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The Nightstone Project: A Guide To Gargoyles
Well, here we have my latest attempt at guide writing. As with my first ones, I wrote this by first
finding a complete list of episodes from an existing website, and then I wrote the plot synopses
from memory. Gargoyles is one of my favorite cartoons of all time, and I hope I did it justice.
Oh, and one last thing. For some reason, a lot of Star Trek actors provided voices for this show.
I point out all Star Trek connections wherever they are. So, enjoy!
Season 1 (1994/1995)
Awakening, Part I
The series begins with our heroes in their home, Scotland in 994 A.D. The Vikings have
attacked the castle, and it is feared that they will do so again. It appears that our heroes will be
safe, but there is a betrayer in their midst.... (Star Trek connection: With the first episode,
Marina Sirtis (Troi on The Next Generation) is introduced as Demona's voice)
Awakening, Part II
His clan betrayed, Goliath and the surviving gargoyles go after the Vikings and the betrayer, the
captain of the guard. Fearing that Goliath's arrival caused the death of Princess Catherine, the
Magus casts a spell that turns our heroes to stone, until Castle Wyvern rises above the clouds.
1000 years later, Xanatos hears of this legend, and has the castle moved to the top of his
building, breaking the spell. (Star Trek connection: Jonathan Frakes, Riker of The Next
Generation, gives voice to Xanatos)
Awakening, Part III
In this new world, Goliath befriends Elisa Maza, a human detective. Hudson chooses his name,
and then Elisa shows Goliath the wonders of the modern world. (Favorite scene: I love the part
where Hudson chooses his name. That, and when Hudson discovers TV. He changes it to a
music video station, hears the warbling of some punk rocker, and runs out of the room in terror.)
Awakening, Part IV
Xanatos reveals that Demona (Goliath's love, thought to have died in Part I) is still alive, and
she rejoins the clan. The other gargoyles choose their names. Xanatos then enlists the gargoyles
to recover property that was stolen from him in Part II.
Awakening, Part V
Xanatos and Demona show their true evil natures when they turn on the gargoyles, and Xanatos
unleashes his Steel Clan robots.
The Thrill of the Hunt
Lexington, wanting to make more friends in this new world, reveals himself to TV stars the
Pack: Fox, Dingo, Wolf, Hyena, and Jackal. It turns out, though, that the Pack are actually
mercenaries, and they soon hunt Lexington and Goliath through the city for sport.
Temptation
Demona returns, and tries to sway Brooklyn to her way of thinking. She says that Goliath can be
swayed too, with a spell from the Gremorin. Brooklyn falls for this, but the spell enslaves
Goliath. Can Brooklyn find the counter-spell and save Goliath?
Deadly Force
Broadway just gets out of a movie and stops by Elisa's place. Emulating what he saw in the
movie, he begins playing with Elisa's gun, and accidentally shoots her. Horrified at what he did,
he takes off into the night. The clan believes that it was mobster Tony Dracon who shot her, and
Goliath sets out to take down Dracon. Will Goliath succeed? Will Broadway confess to what he
did? Will Elisa live? (Trivia note: This episode won a few awards for its strong, anti-gun
message. Ironically, the Disney channel in the U.S. will not show this episode in reruns because
of its frank depiction of gun violence. Star Trek connection: Nichelle Nichols, Uhura of the
original series, is introduced as the voice of Elisa's mother.)
Enter MacBeth
Xanatos is about to be released from prison (for his crimes in Awakening Part V) and wants the
gargoyles out of his castle. He is approached by a mysterious old man named MacBeth, who
wants to do it. MacBeth succeeds in capturing Brooklyn, Lexington, and Bronx. Goliath goes
after them, and MacBeth reveals that he just wants the gargoyles to bait a trap for Demona. Just
what is his connection to Demona? (Important plot point: This ends with the gargoyles moving
into the clock tower.)
The Edge
Xanatos is released from prison, and wonders if he's lost his edge in battle. To test himself, he
dons a gargoyle exosuit, and heads out with a few steel clan robots to take on Goliath in combat.
Long Way to Morning
Hudson and a critically wounded Goliath are being pursued through the streets of New York by a
laser-wielding Demona. To keep Goliath conscious during the chase, Hudson and Goliath
reminisce about a similar incident in 984 A.D., when he, Goliath, and Demona were dispatched
to defeat the Archmage. (Favorite scene: the final battle between Hudson and Demona, while
Goliath lay unconscious in a crypt, is quite chilling.)
Her Brother's Keeper
Xanatos offers up his most fiendish plot yet: offering Elisa's brother Derek a job! As this is
happening, Jackal and Hyena are hired by someone to assassinate Xanatos. Can Elisa stop her
brother from joining Xanatos? Can Jackal and Hyena be stopped once again? (Puzzling
moment: In this episode, the clan gets a helicopter, yet never use it again.)
