Oberon's children
Encyclopedia
In the fictional universe
of the animated series Gargoyles
, the name Oberon's children is given to the so-called Third Race of beings (the other two being human
s and gargoyles
).
. Oberon ascended to the position both by virtue of being Mab's son, but also because he had been the one to overthrow her.
Members of the race range from fairies to gods to other mythological creatures that were encountered during the "World Tour" arc during the show's second season. They are shown to possess fantastic and supernatural powers, which vary from individual to individual, although most do have the power to change shape and appearance at will alongside other abilities. If they shapeshift fully into a mortal form, they are bound completely by the nature of that mortal body. They suffer all the frailties typically associated with that body, age as a mortal, and lose all their magical powers save one: they can still transform back. They may not be said to have "real" forms, but most do have an appearance (or several) that they favor above others and will use in most circumstances.
Several members of the race (most notably those identified as "tricksters" by themselves or others) have displayed willingness to interact with mortals and even grant wishes in the style of traditional genie
s. However, such wishes often have an ironic twist and cost similar to the monkey's paw. They are immortal and have lived throughout the ages, influencing folklore (or even playing a central role) of certain ethnic groups and cultures worldwide. They are also shown to have a weakness to iron; their magic will not work on it, they can be bound by it, and it can cause them pain. In fact, iron is such a threat that even sound vibrations from an iron source are damaging. Other than that, they are formidable opponents.
The foremost members of the species are characters from two Shakespeare plays: Oberon himself, his wife Titania, and Puck
from A Midsummer Night's Dream
, and the Weird Sisters from Macbeth
. By the end of the show's run, each of them had been woven tightly into the mythological fabric of the series.
Though separated by their various mythologies, it is suggested that all members of the race have a common home on the mystical island of Avalon.
Series creator Greg Weisman
has posited that there exist numerous informal subsets to the race, of which the fairy
-like fay, and various pantheons such as the Norse pantheon are obvious examples.
Curiously, several of the characters are voiced by actors who worked for various Star Trek series.
Little of his past was revealed on the show. He was once married to Lady Titania, but her frivolous actions caused them to separate for many centuries. As a means of her and the rest of the Third Race to "learn humility", Oberon passed an edict expelling all of his people from Avalon until the time of "The Gathering", a time when they all would return to Avalon, and then left himself. What he did during this time is unknown. According to series creator Greg Weisman
, Oberon's lesson proved quite effective in the case of Titania and Puck, to the extent that both are much more reasonable now than Oberon (who did not believe he had a lesson to learn).
However, more information about Oberon has been revealed to the fandom by Greg Weisman: Oberon became the ruler of his race after overthrowing his mother, Queen Mab
(another Shakespearean character, this time getting a brief mention by Mercutio
in Romeo and Juliet
). Not only was Mab insane, but she also disagreed with Oberon's marriage to Titania. Oberon defeated and imprisoned her, becoming the Lord of Avalon and the Third Race (he eschewed the title of "King" in an attempt to seem more egalitarian).
Oberon first appeared in the episode Ill Met By Moonlight, in which he returned to Avalon as a prelude to the Gathering and at the behest of the Weird Sisters. He discovered that "his island" had been occupied by the Avalon Clan of Gargoyles.
Disturbed by this, he attempted to remove them, but was thwarted by his wife Titania, the gargoyle Goliath
and an iron bell forged by Elisa Maza
, Tom the Guardian and Princess Katharine. Following this, he remarried Titania (now much matured) and proclaimed that the Avalon Clan were his new palace guards and that the magic of his children would not affect any of their clan.
His motives and behavior are often amoral and hypocritical at best. While he was generous enough in sparing the Avalon Clan their lives and allowed them to stay on Avalon (only after they defeated him), his impudence and short temper contradicted his own edict of staying out of human affairs such as when he assisted his wife Titania in attempting to kidnap David Xanatos
' son, Alexander, to Avalon. In the process, he battled Goliath for the second time violating another edict of his that his magic would not affect him or his clan. Upon returning to Avalon following the battle, he made a thinly veiled threat at the Manhattan clan, leaving his relationship with him and Goliath and his clans open to question in the future as to whether or not he is a friend or foe. Show creator Greg Weisman at this time has remained mum on the issue.
