Difference between pages "Nightwatch (episode)" and "The Reckoning"

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[[Image:GargoylesComic1.JPG|thumb|320px|Gargoyles #1 by Greg Guler & Stephanie Lostimolo]]
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[[Image:The_Reckoning_Title.png|thumb|360px|]]
  
'''''Nightwatch''''' is the first issue of the ''[[Gargoyles (SLG)|Gargoyles]]'' comic by [[Slave Labor Graphics|SLG]], and Chapter One of the ''Clan-Building'' story arc. It was released on June 21, 2006.  The issue was reprinted in ''[[Gargoyles: Clan-Building, Volume One]]''. It was adapted into a Radio Play and performed at the [[Gathering of the Gargoyles]] in 2004.
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'''"The Reckoning"''' is the sixty-first televised episode of the series ''[[Gargoyles (TV series)|Gargoyles]]'', and the forty-eighth episode of Season 2. It originally aired on May 7, 1996. It was adapted into a [[2003 Radio Play Script|Radio Play]] and performed at the [[Gathering of the Gargoyles]] in 2003 as a tribute to Gary Sperling.
 
{{Castandcrew
 
{{Castandcrew
 
|h1=Crew
 
|h1=Crew
 
|c1=
 
|c1=
*Writer/Creator: [[Greg Weisman]]
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* Supervising Producers: [[Frank Paur]], [[Greg Weisman]]
*Pencil Artist: [[David Hedgecock]]
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* Story: [[Lydia Marano|Lydia C. Marano]]
*Color Artist: [[Will Terrell]]
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* Teleplay: [[Gary Sperling]]
*Art Director/Cover Pencil Artist: [[Greg Guler]]
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* Story Edited by: [[Brynne Chandler|Brynne Chandler-Reaves]], Gary Sperling
*Cover Color Artist: [[Stephanie Lostimolo]]}}
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* Produced & Directed by: [[Dennis Woodyard]]
 
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* Voice Director: [[Jamie Thomason]]
 
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* Music by: [[Carl Johnson]]
__TOC__
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* Title Theme by Carl Johnson
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* Music Editing: [[Marc Perlman]]
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* Animation by: [[Koko Enterprises Co., LTD|Koko Enterprise Co., LTD]]
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* Storyboard by: [[Vic Cook]]
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* Backgrounds by: Koko Enterprise Co., LTD
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* Additional Production Facilities: [[Anima Sam Won Co., LTD]]
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|h2=With the Voice Talent Of
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|c2=
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*[[Thom Adcox|Thom Adcox Hernandez]]: [[Lexington]], [[Brentwood]]
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*[[Ed Asner]]: [[Hudson]], [[Burbank]]
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*[[Brigitte Bako]]: [[Angela]]
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*[[Jim Belushi]]: [[Fang]]
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*[[Jeff Bennett]]: [[Brooklyn]], [[Malibu]]
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*[[Rocky Carroll]]: [[Talon]]
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*[[Tim Curry]]: [[Anton Sevarius]]
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*[[Keith David]]: [[Goliath]], [[Thailog]]
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*[[Bill Fagerbakke]]: [[Broadway]], [[Hollywood]]
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*[[Salli Richardson]]: [[Elisa Maza]], [[Delilah]]
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*[[Marina Sirtis]]: [[Demona]]}}
 
<br style="clear:both;"/>
 
<br style="clear:both;"/>
==Solicitation==
 
Released from a medieval [[Scotland|Scottish]] [[Sleep Spell|curse]], the [[Gargoyle]]s now live in the rooftops of [[Manhattan]]. But all is not safe for them — a mysterious organization called the [[Quarrymen]] are determined to see them all obliterated. The gargoyles must rely on each other and their human friends to turn the tide of public sentiment and show that they can live peacefully with [[human]]ity. ''Gargoyles'' is a FULL COLOR comic book series based on the [[Disney Afternoon]] animated [[Gargoyles (TV series)|television series]]. Written by series creator [[Greg Weisman]].
 
 
 
==Summary==
 
==Summary==
 
===Main Plot===
 
===Main Plot===
Manhattan is unsure of what to make of the gargoyles since they've been exposed.  [[John Castaway]] starts the Quarrymen organization, further fueling hatred and fear of the gargoyles throughout the populace.  [[Goliath]] is upset and frustrated, and goes to receive comfort from [[Elisa Maza|Elisa]].  His stone form is spotted on her balcony by the Quarrymen [[Banquo]] and [[Fleance]], who attempt to smash him, but Elisa is able to stall them until he wakes up.  Goliath and Elisa flee with the [[Quarrymen Helicopter|Quarrymen helicopter]] right behind them, and Goliath's wing is hit mid-flight by a direct hit from the helicopter.
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[[Demona]] allows herself to be captured and imprisoned in the [[Labyrinth]] in a scheme with [[Thailog]] to clone [[Hudson]] and the [[Trio]], and at the same time tries to convert [[Angela]] to her way of thinkingAfter the [[Clones]] are created by [[Anton Sevarius]], Thailog busts Demona and [[Fang]] out of the Labyrinth, and the three of them lure the [[Manhattan Clan]] and [[Talon]] to a fun house on [[Coney Island]], where the [[gargoyle]]s face off against their clones for the first time.  The clan is defeated and imprisoned, but Demona releases them when Thailog threatens to kill Angela.  The clan subdues the clones, and Talon beats Fang, while Demona and Thailog seemingly fall to their deaths while fighting on a burning roller coaster.
  
 
===Subplots===
 
===Subplots===
[[Matt Bluestone]] covers for the gargoyles with the media and [[Maria Chavez|Captain Chavez]].
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Angela formally introduces herself to Demona while she's imprisoned in the Labyrinth, and they engage in lengthy discussions. While Demona is unsuccessful in turning Angela to her way of thinking, she realizes that she truly cares for her daughter.
 
 
The gargoyles express their unease with living at the Castle with [[David Xanatos|Xanatos]].
 
 
 
Goliath is shot at by [[Art]] en route to Elisa's apartment.
 
  
[[Vinnie Grigori]] joins the Quarrymen, but is somewhat wary of Castaway's tactics.
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Thailog reveals to Demona and the others his secret clone project, [[Delilah]], who he made with the combined DNA of Demona and [[Elisa Maza|Elisa]].  Demona realizes that Thailog's been using her all along.
  
Vinnie has been offered a job in [[Japan]].
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Talon offers to allow the abandoned clones sanctuary in the Labyrinth.  The clones and [[mutates]] become the basis for the [[Labyrinth Clan]].
  
 
==The Story==
 
==The Story==
A television screen shows residents of Manhattan being interviewed about gargoyles. First, [[Billy Greene|Billy]] and [[Susan Greene|Susan's]] [[Sarah Browne|mother]] expresses her fear of the gargoyles and expresses concern for her children. Next, a [[Jogger]] wonders what they are. Dinosaurs or aliens or demons, perhaps? He suggests capturing and dissecting a gargoyle to find out. Finally, [[Vinnie Grigori]] tells how he lost his job because of the gargoyles and in return hunted one down and got revenge. The screen shifts to the ''[[Nightwatch]]'' logo and the program is introduced by its host, [[Travis Marshall]]. He is continuing his coverage of the newly revealed gargoyles that are living among the citizens of [[New York City|New York]]. Showing footage of gargoyles fleeing from the destruction of the [[Clock Tower]], Marshall expresses the the once popular urban myth is now proven to be an urban reality. He introduces his guest on the program, Detective [[Matt Bluestone]], the head of the [[New York Police Department|NYPD's]] [[Gargoyle Taskforce]]. He asks Bluestone if the gargoyles are dangerous. Matt is glad he asked and points out that there is no evidence that the gargoyles are a threat and asks that the public remain calm. Marshall then asks if there is any truth to the rumors that [[David Xanatos]] is harboring the gargoyles at the [[Eyrie Building]]. Bluestone only reports that all leads are being investigated. "Mr. Xanatos could not be reached for comment." Travis Marshall reports.
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===[[Previously on Gargoyles]]===
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*'''Recaps''': ''([[Sanctuary|"Sanctuary"]], [[High Noon|"High Noon"]])''
  
At [[Castle Wyvern]], as a [[Quarrymen Helicopter|dark helicopter]] circles outside, [[Hudson]] switches the TV off from the ''Nightwatch'' program. He is sitting in the Castle's [[TV Room (Wyvern)|TV Room]] and is accompanied by [[Goliath]], [[Brooklyn]], and Xanatos. Hudson asks what Xanatos will say when he ''is'' contacted and the [[human]] brushes the concern off. He'll think of something. He leaves the room. "Welcome home." Brooklyn wryly says to his leader.
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===Act One===
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"If the boredom doesn't get us, the mosquitos will," [[Brooklyn]] grumbles, swatting a mosquito away as he, [[Goliath]], and Angela stand on a rooftop across the street from the [[Goldencup Bakery Building]], unaware that someone is watching them through a pair of binoculars. Angela asks how much longer they'll have to sit there, but Goliath asks her to be patient. There has been a recent string of high tech-related thefts, so right now their best move is to stake out research facilities like Goldencup Bakery. As if on cue, a series of explosions rock the facility – windows are blown out and a large hole is blown in the roof. An [[Exo-Frame#Goldencup|exo-frame]] emerges from the rubble, carrying three crates. As it turns, Brooklyn recognizes its pilot: Demona. "My mother!" Angela whispers, much to Goliath's concern. The big gargoyle hypothesizes that Demona is gathering weapons for another offensive. "Then let's offend her first," Brooklyn growls as he bolts for Demona. Goliath tells Angela to take care and not to underestimate Demona. Brooklyn collides with Demona, forcing her to drop her loot; but she activates the jets on her exo-frame and takes flight. "This tin can won't save you!" Brooklyn growls as he digs his talons into it's steel hull. She activates its defenses and the skin of he frame generates electricity, causing Brooklyn to cry out in pain. Letting go of the haul, Demona swats him midair, where he soon crashes on a nearby rooftop, knocked out. Angela rushes to the aid of her friend and when he comes to, she smiles at him. "I should have known, you always travel in groups" Demona sneers as she watches the exchange and spots Goliath coming at her. "We are a clan, Demona! That's something you've forgot long ago!" Demona fires bolts of energy at Goliath, which he dodges. She activates her jets and shoots into the air before coming down on Goliath's back. Before she can finish Goliath off, Angela intervenes pleading for Demona to stop this fighting. "You! I saw you in [[Paris]]! Who are you?" Demona says taking aim at Angela's face. "I know every remaining gargoyle!" Demona declares. But Goliath slams into Demona's frame. "She is not your concern!" he growls, punching into the frame and hitting a vital component. Electricity generates, shocking both Goliath and Demona before the frame nose-dives onto a nearby rooftop.
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[[Image:Goliath_Brooklyn_Angela_Demona_The_Reckoning.png|thumb|250px|left|]]
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Goliath and Angela prepare for the worst as Demona emerges from the wrecked exo-frame. Injured, she stumbles away from it before it explodes, the force of the blast knocking her down and out. Goliath and Angela land on opposite sides of her as Goliath takes her pulse before confirming to a concerned Angela that Demona is alive. Brooklyn soon arrives but Angela's attention is captured by her unconscious mother. "She looks so peaceful," Angela says. Hardly reassured, Brooklyn replies, "Yeah, wait 'til she wakes up." Goliath declares that they cannot release her, but Angela asks what options they have. "Long ago, we banished gargoyles who turned against the [[Wyvern Clan|clan]]." But Brooklyn points out there's really no place they can banish her to. Angela reminds them that [[human]]s lock their criminals away in prison and suggests doing the same. But during the day Demona is human while the rest of them [[Stone Sleep|turn to stone]]. Although Goliath is unconvinced there is a place they can safely guard her, Brooklyn knows of one.
  