Reawakening
As winter sets in, Goliath questions his clan's purpose in this new era. He follows Elisa on duty
to try and get some new sense of purpose. Meanwhile, Xanatos and Demona use a combination
of science and sorcery to create Coldstone; a cybernetic gargoyle who was once Goliath's
rookery brother. Can Goliath stop his brother? Can he find a place in this new world? (Star
Trek connection: Michael Dorn, Worf of The Next Generation and Deep Space Nine, does the
voice of Coldstone. I've got lots of favorite lines from this episode:
Xanatos >> IT'S ALIVE! ALIVE! (pause) I've always wanted to say that (right after Coldstone
first awakens.)
Or how about Coldstone choosing his name:
Coldstone>> Who...What am I?
Demona>> You are cold stone brought back to life.
Coldstone>> Cold...stone....
And this one: While Goliath and Coldstone fight outside of a theater, we see the trio inside
Broadway>> Boy, that surround sound is great!
Lexington >> Hey! Wait a minute! There are no explosions in Bambi!
All around, a great episode)
Season 2 (1995/1996)
Leader of the Pack
The Pack (except for Fox, who chooses to stay in prison and serve out her time) are busted out
by a person calling himself Coyote. Coyote reveals himself to be Xanatos, and asks the Pack to
help him gain vengeance on the gargoyles. Of course, Wolf and Coyote dispute over who should
lead the Pack. Can the clan defeat these foes once again? Will Lexington be consumed with
vengeance over how he was used in The Thrill Of The Hunt? (Important plot point: Of course,
Coyote is revealed to be a robotic duplicate built by Xanatos, and becomes a new villain.)
Metamorphosis
When Brooklyn spots what appears to be a gargoyle, the clan is lead to GenUTech, a subsidiary
of Xanatos Enterprises headed by Dr. Sevarius. It seems that Xanatos enlisted Sevarius to create
gargoyles, and Sevarius did this by developing a mutagen that turns humans into gargoyle-like
creatures. But, Sevarius injects Derek Maza (Elisa's brother) with the mutagen, and Derek
becomes the gargoyle Talon. Blaming Goliath for his mutation, Talon mobilizes the other
gargoyles Sevarius has created against the clan. Can Brooklyn's feelings for the female mutate
save the mutates from a life of evil?
Legion
Coldstone is reawakened, but the clan is puzzled when Coldstone goes through strange mood
swings. To get to the bottom of this, Goliath uses virtual reality technology to journey into
Coldstone's mind, and discovers the truth. Coldstone was made from the biological components
of three dead gargoyles: Coldstone, Coldstone's love, and Coldstone's enemy. And now, all
three souls inhabit Coldstone's body. To make matters worse, a computer program designed by
Xanatos has sided with Coldstone's enemy, and a computer virus is destroying everything. Can
Goliath stop this battle of the minds?
A Lighthouse in the Sea of Time
MacBeth is back, and goes after the recently discovered Scrolls of Merlin, which are thought to
contain a powerful spell. The clan goes after the MacBeth, but Hudson is separated from the
clan and meets Jeffery Robbins, a blind novelist. In their conversations, Hudson reveals that he
is illiterate. Will Hudson take the first brave steps and learn to read? Can the clan recover the
Scrolls of Merlin? (Trivia note: Like Deadly Force, this episode won an award for its strong,
pro-literacy message.)
The Mirror
Demona gets her hands on the Mirror of Titania, and uses it to summon forth Puck. Demona
wants Puck to use his magic to allow her to retain her gargoyle form in the daytime. But, Puck
decides to have some fun, and turns all the humans in New York into gargoyles, and the clan
into humans. Goliath and company sort matters out, and soon get Puck to reverse the spell. But,
before Puck leaves, he grants Demona her wish, but with a twist: in the day, Demona turns into a
human! (Star Trek Connection: Brent Spiner, Data of The Next Generation, gives voice to Puck.
Also, you've got to love the scene where Elisa is turned into a gargoyle, but the clan hasn't been
turned into humans yet. She and Goliath actually flirt with each other!)
The Silver Falcon
When Matt Bluestone, Elisa's partner, disappears, Elisa goes hunting for him. Broadway,
having watched too many detective movies, goes along, wanting to be Elisa's partner. Their
search soon leads them to Tony Dracon, and a 60-year old jewel heist. Can they save Bluestone?
Can they unravel what happened to the jewels?
Eye of the Beholder
Xanatos proposes marriage to Fox. Instead of an engagement ring, he gives her the magical Eye
of Odin. But, the Eye turns Fox into a rampaging werewolf. Will Xanatos turn to Goliath to
save the woman he loves? (Note: Another favorite episode. The majority of events take place
on Halloween, with the gargoyles enjoying the fact that they can walk around unnoticed. As
another reference to their burgeoning romance, Elisa dresses up as Belle from Beauty and the
Beast for Halloween, with Goliath being the beast. Xanatos' marriage proposal is one of my
favorite scenes in the series, and my favorite lines are:
Xanatos (after he and Goliath have saved Fox) >> Now you know my weakness.
Goliath >> Only you would consider love a weakness.)
