The World of Gargoyles

Overview and Setting

The gargoyles are a race of very powerful winged beings who were the defenders of a keep in the year 994 A.D.. By day, they are immobilized in stone as statues on the castle parapets. When the sun sets, the stone turns to flesh and they take to their task of defending their home. They do not have names of their own, but eventually take names to deal more easily with humans. Thanks to a betrayal, all but six of the gargoyles were destroyed, and the remaining ones were turned to stone "until the castle rises above the clouds".

A thousand years passed and the year  was then 1994. A rich businessman, David Xanatos, bought the castle, and moved it stone by stone to the top of a skyscraper in Manhattan. The sun set on the gargoyles and they came back to life, free of their curse. They had a hard time dealing with their new environment, and had to deal with their feelings of mistrust toward humans--a mistrust that was deepened by another betrayal. It was revealed that one other gargoyle, Demona, survived the destruction in 994, and she was also at the heart of both betrayals. Her hatred for humanity runs deep, and fuels her less-than-honorable intentions. The gargoyles had one human friend, a police detective named Elisa Maza. With her help, the gargoyles began to assimilate into the twentieth century, and began to trust. They abandoned the castle and set up a secret home in the clock tower of the New York Police Department 23th precinct station where Elisa worked.

Over the course of the next year, the clan battled the forces of evil such as Demona, Xanatos, Gangsters like Anthony Dracon, the diabolical Dr. Anton Sevarius, the corrupt clone Thailog, the mysterious Illuminati, even the godlike Children of Oberon. In their adventures, enemies and friends were made and innocence was lost as the clan followed their oath to protect the city.

Goliath and Elisa later learned that the eggs abandoned in the tenth century were adults on the magical island of Avalon. Following the battle against the Archmage to help them there, he, Elisa, Bronx and his newfound daughter, Angela, traveled the world with the Mists of Avalon sending them on an extended quest to protect the innocent and awaken others to their destiny as heroic allies in this world. Along the way, things and beings previously thought to be myth were revealed to be actual fact while the companions learned they are not the only Gargoyles when they discovered clans all over the world. This quest ended with a titanic battle of the clan opposing the Fay Lord Oberon himself in Manhattan as he attempted to abduct the newborn child of the Xanatoses upon learning that both mother and son are descendants from the Lady Titania, his wife.

The ensuing relative peace proved short-lived as the Hunters, the hereditary enemies of all Gargoyles, and especially Demona, returned to strike against the clan.  In doing so, their secret home was destroyed and the existence of the clan was finally fully exposed to the public.  Even as they foiled Demona's grandest scheme of genocide, the clan was revealed and generally feared by a human population unfamiliar with these beings.  Only a grateful Xanatos has offered them refuge in their ancient castle as a sign of their settled feud.  Now, Goliath and the others must battle to protect their city while trying to convince the human population that they mean no harm to the innocent.  That task is made all the more difficult with the prevailing fear being exploited by the last Hunter forming the murderous Quarrymen.

The task is great and the dangers many, but the clan stands ready to prove themselves to a doubtful world by doing what they do best. In short, Gargoyles protect, and hope that others will understand.

The Characters

Maintained by Kenneth Chisholm

Note: The characters and items listed here are from the episodes under Greg Weisman's tenure as Creative Executive Producer. As such, I am following the editorial decisions of The Gargoyles Saga project and consider The Goliath Chronicles episodes outside "The Journey" invalid in the continuity.

Critical Essays