Manhattan Clan
Encyclopedia
The Manhattan Clan are the fictional protagonists of the animated Disney
series Gargoyles
. They are six gargoyles (mythical winged humanoid creatures that turn to stone by day), the last survivors of a Scottish
Gargoyle clan
who are frozen in stone in the year 994 AD only to be reawakened in 1994 in Manhattan
. In 1996, they were joined by Angela (who originated from the Avalon Clan which are the children of the Scottish Clan). In 1997 the clan would grow significantly with the addition of Coldstone & Coldfire (Both being robots that house the spirits of two Scottish Gargoyles who were killed), and Brooklyn's family consisting of Fu-Dog, Katana, Nashville and Egwardo (The former two Brooklyn met in other time periods, while the latter two are children he and Katana give birth to).
, also survived, though this was not known at the time.
The Vikings then captured many of the castle's human inhabitants, as the surviving gargoyles pursued. They successfully rescued most of the prisoners, but the Magus of Castle Wyvern, mistakenly believing the gargoyles had caused the death of his beloved Princess Katherine during their counter assault, cast a spell on five of the remaining clan, turning them permanently to stone. However, when the Princess returned after being rescued by Goliath, the Magus realized that he had made a terrible mistake. Unfortunately, the necessary counterspell was destroyed earlier when the Viking leader Hakon burned a page from the Magus' spellbook to taunt him, thus precluding restoring the clan, except for the fact that the curse would end when the castle "rose above the clouds" which seemed impossible at the time. A grief stricken Goliath, feeling alone and wanting to join his brothers, asked the Magus to perform the spell on him while Katharine and the Magus would care for the rookery eggs.
One thousand years later, billionaire industrialist David Xanatos
acting on a tip from Demona and the Grimorum Arcanorum that he owned, purchased Castle Wyvern and had it moved, brick by brick, to the top of his skyscraper, the Eyrie Building on Manhattan in New York City
, New York
. As Xanatos anticipated, the building was high enough to satisfy the requirement for the spell to be broken. This liberated the gargoyles from their stone sleep, only to be stunned to find themselves 1000 years in the future in a place far away from their ancestral homeland. After the initial shock passed, the clan would eventually attempt to fit in to their new environment with the five unnamed gargoyles (apart from Goliath), taking names from New York boroughs and landmarks to allow the people of this world to better relate to them. For the most part however, the period of adjustment was relatively smooth, for the younger trio in particular who delighted in the vast varieties of goods and activities available.
Despite being grateful for their release from their slumber, the new Manhattan Clan was reluctant to put their trust in another human. This was fortunate, as their benefactor David Xanatos
intended to use them for his own Machiavellian schemes. Instead, they befriended NYPD detective Elisa Maza
, and were eventually forced out of their ancestral home of Castle Wyvern and into a clock tower above Eliza's precinct.
From their new home, they charged themselves with defending the island of Manhattan, as well from Xanatos and Demona, now their enemies who still wanted to dominate them. As they acclimated to the new home, the clan worked to reestablish their command structure, with Brooklyn appointed as Goliath's second after the elderly Hudson had stepped down from the role. Later on, Goliath, Elisa and Bronx were called away to help the grown children of the Wyvern clan on the mystical island of Avalon where they met Goliath's daughter, Angela and the surviving rookery eggs. After defeating the threat of the powerful sorcerer known as the Archmage, from the time of Castle Wyvern as he tried to take over Avalon, the group of gargates, with Maza as the only human member of the "Avalon World Tour" group. were sent on a quest by Avalon to battle evil and correct wrongs worldwide with Angela accompanying them. In the meantime, Brooklyn had some initial difficulty assuming leadership of the clan, but soon proved a capable leader on his own. The group returned to Manhattan with the new addition to the clan, but also with the hope that the gargoyle species is doing far better than they ever hoped with the discovery of numerous clans in existence worldwide.
Following the destruction of the clock tower at the end of the canonical season 2, they moved back into their ancestral home at Castle Wyvern courtesy of a grateful Xanatos, who was thankful to the gargoyles for defending his family against threats towards them. Thanks to the Hunters
, the general public, now aware of their existence, fears and seeks to destroy them. These were largely the issues the clan had to face of the non-canonical season 3, The Goliath Chronicles. This series was poorly received and has been supplanted by the current comic book
series, Gargoyles
, written by Greg Weisman himself and published by Slave Labor Graphics
as canonical.
In addition to readjusting to life in the Castle, the clan would receive a new enemy in the form of The Quarrymen (formed by John Castaway who was formerly known as Hunter
Jon Canmore). Goliath and Elisa, after an attempt to find love within their own species, declare their love to each other. Other relationships form include Broadway and Angela becoming mates, Lexington befriending Alex Xanatos and Hudson's friendship with Jeffery Robbins improving. Brooklyn as a result becomes more distant from the clan.
Shortly after, Lexington and Hudson aid Macbeth in London to watch over The Stone of Destiny and encounter both Coldstone and Coldfire. Back at home, Brooklyn is whisked away by the Phoenix from The Phoenix Gate, only to return 40 seconds later (and 40 years older). During his journey in the timestream, Brooklyn was joined by a female gargoyle from Japan, Katana (whom he would be mated to), Fu-Dog (his gargoyle beast companion), Nashville (His and Katana's son) and Egwardo (His and Katana's yet to be hatched child). Lexington and Hudson return home from London as well (with Coldstone and Coldfire who were convinced in rejoining the clan). The newly strengthened Manhattan Clan head to Time Square to apprehend The Pack
(Jackal, Hyena and Wolf).
of the show and leader of the Manhattan Clan. He was voiced by actor Keith David
.
.
Having retired after being blinded in the left eye battling the Archmage, the elder gargoyle (who was around 100 years old at the time) gave the leadership of the clan to his current second-in-command, Goliath. He nevertheless remained a fierce warrior, cunning strategist, and unparalleled tracker. Goliath often relied on his counsel and his experience. They were the only two gargoyles that left the castle to track the Vikings, and were thus absent during the raid that destroyed much of the rest of the clan.
Having been awoken in the present day, Hudson was the first of the then-nameless clan members to pick a name for himself, after the Hudson River
. He befriended the blind author Jeffrey Robbins, who could accept him as a person without being aware by his being non-human (though he later revealed to Hudson he had figured out he was a gargoyle "by his Scottish accent, visits only during the night, and his smell of old leather and concrete"), and who taught him how to read.
Hudson often feels his age, and many times is relegated to watching television and guarding the clan's homestead while others are on patrols. Nevertheless he remains a proud warrior, ready to answer any challenge. Hudson is also the only gargoyle of the clan who regularly uses a weapon (a short sword), which he began using sometime after losing an eye. He was also the clan's second in command until he insisted Goliath pass it down to a younger member of the clan.
.
In the modern day, he displays an occasionally reckless and sardonic attitude, but is also a skilled tactician
and leader, as evidenced by his promotion to Goliath's second in the second season episode Upgrade. He took his name from the New York City
borough, Brooklyn
. Brooklyn harbours a deep hatred for Demona
, who tricked him in an early episode into betraying Goliath and allowing Demona to gain control of the lead Gargoyle via a spell. As such, he is prone to attack her on sight, much to the impatience of the clan who value his calculating nature.
During an extended absence by Goliath, Elisa Maza
and Bronx, Brooklyn took control of the clan and led them with all the masterful skill Goliath knew he had.
Brooklyn is known for having bad luck with romances. His first apparent crush, on a human-turned-Mutate named Maggie Reed, ended badly, with her blaming him for her condition and saying he was a monster who wanted to keep her a monster. Though they later became friends, she entered into a relationship with Talon, another Mutate. Brooklyn also pursued Goliath's daughter Angela as a mate, and was heartbroken when she chose Broadway instead.
This streak of romantic misfortune continued with a particularly frustrating turn when the female clone hybrid, Delilah, passed him over for his own clone, Malibu.