Outside, two humans dressed in black hang out of the helicopter. They scan the turrets of the castle below and see no sign of any gargoyles. They quickly depart so they won't be late for Castaway's "big meeting". As the helicopter veers off, Goliath, Hudson, and Brooklyn emerge from the Castle's [[Goliath's Tower (Wyvern)|highest tower]]. Brooklyn wonders if the clan can really trust Xanatos. Goliath thinks that they can trust him enough to not destroy them while they sleep and Hudson agrees: Xanatos would never be so wasteful. Brooklyn is unsure and again presses that Xanatos is perhaps just preparing for another scheme. Goliath, angry, snaps at Brooklyn. Is the younger gargoyle suggesting that they leave? Where would they go? Brooklyn quietly backs down and the three gargoyles stand in silence. After a moment, Goliath opens his wings and prepares to depart. Alarmed, Hudson and Brooklyn point out that it'll be sunrise soon and the situation could be worsened if Goliath is spotted. Goliath only tells them that he is going to see Elisa. Hudson and Brooklyn wish him well as Goliath glides off.
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Shortly later, [[Elisa Maza]], Hudson, [[Lexington]], and [[Broadway]] join them as they convene in the Labyrinth with Talon, [[Maggie the Cat]], and [[Claw]]. They quickly lock Demona in a cell and come to an agreement. The mutates will watch the prisoners during the day and the gargoyles will stand watch at night. Elisa asks Goliath if he realizes what he's committing himself to, but he sees no other options and tells the rest of the clan that they will each take turns in a nightly rotation. Elisa swats the back of her neck and Talon apologizes for the mosquitos they have down there "and worse." From inside his adjourning cell, Fang protests, "Hey, Hey! I resemble that remark!" Ignoring him, Talon reminds the rest of them that Fang is serving time for trying to force his way into power down there. Angela takes a long look at the still unconscious Demona and volunteers to take the first watch. Goliath doesn't like the idea at all and tries to discourage her. "Am I a member of this [[Manhattan Clan|clan]] or not?!" Angela asserts. Goliath attempts to talk her out of it until Hudson intervenes and tells Angela to take the first watch. But Hudson reminds her that "she may be your mother but she is capable of anything."
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[[Image:Angela_Demona_The_Reckoning.png|thumb|250px|]]
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Later that night, Angela sits and watches as Demona slowly comes to. Slowly becomes fast as Demona jumps to her feet, realizing she's in captivity. She spots Angela and leaps towards the bars enraged, demanding to know who she is. Angela tells Demona her name, hesitates for the briefest of moments before adding "your daughter." These words enrage Demona further, "How dare you mock me! I have no daughter." Angela explains that the clan's [[Gargoyle Egg|eggs]] survived, that Demona and Goliath are her biological parents and even mentions that she's told there's a resemblance. Demona briefly softens, amazed at this revelation. Angela gets excited and begins telling Demona about her life, living on [[Avalon]] and that [[Princess Katharine]] brought all the eggs there after [[Castle Wyvern]] was attacked. "Typical humans, they pillage the Castle AND steal our children!" Demona growls, her anger returning. Angela tries to convince her that the Princess saved them and considers the human a part of her clan – as is Demona. Her fury more restrained, Demona counters, "Know this, young one. Humans have no place in ''any'' gargoyle clan, Goliath has lost sight of this simple truth." Demona reaches through the bars and places a hand on Angela's shoulder. "If you ''truly'' are my daughter, we must always be there for one another. THAT is what it means to belong a clan." The moment is cut off by Fang's snickering turning into laughter, "I'm moved – deeply!" Angela tells him to mind his own business. Fang sits back on his bed telling the two females that they're better than soaps.
  
Moving among the skyscrapers of Manhattan, Goliath is suddenly surprised to find himself the target of a [[Art|man]] with a shotgun. Several shots ring out, but none hit the gargoyle. The man calls for [[Lois|his wife]] as Goliath dives down towards him. Now at point blank range, the man finds himself out of ammo! He ducks behind the window frame in fear, but nothing seems to happen. His wife asks what happened and the man wonders if he got the gargoyle, or scared him off at least. "Gargoyles do not scare easily." says Goliath perched on the building above the window. He tells the man that they are not enemies and he has nothing to be afraid of either. The gargoyle takes the man's gun and bends the barrel into a spiral. The man understands and Goliath allows him to keep his weapon. The gargoyle takes off into the night as the man looks at his weapon stunned.
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During the {{CIT|following}} evening, Fang marks another day in captivity while Lexington watches Demona. [https://www.s8.org/gargoyles/askgreg/search.php?rid=575] But the small gargoyle neglects to notice Demona reaching for her belt buckle and releasing a [[Micro-Electric Mosquito|robotic mosquito]], biting the gargoyle on duty. Lex swats at it but misses. Demona smirks knowingly as the bug flies off.
  
Goliath glides above Vinnie who is walking down the street. Vinnie is trying to find an address and is struggling. Finally, he finds the correct [[Quarryman Brownstone|building]]. John Castaway is there to greet him and introduces himself. Castaway was impressed by Vinnie's interview on ''Nightwatch'' and thinks Vinnie might be just the kind of person to join their group. They enter the building and as the door shuts behind them, a stylized hammer insignia in the shape of a 'Q' is revealed on the door.
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The Micro-Electric Mosquito emerges from the [[New York City|city's]] storm drains and flies towards the [[Nightstone Unlimited Building]]. It approaches [[Anton Sevarius|Dr. Sevarius]] at a work bench, and the geneticist greets it, wondering whose DNA the little thief brought him. He takes a syringe to it and drains of of the blood sample. Clearly amused, he jokes aloud, "You know, when they called bio-engineering a growth industry, they're ''not'' kidding." He releases the blood sample into a vial and places it inside a growth chamber. "Three down and two to go." Thailog is more than pleased as he enters the laboratory; he just loves it when everything goes according to plan and lets out a maniacal laugh.
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Meanwhile, Goliath arrives at [[Elisa's Loft]], but she is alarmed. It isn't safe for him to be seen right now. Goliath wonders when they will ever be safe from those that don't even think they have a right to exist.
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===Act Two===
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Five weeks pass, and five maturation tanks are filled with clones are growing inside. "Nice doing business with you, Thailog," Sevarius says as he accepts a briefcase full of cash. "All you have to do now is decide on the programming." He advises Thailog to keep it simple, "you don't want to end up with another ''you''." Thailog agrees.
  
At the same time, Castaway's big meeting has begun. He addresses the large crowd that has assembled. He knows they are reasonable people, but this is not a reasonable world, he explains. Violence, racism, and injustice are all struggles for them and now something new and horrible has entered their world: Gargoyles! He pulls a sheet off off a huge, menacing, stone gargoyle. Castaway assures the shocked crowd that they are not alone in fearing this creature.
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Down in the Labyrinth, Angela and Demona are debating the latter's behavior as Angela tries desperately to understand her. "How can you judge me," Demona asks. "You have been hiding on a magical island while I have been out in the real world." Claw approaches and signals to Angela – her shift is over. Although she knows it is dawn, Angela decides to spend the day down there, near Demona's cell. Angela takes her place and turns to stone. Demona smiles warmly at her sleeping daughter before crying out in pain as she transforms into her human form. Fang watches as Demona collapses on the bed before saying to himself, "kinky."
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[[Image:Thailog_Demona_The_Reckoning.png|thumb|250px|left|]]
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Two more months pass as Goliath arrives to relieve Talon. Fang tries to get the gargoyle's attention by asking him how many gargoyles does it take to screw in a lightbulb. But Demona is less than pleased to see her "judge and jury." Goliath reminds her that she chose her in fate when she turned against her clan. Spitting back his words from more than a year ago, Demona tells Goliath that he doesn't even know the meaning of the word clan, but has every intention to teach him ''her definition''.  As the Labyrinth begins to rumble. Talon realizes that isn't a subway car. The ceiling explodes, debris raining down on Talon and Goliath as Thailog makes his entrance, carrying two [[Particle Beam Weapons|particle-beam cannons]]. "Thailog, my love, your timing is impeccable." The clone fires three blasts at the bars, freeing his mate. Demona runs towards him and the two embrace before he hands her one of the weapons. She has ideas of her own as she approaches Fang's cell. Fang, fearing the worst, pleads for his life as she readies her gun. He covers himself with a blanket begging "some of my best friends are half-gargoyle half-human babes with bad attitudes!" But Demona doesn't kill him, instead she destroys the glass cell walls containing him. "He's a fool but he may be of ''some'' use."  Fang is eager to work with that and makes his escape, following the unscrupulous couple. Still hurting from the roof's collapse, Goliath finally gets to his feet and helps Talon up, removing a large concrete slab off the mutate. Goliath tells him that they cannot fall behind.
  
At Elisa's Loft, Goliath explains to Elisa that he feels so alone. Every time he and his clan reach a time of safety and stability, it is destroyed. He reminisces about the [[Wyvern Clan]] living at peace with the humans until they were betrayed and most of his clan was destroyed. Those left were frozen in [[stone sleep|stone]] by a [[magic]] [[Sleep Spell|spell]] for a thousand years before finally being awoken in Manhattan. There, he explains, they were driven from their home by enemies old and new. Over time, and thanks to Elisa's friendship, they established a new life at the Clock Tower with Manhattan as their protectorate. But, again, it abruptly ended with the Clock Tower's destruction and the gargoyles being revealed to the [[Earth|world]]. Now they find themselves back at their ancestral home, but only under an uneasy truce with Xanatos and, further, the humans will give them no peace. Elisa tells him that they are both tired. Things will be better after they get a "good day's sleep". And, if not, the following night is her night off. They'll use the time to make things better.
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Goliath and Talon follow the villains to Coney Island; the three quickly land and enter the funhouse as Goliath and Talon land atop the Ferris Wheel. Talon is suspicious, sensing a trap. Goliath agrees, realizing they were too easy to follow. He tells Talon to keep watch while he goes for help. Out of earshot, Talon mutters, "feel free to hurry back." Goliath soon returns with the rest of the gargoyles. Nobody has come or gone so Talon took the time to scope the place out. He identifies three ways in: a service entrance at the rear, an air vent on the roof, and the front door. Goliath wants to box them in and gives everyone their instructions, ordering Angela to come with him.
  
