't appear onscreen, Greg Weisman envisioned the voice of the character to be Morgan Freeman.[55]
Falstaff (went by the name John Oldcastle) was a father figure to Dingo, but for reasons unknown, strangled Dingo's mother. Upon the arrival of The Redemption Squad at his island base (which is really a ship), Falstaff insisted that The Illuminati are the good guys, determined to save the world, and allowed The Redemption Squad to speak to Fiona Canmore and Thailog, so they to vouch for the Illuminati. The Redemption Squad claimed to want membership, but Falstaff was aware of their bluff and sent his associates to fight the Squad. After the fight, he departed, but not before sinking the ship.[28]
Fiona Canmore is a former Hunter who ran into Demona in Paris in 1920. She stopped her plans to kill all of the humans with the aid of Team Atlantis.[56] As of 1996, she was retired from the hunt and was part of the Illuminati.[28] In the Team Atlantis episode (which, while unproduced, was scripted and voice-recorded), she was voiced by Sheena Easton.[57]
Blanchefleur is introduced in the trade paperback edition of the comic, as the story introducing her wasn't published as a single issue. She met Xanatos in a warehouse after he apparently stole the Stone of Destiny. She discovered that Arthur Pendragon awakened after eavesdropping on a message that the Stone conveyed to Peredur. Like Duval, Blanchefleur was also important to Peredur.[13]
Peredur fab Ragnal is introduced in the trade paperback for the comic, as the story introducing him wasn't published as a single issue. He was the leader of The Illuminati, and, through Quincy Hemmings, ordered Xanatos to steal The Stone of Destiny while it was being returned to Scotland. To his disappointment, there were 3 stones which the Spirit of Destiny inhabited, but from it he learned that Arthur had reawakened. Since Arthur wasn't supposed to awaken for another 200 years, Peredur decides to hold a meeting of the higher-echelon members, since this development could affect their (unspecified) plans.[13]
While Ragnal doesn't appear onscreen, Greg Weisman envisioned the voice of the character to be Jude Law.[55]
The following characters are part of the Illuminati at the following ranks:
| Rank | Character |
|---|---|
| 1 |
|
| 2 |
|
| 3 |
|
| 9 |
|
| 32 |
|
| 36 |
|
| Unknown |
|
According to Quincy, the number of Illuminati holding each rank was equal to the numeric rank itself; that is, there were 36 members ranking 36, 32 members who ranked 32, etc., for a total of 666 positions within the organization. The lowest possible rank in the Illuminati was 36.
Xanatos Enterprises was one of the world's largest corporation owned by David Xanatos; Owen Burnett also wielded major control and influence, although he was not given a title. The company was seemingly at the forefront of advanced technology such as genetics, robotics, and weaponry. Xanatos Enterprises also included Gen-U-Tech, Pack Media Studios, and the Scarab Robotics corporation, all of which Xanatos used against the gargoyles and to further his goals one way or another.
David Xanatos is a billionaire, nemesis, and later ally of the gargoyles, Xanatos' name is reminiscent of David—the Biblical king who defeated Goliath—and Thanatos from Greek mythology. He broke the spell that imprisoned the gargoyles, and frequently attempted to manipulate or control them.[1] He was voiced by Jonathan Frakes.
Owen Burnett was Xanatos' Aide who is later revealed to be the immortal trickster Puck. Puck took on an appearance similar to that of Preston Vogel, Halcyon Renard's personal aid.[11] The Owen persona eventually got his hand turned to stone (the result of a spell gone wrong) and lost his magic powers except when he was training or protecting Alexander Xanatos (per Oberon's decree).[11] He was voiced by Jeff Bennett.
Anton Sevarius was a free agent geneticist who mostly worked for the villains of the series, from David Xanatos to Demona. Known for his hammy play on the "mad scientist" stereotype, Sevarius was brilliant, but also devious and immoral. His experiments led to the creation of the Mutates[2] and Goliath's evil clone Thailog (whom he also worked for at one point), as well as Thailog's gargoyle clones. He also helped Demona create a virus capable of destroying all life on Earth (how he hoped to survive her plan is unknown). He was voiced by Tim Curry.[59]
Cyberbiotics Corp was a rival in all ways to Xanatos Enterprises, led by Halcyon Renard and Preston Vogel. Xanatos attempted several times to bankrupt Cyberbiotics, even using Renard's estranged daughter Fox to do so.[38] Cyberbiotics was based from a massive airship (of which it manufactured smaller models). One of the airships was inadvertently destroyed by the Manhattan Clan.[1]
Halcyon Renard was an elderly businessman who is CEO of Cyberbiotics, father of Fox, ex-husband to Anastasia, and rival to David Xanatos. After confronting Goliath about his role in destroying his first airship, he formed a friendship with the gargoyle after the pair saved the second airship. His name, renard, is the French word for fox. Like Xanatos, he briefly flirted with immortality by transferring his consciousness into a golem, until Goliath managed to change his mind. Unlike Xanatos, he was more conscientious of his actions, adhering strongly to ideals of personal integrity; he was far less Machiavellian and malevolent than Xanatos.[38] He was voiced by Robert Culp.