Vows
The wedding day has come for Xanatos and Fox, and the best man and bridesmaid are Goliath
and Demona respectively. It soon turns into a ploy for Xanatos to get his hands on the Phoenix
Gate, a magical item that allows time travel with a thought. Xanatos, Fox, Goliath, Demona,
and Xanatos' father are sent back in time to 984 A.D. Xanatos initiates a time-loop that results
in him amassing his fortune, and Demona tries to corrupt her younger self to her way of
thinking. Can Goliath save the younger Demona and perhaps save Demona?
City of Stone, Part I
Demona comes to Xanatos with a spell, saying that it is what has kept her immortal for all these
years. Meanwhile, in flashback, we finally see how Demona saved herself from the massacre at
Castle Wyvern all those years ago, and how she crossed paths with a young boy named MacBeth.
And, the weird sisters watch....
City of Stone, Part II
Demona lied about the spell, and instead it turns all the people in New York to stone at sunset.
Demona goes about shattering all the stone people, as Goliath and Xanatos form an uneasy
alliance to stop Demona. As this goes on, a being called the Hunter also looks for Demona.
Meanwhile, in flashback, we see the Hunter hunting down an elderly Demona, and Malcome,
king of Scotland, conspiring to have his cousin MacBeth eliminated to fortify his hold on the
throne.
City of Stone, Part III
Goliath and Xanatos put their plan into action to try and break the spell, while Demona and the
Hunter slug it out. Meanwhile, in flashback, we see Malcome declaring war on MacBeth, and
Demona still being pursued by the Hunter. In order to defeat their enemies, MacBeth and
Demona form an uneasy alliance, and the weird sisters seal the bargain with a spell which has
MacBeth's youth given to Demona. MacBeth becomes king of Scotland, and Demona (whom he
names) becomes his chief advisor.
City of Stone, Part IV
Demona sabotages Xanatos and Goliath's plan in a way that will result in the death of both. The
Hunter reveals himself to be MacBeth, and the two fight it out for what may be the final time.
Meanwhile, in flashback, we see how MacBeth and Demona became good friends over the
course of 39 years, only to betray each other when Malcome's son Canmore dons the mask of
the Hunter to defeat both his enemies. The connection between the two is finally explained, and
how Demona lived all these years. Can Goliath stop the two from fighting so he can break the
spell? Or will he need intervention from the weird sisters? (Note: Words cannot describe how
much I love this four-part episode! This is storytelling at its finest.)
High Noon
Demona and MacBeth, now mysteriously working together, abduct the body of Coldstone and
resurrect him, with the evil soul taking charge. The three manage to capture the clan, and say
that they will be destroyed at high noon unless Elisa comes to save them. Will a sleep-deprived
Elisa make it in time? Will Coldstone's good personality regain control of the body? And just
why are Demona and MacBeth working together?
Outfoxed
When Cyberbiotics launches Fortress II, their massive floating airship, Goliath tags along, to
make sure nothing happens. (Xanatos tricked Goliath into destroying Fortress I in Awakening,
Part IV) But, Helsian Renard, the head of Cyberbiotics, is onboard the ship, and captures
Goliath. His intent: simply make Goliath admit that he is responsible for the destruction of
Fortress I. Meanwhile, Fox launches a very hostile takeover of Cyberbiotics by bribing Renard's
assistant to sabotage Fortress II. Can Renard and Goliath save Fortress II? What's the deal with
Renard and Fox? And why exactly is a doctor calling Fox with test results?
Revelations
The Illuminate, a secret society that is the focus of Matt Bluestone's quest, say that they will let
Bluestone in if he does one little thing: bring Goliath to their torture chamber. Bluestone
confronts Elisa about the secret she's been keeping from him, and he finally meets the gargoyles.
But, will Bluestone sell out his new friends to fulfil his lifelong quest of exposing the
Illuminate? (Trivia note: I loved the character of Matt Bluestone! I sure wish we got to see
more of him, but this is the only Bluestone episode.)
Double Jeopardy
Xanatos has Sevarius create Thailog, and evil clone of Goliath. But, soon Thailog turns on his
creators and sets up an extortion plot to get $50 million from Xanatos, and then sets up a death
trap for Xanatos, Sevarius, Goliath, and Elisa. Can the combined might of the four stop this evil
clone? (Favorite lines:
Owen >> So, what you're saying is Thailog has the strength of Goliath, the intelligence of
[Xanatos], $50 million, and is loose on the world?
Xanatos >> Owen, I think I've created a monster.)
Upgrade
Coyote breaks the Pack out of prison again. But this time, he offers the Pack true power. The
result: Wolf is genetically enhanced with wolf DNA, Jackal and Hyena become cyborgs, Dingo
gets an exosuit, and Coyote gets a bigger, badder robot body. Meanwhile, Goliath's heart is
heavy with who he should choose to be his second in command. Can the clan defeat this all new
Hyper-Pack? Who will Goliath choose as second in command?
Protection
Tony Dracon is the undisputed king of the protection racket in New York. Elisa, going
undercover to bust him, tries to muscle in on his operation. But soon, Goliath and Broadway are
wrapped up in the plot. Can Goliath, Broadway, and Elisa take down Tony Dracon once and for
all?