Shortly after, Brooklyn is whisked away in time by The Phoenix Gate (which transforms into a Phoenix) to 997 AD. He aids Mary and Finella (last seen trying to keep the Grimorum away from Constantine ). He persuades Demona and her clan to help Kenneth III defeat Constantine. After the battle is won, the Phoenix appears to whisk Brooklyn away to another era (though not shown, he brings Mary and Finella along with him ). After 40 years of traveling through the time stream, Brooklyn would return to his original time 40 seconds later with his family.
In the Spanish language adaptation, Brooklyn was given a catchphrase, "Shooby Dooby!"
When the character design of Brooklyn was in the process of being finalized the creators and animators consciously made him red in color due to the fact that Brooklyn was meant to be a "hothead".
and a helicopter
. He became the clan's unofficial techie, taking leadership whenever technical obstacles needed to be overcome.
In an early episode, Lexington attempted to reach out to what he considered to be like-minded individuals: a group of television superheroes called The Pack
. However, not only did he find that they were fake, but that they were mercenaries working for David Xanatos
. Feeling betrayed, he often behaved irrationally where it concerned The Pack, especially their leader, Fox, though at the end of the series, he reconciled with Fox and vowed to specifically protect her son Alexander.
The Gargoyle story continues in comic books, published by Slave Labor Graphics, wherein Greg Wiseman is free to continue the story and the character development the way he wants. In these comics, Lex is set to realize his sexuality at one point, and with the introduction of a British cervine-appearing gargoyle named Staghart (Amp for friends, although Lex is the only one to call him so), whom it is suggested is homosexual and the strong bond they formed in a short time, it is already hinted that Lexington will realize this soon. Whether Staghart really becomes his mate or whether he will help him realize his attraction for the same sex is still not clear.
and detective movies
. He is named after the famous Manhattan street known for its prominence of the American theater industry. He has the largest wings of all the group and has small bat wing-like structures as his ears. He is loyal, reliable, friendly and quite intelligent despite his appearance, and was the main focus of several of the show's more thought-provoking episodes. He is voiced by Bill Fagerbakke
.
Like the other gargoyles, he survived the 994 slaughter and was cursed to sleep as a statue for a thousand years. In the modern world, Broadway developed fast likings for Western and detective movies and cooking. He also made fast friends with the NYPD detective, Elisa Maza
, possibly to a greater extent than any of the other gargoyles except Goliath
.
Broadway was the star of the episode "Deadly Force", a somewhat controversial episode that was not aired on television for a long period. In it, Broadway finds Elisa's gun and imitates gunslingers that he had seen in a Western movie. In the process, he accidentally shoots and seriously wounds Elisa. Though she survives, and bears him no ill will for his actions, they both learn a valuable lesson about gun safety. Broadway takes it upon himself to destroy any firearm he finds, and Elisa learns to keep her weapon properly secured. In fact, the episode seemed to only bring the two closer together, and later Broadway was often seen aiding Elisa in her police cases serving as her unofficial "partner" using skills he picked up watching detective movies. Broadway seems to have been the gargoyle of choice for writers who intended to ground their stories in the real world, because of his down-to-Earth nature. Several stories featuring human criminals had only Broadway (and leader Goliath) in pivotal roles.
Broadway also appeared in a main role during the pro-literacy episode "Lighthouse in a Sea of Time", in which both he and Hudson (both previously illiterate) come to realise the value of the written word. After this in subsequent episodes, the gargoyles diligently struggle to master reading. Along the way, Broadway discovers a taste for poetry
and the dramatic arts, particularly Shakespeare, as he is seen reading from Romeo and Juliet
in the final canon broadcast episode of the series.
Following Goliath's return at the end of the Avalon World Tour, Broadway began courting Angela, Goliath's newly discovered daughter, as did Brooklyn and Lexington. After she expressed her frustration with them, Angela ultimately chose Broadway, as he saw her as the person she was, rather than simply an object to be won. Likely this was helped by the episode "Possession", in which they were briefly possessed by two of the personalities that made up the gargoyle Coldstone, two lovers that are called Othello and Desdemona.
According to Greg Weisman
, Broadway is Hudson's biological son, though neither of them are aware of this, nor likely would they consider that fact significant (In Gargoyle culture, all elders are viewed as parents). Also according to Greg Weisman, Broadway had an elder sister, referred to as Hyppolyta. Both she and their mother died prior to the Wyvern Massacre. In the future, he and Angela would have two sons and a daughter (named Artus, Gwenyvere and Lancelot), and a grandson (or great grandson) Samson, the hero of the proposed spin-off Gargoyles 2198.
, and named by Brooklyn after The Bronx
. He accompanied Elisa and Goliath to Avalon and the quests that Avalon sent them on. On Avalon, he met his future mate Boudicca, another gargoyle beast that is part of the Avalon clan. In the episode Hound of Ulster, Bronx was mistaken for - or could have been the reincarnation of - the eponymous hound by the reincarnation of the Irish hero Cúchulainn
and his nemesis the Banshee
. Cúchulainn comments that he once had a dog like Bronx, suggesting that within the Gargoyles universe, a gargoyle beast served as partial inspiration for the legend.
, was a late addition to the cast. Hatched from one of the clan's eggs while they were being safeguarded by Princess Katharine, the Magus, and Tom the Guardian on Avalon, she was originally a member of the Avalon Clan of gargoyles. However, after Goliath, Elisa Maza
and Bronx visited Avalon for the first time, she left with them as part of the worldwide quest that Avalon had sent them on known by fans as "the world tour".
On the journey, Anton Sevarius revealed to Angela that she was Goliath's biological daughter. Despite pressure from Angela and others, he was unwilling to treat her as such for a long while (claiming that to a gargoyle the whole clan is its parents), until Diane Maza, Elisa's mother convinced him. Beyond this, Angela also learned that her mother was Demona
(now an enemy of the Manhattan Clan) and attempted to bond with her. Elisa early on commented that there was something about Angela that reminded her of Demona; indeed, Angela resembles Demona in build, but has her father's (Goliath's) coloring and personality.
Despite her sheltered, peaceful upbringing on Avalon, Angela is an extremely perceptive and cunning warrior with a temper reminiscent of both of her parents. Her natural curiosity and thirst for adventure is what inspired her to leave the safety of Avalon - as she told her rookery brother Gabriel, she wanted to "see the world, find [her] place in it". Having been raised by loving humans, she has difficulty understanding the prejudices that the majority of the human race displays towards her kind. She is also an extremely moral individual unaccustomed to deception, as evidenced by her shocked reaction to Goliath's lie about his hallucinations in "Shadows of the Past".
Upon returning to Manhattan, she was readily accepted by the other clan members. The three males of the Manhattan clan, also known within the Gargoyles storyline as "The Trio", all close to her own age - Brooklyn, Lexington and Broadway - all attempted to woo her as a potential mate; their aggressive courtship tactics frustrated her so much that she was forced to angrily put them in their place in the midst of a battle, against Czech gangster Thomas Brod, when he was in Manhattan. Later on, she more gently asked them to slow down so that any romantic feelings she might feel one day could develop naturally. Furthermore, to encourage them to be patient, she tells the boys the delightful fact that she has 15 rookery sisters back at Avalon. She eventually chose Broadway (much to Brooklyn's disappointment), though the two had not consummated their relationship as of the end of the show's initial run. Writer Greg Weisman planned for Angela and Broadway to eventually have three biological children named Artus, Gwenyvere, and Lancelot. Samson, the main character of the Gargoyles 2198 spinoff, would have either been a grandson of Artus or Gwenyvere or would have been the son of Lancelot.
's companions during his Timedancer adventure. He is from ancient China, possibly the ancestors of the modern-day Xanadu clan.
weapon, the Katana
blade, which she wields along with a wakizashi
of her own, as a traditional daisho
pair of swords.
sword, as depicted in the SLG comic.
