Manhattan Clan - Clan History

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, Demona, 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 counter-spell 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 Katherine 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 full-grown daughter Angela. and the likewise full-grown gargoyles that had hatched from the surviving rookery eggs, raised on Avalon by a human Scottish princess named Katherine and caring male Scot named Thomas, and who formed the "Avalon Clan". 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).