Back at Castaway's rally, the man is riling up the crowd with threats of gargoyle attacks and kidnappings. He insists that the crowd is not alone and the people are pushed into a frenzy. If they believe the gargoyles must be stopped, they are not alone and they should join him and become Quarrymen! He dons a black hood. As Goliath turns to stone on Elisa's balcony as the Sun rises, Castaway invites the crowd to take a hood and a hammer from crates he has provided. They are Quarrymen now! As most of the rowdy crowd takes up hoods and hammers, Castaway again reminds them that they will never be alone again. He activates his hammer which crackles electricity and glows brightly. He uses it to shatter the head of his stone gargoyle.
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Hudson and Talon enter through the back. Fang gets the drop on them and blasts Talon with a powerful bolt of electricity. Hudson readies his sword to take the rogue mutate down, but Fang has back-up. A large gargoyle resembling Hudson and carrying a steel club emerges and growls. Hudson is shocked at the sight of his adversary and the gargoyle quickly disarms Hudson, knocking him to the ground.
  
The Sun rises over the ruins of the Clock Tower. Construction crews work around the building as [[Maria Chavez]] climbs the ramp up to the doorway of a temporary office trailer. She enters and finds Matt Bluestone working at her desk. He is surprised to see her back at work. She asks what she has missed regarding the gargoyles situation. Bluestone admits that a lot of people are scared. Chavez wonders about the Xanatos angle and Matt stammers out he and Elisa have both been up to the Castle and have found nothing "unusual". Chavez asks where Detective Maza is.
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The Trio enter through the roof's air vent and descent into a funhouse maze. Broadway nods and heads in a different direction as Brooklyn and Lexington search together. They open a door and are surprised by a faux monster prop. But the two hear growls from behind them, so they turn and spot two gargoyles that almost resemble them as they attack. Lexington quickly figures out the two new gargoyles are clones, and of them at that! Lex's clone slams him into a wall as Brooklyn's slams him into the ground.
  
Later that day, [[Cagney]] wakes up Elisa by begging to be fed. Elisa feeds her cat and looks out the window at the sleeping form of Goliath. She tells him that she'll be showered and dressed before he wakes up.  
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Broadway exits the maze and enters a hall of trick mirrors. He stares in disdain at a distorted reflection of himself, grumbling that it looks nothing like him, as a monstrous clone of him roars and slams into him , capturing him in a violent bearhug.<!--The Diseny+ captions just have Broadway "grunting", but I think I'm hearing Broadway trying to make the same joke of "Looks nothing like me!" but unable to do so thanks to Hollywood's bearhug. Anyone have a Radio Play script?-->
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[[Image:Thailog_Demona_Clones_The_Reckoning.png|thumb|250px|]]
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Angela and Goliath enter a dungeon as Thailog appears and points his gun right at him. Angela turns and Demona appears, her gun trained on her. "You think you've won, Thailog? But it isn't that easy." An amused Thailog opens a hidden sliding wall, revealing that their allies have been captured. "Face it, Goliath. My clan can beat your clan any day of the week." And with Demona at his side, and the two surrounded by clones of the Manhattan Clan, Thailog laughs in triumph. It's over. They've lost, he won.
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<br style="clear:both;"/>
  
As Elisa goes to get ready, the Quarrymen Helicopter arrives above. They've found another gargoyle. One Quarryman remarks that it is probably just another statue, but via radio Castaway orders them to take no chances. They must destroy it. He is coming with backup. The Quarrymen move in.
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===Act Three===
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It's after midnight, the rest of the clan has come to and are restrained either to the wall, or to various torture devices. Rats run at their feet and Demona approaches Goliath basking in triumph as she cups his chin and formally introduces him to her new clan. Lexington's clone, [[Brentwood]]. Broadway's clone, [[Hollywood]]. Brooklyn's clone, [[Malibu]]. And Hudson's clone, [[Burbank]]. "I named them myself." But Goliath can only react with utter disgust. "If you consider these poor creatures to be your clan, you've sunk even lower than I imagined." Thailog is amused that Goliath is insulting his friends' genetic makeup, but he does acknowledge that the clones are a bit primitive as he kept their programming simple: "Obey Thailog. It's all they really need to know." But he's had his moment, it's now time to get rid of all of his enemies, he approaches Angela gun at ready "starting with her." But Demona pushes his gun aside, claiming that Angela belongs to her. Thailog is less than amused, "you've known she was your daughter since before we staged your capture and you've still been unable to turn her." This knowledge enrages Angela beyond belief. Demona pleads that she needed to make Angela understand, but Angela understands perfectly. The last few months were a charade staged to turn her against her father and then to trap and destroy her clan. Just as Hudson warned her, Demona is capable of anything. With a cold rage, Angela's eyes glow and she tells Demona she hates her. As Demona walks away dejected, Thailog smirks, "You see? You're better off without her." He takes aim at Angela once more, his finger on the trigger.
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[[Image:Thailog_Delilah_The_Reckoning.png|thumb|250px|left|]]
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But Demona can't let him do it, she lunges at him from behind, redirecting his weapon and it fires into the air. Demona attempts to wrestle him away, but Thailog elbows her in the stomach, knocking her to the floor. While Fang scurries out of their way, Thailog shares that while Demona has disappointed him, he's prepared for such a development before calling out to his trump card: Delilah! Another hidden door slides opens and a female gargoyle clone emerges, but this one is different. She greets "Master Thailog" who gestures for her to join him. "Look familiar my ex-love? I combined your DNA with that of the human, Elisa Maza." Demona sits there and seethes as he goes on to describe Delilah as the perfect programmed companion: obedient, lovely, and willing to do anything for him. Indeed, his order is simple – destroy the Manhattan Clan. Delilah picks up Demona's discarded particle beam weapon, ready to follow his command by executing Angela followed by the rest of the clan. Demona, however, gets to her feet as Thailog takes a shot at her, but to his surprise, she lunges towards a hidden wall switch and releases her enemies. "Goliath, save our daughter!" she orders. Goliath does just that, pushing Angela out of the way of the particle beam. Delilah misses her shot and before she can fire again the weapon is knocked out of her hands with Goliath's tail. The rest of the clan and Talon, freed from their restraints, engage the clones and Fang as Demona slams into Thailog plunging the both of them through the dungeon's walls. Goliath exists the dungeon to pursue them.
  
At the [[Quarryman Brownstone]], Castaway orders his people to hurry. They must make it there before dusk. Vinnie arrives. He tells Castaway that someone else saw him on TV and offered him a security job in Japan! Castaway ignores this and implores Vinnie to join them on their assault against a gargoyle since he has hunted them before. Vinnie admits that all he did when he did confront a gargoyle was to hit it with a [[Banana Cream Pie|banana cream pie]]. He doesn't know if all the hammer stuff is necessary. As Castaway dons his black hood, he asks Vinnie to come along in order to see the necessity. Vinnie joins the Quarrymen in their [[Quarryman Van|van]] and they all depart.
+
Fang fires an electrical blast at Talon before making his escape, but the mutate pursues his fugitive. Delilah reaches for the gun, but Angela steps on it and kicks it away, telling the clone, "Don't even think about it," as she grabs Delilah by the jacket. Broadway is thrown against a torture rack while Brentwood slams Lex into the ground. Lexington realizes that they can't beat the clones one-on-one. Brooklyn suggests using team work as he pulls Brentwood off of his rookery brother. Broadway narrowly avoids a heat butt from Hollywood. Hudson agrees with Brooklyn's plan, but suggests they find some room to move. The gargoyles take off through the hole on all fours, where they are pursued by their respective clones, leaving Angela and Delilah alone. Both of them looking forward to having this fight.
  
Elisa is ready for her date with Goliath as soon as the Sun begins to set. She notes that the helicopter above is annoying. However, her annoyance quickly turns to alarm when she sees a [[Banquo|masked human]] bearing a hammer climbing down from the helicopter on to her balcony. She screams in fear. The Quarryman activates his electric hammer and prepares to destroy Goliath. Suddenly, Elisa slams into him and the hammer falls to the ground at Goliath's feet. She and the Quarryman fight and Elisa loses a shoe. The masked man notes that she wouldn't be fighting so hard if the gargoyle wasn't the real thing. That'll make smashing him all the sweeter. Elisa angrily continues to battle him. He begins to call her an awful name, but she punches him in the face and tells him to shut up. He is unconscious and Elisa pauses to catch her breath. She reaches for the fallen hammer, but finds herself in a spotlight. A [[Fleance|female Quarryman]] points a gun at her from above and demands she back away from the hammer. As the make Quarryman recovers, his companion tells him to finish what he started. He picks up his hammer, but it is too late. The Sun has set and Goliath's stone skin crackles. He bursts awake with a roar! Elisa calls out a warning as the Quarrymen attempt to hit him with both hammer and bullets, but Goliath avoids their attacks and quickly takes them down. Elisa rushes to Goliath's side and the pair ask each other if the other is all right. Before either can answer, laser fire zaps around them. The helicopter is firing on them. Goliath scoops up Elisa and launches himself into the night. Stopping only to retrieve the two Quarrymen from the balcony, the helicopter gives chase. Despite doing his best to avoid the laser shots, the helicopter's targeting system hones in and fires. Goliath is hit in the cheek and another shot pierces his wing! He roars in pain.
+
"I've been waiting a long time for this, Talon!" Fang says as he chases his former leader through a rollercoaster firing blast after blast of electrical discharges. Talon isn't too worried – he's beaten Fang before. Fang fires another blast and misses, hitting the wooden structure of the rollercoaster, which begins to catch fire. Fang loses sight of his prey allowing Talon to get the drop of him just as the small fire begins to grow into a larger one.
  
"Welcome back," reports Travis Marshall.
+
Thailog throws Demona down onto the rollercoaster's track and lands on top of her, restraining her underfoot before pointing his gun at her face. "It would seem that the love has gone out of our relationship." Before he can pull the trigger, Goliath slams into him, hurling him into another section of the rollercoaster. Now disarmed, Thailog kicks Goliath off of him. Before he can move in, he's distracted by Demona's shriek as she swoops down and grabs him by the shoulders, soaring into the air with her own intentions of dealing with him. Goliath watches and follows.
  