The Cage
Talon and the mutates return, in the employ of Xanatos and still after Goliath. Meanwhile,
somebody abducts Sevarius, and forces him to make a cure for Talon's mutation. Will Talon
finally see Xanatos for the villain he is? Just who abducted Sevarius? And where the heck is
Goliath in all this?
The Price
Xanatos sets up an elaborate ruse to abduct Hudson. It seems that Xanatos has come into
possession of the Cauldron of Life, which is said to grant "life as long as the mountain stones."
Xanatos wants to use Hudson as his guinea pig. Meanwhile, to keep the rest of the clan
occupied, Xanatos has a robotic duplicate of MacBeth attack the clan. Will the clan uncover the
ruse? Will Hudson escape from Xanatos? (Important plot point: From this episode on, Owen's
left arm is solid stone from the elbow down.)
Avalon, Part I
Tom, a young boy from Awakening, comes to New York, now a man of 50. He tracks down
Goliath, saying that the eggs from Awakening are in danger, and that he needs Goliath's help.
Goliath, Bronx, and Elisa go off with Tom to Avalon, while Tom tells them what happened to
himself, Princess Catherine, the Magus, and the eggs in the events after Awakening Part II.
Avalon, Part II
Our heroes arrive on Avalon, to discover that in fact, the eggs have hatched into full grown
gargoyles! It seems that the island is under siege by the Archmage, who somehow survived the
events in Long Way Til Morning, formed an alliance with the weird sisters, and is using Demona
and MacBeth as his generals. Meanwhile, in what has got to be my favorite time travel story
ever, it is explained how the Archmage survived and became the sorcerer supreme he is.
(Favorite line: "Congratulations. You beat up a beach." -- The Archmage, after Goliath and the
Avalon clan successfully defeat the Archmage's sand-monsters.)
Avalon, Part III
In order to aid in the battle against the Archmage, Elisa awakens the sleeping king: King Arthur.
While King Arthur and the Avalon clan hold off Demona and MacBeth and the Magus does
battle with the weird sisters, Goliath goes off to face the Archmage for the final time. When the
day is one, Angela, one of the Avalon clan, decides to accompany Goliath, Elisa, and Bronx back
to New York. (Favorite line: "Avalon does not send you where you want to go. It sends you
where you need to be." -- Tom, and with those words, the world tour storyline began. Oh, and
Goliath recovered the Eye of Odin and the Phoenix Gate from the body of the Archmage, and
brought them with him on the world tour.)
Shadows of the Past
The first stop on the world tour is Scotland, and the original home of Castle Wyvern. Here,
Goliath must do battle with ghosts of Hakon, the Viking captain, and the Captain of the Guard,
who betrayed the clan way back in Awakening Part II. Can Goliath defeat these ghosts from his
past? (Note: The final act of this episode is just so...anime in how it's animated, and in the
twists that the plot takes.)
Heritage
Avalon next sends our heroes to Canada (more specifically, B.C.). Here, they meet up with
Raven and Grandmother, two of Oberon's Children. To save the dying island, the tribal leader
of the First Nations village on the island must do battle with Raven, but he doesn't believe in
such things as magic. Can Goliath, Angela, Elisa, and Bronx help this young man reconnect
with his heritage, battle Raven, and save the island?
Kingdom
We catch up with the rest of Goliath's clan in New York, who are worried over the mysterious
disappearance of Goliath, Elisa and Bronx. With their disappearance, leadership falls to
Brooklyn, who is feeling quite inadequate in the task. Meanwhile, the mutates have taken up
residence underground, and have become the protectors of a group of homeless people. Fang
wants to overthrow Talon and rule these people. Can Brooklyn grow into the role of leader and
help save Talon from Fang? (Favorite scene: When Claw, the mutate who does not speak,
explains in a series of hilarious gestures to Fang how Maggie the Cat escaped. She, of course,
went to get Brooklyn.)
Monsters
Our world travelers are next sent to Loch Ness, where Sevarius is attempting to capture Nessie
and her mate. He inadvertently captures Angela, runs a DNA test on her, and discovers that she
is Goliath's daughter! Can Goliath, Elisa, and Bronx find Angela? Can they save the Loch Ness
Monsters from Sevarius?
Golem
Prague is the next stop on the world tour, where we run into Helsian Renard. It seems that
Renard tires of his frail body, and has discovered a spell that will allow him to transfer his soul
into a golem -- a monster made of clay from Jewish mythology. Renard has hired a gang of
Prague mobsters to steal the golem from a young rabbi, who's trying to resurrect the golem to
once again protect the city. Can our travelers recover the golem and prevent Renard from going
through with his scheme?
Sanctuary
Paris, France is the next stop, where our heroes encounter Demona. She romances MacBeth in
her human form by day, and Thailog by night! Can our heroes uncover this scheme and save
MacBeth from Demona and Thailog? Will Angela discover that Demona is her mother?