He goes by Gnash for short.
. He is voiced by Michael Dorn
, one of many Star Trek
actors to lend their voices to the series.
and Xanatos
from the stone remains of three of Goliath's
rookery siblings, named "Othello", "Desdemona" (Othello's mate) and "Iago", that were killed in the Wyvern massacre. The Coldstone fragments were recovered by Demona shortly after the massacre (a scene alludes to this in the episode City of Stone), and combined with robotics and weaponry from Xanatos' Steel Clan robots. In the episode Reawakening he was resurrected in a scene reminiscent of Frankenstein
(Xanatos repeats the line from Frankenstein "It's alive!"), and in many ways he serves as Gargoyles version of the monster
. He took the name Coldstone when Demona informed him that he was "cold stone given life".
. However, this was not enough to destroy him as he escaped from his confinement to confront Goliath and the gargoyles again.
The cyborg body housed the souls of the three deceased gargoyles that served as a vehicle that brought to the show another adaptation of William Shakespeare
's plays: Othello
. The original gargoyles were never named on the show (except for Goliath, no gargoyle from that clan had a name in the time that the three lived), although they were listed in the credits and in production material as "Othello", whom the cyborg most resembles, his mate "Desdemona
", and a villain, "Iago
". In life, "Iago" had desired "Desdemona", and before they were slain at Wyvern, attempted to drive them apart by insinuating to "Othello" that Goliath was trying to take "Desdemona" away from him (as such, Goliath in this instance plays the role of Cassio
). Within the body, the three souls continued to struggle for control of the body, with "Iago" relying on trickery and deception, much like Shakespeare's character. Such struggles formed the basis of the Coldstone character throughout the series. Demona and Xanatos were aware of such a struggle, and had often taken advantage of this (often by trying to bring out the "Iago" persona to control and dominate the robot) so they could control and manipulate him to do their bidding.
Demona (aided by Macbeth) inserted a disk to reactivate Coldstone, though Iago was the personality to become dominant. Othello lost any desire to get involved in the battle (as he did not consider himself a true Gargoyle) until The Weird Sisters persuaded him to take up the fight. Afterwards, Coldstone departs before nightfall figuring that no living Gargoyle is safe until he and Desdemona can gain dominance over Iago.
Avalon sends Goliath and Crew to the Himalayas where they encounter some monks, as well as Coldstone who has taken residence there. The monks leader Master Dawa has been trying to help him control his personality. Coldstone learns of the rookery eggs survival. During the discussion, Angela figures Coldstone/Othello to be Gabriel's biological father. Goliath is convinced that Avalon has sent them to the Himalayas to find Coldstone and bring him back to the clan. Before Coldstone can object further his evil personality (apparently) surfaces and he attacks Goliath and crew. After knocking them unconscious, it is revealed that Coldstone was pretending to be evil, as he knew Goliath was determined to bring him on their travel. He sends them on the skiff floating to the Shambahla (purposely spelt that way rather than as Shambhala) Lake.
Puck uses a lesson to the young Alexander Xanatos as an excuse to simultaneously have some fun while also helping Coldstone's respective personalities. Taking the form of Goliath, Puck manages to possess Angela with Desdemona's spirit, Broadway with Othello's, and (unbeknownst to anyone) Brooklyn with Iago's; he also possesses Lexington with Alexander, presumably since the child is too young to speak and thus work magic. Alexander then completes his lesson by putting the various lost souls into robotic bodies, and Desdemona and Iago take the names of Coldfire and Coldsteel, respectively. Coldfire and Coldstone then leave in order to pursue and stop the evil Coldsteel. They promise to join their clan as soon as they complete their mission.
Later in the year, Coldsteel is visiting Xanatos at the Scarab Corporations. The being that Xanatos seeks his and Coyote 5.0. help and in exchange will remove a tracer that is on his body. They are sent to London to steal The Stone Of Destiny
and are aided by Steel & Iron Clan robots. Coldstone and Coldfire appear to offer assistance to Hudson, Lexington and The London Clan. The two of them are on their own during the following day as they fight with Coyote and Coldsteel. Coyote is soon destroyed, with Coldsteel returning the Coyote Diamond to Xanatos. Coldstone and Coldfire stay around to get acquainted with the London Clan, and with Hudson's persuasion, rejoin the Manhattan Clan.
detailing the struggle among Coldstone, Desdemona, Iago, and Goliath at Castle Wyvern in 994 and the years before. However, the show was canceled before it came to pass. Whether this storyline will make it to new Gargoyles comic book
is subject to conjecture. Weisman has remained mum on the issue.
Artus is Broadway and Angela
's first child and first son. Called Artie for short. Angela would lay this egg in the fall of 2008 and Artus would hatch in the spring of 2018. Artus would most closely resemble his father, Broadway, and his paternal grandfather, Hudson. Artus is named after King Arthur
Pendragon.
Gwenyvere is Broadway and Angela's second child and only daughter. Called Gwen for short. Angela would lay this egg in the fall of 2028 and Gwen would hatch in the spring of 2038. Gwen would most closely resemble her mother, Angela, and her maternal grandmother, Demona. She is named after Guinevere
, King Arthur's wife from Arthurian legend.
Lancelot is Broadway and Angela's third child and second son. Called Lance for short. Angela would lay this egg in the fall of 2048 and Lance would hatch in the spring of 2058. Lance would most closely resemble his maternal grandfather, Goliath. He is named after Sir Lancelot, the knight from Arthurian legend.
The Walt Disney Company
The Walt Disney Company is the largest media conglomerate in the world in terms of revenue. Founded on October 16, 1923, by Walt and Roy Disney as the Disney Brothers Cartoon Studio, Walt Disney Productions established itself as a leader in the American animation industry before diversifying into...
series Gargoyles
Gargoyles (TV series)
Gargoyles is an American animated series created by Greg Weisman. It was produced by Greg Weisman and Frank Paur and aired from October 24, 1994 to February 15, 1997. Gargoyles is known for its dark tone, complex story arcs and melodrama...
. They are six gargoyles (mythical winged humanoid creatures that turn to stone by day), the last survivors of a Scottish
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
Gargoyle clan
Gargoyle clan
In the fictional universe of Disney's animated television series, Gargoyles, a gargoyle clan is the traditional family unit used by the gargoyle species. Several Gargoyles Listed on this page never appear in the Television series...
who are frozen in stone in the year 994 AD only to be reawakened in 1994 in Manhattan
Manhattan
Manhattan is the oldest and the most densely populated of the five boroughs of New York City. Located primarily on the island of Manhattan at the mouth of the Hudson River, the boundaries of the borough are identical to those of New York County, an original county of the state of New York...
. In 1996, they were joined by Angela (who originated from the Avalon Clan which are the children of the Scottish Clan). In 1997 the clan would grow significantly with the addition of Coldstone & Coldfire (Both being robots that house the spirits of two Scottish Gargoyles who were killed), and Brooklyn's family consisting of Fu-Dog, Katana, Nashville and Egwardo (The former two Brooklyn met in other time periods, while the latter two are children he and Katana give birth to).
Clan history
Originally from the fictional Castle Wyvern in Dark Age Scotland, they were part of a larger Wyvern Clan of gargoyles, living alongside humans and protecting them. Castle Wyvern sat on top of a cliff, of which the gargoyles originally lived in caves within the cliff face. Once they were fully matured, they would perch on the battlements during daylight hours, in order to be ready to protect the castle once night fell. However, they were betrayed by the humans, and their castle attacked by Vikings. Many of the gargoyles were destroyed - smashed into rubble while in their stone sleep - and only six survived: the leader, Goliath, and his mentor, who had followed bad information and were away from the castle tracking the Vikings during the attack, and three younglings and their pet, dog-like creature who had been locked in the underground rookery as punishment. A seventh, DemonaDemona
Demona is a fictional character in the animated television series Gargoyles, voiced by Marina Sirtis. One of the primary antagonists in the series, Demona was once Goliath's lover and part of their castle's Wyvern Clan of gargoyles...