==Review==
+
With their clones still in chase, Brooklyn orders they split up. Hollywood pursues Lexington who tricks him into flying face first into a high striker. Injured, the clone falls to the ground, prompting the game's bell to ding (much to Lexington's amusement). Burbank pursues Brooklyn through the <!--Do we want to specify that its specifically called the Wonder Wheel?-->Ferris Wheel before Broadway gets the drop on him while Brentwood lunges at Hudson, but the old gargoyle just taunts the small clone. With the clones now in position, Broadway and Hudson trick Burbank and Brentwood into colliding midair and both fall to the ground.
By Todd Jensen
 
  
The first new ''Gargoyles'' story from Greg Weisman in almost ten years, "Nightwatch" relaunches the series in its new comic book form. While the story is familiar to those who saw [[The Journey (TGC)|"The Journey"]] (the only episode that Greg wrote for ''[[The Goliath Chronicles]]''), there are still enough twists in it to make it an enjoyable experience.
+
With the rollercoaster going up in flames, Demona drops Thailog, who crashes through one level of track and lands on the track right below. She approaches him, eyes blazing. But Goliath soon arrives to warn her of the fire, much to her annoyance. "I told you to save our daughter!" she shouts. Thailog takes advantage of the momentary distraction and slams Demona into the wooden structure. The track above them begins to collapse. Goliath leaps into the air to avoid the flaming debris.
  
"Nightwatch" is set in the immediate aftermath of the events in [[Hunter's Moon Part Three|"Hunter's Moon" Part Three]], as New York City reels under the revelation that gargoyles actually exist. While Travis Marshall talks about the impact of this discovery on the air and even interviews Matt Bluestone about it, an apparent newcomer named John Castaway manipulates the frightened citizenry into joining his organization, the Quarrymen, and Goliath, troubled over this turn of events, goes to visit Elisa, seeking solace from her. These last two threads soon join when the Quarrymen discover Goliath roosting outside Elisa's apartment...
+
Lexington swoops through the air as Malibu goes after him. Brooklyn's clone continues to lunge at him. They fly by the Ferris Wheel where Brooklyn and Broadway open the cart door he was hiding in, slamming it in the clone's face. Malibu fall is brief, as he lands on one of the carts lower on the wheel. Brooklyn stands over the clone satisfied, "it's all over, you . . . forgery!"
  
Tension is in the air throughout this issue. We see just how on edge the people of Manhattan are when Art (the restaurant-owner from [[Protection|"Protection"]]) opens fire on Goliath when the latter glides past his apartment window (leading to one of Goliath's rare jokes, when he tells Art that he can keep his gun - after twisting it into a spiral shape), and then when the audience at Castaway's meeting eagerly snatch up hoods and hammers at the end of his speech. But there is more than even that. After the destruction of the Clock Tower, the gargoyles are living with Xanatos again - and wonder how much they can trust him (with good cause). At least they're in no danger of Xanatos killing them in their stone sleep, as Goliath and Hudson agree - but who knows what the Machiavellian businessman may be planning? We can expect the interactions between the [[clan]] and Xanatos to be much more complex than they were in ''The Goliath Chronicles''.
+
Goliath glides over the flames and spots Talon dropping a defeated Fang to the ground. He comes for a landing and asks the mutate if he's seen Angela. But Talon suddenly looks startled as a silhouette emerges from the smoke. It is Delilah. Goliath briefly fears the worse before noticing that Delilah is shackled, and Angela is holding her chain. The young female gives Delilah a shove to keep walking. Goliath runs to his daughter and asks if she's all right. Angela admits she's been better and then asks about Demona's whereabouts.
  
One of the highlights of the issue is Castaway's recruitment speech, which is filled with delicious irony. He begins by talking to his audience about the troubles weighing upon them - "violence, racism, injustice" - all while urging them to join an organization that typifies all three of these. He asks them if they fear the gargoyles attacking them in their sleep or kidnapping their children; in the original sixty-five episodes of ''Gargoyles'' (and in this issue, for that matter), it's clear that gargoyles similarly fear (with good reason) humans attacking them in their stone sleep, and in [[The Reckoning|"The Reckoning"]], [[Demona]] interpreted [[Princess Katharine]] and the [[Magus|Magus's]] rescue of the [[Gargoyle Egg|egg]]s as kidnapping. Finally, Castaway uses the word "alone" repeatedly throughout his speech; this gains all the darker a significance when we remember where we heard that word before in the television series - and which character it was linked to.
+
Lexington quickly spots Demona – she and Thailog are still locked in mortal combat atop the rollercoaster which, at this point, has transformed into a blazing inferno. A wooden plank breaks under Thailog's wait and he partially falls through it, trapped. "Do you wish to perish?!" he says, but Demona's eyes burn red. Her vengeance is all he's left her. The rollercoaster begins to crumble. "Master!" Delilah cries, and Angela cries out "Mother!" as the rollercoaster collapses. Demona and Thailog both vanish into the smoke and flames. Sobbing into Goliath's arms, Angela can only utter "No . . ."
  
The Quarrymen are an element in ''Gargoyles'' that have suffered under a bad reputation up until now, largely through the clumsy use that ''The Goliath Chronicles'' made of them. One of its biggest blunders, in particular, was its choosing to make Castaway's followers almost entirely criminals, thugs, and mercenaries; this was a mistake in that it blurred the "racism and fear of the unknown" issue that was so critical to the Quarrymen's original conception. Since Goliath and his clan (the most prominent gargoyles in New York, and therefore the ones most likely to be targeted by the Quarrymen) are crime-fighters, the criminal element in New York would be after them anyway; their pursuit of the gargoyles would be no more a case of bigotry than the criminals in Gotham City trying to get rid of [[Caped Crusader|Batman]] or the criminals in Metropolis trying to get rid of Superman. The comic, on the other hand (like "The Journey"), clearly shows that Castaway's audience is made up of ordinary, well-intentioned, law-abiding citizens (even though he does have mercenaries like Banquo and Fleance working for him as well); I hope that this element will remain in the Quarrymen in the comics, and allow that organization more depth.
+
Still shackled, Delilah can only advance toward the inferno so far as the Trio and Hudson escort the now tied up and restrained clones. Brentwood is stunned. "No Thailog?" he says. "What now for us?" Hollywood asks. Broadway points out that without Thailog, the other clones don't know what to do or where to go. Lexington doesn't want to bring them back to the [[Clock Tower]] as the clones give him the creeps. Talon thinks the matter over for a minute before inviting the clones to come live in the Labyrinth with his clan. Burbank asks Talon if he's now their master; but Talon promises to teach them to think for themselves . . . and use verbs.
 +
[[Image:Goliath_Angela_The_Reckoning.png|thumb|250px|]]
 +
Angela steps towards the rollercoaster before dropping to her hands and knees as she cries. Goliath kneels at her side and embraces her. Angela asks if Demona is really gone. Goliath doesn't know. But Angela is stuck on the last words she spoke to Demona, telling her she hated her. But Demona has since sacrificed herself for her, she doesn't want it to end like this. Goliath assures Angela that Demona knew how she truly felt "and Demona's love for you was first goodness she's shown in a long, long time." His next words, whether he speaks them with true sincerity or to relieve Angela of any pain are "for her, it may have been a new beginning. A new beginning for us all."
  
Vinnie, previously used for comic relief purposes in [[Vendettas|"Vendettas"]], is back, and still portrayed in the same humorous light as before (he has trouble reading his own handwriting, and his responses to Castaway's questions are out of sync with those of the rest of the crowd). But mingled in with this, we can see something more serious. Vinnie is already entertaining doubts about whether the Quarrymen really need to go to the lengths that they are going - something which, as any viewer of "The Journey" knows, will prove to be significant soon.
+
The gargoyles stand together and stare into the flames, uncertain of what tomorrow will bring.
 
+
<br style="clear:both;"/>
Elisa is there to help Goliath as usual, valiantly defending him against Banquo and Fleance when they show up to smash him in his stone sleep. (In a sign that the comic's S&P may be more liberal than those of the animated series, Banquo actually delivers a very crude insult at Elisa - which is cut off mid-word when she punches him a good one.) The comic ends on a cliff-hanger as Goliath and Elisa flee the Quarrymen in their helicopter, only for Goliath to be shot in the wing...
 
  
 
==Featured Characters and First Appearances==
 
==Featured Characters and First Appearances==
Line 84: Line 111:
 
|h1=[[Gargoyle]]s
 
|h1=[[Gargoyle]]s
 
|c1=
 
|c1=
*[[Hudson]]
 
 
*[[Brooklyn]]
 
*[[Brooklyn]]
 +
*[[Angela]]
 
*[[Goliath]]
 
*[[Goliath]]
*[[Bronx]]
+
*[[Demona]]
*[[Lexington]] (No Lines)
+
*[[Hudson]]
*[[Broadway]] (No Lines)
+
*[[Lexington]]
*[[Angela]] (No Lines)
+
*[[Broadway]]
*[[Demona]] (No Lines)
+
*[[Thailog]]
 +
*[[Burbank]] '''(First Appearance)'''
 +
*[[Brentwood]] '''(First Appearance)'''
 +
*[[Malibu]] '''(First Appearance, No Lines)'''
 +
*[[Burbank]] '''(First Appearance)'''
 +
*[[Delilah]] '''(First Appearance)'''
 
|h2=[[Human]]s
 
|h2=[[Human]]s
 
|c2=
 
|c2=
*{{CIT|[[Sarah Browne]]}}
+
*[[Talon]]
*[[Jogger]]
 
*[[Vinnie Grigori]]
 
*[[Travis Marshall]]
 
*[[Matt Bluestone]]
 
*[[David Xanatos]]
 
*[[Banquo]]
 
*[[Fleance]]
 
*[[Art]]
 
*[[Lois]] (Voice Only)
 
*[[John Castaway]] '''(First Appearance as John Castaway)'''
 
 
*[[Elisa Maza]]
 