He was voiced by Terrence Mann
.
Oberon has also demonstrated control over most of the nature on Avalon; in "Ill Met By Moonlight", he at various times has rocks, vines, and lava attack Goliath and his clan, and nearly has them all swallowed by the ground. He can also fly, and assume a diamond form which renders him impervious to injury. Even in normal form, he is shown in "The Gathering" to be able to take a laser blast to the chest with no worse effect than being knocked down.
The Lord of Avalon has absolute command over the rest of the Third Race. When Banshee and Odin brawl at the onset of the Gathering, he is able to instantly immobilize both with a word. He then silences the Banshee by covering her mouth with a magical seal, rendering her powerless. Not long after, he forcibly changes Titania out of her human disguise and back to her true form. Oberon is later attacked by Puck, but only slowed down, not defeated, and then only because he had already been struck with an iron harpoon.
Oberon is shown to be a reasonably talented hand-to-hand combatant, as he manages to win a three-on-one fight against three gargoyles (while admittedly protected by his diamond form).
The only known weaknesses Oberon has are iron
(like the rest of his race), and energy. Iron used as a weapon will kill or seriously injure him, while overloading on energy absorbed will drain his powers.
Nevertheless the punishment seems to have worked, and Titania as she appears on the show is far more mature than her old self, appearing especially serene and mature when compared to her arrogant and short-tempered husband. Oberon certainly seems to appreciate the change when they are reunited in the episode "Ill Met By Moonlight", and the two remarry. Titania is depicted as a skilled (though oddly utilitarian) manipulator, possessing near total control over Oberon himself to the point where she can influence him to do whatever she desires. She also expressed a keen interest in "the human magic known as science" over her centuries of exile, learning much of the human sciences. "Anastasia Renard", one of her personae, gained quite a reputation as a scientist in fields such as nano-technology and biology.
During her time on Earth, Titania posed as a number of mortal women. Most recently, she posed as Anastasia Renard, the ex-wife of Halcyon Renard and mother of Fox. It is through her union with Halcyon that Fox's son Alexander (and, to a lesser extent, Fox herself) came to possess limited magic powers. She tried to take Alexander back to Avalon with her with the help of Oberon, but was thwarted. Though, it seems that her failure in doing so was seemingly her idea from the beginning.
She was the only member of the third race to appear in the non-canonical season 3 The Goliath Chronicles. In the episode For It May Come True, she had used the same reality manipulation powers similar to Puck's attempts in the episode Future Tense to create an alternate future in order to manipulate Goliath.
Titania was voiced by Kate Mulgrew
.
was banished from Avalon along with the rest of his race. Despite this, and despite Oberon's order that his children not interfere in mortal affairs, Puck continues to bypass these rules (as, admittedly, do others). Like other children of Oberon, such as Titania and Coyote, Puck developed an affinity for humans, and chose to remain with them on Earth rather than return to Avalon for the Gathering. Knowing that this could incur Oberon's wrath (indeed, Banshee's refusal of the same later resulted in a dire punishment for her), he planned to bribe Oberon with the Phoenix Gate in order to buy himself some more time, but he failed to get it from Goliath
(By law, he could not take the Phoenix Gate by force, it had to be given to him.).
It was Puck that, during the show's run, cast the spell on Demona
that made her turn human during the day, rather than turning to stone. Further, it was later revealed that Puck had played a far more central role in affairs than had previously been believed, when it was revealed that he had for many years been posing as Owen Burnett, the stiff and severely un-Puck-like aide to David Xanatos
, who was in fact, based on Halcyon Renard's aide, Preston Vogel.