, also survived, though this was not known at the time.
The Vikings then captured many of the castle's human inhabitants, as the surviving gargoyles pursued. They successfully rescued most of the prisoners, but the Magus of Castle Wyvern, mistakenly believing the gargoyles had caused the death of his beloved Princess Katherine during their counter assault, cast a spell on five of the remaining clan, turning them permanently to stone. However, when the Princess returned after being rescued by Goliath, the Magus realized that he had made a terrible mistake. Unfortunately, the necessary counterspell was destroyed earlier when the Viking leader Hakon burned a page from the Magus' spellbook to taunt him, thus precluding restoring the clan, except for the fact that the curse would end when the castle "rose above the clouds" which seemed impossible at the time. A grief stricken Goliath, feeling alone and wanting to join his brothers, asked the Magus to perform the spell on him while Katharine and the Magus would care for the rookery eggs.
One thousand years later, billionaire industrialist David Xanatos
David Xanatos
David Xanatos is one of the primary characters of the animated series Gargoyles. In the series, he is the founder, owner and CEO of Xanatos Enterprises and a member of the Illuminati...
acting on a tip from Demona and the Grimorum Arcanorum that he owned, purchased Castle Wyvern and had it moved, brick by brick, to the top of his skyscraper, the Eyrie Building on Manhattan in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
. As Xanatos anticipated, the building was high enough to satisfy the requirement for the spell to be broken. This liberated the gargoyles from their stone sleep, only to be stunned to find themselves 1000 years in the future in a place far away from their ancestral homeland. After the initial shock passed, the clan would eventually attempt to fit in to their new environment with the five unnamed gargoyles (apart from Goliath), taking names from New York boroughs and landmarks to allow the people of this world to better relate to them. For the most part however, the period of adjustment was relatively smooth, for the younger trio in particular who delighted in the vast varieties of goods and activities available.
Despite being grateful for their release from their slumber, the new Manhattan Clan was reluctant to put their trust in another human. This was fortunate, as their benefactor David Xanatos
David Xanatos
David Xanatos is one of the primary characters of the animated series Gargoyles. In the series, he is the founder, owner and CEO of Xanatos Enterprises and a member of the Illuminati...
intended to use them for his own Machiavellian schemes. Instead, they befriended NYPD detective Elisa Maza
Elisa Maza
Elisa Maza is a fictional character from the Disney animated television series Gargoyles, voiced by Salli Richardson. She is the main human character of the series, the steadfast ally of the Manhattan Clan of gargoyles...
, and were eventually forced out of their ancestral home of Castle Wyvern and into a clock tower above Eliza's precinct.
From their new home, they charged themselves with defending the island of Manhattan, as well from Xanatos and Demona, now their enemies who still wanted to dominate them. As they acclimated to the new home, the clan worked to reestablish their command structure, with Brooklyn appointed as Goliath's second after the elderly Hudson had stepped down from the role. Later on, Goliath, Elisa and Bronx were called away to help the grown children of the Wyvern clan on the mystical island of Avalon where they met Goliath's daughter, Angela and the surviving rookery eggs. After defeating the threat of the powerful sorcerer known as the Archmage, from the time of Castle Wyvern as he tried to take over Avalon, the group of gargates, with Maza as the only human member of the "Avalon World Tour" group. were sent on a quest by Avalon to battle evil and correct wrongs worldwide with Angela accompanying them. In the meantime, Brooklyn had some initial difficulty assuming leadership of the clan, but soon proved a capable leader on his own. The group returned to Manhattan with the new addition to the clan, but also with the hope that the gargoyle species is doing far better than they ever hoped with the discovery of numerous clans in existence worldwide.
Following the destruction of the clock tower at the end of the canonical season 2, they moved back into their ancestral home at Castle Wyvern courtesy of a grateful Xanatos, who was thankful to the gargoyles for defending his family against threats towards them. Thanks to the Hunters
Hunter (Gargoyles)
In the Walt Disney animated television series Gargoyles, several of the show's antagonists, as legacy villains have used the name and identity of the Hunter. Traditionally, the Hunter persona was used specifically for the purpose of destroying members of the gargoyle species, such as the show's...
, the general public, now aware of their existence, fears and seeks to destroy them. These were largely the issues the clan had to face of the non-canonical season 3, The Goliath Chronicles. This series was poorly received and has been supplanted by the current comic book
Comic book
A comic book or comicbook is a magazine made up of comics, narrative artwork in the form of separate panels that represent individual scenes, often accompanied by dialog as well as including...
series, Gargoyles
Gargoyles (SLG comic)
Gargoyles is a comic book produced by Slave Labor Graphics and Creature Comics. It was written by series creator Greg Weisman starting in 2006, and continued the storyline of the animated television series Gargoyles from the first two seasons, supplanting the ABC Network third season, The Goliath...
, written by Greg Weisman himself and published by Slave Labor Graphics
Slave Labor Graphics
Slave Labor Graphics is an independent American comic book publisher, well-known for publishing darkly humorous, offbeat comics.-Company history:...
as canonical.
In addition to readjusting to life in the Castle, the clan would receive a new enemy in the form of The Quarrymen (formed by John Castaway who was formerly known as Hunter
Hunter (Gargoyles)
In the Walt Disney animated television series Gargoyles, several of the show's antagonists, as legacy villains have used the name and identity of the Hunter. Traditionally, the Hunter persona was used specifically for the purpose of destroying members of the gargoyle species, such as the show's...
Jon Canmore). Goliath and Elisa, after an attempt to find love within their own species, declare their love to each other. Other relationships form include Broadway and Angela becoming mates, Lexington befriending Alex Xanatos and Hudson's friendship with Jeffery Robbins improving. Brooklyn as a result becomes more distant from the clan.
Shortly after, Lexington and Hudson aid Macbeth in London to watch over The Stone of Destiny and encounter both Coldstone and Coldfire. Back at home, Brooklyn is whisked away by the Phoenix from The Phoenix Gate, only to return 40 seconds later (and 40 years older). During his journey in the timestream, Brooklyn was joined by a female gargoyle from Japan, Katana (whom he would be mated to), Fu-Dog (his gargoyle beast companion), Nashville (His and Katana's son) and Egwardo (His and Katana's yet to be hatched child). Lexington and Hudson return home from London as well (with Coldstone and Coldfire who were convinced in rejoining the clan). The newly strengthened Manhattan Clan head to Time Square to apprehend The Pack
Pack (Gargoyles)
In the Disney animated television series Gargoyles, the Pack are a group of mercenaries who frequently clash with the Manhattan Clan.-History:...
(Jackal, Hyena and Wolf).
Goliath
Goliath is the primary protagonistProtagonist
A protagonist is the main character of a literary, theatrical, cinematic, or musical narrative, around whom the events of the narrative's plot revolve and with whom the audience is intended to most identify...
of the show and leader of the Manhattan Clan. He was voiced by actor Keith David
Keith David
Keith David Williams , better known as Keith David, is an American film, television, voice actor, and singer. He is perhaps most known for his live-action roles in such films as Crash, There's Something About Mary, Barbershop and Men at Work...
.
Hudson
The gargoyle that would later be known as Hudson was a former leader of the Wyvern Clan and friend to both Prince Malcolm, Wyvern's original human governor and Katherine's father, and the Captain of the Guard. He was voiced by Ed AsnerEd Asner
Edward Asner , commonly known as Ed Asner, is an American film, television, stage, and voice actor and former president of the Screen Actors Guild, primarily known for his Emmy Award-winning role as Lou Grant on both The Mary Tyler Moore Show and its spin-off series, Lou Grant...
