Its actually a bit more complex then that. In the 10th century gargoyles exist by the code that they exist to protect and care for humanity. They are creatures that are stone by day, but come alive during the night. They are intelligent, powerful, able to glide but not fly, and often feared for their monstorous strength and appearence. The show opens with a viking attack against a castle, but the attack lasts past nightfall and the vikings pretty much have their arses handed to them when the gargoyles wake up and find their castle and their protectorates being threatened. we see just how powerful they are when Goliath, the only one who had a name (gargoyles typically do not carry names, but he was nicknamed after the bilical goliath by the humans for his size and power), stops a sword swing with his bare hand, suffering little more then a minor cut (complete with dripping blood, which was freaking off the hook for disney even back then). the next night goliath and his mentor leave in search of the vikings, to scare them off and make sure they dont return, only to find they've been betrayed and have been on a wild goose chase. Dawn rises, they turn to stone, and the vikings attack the castle again. This time they win due to the betrayal of the captain of the guard, kidnapping the princess of the castle and killing every gargoyle in sight (remember, they are stone by day). The next night Goliath and his mentor return, to find the castle sacked, most of his clan dead (including goliaths wife, or so we are lead to believe at the time). Only four others survived because they were banished to a cave for the night due to their playing a mean trick on the humans. The gargoyles leave, slaughter the vikings, only to be cursed by the castles sorceror when he believed the viking leader killed the princess because he knew he was a dead man anyway. Goliath returns with the princess, finds his remaining clan to be stone at night, effectively dead in his eyes, and asks the remaining humans to protect the eggs that remain of his clan, and asks the magus to cast his eternal stone spell one last time, on him, so he wont feel anymore loneliness or pain.Originally Posted by Del Murder
But the spell had special terms, it was meant to end when the castle the gargoyles guard rises above the clouds. Its essentially saying until kingdom come in 10th century scottland, but in the twentieth century a shady billionare named David Xanatos hears the story from the last remaining gargoyle of the clan, goliaths wife (how she survived, I wont spoil. But that story is contained in the season 2 box set). He decides to fund the moving of the castle, brick by brick, to the top of his headquarters in New York, which is so tall it is above the clouds. He hires a nearby villaige to help, which his aide says they wouldnt because they thought the castle to be cursed (which it was) to which he replies "Pay a man enough, and he'll walk barefoot into hell" (keep in mind, this is on a disney cartoon in the mid ninties. This much darkness, death, and near cussing blew my mind back in the day). Long story short, the curse is broken, the gargoyles live again. But Xanatos is as criminally amoral as they come. He wanted the gargoyles to serve him, they wouldn't. A police officer that Goliath befriends named Eliza Maza (who was part native american, part african. I still consider that factor to be very unique and cool mix) becomes the Gargoyles friend, confidant, and tour guide around manhattan.
and all that happens in just the first few episodes. So hell yah this series rocked it hard even by todays standards. And the fact that everyone but Patrick stewart and Gates McFadden from Star Trek TNG had voice roles in the show (even kate Mulgrew from voyager piped in from time to time) made it even cooler. If you were too young to see it back then, see it now.
One more final note, those that watched it on Toon Disney have likely never seen the first season episode, deadly force. Its known as the lost episode because Toon Disney refused to air it or even acknowledge its existance. It focus's on broadway (the rest of the gargoyles get names in the fourth episode), who has a fondness for detective and wild west style movies. He sneaks into the attics of old theaters with his two other gargoyle young bucks, and watches em from there. After watching an old west style flick one night, he visits Eliza, starts playing with her gun, and accidently shoots Eliza. Complete with her lying on the floor with a rather sizeable pool of blood at her side. the episodes B-plot involves a small criminal gang that Eliza was hounding coming into contact with some rather high tech military lasers they stole from one of Xanatos's shipments. Broadway happens on to a buyer as he's still wandering around shellshocked from what he thought was killing his friend, and goes apesh*t on the gang. Goliath shows up and freaks out on them even further thinking the gang leader shot Eliza, and now Goliaths out for blood where broadway just wanted to get rid of all the weapons.
It was a intense episode that dealt with the subject matter of guns and how deadly they are, in a respectful and serious light. So yah, Disney refused to air it, and Greg Weisman had to fight to get it into the season 1 DVD box set. But its a very thought provoking and dramatic 22 minutes that shouldnt be missed by anyone.
Reply With Quote