(Favorite line: "But next time, be sure to get a good look at her at night." -- Goliath, reassuring
MacBeth that he will fall in love again.)
M.I.A.
London, England is where Avalon sends our heroes next. There, they encounter another clan of
gargoyles, still alive and well! This clan blames Goliath for the disappearance of Griff, a young
gargoyle lost in World War II. To get their vengeance on Goliath, they abduct Angela, Elisa, and
Bronx and hold them prisoner. To get to the bottom of this, Goliath uses the Phoenix Gate to go
back in time to World War II. Can he save Griff this time?
Grief
Egypt is the next stop, where our heroes encounter Coyote, Hyena, Jackal, and Wolf assisting a
man named Amir in Xanatos' latest plot for immortality. The scheme: summon forth Anubis,
and have him grant Xanatos his immortality. But, Amir has another plot: get Anubis to resurrect
his dead son. Things get even worse when Jackal becomes an avatar for Anubis! Can our
heroes defeat Jackal when he masters control of life and death? (Favorite line: "If there is any
justice in this world or the next, he is reunited in peace with his son." -- Goliath, contemplating
what happened to Amir at the end of this adventure.)
The Hound of Ulster
Ireland is the next stop, where our heroes are abducted by the Banshee. Bronx manages to
escape, and encounters a young man lacking direction in his life. This young man is haunted
with dreams, and may be the reincarnation of one of Ireland's greatest heroes. Can Bronx help
him remember the hero he was in a past life? Can they rescue the rest of our heroes from the
Banshee? (Star Trek Connection: Colm Meany, O'Brian of Deep Space Nine, is the voice of the
young man's father.)
Walkabout
Avalon sends our heroes to Australia, where they encounter Dingo upon a spiritual journey.
Meanwhile, Fox and her mother, Anastasia Renard, are experimenting with nanites to rebuild the
earth in Fox and Xanatos' image. But, the nanites get out of control and threaten to destroy the
earth. Can Goliath and Dingo stop these hive-minded nanites? Or must the battle continue in
the spirit plane? (Star Trek Connection: Kate Mulgrew, Captain Janeway of Voyager, is the
voice of Fox's mother.)
Mark of the Panther
Africa is the next stop, where we encounter Elisa's mother reconnecting with her roots.
Meanwhile, our heroes are puzzled when they are attacked by a were-panther. It seems that
another of Elisa's mother's group is a were-panther, and they were turned that way by Ananceid,
a spider trickster god from African lore. Can our heroes get Ananceid to reverse the spell? (Star
Trek Connections: Not only is Nichelle Nichols back as the voice of Elisa's mother, but LeVar
Burton, Geordi of The Next Generation, is the voice of Ananceid.)
Pendragon
We catch up with King Arthur, on his own world tour from the end of Avalon Part III. He is sent
to London, where he meets up with Griff. Soon, the Stone of Destiny sends King Arthur and
Griff to New York to quest for Excaliber. They encounter Brooklyn and Goliath's clan, who
help in the quest. Meanwhile, MacBeth has learned of their quest, and since he too is an
immortal king, believes himself to be worthy of Excaliber. So, who will find Excaliber first,
King Arthur, or MacBeth? (Trivia note: The creators had hoped that this would launch a spin-off, entitled Pendragon, following King Arthur's adventures in the modern world as he searches
for Merlin and rebuilds the Round Table.)
Eye Of The Storm
Avalon next sends our heroes to Norway, where they encounter Odin. Odin demands his eye
back, and goes through violent means to get it. To protect our heroes from Odin, Goliath dons
the Eye of Odin, but soon he too is corrupted by its power. Can Angela and Elisa stop a power-mad Goliath?
The New Olympians
The cloaked island of New Olympia is the next stop on the world tour. Here, all the great beings
from Greek mythology live in hiding. Elisa is immediately locked up, because the New
Olympians declared humans to be their enemies a long time ago. Meanwhile, Proteus, an evil
shapeshifter, uses the commotion caused by our heroes arrival to escape and try and destroy the
island. Can Elisa prove herself and help Taurus (the island's law and order) bring in Proteus?
(Star Trek Connection: Michael Dorn is back as the voice of Taurus. Trivia note: This episode
was hoped to launch another spin-off called The New Olympians, and focus on the wonders of
these people.)
The Green
Guatemala is the next stop on the world tour, where our heroes encounter another surviving clan
of gargoyles protecting the rainforest from greedy developers. These gargoyles don't turn to
stone during the day, thanks to a magic spell. The developers hire Jackal and Hyena to get rid
off the gargoyles. So, Hyena goes to New York to get what is required to break the spell, but
encounters resistance from Broadway and Lexington. Jackal stays behind, and causes trouble for
our travelers and the Guatemalan clan. Can they stop Jackal? Will Hyena break the spell, and
make our heroes vulnerable in the day?