*[[Elisa Maza]]
*[[Hakon]] (No Lines)
+
*[[Maggie the Cat]] (No Lines)
*[[Owen Burnett]] (No Lines)
+
*[[Claw]]
*[[Fox]] (No Lines)
+
*[[Fang]]
*[[Macbeth]] (No Lines)
+
*Governor of New York (Mentioned Only)
*[[Maria Chavez]]
+
*[[Princess Katharine]] (Mentioned Only)
*{{CIT|[[Taro]] (Mentioned Only)}}
+
*[[Anton Sevarius]]
 
|h3=[[Oberon's Children]]
 
|h3=[[Oberon's Children]]
 
|c3=
 
|c3=
Line 118: Line 140:
 
|h5=Others
 
|h5=Others
 
|c5=
 
|c5=
*[[Cagney]]}}
+
* [[Micro-Electric Mosquito]] '''(First Appearance)'''}}
  
 
{{EpisodeFirsts
 
{{EpisodeFirsts
 
|h1=[[:Category:Places|Places]]
 
|h1=[[:Category:Places|Places]]
 
|c1=
 
|c1=
*[[Art and Lois's Apartment]]
+
*[[Nightstone Unlimited Building]]
*[[Quarryman Brownstone]]
+
*[[Coney Island]]
 
|h2=[[:Category:Objects|Objects]]
 
|h2=[[:Category:Objects|Objects]]
 
|c2=
 
|c2=
*[[Quarryman Hammer]]
+
*[[Specialized Belt Buckle]]
 
|h3=[[:Category:Magic|Magic]]
 
|h3=[[:Category:Magic|Magic]]
 
|c3=
 
|c3=
 
|h4=[[:Category:Media|Media]]
 
|h4=[[:Category:Media|Media]]
 
|c4=
 
|c4=
*''[[Nightwatch]]''
 
 
|h5=[[:Category:Universe|Miscellaneous]]
 
|h5=[[:Category:Universe|Miscellaneous]]
|c5=
+
|c5=}}
*[[Quarrymen Helicopter]]
 
*[[Quarrymen]]
 
*[[Quarryman Van]]}}
 
  
 
==Quotes==
 
==Quotes==
* "What are they? Dinosaurs? Aliens? Demons? Maybe we should capture and dissect one." - Jogger
+
* "I'm afraid we've got mosquitoes down here, and worse."
 +
:"Hey, hey!  I resemble that remark!" - Talon and Fang
 +
 
 +
* "I'm expecting the Governor to commute my sentence any minute now." - Fang
 +
 
 +
* "Man, you chicks are better than soaps." - Fang
 +
 
 +
* "Ah, the prodigal bug returns. And whose DNA have you brought me tonight, my little thief?" - Anton Sevarius
 +
 
 +
* "Kinky!" - Fang
 +
 
 +
* "Yo, Goliath! How many gargoyles does it take to screw in a lightbulb?" - Fang
 +
 
 +
* "Some of my best friends are half-gargoyle half-human babes with bad attitudes." - Fang
 +
:"He's a fool, but he may be of some use."
 +
:"I can work with that!" - Fang and Demona
 +
 
 +
* "My clan can beat your clan any day of the week." - Thailog
 +
 
 +
* "She's the perfect programmed companion.  Obedient and lovely.  She'll do anything for me." - Thailog
 +
 
 +
* "You are capable of anything.  I hate you." - Angela
 +
 
 +
* "Goliath, save our daughter!" - Demona
 +
 
 +
* "It's all over, you . . . forgery!" - Brooklyn
 +
 
 +
* "Do you wish to perish?!"
 +
:"My vengeance is all you've left me!" - Thailog and Demona
 +
 
 +
* "Yeah, but we can't just take them back to the Clock Tower, can we? I mean, they kind of give me the creeps." - Lexington
 +
 
 +
* "Demona's love for you is the first goodness she has shown in a long, long time.  For her, it may have been a new beginning.  A new beginning for us all." - Goliath
 +
 
 +
==Continuity==
 +
Thailog and Demona appear for the first time since "Sanctuary". Their partnership continues from their time in Paris, although it dissolves at the end of the episode. Demona reappears in [[Hunter's Moon Part One|"Hunter's Moon" Part One]], apparently operating their jointly-formed [[Nightstone Unlimited]] solo. Later in [[Bash|"Bash"]] it is evident Thailog is still operating at Nigthstone as well. It is later clarified in the comic [[Questions|"Questions"]] that both Demona and Thailog have equal control of the company.
  
* "Do we understand each other?"
+
The Goldencup Bakery Building suffers its second gargoyle attack in the series when Demona breaks into it at the beginning (the first time being [[Coldstone|Coldstone's]] raid on it in [[Legion|"Legion"]]). This marks its third appearance in the series, since it was also the site of Goliath and Xanatos's opening battle in [[Vows|"Vows"]].
:"Uh, yes, sir."
 
:"Good. Then you may keep your weapon." - Goliath and Art
 
  
* "Can you believe it?  Can't even read my own writing here." - Vinnie
+
The Mutates appear for the first time since [[Kingdom|"Kingdom"]] (even Fang, who is still in prison following his actions in that episode). The clones are introduced in this episode, and they are taken to the Labyrinth by Talon to join the Labyrinth Clan. The Labyrinth Clan (both gargoyle and Mutate members, excluding Fang) next appear in [[Invitation Only|"Invitation Only"]].
  
* "Every time I think we have arrived at a safe and stable life--it is abruptly torn away!" - Goliath
+
Hudson echoes one of the [[Macbeth Robot|Macbeth Robot's]] four lines from [[The Price|"The Price"]] ("You'll have to do better than that!") when taunting Brentwood.
  
* ". . . But now that our existence has been revealed to humanity . . . your race will give us no peace."
+
Although Thailog is not heard from again in the remainder of this season, he did survive the rollercoaster fire. He next appears at the end of "Invitation Only" as an unwelcome guest at the Labyrinth, out to reclaim the Clones (though only Brentwood freely leaves with him, in the end).
:"You're tired. We both are. Things'll look better after a good day's sleep. And if not...well, tomorrow's my night off . . . We'll use the time to ''make'' things better." - Goliath and Elisa
 
  
* "When you wear our hoods, believe me . . . you are no longer alone!" - Castaway
+
Fang next appears in the first issue of ''[[Gargoyles: Bad Guys]]'', [[Strangers|"Strangers"]], as a member of the [[Redemption Squad]] working under [[Robyn Canmore]]. The beginning of his second escape from the Labyrinth (this time broken out by Sevarius) is shown at the end of the second issue, [[The Lost|"The Lost"]].
  
* "Dirty monster loving wh––"  
+
The [[Micro-Electric Mosquito]]s containing DNA samples from the Manhattan Clan were kept by Demona and would be used again in [[Everywhere|"Everywhere"]].
:"Shut. Up." - Banquo and Elisa
 
  
 
==Tidbits==
 
==Tidbits==
While the comic follows the first half of "The Journey" closely, there are a few differences with the television episode, some due to re-incorporating rejected elements of Greg Weisman's original script, others due to new material specifically written for the comic. Among these are:
+
"The Reckoning" was originally intended as being a two-part season finale, but was later on shrunk down to one episode after "Hunter's Moon" became the season finale. This is probably the reason for Goliath's "new beginning" line and Demona and Goliath's discussion about clans ending with Demona mirroring Goliath's line from [[Reawakening|"Reawakening"]], the first season finale, "You don't know the meaning of the word," and adding in "but I'll teach you" to make it more fitting to the following development.
 
 
# The television episode began with a monologue by Goliath about the consequences of the clan being exposed; the comic begins with various New York citizens being interviewed about the gargoyles.
 
# Goliath's encounter with Art en route to Elisa's apartment is new material.
 
# A brief conversation between Matt Bluestone and Captain Chavez over the gargoyle issue is also new for the comic.
 
# Goliath reminiscing over the past troubles of his clan to Elisa was a specific invention of the comic, intended to explain the backstory of ''Gargoyles'' to people being introduced to the franchise.
 
  
Greg first mentioned that Castaway and [[John Castaway|Jon Canmore]] from the [[Hunter's Moon (episode)|"Hunter's Moon"]] three-parter were the same man as early as 1997, a detail that would not be canonically confirmed until the SLG issue [[Estranged|"Estranged"]] eleven years later. [http://www.s8.org/gargoyles/askgreg/search.php?qid=296]  There are, however, two hints of this in "Nightwatch": the first is his name, which fits the Canmores' pattern of aliases beginning with a hard C (Conover, Correy, Carter); the second is his [[Hunters|Hunter's]] symbol (three red slashes), protruding beneath his Quarryman badge.
+
The names of the male clones, of course, are Los Angeles-based parallels to the New York-based names for the Trio and Hudson, rising from the question that the ''Gargoyles'' production team had asked itself out of amusement: "What if the gargoyles had been awakened in Los Angeles rather than New York?" (It obviously helped that [[Greg Weisman]] lives in Los Angeles.) No explanation is given in the script, however, for precisely why Demona would choose those names for the Clones; there was never any indication in the series that Los Angeles had any particular meaning for her. Greg Weisman has suggested that she was making fun of the names the Trio chose for themselves. Delilah, of course, was named after the biblical betrayer of Samson; the "bad girl" connotations of that name would clearly have appealed to Thailog.
  
Many familiar "bit characters" appear in this issue. The New York citizenry being interviewed on the first page include the Jogger, Billy and Susan's mother, and Vinnie (who recalls his pieing of Goliath in "Vendettas"). Vinnie and Billy and Susan's mother are both at Castaway's meeting. Art encounters Goliath when the latter is on his way to Elisa's apartment (with [[Lois]] having an off-stage role in this scene). Banquo and Fleance, formerly [[Macbeth|Macbeth's]] henchmen, are now working for Castaway (maybe in part to get revenge for their past encounters with the gargoyles in [[A Lighthouse in the Sea of Time|"A Lighthouse in the Sea of Time"]] and [[Pendragon|"Pendragon"]]), another irony in light of his true identity and descent. And Travis Marshall discusses the gargoyle issue on the news.
+
One of the regulars in the projected ''[[Gargoyles 2198]]'' spin-off was a [[Delilah (2198)|namesake descendant of Delilah's]] – who would, naturally, be a member of [[Samson|Samson's]] team.
  
On ''[[Voices from the Eyrie]]'', Weisman commented how, in this issue, fans long assumed the character Sarah Browne was fully on board with the Quarrymen, but did not have a chance to clarify her reluctance until the [[Dynamite Entertainment|Dynamite]] [[Gargoyles (Dynamite)|comic]] [[Trick-Or-Treat|"Trick-Or-Treat"]] was written seventeen years later. (The animated sequence in the non-canonical "The Journey" may have played a role with this assumption.) [https://spidey-dude.com/voices-from-the-eyrie-42-avalon-part-three/]
+
Fang's line, "I resemble that remark" is a commonly said line by Curly of ''The Three Stooges''. It is also used by the Joker in an episode of the ''The Batman'', "The Rubberface of Comedy", written by Greg Weisman.  
  