.
Having retired after being blinded in the left eye battling the Archmage, the elder gargoyle (who was around 100 years old at the time) gave the leadership of the clan to his current second-in-command, Goliath. He nevertheless remained a fierce warrior, cunning strategist, and unparalleled tracker. Goliath often relied on his counsel and his experience. They were the only two gargoyles that left the castle to track the Vikings, and were thus absent during the raid that destroyed much of the rest of the clan.
Having been awoken in the present day, Hudson was the first of the then-nameless clan members to pick a name for himself, after the Hudson River
Hudson River
The Hudson is a river that flows from north to south through eastern New York. The highest official source is at Lake Tear of the Clouds, on the slopes of Mount Marcy in the Adirondack Mountains. The river itself officially begins in Henderson Lake in Newcomb, New York...
. He befriended the blind author Jeffrey Robbins, who could accept him as a person without being aware by his being non-human (though he later revealed to Hudson he had figured out he was a gargoyle "by his Scottish accent, visits only during the night, and his smell of old leather and concrete"), and who taught him how to read.
Hudson often feels his age, and many times is relegated to watching television and guarding the clan's homestead while others are on patrols. Nevertheless he remains a proud warrior, ready to answer any challenge. Hudson is also the only gargoyle of the clan who regularly uses a weapon (a short sword), which he began using sometime after losing an eye. He was also the clan's second in command until he insisted Goliath pass it down to a younger member of the clan.
- In an episode of the non-canonical The Goliath Chronicles, the series' third season, Hudson developed glaucomaGlaucomaGlaucoma is an eye disorder in which the optic nerve suffers damage, permanently damaging vision in the affected eye and progressing to complete blindness if untreated. It is often, but not always, associated with increased pressure of the fluid in the eye...
in his remaining eye and reluctantly underwent surgery to regain his vision on the advice of his first-ever human friend, blind author Jeffrey Robbins, who had revealed he was aware of Hudson's true nature. - In future stories, it would have been said he was the biological father of Broadway, though during the show's run neither of them was explicitly aware of this fact. It may have been a moot point, given the cultural attitude of 'collective family' most gargoyle clans seem to hold.
- According to series' creator Greg Weisman, the role of Hudson was all but made for Asner. Part of the description of Hudson's character was that he "hates spunk", taken from a famous line spoken by Asner's character Lou Grant in the first episode of The Mary Tyler Moore ShowThe Mary Tyler Moore ShowThe Mary Tyler Moore Show is an American television sitcom created by James L. Brooks and Allan Burns that aired on CBS from 1970 to 1977...
.
Brooklyn
Brooklyn, Goliath's second-in-command, is one of the younger gargoyles of the clan. He survived the Wyvern Massacre along with his two Rookery-Brothers by being locked in the castle's rookery as a punishment for misbehaving. He is voiced by Jeff BennettJeff Bennett
Jeffrey Glenn "Jeff" Bennett is an American voice actor and musician, listed "among the top names in the voice-over field", best known as the voice of Johnny Bravo in the series of the same name...
.
In the modern day, he displays an occasionally reckless and sardonic attitude, but is also a skilled tactician
Military tactics
Military tactics, the science and art of organizing an army or an air force, are the techniques for using weapons or military units in combination for engaging and defeating an enemy in battle. Changes in philosophy and technology over time have been reflected in changes to military tactics. In...
and leader, as evidenced by his promotion to Goliath's second in the second season episode Upgrade. He took his name from the New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
borough, Brooklyn
Brooklyn
Brooklyn is the most populous of New York City's five boroughs, with nearly 2.6 million residents, and the second-largest in area. Since 1896, Brooklyn has had the same boundaries as Kings County, which is now the most populous county in New York State and the second-most densely populated...
. Brooklyn harbours a deep hatred for Demona
Demona
Demona is a fictional character in the animated television series Gargoyles, voiced by Marina Sirtis. One of the primary antagonists in the series, Demona was once Goliath's lover and part of their castle's Wyvern Clan of gargoyles...
, who tricked him in an early episode into betraying Goliath and allowing Demona to gain control of the lead Gargoyle via a spell. As such, he is prone to attack her on sight, much to the impatience of the clan who value his calculating nature.
During an extended absence by Goliath, Elisa Maza
Elisa Maza
Elisa Maza is a fictional character from the Disney animated television series Gargoyles, voiced by Salli Richardson. She is the main human character of the series, the steadfast ally of the Manhattan Clan of gargoyles...
and Bronx, Brooklyn took control of the clan and led them with all the masterful skill Goliath knew he had.
Brooklyn is known for having bad luck with romances. His first apparent crush, on a human-turned-Mutate named Maggie Reed, ended badly, with her blaming him for her condition and saying he was a monster who wanted to keep her a monster. Though they later became friends, she entered into a relationship with Talon, another Mutate. Brooklyn also pursued Goliath's daughter Angela as a mate, and was heartbroken when she chose Broadway instead.
This streak of romantic misfortune continued with a particularly frustrating turn when the female clone hybrid, Delilah, passed him over for his own clone, Malibu.
Shortly after, Brooklyn is whisked away in time by The Phoenix Gate (which transforms into a Phoenix) to 997 AD. He aids Mary and Finella (last seen trying to keep the Grimorum away from Constantine ). He persuades Demona and her clan to help Kenneth III defeat Constantine. After the battle is won, the Phoenix appears to whisk Brooklyn away to another era (though not shown, he brings Mary and Finella along with him ). After 40 years of traveling through the time stream, Brooklyn would return to his original time 40 seconds later with his family.
In the Spanish language adaptation, Brooklyn was given a catchphrase, "Shooby Dooby!"
When the character design of Brooklyn was in the process of being finalized the creators and animators consciously made him red in color due to the fact that Brooklyn was meant to be a "hothead".
- Brooklyn's unseen adventure through time would be seen in the unmade spinoff Timedancer.
- He and Fu-Dog would also be main characters in Gargoyles 2198. They would arrive in that era in the second episode, with Brooklyn being the POV type character. He would make efforts not to learn too much about his clan's future as he hopes to make it back to his time someday.
Lexington
Lexington (called 'Lex' for short) is the smallest gargoyle in the Manhattan Clan. He is often shown being eager, analytical and outgoing, and sometimes impatient; in the episode, 'Upgrade' Lexington chooses his motto to be, "Speed is the key". He is named for Lexington Avenue, New York and can be recognized by his olive skin, and the fact that his wings are not the classic "bat" configuration (as separate "limbs") of the other gargoyles in the clan, but are more like a webbed membrane between his arms and legs, akin to a flying squirrel. He is voiced by Thom Adcox. Interested in science, Lexington adapted quickly to the technology of the modern age, as he demonstrates by figuring out how to control a motorcycleMotorcycle
A motorcycle is a single-track, two-wheeled motor vehicle. Motorcycles vary considerably depending on the task for which they are designed, such as long distance travel, navigating congested urban traffic, cruising, sport and racing, or off-road conditions.Motorcycles are one of the most...
and a helicopter
Helicopter
A helicopter is a type of rotorcraft in which lift and thrust are supplied by one or more engine-driven rotors. This allows the helicopter to take off and land vertically, to hover, and to fly forwards, backwards, and laterally...
. He became the clan's unofficial techie, taking leadership whenever technical obstacles needed to be overcome.
In an early episode, Lexington attempted to reach out to what he considered to be like-minded individuals: a group of television superheroes called The Pack
Pack (Gargoyles)
In the Disney animated television series Gargoyles, the Pack are a group of mercenaries who frequently clash with the Manhattan Clan.-History:...
. However, not only did he find that they were fake, but that they were mercenaries working for David Xanatos
David Xanatos
David Xanatos is one of the primary characters of the animated series Gargoyles. In the series, he is the founder, owner and CEO of Xanatos Enterprises and a member of the Illuminati...