Sentinel
Avalon sends our heroes to Easter Island, where Angela and Bronx are abducted, and Elisa has
her memory erased. This turns out to be the work of Nokor, an alien sentinel sent to this planet
centuries ago to protect us from invading aliens. He believes the gargoyles to be the first wave
of an invasion, and erased Elisa's memory to "save" her. Can Elisa regain her memory and save
the gargoyles? (Star Trek Connection: Avery Brooks, Captain Sisko of Deep Space Nine, is the
voice of Nokor.)
Bushido
Next stop: Japan. Here, our heroes encounter a village where gargoyles and humans have lived
in peaceful coexistence for centuries. But, a villainous member of this village and Yama, one of
the Japanese gargoyles, see an opportunity for profit, and abduct all the gargoyles and make
them prisoner in a gargoyle-themed amusement park. Can Goliath, Angela and Bronx escape?
Will Elisa find them? Will Yama realize the folly of his way?
Cloud Fathers
Avalon next sends our heroes to Arizona, where they encounter Elisa's father and little sister
investigating Xanatos' latest development in the area. It seems that Xanatos, with the aid of the
Coyote robot, are seeking to capture the Coyote trickster from Native American lore, and make
him grant Xanatos his wish of immortality. Can our heroes stop Xanatos? Will Elisa's father
reconnect with his Native American roots and help our heroes? (Favorite line: "It's my first stab
at real cliched villainy. How am I doing?" -- Xanatos, after he imprisons Goliath and Angela in
an elaborate death trap.)
Ill Met By Moonlight
Our travelers return to Avalon, ready to try and reach New York again. But, Oberon and Titania
return to reclaim their island. They decide to duel for the island, and Goliath, Angela, and
Gabriel (one of the Avalon clan) face Oberon in combat. While this goes on, Elisa, Princess
Catherine, and Tom seek to forge a weapon to defeat Oberon. Will Goliath and clan succeed?
Will Elisa forge the proper weapon to stop Oberon? (Star Trek Connection: Kate Mulgrew,
Captain Janeway, is the voice of Titania. Gee, I wonder if there's a connection between her and
Fox's mother? Trivia note: The creators had hoped to get Patrick Stewart (Captain Picard) to
voice Oberon, but he proved unaffordable. So, they settled on Terrance Stamp, Chancellor
Velorum in Star Wars: Episode I.)
Future Tense
Goliath and our heroes return to New York. But, this New York is a nightmare world 40 years in
the future. Here, Xanatos is dictator of all, and about to conquer the world. Brooklyn, Demona,
a blind Broadway, and a cybernetic Lexington valiantly lead a resistance against Xanatos. Will
they succeed in their rebellion? And why is everyone so keen on using the Phoenix Gate to alter
history? It turns out this is a delusion set up by Puck, to try and get the Phoenix Gate from
Goliath. With the Phoenix Gate, he can bribe Oberon and get out of the Gathering. (Star
Trek connection: Brent Spiner returns as the voice of Puck. Trivia note: This was hoped to
launch yet another spin-off, showing us an Age of Apocalypse-style Gargoyles universe.)
The Gathering, Part I
At long last, our heroes return to the real New York! This coincides with the announcement of
the birth of Alexander, the son of Xanatos and Fox. The Gathering has begun on Avalon, in
which all of Oberon's children come home. When his wife Titania, and his servant Puck, don't
return, he goes searching for them. This leads him to New York, where Fox's mother is revealed
to be Titania. This means that Alexander is one-quarter Oberon's child, and as such, must be
brought to Avalon to be trained to use his magical skills. Xanatos and Fox, naturally resist. Will
Goliath and the clan stop Oberon from abducting the child? (Star Trek Connection: Yup. Kate
Mulgrew as Titania/Anastasia Renard.)
The Gathering, Part II
All hell breaks loose as Xanatos, Goliath and the clan, and Cyberbiotics (Renard is Alexander's
grandfather, after all) all try and hold off Oberon. Just when things seem their bleakest, Owen
appears, and reveals himself to be Puck! He's been in hiding because he likes the real world,
and doesn't want to return to Avalon just yet. But, even his magic can't defeat Oberon, and
Oberon moves in to kidnap Alexander. But, Fox taps into her long-atrophied magic abilities,
and holds of Oberon. Goliath points out that this changes things, and that Alexander can be
trained to use his magic in the real world. Oberon agrees, and, as Puck's punishment for turning
against his master, Puck is banished from Avalon, and can only use his magic when teaching or
protecting Alexander. Puck turns back into Owen, and reluctantly agrees. The gargoyles go
home, and Xanatos feels that he owes Goliath a great deal....
Vendettas
Goliath and Hudson are out on patrol, only to be attacked by Wolf and the ghost of Hakon.
Turns out that Wolf is Hakon's descendant, and together they seek vengeance on Goliath once
and for all. Meanwhile, Vinnie, a minor background character from half-a-dozen episodes, also
blames Goliath for his dismal life, and seeks vengeance. Can Goliath and Hudson stop this
onslaught? (Note: I always wonder if Wolf was always meant to be Hakon's descendant, or if
the creators just wrote that in when they realized the same guy did their voices. Also, you've got
to love Vinnie's revenge: smacking Goliath in the face with a banana cream pie.)