{{CIT|According to Greg Weisman, the man in Japan who offered Vinnie a security job is [[Taro]].}} [https://www.s8.org/gargoyles/askgreg/search.php?rid=639]
+
''[[Buzz Lightyear of Star Command]]''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s "Clone Rangers" featured several references to this episode, including Micro-Electric Mosquitoes and a parody of Coney Island.  Written by Greg Weisman, he has commented that the producers and story editor were initially looking for similar story elements that were also in "The Reckoning", so Weisman emphasized a few of them for ''Gargoyles'' fans to enjoy. [http://www.s8.org/gargoyles/askgreg/search.php?qid=7285]
  
In Goliath's reminiscences, we see [[Hakon]] about to smash a stone gargoyle, and in the panel representing the gargoyles' various adversaries, Xanatos, [[Owen Burnett|Owen]], [[Demona]], [[Fox]], and Macbeth.
+
In the apocryphal ''[[The Goliath Chronicles]]'', Thailog appeared in only one episode, [[Genesis Undone|"Genesis Undone"]], where he succumbs to a virus and is turned – apparently – permanently to stone.  The Clones suffered the same fate.  Also to note, the episode [[Generations|"Generations"]] is highly similar to "The Reckoning" in regards to the focus on Demona and Angela.
  
Goliath's line during those same reminiscences, "Now, here in Manhattan, the spell has been broken, and we live again!" is a quote from the narration during the opening sequence in Season Two.
+
==Toon Disney/Disney XD Edits==
 +
In the episode as originally aired, when Fang watched Demona change into human form he said, "Kinky." In later airings, Toon Disney has censored this line.
  
<br style="clear:both;"/>
+
They also edited a close-up of Thailog pulling the trigger on his gun as he was about to kill Angela.
==Radio Play Cast==
 
''"Nightwatch"'' and ''"The Journey'' were performed as the Radio Play at the 2004 Gathering in Montreal. The cast consisted of:
 
  
*Goliath - Rob St. Martin
+
==DVD Release==
*Elisa Maza - Zehra Fazal
+
* ''[[Gargoyles: Season Two, Volume Two]]''
*Brooklyn - Dylan Blacquere
 
*Broadway - Revel
 
*Hudson - Alan Torvik
 
*Lexington - François Ferland
 
*Angela - Annie S.
 
*David Xanatos - Rob Irwin
 
*Owen Burnett - Seth Jackson
 
*Bronx - Syrth
 
*John Castaway - Erik Mambu
 
*Vinnie Grigori - Michael McAdam
 
*Banquo - Ethan Gilchrist
 
*Fleance - Jennifer L. Anderson
 
*Art - Alex "Carter" Garg
 
*Billy's Mom - Laurean Broadbent
 
*Travis Marshall - Lanny Fields
 
*Margot Yale - Cindy Kinnard
 
*Matt Bluestone - Eric "Gorebash" Tribou
 
*Lennox Macduff - Chris Rogers
 
*Maria Chavez - Natalie "Vashkoda" Quanquin"
 
*Lois - Jade Griffin
 
*Fox - Kaylle
 
*Alex Xanatos - Liz Chesterman
 
*Cagney - Mary "Stormy" Pletsch
 
*Jogger - Isabelle Filiaircault
 
*Quarryman #1 - Tony Zucconi
 
*Quarryman #2 - David Brown
 
*Quarryman #3 - Sarah McEvoy
 
*Quarryman #4 - Taylor Hord
 
*Announcer - Dan Blundon
 
*Narrator - Greg Weisman
 
  
 
<br style="clear:both;"/>
 
<br style="clear:both;"/>
 +
==Radio Play==
 +
"The Reckoning" was performed at the 2003 Gathering in New York City.
 +
{{GatheringPlayers
 +
|h1=The 2003 Gathering Players
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|c1=
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*ANGELA: Jill "Leopard" Friedman
 +
*DEMONA: Batya "The Toon" Wittenberg
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*GOLIATH: Stephen Sobotka, Jr.
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*THAILOG: Carter Moore
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*BROOKLYN: Sarah the Great
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*MALIBU: Lanny Fields
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*TALON: William "Revel" Anson
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*FANG: Alex "Simon DelMonte" Wittenberg
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*ELISA: Vashkoda
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*DELILAH: Mandi Ohlin
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*HUDSON: Erik "Emambu" Mambu
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*BURBANK: Eric "Gorebash" Tribou
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*BROADWAY: Adam Leigh
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*HOLLYWOOD: Greg Bishansky
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*CLAW: Seth Jackson
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*BRENTWOOD: Anthony "Archangel" Zucconi
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*LEXINGTON: Gabriel Guerrero
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*and Thom Adcox as DR. ANTON SEVARIUS}}
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{{clear}}
  
 
==See Also==
 
==See Also==
*[http://www.gargoyles-fans.org/comics/SLG-001.htm Commentary and Review]
+
*[http://www.s8.org/gargoyles/askgreg/search.php?rid=477 Greg's Ramble]
*On sale at [http://www.www.slgcomic.com/product-exec/product_id/94/nm/Gargoyles_1 SLG], [http://www.amazon.com/Gargoyles-1-Greg-Weisman/dp/1593620403/ref=sr_1_3/104-1941171-9867162?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1186441606&sr=1-3 Amazon], and [http://www.tfaw.com/Profile/The-Gargoyles-1___225575 TFAW]
+
*[http://www.gargoyles-fans.org/reviews/ep61.htm Extensive Synopsis and Review]
 
 
  
 
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{| align="center" border="1"
 
|- style="vertical-align: top;"
 
|- style="vertical-align: top;"
| '''[[Hunter's Moon Part Three|<< Previous Episode: "Hunter's Moon" Part Three]]'''  
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| '''[[Turf|<< Previous Episode: "Turf"]]'''  
| '''[[The Journey|Next Episode: "Clan-Building" Chapter Two: "The Journey" >>]]'''  
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| '''[[Possession|Next Episode: "Possession" >>]]'''  
 
|}
 
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[[Category:Canon episodes]]
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[[Category:Canon episodes|Reckoning, The]]
[[Category:Comic Book]]
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[[Category:Radio Plays|Reckoning, The]]
[[Category:Clan-Building]]
 
[[Category:Radio Plays]]
 

Latest revision as of 07:56, 18 October 2025

The Reckoning Title.png

"The Reckoning" is the sixty-first televised episode of the series Gargoyles, and the forty-eighth episode of Season 2. It originally aired on May 7, 1996. It was adapted into a Radio Play and performed at the Gathering of the Gargoyles in 2003 as a tribute to Gary Sperling.


Crew With the Voice Talent Of


Summary

Main Plot

Demona allows herself to be captured and imprisoned in the Labyrinth in a scheme with Thailog to clone Hudson and the Trio, and at the same time tries to convert Angela to her way of thinking. After the Clones are created by Anton Sevarius, Thailog busts Demona and Fang out of the Labyrinth, and the three of them lure the Manhattan Clan and Talon to a fun house on Coney Island, where the gargoyles face off against their clones for the first time. The clan is defeated and imprisoned, but Demona releases them when Thailog threatens to kill Angela. The clan subdues the clones, and Talon beats Fang, while Demona and Thailog seemingly fall to their deaths while fighting on a burning roller coaster.

Subplots

Angela formally introduces herself to Demona while she's imprisoned in the Labyrinth, and they engage in lengthy discussions. While Demona is unsuccessful in turning Angela to her way of thinking, she realizes that she truly cares for her daughter.

Thailog reveals to Demona and the others his secret clone project, Delilah, who he made with the combined DNA of Demona and Elisa. Demona realizes that Thailog's been using her all along.

Talon offers to allow the abandoned clones sanctuary in the Labyrinth. The clones and mutates become the basis for the Labyrinth Clan.

The Story

Previously on Gargoyles

Act One

"If the boredom doesn't get us, the mosquitos will," Brooklyn grumbles, swatting a mosquito away as he, Goliath, and Angela stand on a rooftop across the street from the Goldencup Bakery Building, unaware that someone is watching them through a pair of binoculars. Angela asks how much longer they'll have to sit there, but Goliath asks her to be patient. There has been a recent string of high tech-related thefts, so right now their best move is to stake out research facilities like Goldencup Bakery. As if on cue, a series of explosions rock the facility – windows are blown out and a large hole is blown in the roof. An exo-frame emerges from the rubble, carrying three crates. As it turns, Brooklyn recognizes its pilot: Demona. "My mother!" Angela whispers, much to Goliath's concern. The big gargoyle hypothesizes that Demona is gathering weapons for another offensive. "Then let's offend her first," Brooklyn growls as he bolts for Demona. Goliath tells Angela to take care and not to underestimate Demona. Brooklyn collides with Demona, forcing her to drop her loot; but she activates the jets on her exo-frame and takes flight. "This tin can won't save you!" Brooklyn growls as he digs his talons into it's steel hull. She activates its defenses and the skin of he frame generates electricity, causing Brooklyn to cry out in pain. Letting go of the haul, Demona swats him midair, where he soon crashes on a nearby rooftop, knocked out. Angela rushes to the aid of her friend and when he comes to, she smiles at him. "I should have known, you always travel in groups" Demona sneers as she watches the exchange and spots Goliath coming at her. "We are a clan, Demona! That's something you've forgot long ago!" Demona fires bolts of energy at Goliath, which he dodges. She activates her jets and shoots into the air before coming down on Goliath's back. Before she can finish Goliath off, Angela intervenes pleading for Demona to stop this fighting. "You! I saw you in Paris! Who are you?" Demona says taking aim at Angela's face. "I know every remaining gargoyle!" Demona declares. But Goliath slams into Demona's frame. "She is not your concern!" he growls, punching into the frame and hitting a vital component. Electricity generates, shocking both Goliath and Demona before the frame nose-dives onto a nearby rooftop.

Goliath Brooklyn Angela Demona The Reckoning.png

Goliath and Angela prepare for the worst as Demona emerges from the wrecked exo-frame. Injured, she stumbles away from it before it explodes, the force of the blast knocking her down and out. Goliath and Angela land on opposite sides of her as Goliath takes her pulse before confirming to a concerned Angela that Demona is alive. Brooklyn soon arrives but Angela's attention is captured by her unconscious mother. "She looks so peaceful," Angela says. Hardly reassured, Brooklyn replies, "Yeah, wait 'til she wakes up." Goliath declares that they cannot release her, but Angela asks what options they have. "Long ago, we banished gargoyles who turned against the clan." But Brooklyn points out there's really no place they can banish her to. Angela reminds them that humans lock their criminals away in prison and suggests doing the same. But during the day Demona is human while the rest of them turn to stone. Although Goliath is unconvinced there is a place they can safely guard her, Brooklyn knows of one.