Before the beginning of the series, Puck, following the lead of Titania, had formed the identity of Owen Burnett by imitating Preston Vogel, the aide to Halcyon Renard. He had gone to work for Xanatos, whom he considered a trickster like himself, and eventually revealed his identity, offering a deal: a single wish from Puck, or a lifetime's loyal service from Owen, with no interference from Puck. Xanatos chose Owen, and the two have been inseparable ever since, so much so that Puck risked angering Oberon by remaining with Xanatos and missing the Gathering. He revealed himself when Oberon attempted to kidnap Xanatos's infant son, Alexander (also the grandson of Titania through his mother, Fox).
In the aftermath, Oberon decreed that Puck would remain with Xanatos to teach the young Alexander how to use his magical gift. However, he would be locked in the form of Owen when not training or protecting Alexander, and he was banished forever from Avalon. Puck himself reacted badly to this news (though Owen took it stoically, after he transformed back).
One night, while Xanatos and Fox went to dinner, Puck/Owen watched over Alexander and taught him his first magic lesson, soul switching. Disguising themselves as Goliath and Hudson, they bring the three souls inside of Coldstone (Coldstone himself, his love Desdemona, and the evil gargoyle Iago) into the bodies of Broadway, Angela and Brooklyn. Puck took on Coldstone's cyborg form while Alexander took over Lexington. They worked together to bring the souls inside Angela and Brooklyn to their new robotic bodies, Coldfire (Desdemona) and Coldsteel (Iago) respectively. This had been part of a plan made by Xanatos to make things up with Goliath. Once the souls went into their rightful bodies, Puck turns back to Owen and acted as if nothing had happened when the parents came home.
Puck was voiced by Brent Spiner
, and Owen by Jeff Bennett
.
Alone among Oberon's children, the triplet sorceresses called the Weird Sisters were the only ones of the third race left at Avalon following Oberon's banishment as sentries and to care for the island. They failed at this task when the Magus from Castle Wyvern used his magic to get past them, and ever since have held a grudge not only against the Magus but against the whole of the Avalon Clan (and, by extension, Goliath's clan
also).
In order to get their revenge while circumventing Oberon's rules preventing interference in mortal affairs, they bound themselves in servitude to the Archmage (who was traveling through time in his own plot to take revenge on Goliath). The Weird Sisters, on the Archmage's word, performed the spell that bound Demona
to Macbeth
, making both immortal and invulnerable, and then enslaved them to the Archmage. When they were defeated, the ever vengeful sisters returned to Avalon with Oberon hoping to get one final score.
Like Oberon, their true motives are inscrutable and their behavior amoral. While they unquestionably follow Oberon's will and do his bidding such as bringing back the defiant Banshee and guarding Avalon, they have done actions that often circumvent his will such as assisting the Archmage. While they initially helped the Gargoyles in their first appearance on the show (in the episode City of Stone), they have since often gone into conflict with Goliath and particularly the Avalon Clan making them villains. Creator Greg Weisman
has stated that each of the three has a distinct personality. The dark-haired one, Selene
, represents fury; the gold-haired one, Phoebe
, represents grace; the silver-haired one, Luna
, represents fate. Their actions, while sometimes appearing contradictory, work towards achieving all three aims simultaneously. As such, they can appear variously as Fates
(or Norns
), Graces
or Furies, depending upon which one of them is "ascendant". Note that they are all named after moon goddesses, though no connection to the moon has ever been made clear on the series.
The three sisters take many forms, most commonly young women, but have also appeared to Goliath as children. To Macbeth, they appeared as old women (the three witches who prophesied that Macbeth would be King of Scotland); to Duncan, the second Hunter
, as maids; to Coldstone in cyberspace they appeared as three versions of his mate Desdemona; to Demona they appeared as wizened old gargoyles. Interestingly, when Demona and Macbeth both saw the Sisters at the same time, they seemed to have each seen a different vision of their appearance, implying they may deal more in illusions than transformation. Notably, the sisters' respective hair colors remain the same no matter how they look.
All three Weird Sisters were voiced by Kath Soucie
.