Turf
Those Czech mobsters from Golem return, and are trying to muscle their way into New York.
This sparks off a gang war with Tony Dracon. Meanwhile, the trio has begun fighting over
Angela, much to her chagrin. Can the trio stop fighting long enough to stop this gang war?
(Favorite lines: "And guys, STOP CALLING ME ANGIE!" -- Angela, laying down the law and
stopping the fight between the trio. "So, when do we get our world tour?" -- Brooklyn, to
Goliath, after Angela reveals that she has 15 rookery sisters on Avalon. Also, I love the end,
when Tony Dracon and the head of the Czech mobsters are made cell-mates, and immediately
begin beating the crap out of each other.)
The Reckoning
The clan manages to capture Demona, and wonder what to do with her. With the help of the
mutates, they decide to lock her away with Fang, still serving time for trying to overthrow Talon
in Kingdom. While watching guard, Angela tries to reach her mother, and try to get her to
reform. But, it turns out this was all a plot by Demona and Thailog to get DNA samples of all
the gargoyles, and create a clan of evil clones. Can the clan and Talon defeat Fang, Demona,
and a clan of evil clones? Was Angela successful in reaching her mother? (Favorite line: "They
can come with me. I'll teach them to think for themselves. And use verbs." -- Talon, after he
decides to take in the monosyllabic clones after Thailog and Demona apparently die at each
other's hands.)
Possession
In order to start repaying his debt to Goliath, Xanatos captures Coldstone, and plans on giving all
three souls their own bodies. But, the magic that infused the souls into Coldstone can't be
undone. The solution: Puck decides to teach Alexander the art of soul-transference. So, taking
upon the forms of Goliath and Hudson, Puck and Alexander transfer Coldstone and Coldfire's
(Coldstone's love) souls into Broadway and Angela, and Coldsteel's (Coldstone's enemy) into
Brooklyn. Things soon become one confusing mess of who's-possessed-by-who. But, it is a
great episode, with Coldstone and Coldfire together at last, and going off into the night to stop
the evil Coldsteel.
Hunter's Moon, Part I
The mantle of the Hunter has been passed down from generation to generation in the Canmore
family, and now the latest Canmores have come to New York, bent on destroying Demona once
and for all. As part of their plan, they get close to people who have been associated with the
gargoyles in New York: John Canmore becomes a reporter doing a story on Xanatos, Robin
Canmore becomes the personal assistant to Dominique Destine (Demona in human form), and
Jason Canmore becomes Elisa's new partner. A relationship seems to develop between Jason
and Elisa, much to Goliath's dismay. And, the Hunters critically wound Angela, incurring
Goliath's wrath.
Hunter's Moon, Part II
Goliath slowly becomes more and more consumed with hatred towards the Hunters, and vows to
destroy them. This even results in a temporary alliance with Demona when they are both
captured. But, when Goliath escapes, the Hunters track them back to the clock tower, and
prepare to blow away the gargoyles....
Hunter's Moon, Part III
The Canmores' true identities are revealed when Jason frantically saves Elisa before the clock
tower is destroyed. Now homeless, and with their pictures plastered all over TV, the gargoyles
are being hunted by the whole city. Jason Canmore and Goliath slug it out, but the battle ends
with the apparent death of both Jason and Elisa. As all this goes on, Demona is about to unleash
a virus created by sorcery which will destroy every human on the planet. Can the gargoyles and
Hunters team-up to stop Demona? Will Xanatos jump into the fray and save the gargoyles? MY
GOD, THIS THREE PARTER IS JUST SO FRIGGIN' AWESOME!!!!!!!!
Season 3: The Goliath Chronicles (1996/1997. Rushed into production, a lot of people don't
like The Goliath Chronicles. It was done by completely different writers, and had a poorer
quality of animation. I, however, find a few gems in this season.)
The Journey
Not much plot. Just setting up the major plot points for the new season. They are: With Xanatos
and Fox having saved the gargoyles, Xanatos questions his evil ways and decides to reform.
Lexington and Alexander form a special bond, and Lexington becomes Alexander's protector.
Broadway and Angela fall in love, crushing Brooklyn's heart. Humanity decides weather the
gargoyles should be accepted or feared (a lot like the mutants of the X-Men universe). And John
Canmore, the only non-reformed Hunter, changes his name to John Castaway and forms the
Quarrymen, a gargoyle hate group (a lot like the Friends of Humanity in X-Men).
Ransom
Alexander is kidnaped, and the ransom demanded is a gargoyle. This turns out to be a plot by
New York's latest mayoral candidate, who hopes to rally people behind him in an anti-gargoyle
frenzy. Can Xanatos uncover this plot and save his son? Or will Lexington make the sacrifice
and turn himself in to the captors?
Runaways
Brooklyn, hurting over Angela's choosing of Broadway and Goliath not giving him proper
respect as second-in-command, leaves the clan. He soon becomes protector of two teenage
runaways, who are being seduced by the evil of the Quarrymen. Can Brooklyn save these kids?