Shortly later, Elisa Maza, Hudson, Lexington, and Broadway join them as they convene in the Labyrinth with Talon, Maggie the Cat, and Claw. They quickly lock Demona in a cell and come to an agreement. The mutates will watch the prisoners during the day and the gargoyles will stand watch at night. Elisa asks Goliath if he realizes what he's committing himself to, but he sees no other options and tells the rest of the clan that they will each take turns in a nightly rotation. Elisa swats the back of her neck and Talon apologizes for the mosquitos they have down there "and worse." From inside his adjourning cell, Fang protests, "Hey, Hey! I resemble that remark!" Ignoring him, Talon reminds the rest of them that Fang is serving time for trying to force his way into power down there. Angela takes a long look at the still unconscious Demona and volunteers to take the first watch. Goliath doesn't like the idea at all and tries to discourage her. "Am I a member of this clan or not?!" Angela asserts. Goliath attempts to talk her out of it until Hudson intervenes and tells Angela to take the first watch. But Hudson reminds her that "she may be your mother but she is capable of anything."

Angela Demona The Reckoning.png

Later that night, Angela sits and watches as Demona slowly comes to. Slowly becomes fast as Demona jumps to her feet, realizing she's in captivity. She spots Angela and leaps towards the bars enraged, demanding to know who she is. Angela tells Demona her name, hesitates for the briefest of moments before adding "your daughter." These words enrage Demona further, "How dare you mock me! I have no daughter." Angela explains that the clan's eggs survived, that Demona and Goliath are her biological parents and even mentions that she's told there's a resemblance. Demona briefly softens, amazed at this revelation. Angela gets excited and begins telling Demona about her life, living on Avalon and that Princess Katharine brought all the eggs there after Castle Wyvern was attacked. "Typical humans, they pillage the Castle AND steal our children!" Demona growls, her anger returning. Angela tries to convince her that the Princess saved them and considers the human a part of her clan – as is Demona. Her fury more restrained, Demona counters, "Know this, young one. Humans have no place in any gargoyle clan, Goliath has lost sight of this simple truth." Demona reaches through the bars and places a hand on Angela's shoulder. "If you truly are my daughter, we must always be there for one another. THAT is what it means to belong a clan." The moment is cut off by Fang's snickering turning into laughter, "I'm moved – deeply!" Angela tells him to mind his own business. Fang sits back on his bed telling the two females that they're better than soaps.

During the following evening, Fang marks another day in captivity while Lexington watches Demona. [1] But the small gargoyle neglects to notice Demona reaching for her belt buckle and releasing a robotic mosquito, biting the gargoyle on duty. Lex swats at it but misses. Demona smirks knowingly as the bug flies off.

The Micro-Electric Mosquito emerges from the city's storm drains and flies towards the Nightstone Unlimited Building. It approaches Dr. Sevarius at a work bench, and the geneticist greets it, wondering whose DNA the little thief brought him. He takes a syringe to it and drains of of the blood sample. Clearly amused, he jokes aloud, "You know, when they called bio-engineering a growth industry, they're not kidding." He releases the blood sample into a vial and places it inside a growth chamber. "Three down and two to go." Thailog is more than pleased as he enters the laboratory; he just loves it when everything goes according to plan and lets out a maniacal laugh.

Act Two

Five weeks pass, and five maturation tanks are filled with clones are growing inside. "Nice doing business with you, Thailog," Sevarius says as he accepts a briefcase full of cash. "All you have to do now is decide on the programming." He advises Thailog to keep it simple, "you don't want to end up with another you." Thailog agrees.

Down in the Labyrinth, Angela and Demona are debating the latter's behavior as Angela tries desperately to understand her. "How can you judge me," Demona asks. "You have been hiding on a magical island while I have been out in the real world." Claw approaches and signals to Angela – her shift is over. Although she knows it is dawn, Angela decides to spend the day down there, near Demona's cell. Angela takes her place and turns to stone. Demona smiles warmly at her sleeping daughter before crying out in pain as she transforms into her human form. Fang watches as Demona collapses on the bed before saying to himself, "kinky."

Thailog Demona The Reckoning.png

Two more months pass as Goliath arrives to relieve Talon. Fang tries to get the gargoyle's attention by asking him how many gargoyles does it take to screw in a lightbulb. But Demona is less than pleased to see her "judge and jury." Goliath reminds her that she chose her in fate when she turned against her clan. Spitting back his words from more than a year ago, Demona tells Goliath that he doesn't even know the meaning of the word clan, but has every intention to teach him her definition. As the Labyrinth begins to rumble. Talon realizes that isn't a subway car. The ceiling explodes, debris raining down on Talon and Goliath as Thailog makes his entrance, carrying two particle-beam cannons. "Thailog, my love, your timing is impeccable." The clone fires three blasts at the bars, freeing his mate. Demona runs towards him and the two embrace before he hands her one of the weapons. She has ideas of her own as she approaches Fang's cell. Fang, fearing the worst, pleads for his life as she readies her gun. He covers himself with a blanket begging "some of my best friends are half-gargoyle half-human babes with bad attitudes!" But Demona doesn't kill him, instead she destroys the glass cell walls containing him. "He's a fool but he may be of some use." Fang is eager to work with that and makes his escape, following the unscrupulous couple. Still hurting from the roof's collapse, Goliath finally gets to his feet and helps Talon up, removing a large concrete slab off the mutate. Goliath tells him that they cannot fall behind.

Goliath and Talon follow the villains to Coney Island; the three quickly land and enter the funhouse as Goliath and Talon land atop the Ferris Wheel. Talon is suspicious, sensing a trap. Goliath agrees, realizing they were too easy to follow. He tells Talon to keep watch while he goes for help. Out of earshot, Talon mutters, "feel free to hurry back." Goliath soon returns with the rest of the gargoyles. Nobody has come or gone so Talon took the time to scope the place out. He identifies three ways in: a service entrance at the rear, an air vent on the roof, and the front door. Goliath wants to box them in and gives everyone their instructions, ordering Angela to come with him.

Hudson and Talon enter through the back. Fang gets the drop on them and blasts Talon with a powerful bolt of electricity. Hudson readies his sword to take the rogue mutate down, but Fang has back-up. A large gargoyle resembling Hudson and carrying a steel club emerges and growls. Hudson is shocked at the sight of his adversary and the gargoyle quickly disarms Hudson, knocking him to the ground.

The Trio enter through the roof's air vent and descent into a funhouse maze. Broadway nods and heads in a different direction as Brooklyn and Lexington search together. They open a door and are surprised by a faux monster prop. But the two hear growls from behind them, so they turn and spot two gargoyles that almost resemble them as they attack. Lexington quickly figures out the two new gargoyles are clones, and of them at that! Lex's clone slams him into a wall as Brooklyn's slams him into the ground.

Broadway exits the maze and enters a hall of trick mirrors. He stares in disdain at a distorted reflection of himself, grumbling that it looks nothing like him, as a monstrous clone of him roars and slams into him , capturing him in a violent bearhug.

Thailog Demona Clones The Reckoning.png

Angela and Goliath enter a dungeon as Thailog appears and points his gun right at him. Angela turns and Demona appears, her gun trained on her. "You think you've won, Thailog? But it isn't that easy." An amused Thailog opens a hidden sliding wall, revealing that their allies have been captured. "Face it, Goliath. My clan can beat your clan any day of the week." And with Demona at his side, and the two surrounded by clones of the Manhattan Clan, Thailog laughs in triumph. It's over. They've lost, he won.

Act Three

It's after midnight, the rest of the clan has come to and are restrained either to the wall, or to various torture devices. Rats run at their feet and Demona approaches Goliath basking in triumph as she cups his chin and formally introduces him to her new clan. Lexington's clone, Brentwood. Broadway's clone, Hollywood. Brooklyn's clone, Malibu. And Hudson's clone, Burbank. "I named them myself." But Goliath can only react with utter disgust. "If you consider these poor creatures to be your clan, you've sunk even lower than I imagined." Thailog is amused that Goliath is insulting his friends' genetic makeup, but he does acknowledge that the clones are a bit primitive as he kept their programming simple: "Obey Thailog. It's all they really need to know." But he's had his moment, it's now time to get rid of all of his enemies, he approaches Angela gun at ready "starting with her." But Demona pushes his gun aside, claiming that Angela belongs to her. Thailog is less than amused, "you've known she was your daughter since before we staged your capture and you've still been unable to turn her." This knowledge enrages Angela beyond belief. Demona pleads that she needed to make Angela understand, but Angela understands perfectly. The last few months were a charade staged to turn her against her father and then to trap and destroy her clan. Just as Hudson warned her, Demona is capable of anything. With a cold rage, Angela's eyes glow and she tells Demona she hates her. As Demona walks away dejected, Thailog smirks, "You see? You're better off without her." He takes aim at Angela once more, his finger on the trigger.

Thailog Delilah The Reckoning.png

But Demona can't let him do it, she lunges at him from behind, redirecting his weapon and it fires into the air. Demona attempts to wrestle him away, but Thailog elbows her in the stomach, knocking her to the floor. While Fang scurries out of their way, Thailog shares that while Demona has disappointed him, he's prepared for such a development before calling out to his trump card: Delilah! Another hidden door slides opens and a female gargoyle clone emerges, but this one is different. She greets "Master Thailog" who gestures for her to join him. "Look familiar my ex-love? I combined your DNA with that of the human, Elisa Maza." Demona sits there and seethes as he goes on to describe Delilah as the perfect programmed companion: obedient, lovely, and willing to do anything for him. Indeed, his order is simple – destroy the Manhattan Clan. Delilah picks up Demona's discarded particle beam weapon, ready to follow his command by executing Angela followed by the rest of the clan. Demona, however, gets to her feet as Thailog takes a shot at her, but to his surprise, she lunges towards a hidden wall switch and releases her enemies. "Goliath, save our daughter!" she orders. Goliath does just that, pushing Angela out of the way of the particle beam. Delilah misses her shot and before she can fire again the weapon is knocked out of her hands with Goliath's tail. The rest of the clan and Talon, freed from their restraints, engage the clones and Fang as Demona slams into Thailog plunging the both of them through the dungeon's walls. Goliath exists the dungeon to pursue them.

Fang fires an electrical blast at Talon before making his escape, but the mutate pursues his fugitive. Delilah reaches for the gun, but Angela steps on it and kicks it away, telling the clone, "Don't even think about it," as she grabs Delilah by the jacket. Broadway is thrown against a torture rack while Brentwood slams Lex into the ground. Lexington realizes that they can't beat the clones one-on-one. Brooklyn suggests using team work as he pulls Brentwood off of his rookery brother. Broadway narrowly avoids a heat butt from Hollywood. Hudson agrees with Brooklyn's plan, but suggests they find some room to move. The gargoyles take off through the hole on all fours, where they are pursued by their respective clones, leaving Angela and Delilah alone. Both of them looking forward to having this fight.