. Feeling betrayed, he often behaved irrationally where it concerned The Pack, especially their leader, Fox, though at the end of the series, he reconciled with Fox and vowed to specifically protect her son Alexander.
The Gargoyle story continues in comic books, published by Slave Labor Graphics, wherein Greg Wiseman is free to continue the story and the character development the way he wants. In these comics, Lex is set to realize his sexuality at one point, and with the introduction of a British cervine-appearing gargoyle named Staghart (Amp for friends, although Lex is the only one to call him so), whom it is suggested is homosexual and the strong bond they formed in a short time, it is already hinted that Lexington will realize this soon. Whether Staghart really becomes his mate or whether he will help him realize his attraction for the same sex is still not clear.
Broadway
The large, round, and bluish green-skinned gargoyle called Broadway, is a jolly and occasionally naive clan member with a fondness for food (even using food as a weapon on some occasions), as well as WesternsWestern (genre)
The Western is a genre of various visual arts, such as film, television, radio, literature, painting and others. Westerns are devoted to telling stories set primarily in the latter half of the 19th century in the American Old West, hence the name. Some Westerns are set as early as the Battle of...
and detective movies
Detective fiction
Detective fiction is a sub-genre of crime fiction and mystery fiction in which an investigator , either professional or amateur, investigates a crime, often murder.-In ancient literature:...
. He is named after the famous Manhattan street known for its prominence of the American theater industry. He has the largest wings of all the group and has small bat wing-like structures as his ears. He is loyal, reliable, friendly and quite intelligent despite his appearance, and was the main focus of several of the show's more thought-provoking episodes. He is voiced by Bill Fagerbakke
Bill Fagerbakke
William Mark "Bill" Fagerbakke is an American actor and voice actor. He is well-known for his long-running-roles as Patrick Star in the animated series SpongeBob SquarePants and "Dauber" Dybinski on the sitcom Coach....
.
Like the other gargoyles, he survived the 994 slaughter and was cursed to sleep as a statue for a thousand years. In the modern world, Broadway developed fast likings for Western and detective movies and cooking. He also made fast friends with the NYPD detective, Elisa Maza
Elisa Maza
Elisa Maza is a fictional character from the Disney animated television series Gargoyles, voiced by Salli Richardson. She is the main human character of the series, the steadfast ally of the Manhattan Clan of gargoyles...
, possibly to a greater extent than any of the other gargoyles except Goliath
Goliath (Gargoyles)
Goliath is a fictional character, and lead protagonist, in the animated television series Gargoyles, voiced by Keith David.-Overview:The Gargoyles concept began as a comedy series in the style of The Gummi Bears, although set in the modern day...
.
Broadway was the star of the episode "Deadly Force", a somewhat controversial episode that was not aired on television for a long period. In it, Broadway finds Elisa's gun and imitates gunslingers that he had seen in a Western movie. In the process, he accidentally shoots and seriously wounds Elisa. Though she survives, and bears him no ill will for his actions, they both learn a valuable lesson about gun safety. Broadway takes it upon himself to destroy any firearm he finds, and Elisa learns to keep her weapon properly secured. In fact, the episode seemed to only bring the two closer together, and later Broadway was often seen aiding Elisa in her police cases serving as her unofficial "partner" using skills he picked up watching detective movies. Broadway seems to have been the gargoyle of choice for writers who intended to ground their stories in the real world, because of his down-to-Earth nature. Several stories featuring human criminals had only Broadway (and leader Goliath) in pivotal roles.
Broadway also appeared in a main role during the pro-literacy episode "Lighthouse in a Sea of Time", in which both he and Hudson (both previously illiterate) come to realise the value of the written word. After this in subsequent episodes, the gargoyles diligently struggle to master reading. Along the way, Broadway discovers a taste for poetry
Poetry
Poetry is a form of literary art in which language is used for its aesthetic and evocative qualities in addition to, or in lieu of, its apparent meaning...
and the dramatic arts, particularly Shakespeare, as he is seen reading from Romeo and Juliet
Romeo and Juliet
Romeo and Juliet is a tragedy written early in the career of playwright William Shakespeare about two young star-crossed lovers whose deaths ultimately unite their feuding families. It was among Shakespeare's most popular archetypal stories of young, teenage lovers.Romeo and Juliet belongs to a...
in the final canon broadcast episode of the series.
Following Goliath's return at the end of the Avalon World Tour, Broadway began courting Angela, Goliath's newly discovered daughter, as did Brooklyn and Lexington. After she expressed her frustration with them, Angela ultimately chose Broadway, as he saw her as the person she was, rather than simply an object to be won. Likely this was helped by the episode "Possession", in which they were briefly possessed by two of the personalities that made up the gargoyle Coldstone, two lovers that are called Othello and Desdemona.
According to Greg Weisman
Greg Weisman
Greg Weisman is an American comic book and animation writer and producer, best known as the creator of Gargoyles and as the Supervising Producer of The Spectacular Spider-Man. Weisman is currently a producer on the Young Justice animated series...
, Broadway is Hudson's biological son, though neither of them are aware of this, nor likely would they consider that fact significant (In Gargoyle culture, all elders are viewed as parents). Also according to Greg Weisman, Broadway had an elder sister, referred to as Hyppolyta. Both she and their mother died prior to the Wyvern Massacre. In the future, he and Angela would have two sons and a daughter (named Artus, Gwenyvere and Lancelot), and a grandson (or great grandson) Samson, the hero of the proposed spin-off Gargoyles 2198.
Bronx
Bronx, though a member of the Manhattan Clan, is not technically a gargoyle. Rather, he is a gargoyle beast- resembling a dog more than a human. He could not talk, but was nevertheless depicted as intelligent and a fully-fledged member of the clan. He mostly sticks with Hudson and sits beside him watching TV. He was "voiced" by Frank WelkerFrank Welker
Franklin Wendell "Frank" Welker is an American actor who specializes in voice acting and has contributed character voices and other vocal effects to American television and motion pictures.-Acting career:...
, and named by Brooklyn after The Bronx
The Bronx
The Bronx is the northernmost of the five boroughs of New York City. It is also known as Bronx County, the last of the 62 counties of New York State to be incorporated...
. He accompanied Elisa and Goliath to Avalon and the quests that Avalon sent them on. On Avalon, he met his future mate Boudicca, another gargoyle beast that is part of the Avalon clan. In the episode Hound of Ulster, Bronx was mistaken for - or could have been the reincarnation of - the eponymous hound by the reincarnation of the Irish hero Cúchulainn
Cúchulainn
Cú Chulainn or Cúchulainn , and sometimes known in English as Cuhullin , is an Irish mythological hero who appears in the stories of the Ulster Cycle, as well as in Scottish and Manx folklore...
and his nemesis the Banshee
Banshee
The banshee , from the Irish bean sí is a feminine spirit in Irish mythology, usually seen as an omen of death and a messenger from the Otherworld....
. Cúchulainn comments that he once had a dog like Bronx, suggesting that within the Gargoyles universe, a gargoyle beast served as partial inspiration for the legend.
Angela
Angela, voiced by Brigitte BakoBrigitte Bako
Brigitte Bako is a Canadian actress known for her role on Red Shoe Diaries. She also wrote, produced and starred in the adult comedy G-Spot.-Life and career:...
, was a late addition to the cast. Hatched from one of the clan's eggs while they were being safeguarded by Princess Katharine, the Magus, and Tom the Guardian on Avalon, she was originally a member of the Avalon Clan of gargoyles. However, after Goliath, Elisa Maza
Elisa Maza
Elisa Maza is a fictional character from the Disney animated television series Gargoyles, voiced by Salli Richardson. She is the main human character of the series, the steadfast ally of the Manhattan Clan of gargoyles...
and Bronx visited Avalon for the first time, she left with them as part of the worldwide quest that Avalon had sent them on known by fans as "the world tour".