Will he decide to go home?
Broadway Goes To Hollywood
In an effort to speed up society's acceptance of the gargoyles, Fox takes Broadway out to Los
Angeles, bent on making him a star. But, the Quarrymen hire Jackal and Hyena to gum up the
works. (Favorite line: "Loving wife, devoted mother, armed vigilante." -- Xanatos, writing his
wife's epitaph, when she dons an armored exosuit to save Broadway from Jackal and Hyena.)
A Bronx Tail
Bronx is swept away on a rail car to Amish country, where he befriends a young Amish boy.
Meanwhile, sightings of Bronx in the area have swept up an anti-gargoyle frenzy among the
rednecks. Can Xanatos and the clan find and rescue Bronx in time?
The Dying Of The Light
Hudson fears that he is losing his sight, and seeks the help of his blind friend Jeffery Robbins.
Robbins, knowing that Hudson is a gargoyle, takes Hudson to his doctor, where it is learned that
Hudson's sight can be fixed with surgery. When word gets out that a gargoyle is at the hospital,
the Quarrymen seek to destroy it. Can Hudson save the hospital?
And Justice For All
The gargoyles thwart a bank robbery, but Goliath is knocked unconscious, captured by the
police, and charged with the robbery. Wanting to show that the gargoyles can live in human
society, Goliath demands his day (or night, in this case) in court, and has to rely on a rookie legal
aid to clear his name. Meanwhile, Elisa and the clan frantically search for the two witnesses
who can support Goliath's alibi.
Genesis Undone
The clones return, and they are dying. It turns out that there's a flaw in Sevarius' cloning
process. Can the gargoyles trust Sevarius to make a cure? Can Thailog be trusted? Or will
these two villains follow their own agenda?
Generations
The clan is being stalked by a mercenary with the power to turn invisible. Angela believes that
the key to defeating this foe lies with Demona, her mother. For a while, it seems that Demona is
willing to reform to help stop this invisible man, but this turns out to be Demona's latest plot to
get her daughter to join her.
...For It May Come True
Goliath wonders if he's doing any good in society. He then wakes up one morning to discover
that he's human, married to Elisa, and working for a still-evil Xanatos! What's happening to
Goliath? Can he uncover the truth? The truth is this is all a delusion created by Titania to show
that Goliath is, in fact, on the right path. (Note: IMHO, this is a lame rip-off of a Batman
episode entitled Perchance to Dream, in which Bruce Wayne wakes up to discover that his
parents still live, he's engaged to Selina Kyle, and someone else is Batman.)
To Serve Mankind
Goliath is captured by the Illuminate and brainwashed into becoming their new assassin. Can
Xanatos and the clan save Goliath before he eliminates his first target?
Seeing Isn't Believing
Proteus escapes from New Olympia, seeking vengeance on Goliath and Elisa. He disguises
himself as Goliath, and goes on a crime spree. Can the real Goliath, Elisa, and Taurus stop
Proteus?
Angels In The Night
John Castaway sets up an elaborate death trap to kill the gargoyles. But, Angela and Bronx
survive, and are sent upstate for questioning. John Castaway seeks to destroy the train, thus
killing Angela, Bronx, and all the people on it. But, it is soon discovered that Xanatos saved the
gargoyles shortly before Castaway's deathtrap went off, and with the world thinking they are
dead, Xanatos says that the gargoyles have a fresh start. Will the clan sacrifice their fresh start
to save Angela and the train?
Bad Guys: A spin-off
If the planned spin-offs with Pendragon, The New Olympians, and Future Tense, weren't
enough, the creators had another spin-off planned entitled Bad Guys. This series would focus on
a group of villains from previous Gargoyles episodes who had reformed their ways and banded
together as a super-hero group. The villains-turned-heroes were: Robin Canmore, one of the
Hunters from Hunter's Moon, Fang, one of the mutates, Yama, the scheming gargoyle from
Bushido, Dingo, formerly of the Pack, and Matrix, the hive-minded nanites from Walkabout. A
pilot episode was made, and to the best of my knowledge, it's been screened for the public just
once, and that was at the first-ever Gathering, the annual Gargoyles convention, back in 1996.
Whatever happened to the movie?
As you may remember, way back in the summer of 1996, Disney announced with much fanfare
that they were planning a live-action movie version of Gargoyles. Disney also announced that
they had gotten Dean Devlin, co-writer of Independence Day, Stargate, and Godzilla to write the
screenplay. Devlin said his script would be a prequel to the series, focusing on a lone gargoyle
awakened during New York's coldest winter. So, what happened? From what I've been able to
gather, Devlin turned in his script, and it just plain sucked. It turned out to be a script playing on
the fears of the approaching millennium (it was set in 1999; so much for a "prequel"), with that
lone gargoyle befriending a young boy and the two having to stop the end of the world, which
was being brought about by an evil business man. The guy who wrote Con Air was brought in to
do a re-write. As far as I know, the script is now gathering dust in a Disney vault, and the
project has been put on the back burner and forgotten.
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