Preston Vogel was Renard's aide who was considered by Puck to be the most "wooden man on the earth." Puck modeled his mortal form after Vogel.[11] Unlike Owen Burnett, Vogel was not as loyal to his boss, and had fewer scruples when it came to the means he used to get things done, such as hiring members of The Pack, Jackal, and Hyena; levelling a rainforest and killing the Guatemala Clan's gargoyles;[25] or betraying Renard.[38] Voiced by Peter Scolari.
The Gargoyles Task Force was formed during Part 3 of Hunter's Moon to find and counter or capture the gargoyles. They followed the gargoyles to St. Damien's Cathedral. Due to Matt's surreptitious stalling, in hopes the clan could escape, they were unable to apprehend the clan. Issue three of the comic introduced the Task Force.
Morgan Morgan was a New York Police Department beat officer in Elisa's precinct, and Elisa's friend. During Halloween of 1996, he asked Elisa out to the Halloween party atop The Eyrie Building. Though she refused at first, she accepted after temporarily breaking up with Goliath (due to wanting a normal life). She ended up choosing Goliath, however. Morgan, knowing of her relationship with Goliath, suspected he was merely a rebound, but held no ill feelings towards Elisa.[7] Voiced by Keith David.
Phil Travanti was Morgan's partner first appeared in the episode Temptation, and was named in issue three of the comic.
The Redemption Squad was formed by a man known as The Director (who was voiced by William Devane in the animatic reel for the spinoff)[60] to deal with crime and make up for their past sins. The group's first mission was to stop The Illuminati Society. Aside from apprehending Mistress Quickly, their mission was a failure.[28]
While aiding her siblings in ridding Manhattan of gargoyles, Robyn Canmore took up the alias Robyn Correy and was employed by Demona/Dominique Destine for Nightstone Unlimited. She deduced Demona's human identity, and shot The Clocktower hoping to kill Goliath and Clan. Though she saw the light after Jason's atonement,[48] Robyn was maintaining her identity as The Hunter while serving The Director. The nature of her recruitment has yet to be revealed.[28] She was voiced by Sheena Easton.
Dingo (real name Harry Monmouth) [28] was a former member of The Pack, Dingo remained with the team after Fox's departure but —unlike Wolf, Jackal, and Hyena—[6] refused to undergo physical enhancements, instead adopting a battle suit. He grew increasingly disturbed by his teammates' transformation after their supposed "upgrade," feeling that they had abandoned their humanity and become "a freak show".[12] He eventually left the team in disgust, returning to his native Australia and hoping to atone for his misdeeds. He later linked with an advanced artificial-intelligence program to become a crimefighter.[50]
He reluctantly joined The Squad, since it was the only way he could be cleared of criminal charges in the United States. He tended to bicker with Hunter. He prevented an angered Yama from killing Fang.[28] Voiced by Jim Cummings.
The Matrix was a nanomachine program created by Fox and her mother Anastasia Reynard as part of a world domination bid by Xanatos. However, the machines became sentient and threatened to overrun the planet (a possible allusion to the so-called Grey Goo scenario in speculative science fiction). With the help of a local shaman, Goliath and Dingo convinced the nanomachines to form a humanoid shape that merged with Dingo's armor suit. Calling itself "The Matrix", the merged entity pledged to protect and defend Australia.[50] He was coerced into joining The Squad as an alternative to deactivation; he chose to join as doing so would help to maintain law and order.[28] Voiced by Jim Cummings
Series creator Greg Weisman had major plans for The Matrix; it was to have grown strong enough to power the planet.[31]
Former member of the Ishimura Clan, Yama briefly aided the businessman Taro in making the existence of his clan public (albeit for peaceful intentions). Though he fought against Taro after learning his true motive, Yama was banished from the clan to restore his honor.[24] Sora wanted to go with him, but was turned down, as Yama felt that she would also share in his shame. He was attacked shortly thereafter by Dingo, Matrix, and Robyn. After the fight, Robyn approached Yama to recruit him into The Redemption Squad. She stated that he would have a chance for atonement, and that refusing to join would expose his clan to the world. He joined begrudgingly (as he was not thrilled about working with someone who hunted gargoyles).[28]
Fang/Fred Sykes (his name revealed in Gargoyles: Bad Guys #2) was a brazen mutate resembling a puma hybrid, the only one of the group that approved of his changed body from the start.[2] He tried to overthrow Talon and rule the Labyrinth.[27] Fang eventually teamed up with Demona and Thailog, only to be apprehended again. He was later visited by Sevarius, who infiltrated the labyrinth to obtain some test subjects. Fang joined in to help turn a portion of Manhattan into mutates, but was thwarted by The Redemption Squad. He was nearly executed by Yama for making a joke at the expense of one of the test subjects, who had chosen to commit suicide. Just as Hunter finished debriefing The Director, she was told that they were to recruit Fang (for unspecified reasons ).[28] He was voiced by James Belushi.
|title= specified when using {{Cite web}}". | url = http://www.s8.org/gargoyles/askgreg/search.php?qid=3563 | title = Ask Greg Weisman, co-creator of Gargoyles! | page = 3563 | last = Weisman | first = Greg | date = June 3, 2003 | work = Gargoyles Fan Web Site | publisher = Station Eight | accessdate = September 10, 2010 }}
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