"I've been waiting a long time for this, Talon!" Fang says as he chases his former leader through a rollercoaster firing blast after blast of electrical discharges. Talon isn't too worried – he's beaten Fang before. Fang fires another blast and misses, hitting the wooden structure of the rollercoaster, which begins to catch fire. Fang loses sight of his prey allowing Talon to get the drop of him just as the small fire begins to grow into a larger one.

Thailog throws Demona down onto the rollercoaster's track and lands on top of her, restraining her underfoot before pointing his gun at her face. "It would seem that the love has gone out of our relationship." Before he can pull the trigger, Goliath slams into him, hurling him into another section of the rollercoaster. Now disarmed, Thailog kicks Goliath off of him. Before he can move in, he's distracted by Demona's shriek as she swoops down and grabs him by the shoulders, soaring into the air with her own intentions of dealing with him. Goliath watches and follows.

With their clones still in chase, Brooklyn orders they split up. Hollywood pursues Lexington who tricks him into flying face first into a high striker. Injured, the clone falls to the ground, prompting the game's bell to ding (much to Lexington's amusement). Burbank pursues Brooklyn through the Ferris Wheel before Broadway gets the drop on him while Brentwood lunges at Hudson, but the old gargoyle just taunts the small clone. With the clones now in position, Broadway and Hudson trick Burbank and Brentwood into colliding midair and both fall to the ground.

With the rollercoaster going up in flames, Demona drops Thailog, who crashes through one level of track and lands on the track right below. She approaches him, eyes blazing. But Goliath soon arrives to warn her of the fire, much to her annoyance. "I told you to save our daughter!" she shouts. Thailog takes advantage of the momentary distraction and slams Demona into the wooden structure. The track above them begins to collapse. Goliath leaps into the air to avoid the flaming debris.

Lexington swoops through the air as Malibu goes after him. Brooklyn's clone continues to lunge at him. They fly by the Ferris Wheel where Brooklyn and Broadway open the cart door he was hiding in, slamming it in the clone's face. Malibu fall is brief, as he lands on one of the carts lower on the wheel. Brooklyn stands over the clone satisfied, "it's all over, you . . . forgery!"

Goliath glides over the flames and spots Talon dropping a defeated Fang to the ground. He comes for a landing and asks the mutate if he's seen Angela. But Talon suddenly looks startled as a silhouette emerges from the smoke. It is Delilah. Goliath briefly fears the worse before noticing that Delilah is shackled, and Angela is holding her chain. The young female gives Delilah a shove to keep walking. Goliath runs to his daughter and asks if she's all right. Angela admits she's been better and then asks about Demona's whereabouts.

Lexington quickly spots Demona – she and Thailog are still locked in mortal combat atop the rollercoaster which, at this point, has transformed into a blazing inferno. A wooden plank breaks under Thailog's wait and he partially falls through it, trapped. "Do you wish to perish?!" he says, but Demona's eyes burn red. Her vengeance is all he's left her. The rollercoaster begins to crumble. "Master!" Delilah cries, and Angela cries out "Mother!" as the rollercoaster collapses. Demona and Thailog both vanish into the smoke and flames. Sobbing into Goliath's arms, Angela can only utter "No . . ."

Still shackled, Delilah can only advance toward the inferno so far as the Trio and Hudson escort the now tied up and restrained clones. Brentwood is stunned. "No Thailog?" he says. "What now for us?" Hollywood asks. Broadway points out that without Thailog, the other clones don't know what to do or where to go. Lexington doesn't want to bring them back to the Clock Tower as the clones give him the creeps. Talon thinks the matter over for a minute before inviting the clones to come live in the Labyrinth with his clan. Burbank asks Talon if he's now their master; but Talon promises to teach them to think for themselves . . . and use verbs.

Goliath Angela The Reckoning.png

Angela steps towards the rollercoaster before dropping to her hands and knees as she cries. Goliath kneels at her side and embraces her. Angela asks if Demona is really gone. Goliath doesn't know. But Angela is stuck on the last words she spoke to Demona, telling her she hated her. But Demona has since sacrificed herself for her, she doesn't want it to end like this. Goliath assures Angela that Demona knew how she truly felt "and Demona's love for you was first goodness she's shown in a long, long time." His next words, whether he speaks them with true sincerity or to relieve Angela of any pain are "for her, it may have been a new beginning. A new beginning for us all."

The gargoyles stand together and stare into the flames, uncertain of what tomorrow will bring.

Featured Characters and First Appearances

Gargoyles Humans Others


Places Objects


Quotes

  • "I'm afraid we've got mosquitoes down here, and worse."
"Hey, hey! I resemble that remark!" - Talon and Fang
  • "I'm expecting the Governor to commute my sentence any minute now." - Fang
  • "Man, you chicks are better than soaps." - Fang
  • "Ah, the prodigal bug returns. And whose DNA have you brought me tonight, my little thief?" - Anton Sevarius
  • "Kinky!" - Fang
  • "Yo, Goliath! How many gargoyles does it take to screw in a lightbulb?" - Fang
  • "Some of my best friends are half-gargoyle half-human babes with bad attitudes." - Fang
"He's a fool, but he may be of some use."
"I can work with that!" - Fang and Demona
  • "My clan can beat your clan any day of the week." - Thailog
  • "She's the perfect programmed companion. Obedient and lovely. She'll do anything for me." - Thailog
  • "You are capable of anything. I hate you." - Angela
  • "Goliath, save our daughter!" - Demona
  • "It's all over, you . . . forgery!" - Brooklyn
  • "Do you wish to perish?!"
"My vengeance is all you've left me!" - Thailog and Demona
  • "Yeah, but we can't just take them back to the Clock Tower, can we? I mean, they kind of give me the creeps." - Lexington
  • "Demona's love for you is the first goodness she has shown in a long, long time. For her, it may have been a new beginning. A new beginning for us all." - Goliath

Continuity

Thailog and Demona appear for the first time since "Sanctuary". Their partnership continues from their time in Paris, although it dissolves at the end of the episode. Demona reappears in "Hunter's Moon" Part One, apparently operating their jointly-formed Nightstone Unlimited solo. Later in "Bash" it is evident Thailog is still operating at Nigthstone as well. It is later clarified in the comic "Questions" that both Demona and Thailog have equal control of the company.

The Goldencup Bakery Building suffers its second gargoyle attack in the series when Demona breaks into it at the beginning (the first time being Coldstone's raid on it in "Legion"). This marks its third appearance in the series, since it was also the site of Goliath and Xanatos's opening battle in "Vows".

The Mutates appear for the first time since "Kingdom" (even Fang, who is still in prison following his actions in that episode). The clones are introduced in this episode, and they are taken to the Labyrinth by Talon to join the Labyrinth Clan. The Labyrinth Clan (both gargoyle and Mutate members, excluding Fang) next appear in "Invitation Only".

Hudson echoes one of the Macbeth Robot's four lines from "The Price" ("You'll have to do better than that!") when taunting Brentwood.

Although Thailog is not heard from again in the remainder of this season, he did survive the rollercoaster fire. He next appears at the end of "Invitation Only" as an unwelcome guest at the Labyrinth, out to reclaim the Clones (though only Brentwood freely leaves with him, in the end).

Fang next appears in the first issue of Gargoyles: Bad Guys, "Strangers", as a member of the Redemption Squad working under Robyn Canmore. The beginning of his second escape from the Labyrinth (this time broken out by Sevarius) is shown at the end of the second issue, "The Lost".

The Micro-Electric Mosquitos containing DNA samples from the Manhattan Clan were kept by Demona and would be used again in "Everywhere".

Tidbits

"The Reckoning" was originally intended as being a two-part season finale, but was later on shrunk down to one episode after "Hunter's Moon" became the season finale. This is probably the reason for Goliath's "new beginning" line and Demona and Goliath's discussion about clans ending with Demona mirroring Goliath's line from "Reawakening", the first season finale, "You don't know the meaning of the word," and adding in "but I'll teach you" to make it more fitting to the following development.

The names of the male clones, of course, are Los Angeles-based parallels to the New York-based names for the Trio and Hudson, rising from the question that the Gargoyles production team had asked itself out of amusement: "What if the gargoyles had been awakened in Los Angeles rather than New York?" (It obviously helped that Greg Weisman lives in Los Angeles.) No explanation is given in the script, however, for precisely why Demona would choose those names for the Clones; there was never any indication in the series that Los Angeles had any particular meaning for her. Greg Weisman has suggested that she was making fun of the names the Trio chose for themselves. Delilah, of course, was named after the biblical betrayer of Samson; the "bad girl" connotations of that name would clearly have appealed to Thailog.

One of the regulars in the projected Gargoyles 2198 spin-off was a namesake descendant of Delilah's – who would, naturally, be a member of Samson's team.

Fang's line, "I resemble that remark" is a commonly said line by Curly of The Three Stooges. It is also used by the Joker in an episode of the The Batman, "The Rubberface of Comedy", written by Greg Weisman.

Buzz Lightyear of Star Command's "Clone Rangers" featured several references to this episode, including Micro-Electric Mosquitoes and a parody of Coney Island. Written by Greg Weisman, he has commented that the producers and story editor were initially looking for similar story elements that were also in "The Reckoning", so Weisman emphasized a few of them for Gargoyles fans to enjoy. [2]

In the apocryphal The Goliath Chronicles, Thailog appeared in only one episode, "Genesis Undone", where he succumbs to a virus and is turned – apparently – permanently to stone. The Clones suffered the same fate. Also to note, the episode "Generations" is highly similar to "The Reckoning" in regards to the focus on Demona and Angela.

Toon Disney/Disney XD Edits

In the episode as originally aired, when Fang watched Demona change into human form he said, "Kinky." In later airings, Toon Disney has censored this line.

They also edited a close-up of Thailog pulling the trigger on his gun as he was about to kill Angela.

DVD Release


Radio Play

"The Reckoning" was performed at the 2003 Gathering in New York City.


The 2003 Gathering Players
  • ANGELA: Jill "Leopard" Friedman
  • DEMONA: Batya "The Toon" Wittenberg
  • GOLIATH: Stephen Sobotka, Jr.
  • THAILOG: Carter Moore
  • BROOKLYN: Sarah the Great
  • MALIBU: Lanny Fields
  • TALON: William "Revel" Anson
  • FANG: Alex "Simon DelMonte" Wittenberg
  • ELISA: Vashkoda
  • DELILAH: Mandi Ohlin
  • HUDSON: Erik "Emambu" Mambu
  • BURBANK: Eric "Gorebash" Tribou
  • BROADWAY: Adam Leigh
  • HOLLYWOOD: Greg Bishansky
  • CLAW: Seth Jackson
  • BRENTWOOD: Anthony "Archangel" Zucconi
  • LEXINGTON: Gabriel Guerrero
  • and Thom Adcox as DR. ANTON SEVARIUS


See Also

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