Fictional universe
A fictional universe is a self-consistent fictional setting with elements that differ from the real world. It may also be called an imagined, constructed or fictional realm ....
of the animated series Gargoyles
Gargoyles (TV series)
Gargoyles is an American animated series created by Greg Weisman. It was produced by Greg Weisman and Frank Paur and aired from October 24, 1994 to February 15, 1997. Gargoyles is known for its dark tone, complex story arcs and melodrama...
, the name Oberon's children is given to the so-called Third Race of beings (the other two being human
Human
Humans are the only living species in the Homo genus...
s and gargoyles
Gargoyle clan
In the fictional universe of Disney's animated television series, Gargoyles, a gargoyle clan is the traditional family unit used by the gargoyle species. Several Gargoyles Listed on this page never appear in the Television series...
).
Overview
Though not literally the offspring of Oberon, he is nevertheless the leader of the entire race, serving both as ruler and father-figure. In general, it seems the species are referred to as children of their current ruler, as they were called "Mab's children" when still governed by Oberon's mother, Queen MabQueen Mab
Queen Mab is a fairy referred to in Shakespeare's play Romeo and Juliet. She also appears in other 17th century literature, and in various guises in later poetry, drama and cinema...
. Oberon ascended to the position both by virtue of being Mab's son, but also because he had been the one to overthrow her.
Members of the race range from fairies to gods to other mythological creatures that were encountered during the "World Tour" arc during the show's second season. They are shown to possess fantastic and supernatural powers, which vary from individual to individual, although most do have the power to change shape and appearance at will alongside other abilities. If they shapeshift fully into a mortal form, they are bound completely by the nature of that mortal body. They suffer all the frailties typically associated with that body, age as a mortal, and lose all their magical powers save one: they can still transform back. They may not be said to have "real" forms, but most do have an appearance (or several) that they favor above others and will use in most circumstances.
Several members of the race (most notably those identified as "tricksters" by themselves or others) have displayed willingness to interact with mortals and even grant wishes in the style of traditional genie
Genie
Jinn or genies are supernatural creatures in Arab folklore and Islamic teachings that occupy a parallel world to that of mankind. Together, jinn, humans and angels make up the three sentient creations of Allah. Religious sources say barely anything about them; however, the Qur'an mentions that...
s. However, such wishes often have an ironic twist and cost similar to the monkey's paw. They are immortal and have lived throughout the ages, influencing folklore (or even playing a central role) of certain ethnic groups and cultures worldwide. They are also shown to have a weakness to iron; their magic will not work on it, they can be bound by it, and it can cause them pain. In fact, iron is such a threat that even sound vibrations from an iron source are damaging. Other than that, they are formidable opponents.
The foremost members of the species are characters from two Shakespeare plays: Oberon himself, his wife Titania, and Puck
Puck (Shakespeare)
Puck, also known as Robin Goodfellow, is a character in William Shakespeare's play A Midsummer Night's Dream that was based on the ancient figure in English mythology, also called Puck. Puck is a clever and mischievous elf and personifies the trickster or the wise knave...
from A Midsummer Night's Dream
A Midsummer Night's Dream
A Midsummer Night's Dream is a play that was written by William Shakespeare. It is believed to have been written between 1590 and 1596. It portrays the events surrounding the marriage of the Duke of Athens, Theseus, and the Queen of the Amazons, Hippolyta...
, and the Weird Sisters from Macbeth
Macbeth
The Tragedy of Macbeth is a play by William Shakespeare about a regicide and its aftermath. It is Shakespeare's shortest tragedy and is believed to have been written sometime between 1603 and 1607...
. By the end of the show's run, each of them had been woven tightly into the mythological fabric of the series.
Though separated by their various mythologies, it is suggested that all members of the race have a common home on the mystical island of Avalon.
Series creator Greg Weisman
Greg Weisman
Greg Weisman is an American comic book and animation writer and producer, best known as the creator of Gargoyles and as the Supervising Producer of The Spectacular Spider-Man. Weisman is currently a producer on the Young Justice animated series...
has posited that there exist numerous informal subsets to the race, of which the fairy
Fairy
A fairy is a type of mythical being or legendary creature, a form of spirit, often described as metaphysical, supernatural or preternatural.Fairies resemble various beings of other mythologies, though even folklore that uses the term...
