Venus In Stone
by: Mary "Stormy" Pletsch
Synopsis
The Gargoyles watch as Elisa sees Beth off at the airport. Beth freaks when she sees Broadway wave at her through the plane's window. He's still hurting over the death of Lavonne (Issue #4) Elisa and Goliath plan to raid Gen-U-Tech Island the following night and destroy the mysterious Medusa Device, as well as any other horrors created there.
Dr. Phobos plans to use the Medusa Device to give him control over Xanatos. Xanatos, angry that Lavonne escaped, decides to investigate the island and take possession of the Medusa Device. Phobos (obviously a paranoiac) reveals that the female creature in the vat is a human/gargoyle hybrid. Demona appears (she has free rein of the facilities, complains Phobos) and is annoyed that Goliath's blood samples (Issue #1) were mixed with Elisa's to create the hybrid!
Meanwhile, the Gargoyles arrive on a yacht (confiscated from drug smugglers by the NYPD) with Elisa. By waterskiing behind the boat and opening their wings, the Gargoyles gain lift enough to reach the island. Hudson and Bronx remain on the boat. (Elisa is carrying FOUR guns!) They see an aircraft disappear right into the mountainside and realize the mountainside is a hologram.
Xanatos is pleased with the Medusa Device, which turns organic matter into stone. Demona pulls a gun on him and demands the device. The Gargoyles pass through the hologram and encounter a huge squad of XCG (Xanatos Corporate Guardsmen). As the Gargoyles fight the XCG, Xanatos runs with the device with Demona in hot pursuit, and a paranoid Phobos flees to hatch his hybrid so she can protect him. Her programming is not complete, but she has a primary directive: to obey his every word. He orders her to kill Xanatos, Demona and the gargoyles.
Meanwhile, Xanatos is attacking the gargoyles wearing gold steel clan armour and the Medusa Device, a headset with a targeter (like the upgraded Jackal's) It reacts to eye movements and shoots a beam that turns a plant to stone, when Lex dodges out of the way.
Review
I don't know how Xanatos fires the Medusa Device--he doesn't press a button or anything. Dr. Phobos must be superparanoid to turn on EVERYONE. The art in this issue is very good, although Demona looks somewhat different than on T.V. Brooklyn and Lex in surfer gear as they waterski is a cute touch. Narration in the form of Elisa's diary entries continue to be true to her character and informative. The hybrid gargoyle is most intriguing; Elisa and Goliath's reactions to her are bound to be interesting.
Credits
(Nicely camouflaged on boarding passes held by characters in the airport! Classy and original touch!)
- Plot
- Martin Pasko and Mort Todd
- Dialogue
- Mort Todd
- Breakdowns
- Amanda Conner
- Finishes
- Alberto Saichamn
- Colours
- Karl Bollers
- Letters
- John Costanza
- Editor
- Hildy Mesnik