On the journey, Anton Sevarius revealed to Angela that she was Goliath's biological daughter. Despite pressure from Angela and others, he was unwilling to treat her as such for a long while (claiming that to a gargoyle the whole clan is its parents), until Diane Maza, Elisa's mother convinced him. Beyond this, Angela also learned that her mother was Demona
Demona
Demona is a fictional character in the animated television series Gargoyles, voiced by Marina Sirtis. One of the primary antagonists in the series, Demona was once Goliath's lover and part of their castle's Wyvern Clan of gargoyles...
(now an enemy of the Manhattan Clan) and attempted to bond with her. Elisa early on commented that there was something about Angela that reminded her of Demona; indeed, Angela resembles Demona in build, but has her father's (Goliath's) coloring and personality.
Despite her sheltered, peaceful upbringing on Avalon, Angela is an extremely perceptive and cunning warrior with a temper reminiscent of both of her parents. Her natural curiosity and thirst for adventure is what inspired her to leave the safety of Avalon - as she told her rookery brother Gabriel, she wanted to "see the world, find [her] place in it". Having been raised by loving humans, she has difficulty understanding the prejudices that the majority of the human race displays towards her kind. She is also an extremely moral individual unaccustomed to deception, as evidenced by her shocked reaction to Goliath's lie about his hallucinations in "Shadows of the Past".
Upon returning to Manhattan, she was readily accepted by the other clan members. The three males of the Manhattan clan, also known within the Gargoyles storyline as "The Trio", all close to her own age - Brooklyn, Lexington and Broadway - all attempted to woo her as a potential mate; their aggressive courtship tactics frustrated her so much that she was forced to angrily put them in their place in the midst of a battle, against Czech gangster Thomas Brod, when he was in Manhattan. Later on, she more gently asked them to slow down so that any romantic feelings she might feel one day could develop naturally. Furthermore, to encourage them to be patient, she tells the boys the delightful fact that she has 15 rookery sisters back at Avalon. She eventually chose Broadway (much to Brooklyn's disappointment), though the two had not consummated their relationship as of the end of the show's initial run. Writer Greg Weisman planned for Angela and Broadway to eventually have three biological children named Artus, Gwenyvere, and Lancelot. Samson, the main character of the Gargoyles 2198 spinoff, would have either been a grandson of Artus or Gwenyvere or would have been the son of Lancelot.
Slave Labor Graphics comic characters
These characters never appeared in the television series. They appear in the Gargoyles comics series and its spin-offs published Slave Labor Graphics, which is considered to share the same canon by many.Fu-Dog
A green-skinned, leonine gargoyle beast and one of BrooklynBrooklyn
Brooklyn is the most populous of New York City's five boroughs, with nearly 2.6 million residents, and the second-largest in area. Since 1896, Brooklyn has had the same boundaries as Kings County, which is now the most populous county in New York State and the second-most densely populated...
's companions during his Timedancer adventure. He is from ancient China, possibly the ancestors of the modern-day Xanadu clan.
Katana
Brooklyn's mate, of a light blue color with long, dark bluish-black hair, and having a shorter beak than Brooklyn's. She is originally from ancient Feudal Japan, possibly from the ancestors of the modern Ishimura Clan. Brooklyn would meet her during his Timedancer adventure. She is named after the SamuraiSamurai
is the term for the military nobility of pre-industrial Japan. According to translator William Scott Wilson: "In Chinese, the character 侍 was originally a verb meaning to wait upon or accompany a person in the upper ranks of society, and this is also true of the original term in Japanese, saburau...
weapon, the Katana
Katana
A Japanese sword, or , is one of the traditional bladed weapons of Japan. There are several types of Japanese swords, according to size, field of application and method of manufacture.-Description:...
blade, which she wields along with a wakizashi
Wakizashi
The is one of the traditional Japanese swords worn by the samurai class in feudal Japan.-Description:...
of her own, as a traditional daisho
Daisho
The is a Japanese term for a matched pair of traditionally made Japanese swords worn by the samurai class in feudal Japan.-Description:...
pair of swords.
Nashville
Brooklyn and Katana's first child, who closely resembles Brooklyn in general appearance, except for his light blue skin and bluish-black hair, both inherited from his mother. He will be hatched during Brooklyn's Timedancer adventures. The origin of his name is unknown, but Greg Weisman said it has to do with where he is hatched. Nashville wears human clothing (an armless T-shirt and short khaki trousers) and wields a short kodachiKodachi
A , literally translating into "small or short tachi ", is a Japanese sword that is too long to be considered a dagger but too short to be a long sword...
sword, as depicted in the SLG comic.
He goes by Gnash for short.
Egwardo/Tachi
Brooklyn and Katana's second child. Katana will lay her egg during the Timedancer adventures, but Egwardo will not hatch or properly named until 1998. It is unclear what effect the Timedancing will have on Tachi's egg.Coldstone
Is a character in the animated series GargoylesGargoyles (TV series)
Gargoyles is an American animated series created by Greg Weisman. It was produced by Greg Weisman and Frank Paur and aired from October 24, 1994 to February 15, 1997. Gargoyles is known for its dark tone, complex story arcs and melodrama...
. He is voiced by Michael Dorn
Michael Dorn
Michael Dorn is an American actor, and voice artist who is best known for his role as the Klingon Worf from the Star Trek franchise.-Early life and career:...
, one of many Star Trek
Star Trek
Star Trek is an American science fiction entertainment franchise created by Gene Roddenberry. The core of Star Trek is its six television series: The Original Series, The Animated Series, The Next Generation, Deep Space Nine, Voyager, and Enterprise...
actors to lend their voices to the series.
Biography
As part of their bids to possess gargoyles that they could personally control, Coldstone was created by DemonaDemona
Demona is a fictional character in the animated television series Gargoyles, voiced by Marina Sirtis. One of the primary antagonists in the series, Demona was once Goliath's lover and part of their castle's Wyvern Clan of gargoyles...
and Xanatos
David Xanatos
David Xanatos is one of the primary characters of the animated series Gargoyles. In the series, he is the founder, owner and CEO of Xanatos Enterprises and a member of the Illuminati...
from the stone remains of three of Goliath's
Goliath (Gargoyles)
Goliath is a fictional character, and lead protagonist, in the animated television series Gargoyles, voiced by Keith David.-Overview:The Gargoyles concept began as a comedy series in the style of The Gummi Bears, although set in the modern day...
rookery siblings, named "Othello", "Desdemona" (Othello's mate) and "Iago", that were killed in the Wyvern massacre. The Coldstone fragments were recovered by Demona shortly after the massacre (a scene alludes to this in the episode City of Stone), and combined with robotics and weaponry from Xanatos' Steel Clan robots. In the episode Reawakening he was resurrected in a scene reminiscent of Frankenstein
Frankenstein (1931 film)
Frankenstein is a 1931 Pre-Code Horror Monster film from Universal Pictures directed by James Whale and adapted from the play by Peggy Webling which in turn is based on the novel of the same name by Mary Shelley. The film stars Colin Clive, Mae Clarke, John Boles and Boris Karloff, and features...
(Xanatos repeats the line from Frankenstein "It's alive!"), and in many ways he serves as Gargoyles version of the monster
Frankenstein's monster
Frankenstein's monster is a fictional character that first appeared in Mary Shelley's novel, Frankenstein, or The Modern Prometheus. The creature is often erroneously referred to as "Frankenstein", but in the novel the creature has no name...
. He took the name Coldstone when Demona informed him that he was "cold stone given life".
History
When he first appeared, he had turned bitter and confused after a thousand years of oblivion as well as thanks to the lies and manipulation of Demona and Xanatos. Demona and Xanatos then tried to use him to destroy Goliath and the Manhattan Clan. Goliath initially saw Coldstone as an abomination, but soon saw past horrifying appearance to the family ties that lay beneath. After a long battle, Coldstone sacrificed himself to save his brother, falling into the cold depths of the Hudson RiverHudson River
The Hudson is a river that flows from north to south through eastern New York. The highest official source is at Lake Tear of the Clouds, on the slopes of Mount Marcy in the Adirondack Mountains. The river itself officially begins in Henderson Lake in Newcomb, New York...
. However, this was not enough to destroy him as he escaped from his confinement to confront Goliath and the gargoyles again.
The cyborg body housed the souls of the three deceased gargoyles that served as a vehicle that brought to the show another adaptation of William Shakespeare
William Shakespeare
William Shakespeare was an English poet and playwright, widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's national poet and the "Bard of Avon"...
's plays: Othello
Othello
The Tragedy of Othello, the Moor of Venice is a tragedy by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written in approximately 1603, and based on the Italian short story "Un Capitano Moro" by Cinthio, a disciple of Boccaccio, first published in 1565...
. The original gargoyles were never named on the show (except for Goliath, no gargoyle from that clan had a name in the time that the three lived), although they were listed in the credits and in production material as "Othello", whom the cyborg most resembles, his mate "Desdemona
Desdemona (Othello)
Desdemona is a character in William Shakespeare's play Othello . Shakespeare's Desdemona is a Venetian beauty who enrages and disappoints her father, a Venetian senator, when she elopes with Othello, a man several years her senior. When her husband is deployed to Cyprus in the service of the...
", and a villain, "Iago
Iago
Iago is a fictional character in Shakespeare's Othello . The character's source is traced to Giovanni Battista Giraldi Cinthio's tale "Un Capitano Moro" in Gli Hecatommithi . There, the character is simply "the ensign". Iago is a soldier and Othello's ancient . He is the husband of Emilia,...
". In life, "Iago" had desired "Desdemona", and before they were slain at Wyvern, attempted to drive them apart by insinuating to "Othello" that Goliath was trying to take "Desdemona" away from him (as such, Goliath in this instance plays the role of Cassio
Michael Cassio
Michael Cassio, or simply Cassio, is a fictional character in William Shakespeare's Othello. The source of the character is the 1565 tale "Un Capitano Moro" by Cinthio; Cassio is unnamed in Cinthio but referred to as "the squadron leader." In the play, Cassio is a young and handsome lieutenant...
). Within the body, the three souls continued to struggle for control of the body, with "Iago" relying on trickery and deception, much like Shakespeare's character. Such struggles formed the basis of the Coldstone character throughout the series. Demona and Xanatos were aware of such a struggle, and had often taken advantage of this (often by trying to bring out the "Iago" persona to control and dominate the robot) so they could control and manipulate him to do their bidding.
Demona (aided by Macbeth) inserted a disk to reactivate Coldstone, though Iago was the personality to become dominant. Othello lost any desire to get involved in the battle (as he did not consider himself a true Gargoyle) until The Weird Sisters persuaded him to take up the fight. Afterwards, Coldstone departs before nightfall figuring that no living Gargoyle is safe until he and Desdemona can gain dominance over Iago.
Avalon sends Goliath and Crew to the Himalayas where they encounter some monks, as well as Coldstone who has taken residence there. The monks leader Master Dawa has been trying to help him control his personality. Coldstone learns of the rookery eggs survival. During the discussion, Angela figures Coldstone/Othello to be Gabriel's biological father. Goliath is convinced that Avalon has sent them to the Himalayas to find Coldstone and bring him back to the clan. Before Coldstone can object further his evil personality (apparently) surfaces and he attacks Goliath and crew. After knocking them unconscious, it is revealed that Coldstone was pretending to be evil, as he knew Goliath was determined to bring him on their travel. He sends them on the skiff floating to the Shambahla (purposely spelt that way rather than as Shambhala) Lake.
Puck uses a lesson to the young Alexander Xanatos as an excuse to simultaneously have some fun while also helping Coldstone's respective personalities. Taking the form of Goliath, Puck manages to possess Angela with Desdemona's spirit, Broadway with Othello's, and (unbeknownst to anyone) Brooklyn with Iago's; he also possesses Lexington with Alexander, presumably since the child is too young to speak and thus work magic. Alexander then completes his lesson by putting the various lost souls into robotic bodies, and Desdemona and Iago take the names of Coldfire and Coldsteel, respectively. Coldfire and Coldstone then leave in order to pursue and stop the evil Coldsteel. They promise to join their clan as soon as they complete their mission.
Later in the year, Coldsteel is visiting Xanatos at the Scarab Corporations. The being that Xanatos seeks his and Coyote 5.0. help and in exchange will remove a tracer that is on his body. They are sent to London to steal The Stone Of Destiny
Stone of Scone
The Stone of Scone , also known as the Stone of Destiny and often referred to in England as The Coronation Stone, is an oblong block of red sandstone, used for centuries in the coronation of the monarchs of Scotland and later the monarchs of England, Great Britain and the United Kingdom...
and are aided by Steel & Iron Clan robots. Coldstone and Coldfire appear to offer assistance to Hudson, Lexington and The London Clan. The two of them are on their own during the following day as they fight with Coyote and Coldsteel. Coyote is soon destroyed, with Coldsteel returning the Coyote Diamond to Xanatos. Coldstone and Coldfire stay around to get acquainted with the London Clan, and with Hudson's persuasion, rejoin the Manhattan Clan.
Spin-off plans
Weisman also wanted to create a spin-offSpin-off (media)
In media, a spin-off is a radio program, television program, video game, or any narrative work, derived from one or more already existing works, that focuses, in particular, in more detail on one aspect of that original work...
detailing the struggle among Coldstone, Desdemona, Iago, and Goliath at Castle Wyvern in 994 and the years before. However, the show was canceled before it came to pass. Whether this storyline will make it to new Gargoyles comic book
Gargoyles (SLG comic)
Gargoyles is a comic book produced by Slave Labor Graphics and Creature Comics. It was written by series creator Greg Weisman starting in 2006, and continued the storyline of the animated television series Gargoyles from the first two seasons, supplanting the ABC Network third season, The Goliath...
is subject to conjecture. Weisman has remained mum on the issue.
Future Clan members
These characters aren't considered canon, as they were only proposed. Their status may change in the future as non-canon, if they appear in the SLG Gargoyles series, which is considered to share the same canon as the television series.Artus is Broadway and Angela
Angela
- Geography :* Angela Lake, in Volusia County, Florida* Lake Angela, in Lyon Township, Oakland County, Michigan* Lake Angela, the reservoir impounded by the source dam of the South Yuba River-Literature:...
's first child and first son. Called Artie for short. Angela would lay this egg in the fall of 2008 and Artus would hatch in the spring of 2018. Artus would most closely resemble his father, Broadway, and his paternal grandfather, Hudson. Artus is named after King Arthur
King Arthur
King Arthur is a legendary British leader of the late 5th and early 6th centuries, who, according to Medieval histories and romances, led the defence of Britain against Saxon invaders in the early 6th century. The details of Arthur's story are mainly composed of folklore and literary invention, and...
Pendragon.
Gwenyvere is Broadway and Angela's second child and only daughter. Called Gwen for short. Angela would lay this egg in the fall of 2028 and Gwen would hatch in the spring of 2038. Gwen would most closely resemble her mother, Angela, and her maternal grandmother, Demona. She is named after Guinevere
Guinevere
Guinevere was the legendary queen consort of King Arthur. In tales and folklore, she was said to have had a love affair with Arthur's chief knight Sir Lancelot...
, King Arthur's wife from Arthurian legend.
Lancelot is Broadway and Angela's third child and second son. Called Lance for short. Angela would lay this egg in the fall of 2048 and Lance would hatch in the spring of 2058. Lance would most closely resemble his maternal grandfather, Goliath. He is named after Sir Lancelot, the knight from Arthurian legend.