-like fay, and various pantheons such as the Norse pantheon are obvious examples.
Curiously, several of the characters are voiced by actors who worked for various Star Trek series.
Oberon
Oberon (based on the Shakespearean character of the same name) is the lord of Avalon and the ruler of the Third Race. He is arguably the most powerful being on the show, possessing god-like powers both on Avalon and on the rest of the planet. Unlike all human magic-users and the most of the Third Race, he does not need targets of his magic to see or hear him for it to be effective. Even with reduced power, or when physically weakened, he is still a very powerful and formidable opponent. Because of such power, he tends to be very arrogant, impudent, and very short-tempered although he has shown a generous and noble side to himself and is willing to compromise.Little of his past was revealed on the show. He was once married to Lady Titania, but her frivolous actions caused them to separate for many centuries. As a means of her and the rest of the Third Race to "learn humility", Oberon passed an edict expelling all of his people from Avalon until the time of "The Gathering", a time when they all would return to Avalon, and then left himself. What he did during this time is unknown. According to series creator Greg Weisman
Greg Weisman
Greg Weisman is an American comic book and animation writer and producer, best known as the creator of Gargoyles and as the Supervising Producer of The Spectacular Spider-Man. Weisman is currently a producer on the Young Justice animated series...
, Oberon's lesson proved quite effective in the case of Titania and Puck, to the extent that both are much more reasonable now than Oberon (who did not believe he had a lesson to learn).
However, more information about Oberon has been revealed to the fandom by Greg Weisman: Oberon became the ruler of his race after overthrowing his mother, Queen Mab
Queen Mab
Queen Mab is a fairy referred to in Shakespeare's play Romeo and Juliet. She also appears in other 17th century literature, and in various guises in later poetry, drama and cinema...
(another Shakespearean character, this time getting a brief mention by Mercutio
Mercutio
Mercutio a fictional character in William Shakespeare's 1597 tragedy, Romeo and Juliet. He is a close friend of Romeo, and Romeo's cousin Benvolio, and also a blood relative to Prince Escalus and Count Paris. As such, being neither a Montague nor a Capulet, Mercutio is one of the few in Verona...
in Romeo and Juliet
Romeo and Juliet
Romeo and Juliet is a tragedy written early in the career of playwright William Shakespeare about two young star-crossed lovers whose deaths ultimately unite their feuding families. It was among Shakespeare's most popular archetypal stories of young, teenage lovers.Romeo and Juliet belongs to a...
). Not only was Mab insane, but she also disagreed with Oberon's marriage to Titania. Oberon defeated and imprisoned her, becoming the Lord of Avalon and the Third Race (he eschewed the title of "King" in an attempt to seem more egalitarian).
Oberon first appeared in the episode Ill Met By Moonlight, in which he returned to Avalon as a prelude to the Gathering and at the behest of the Weird Sisters. He discovered that "his island" had been occupied by the Avalon Clan of Gargoyles.
Disturbed by this, he attempted to remove them, but was thwarted by his wife Titania, the gargoyle Goliath
Goliath (Gargoyles)
Goliath is a fictional character, and lead protagonist, in the animated television series Gargoyles, voiced by Keith David.-Overview:The Gargoyles concept began as a comedy series in the style of The Gummi Bears, although set in the modern day...
and an iron bell forged by Elisa Maza
Elisa Maza
Elisa Maza is a fictional character from the Disney animated television series Gargoyles, voiced by Salli Richardson. She is the main human character of the series, the steadfast ally of the Manhattan Clan of gargoyles...
, Tom the Guardian and Princess Katharine. Following this, he remarried Titania (now much matured) and proclaimed that the Avalon Clan were his new palace guards and that the magic of his children would not affect any of their clan.
His motives and behavior are often amoral and hypocritical at best. While he was generous enough in sparing the Avalon Clan their lives and allowed them to stay on Avalon (only after they defeated him), his impudence and short temper contradicted his own edict of staying out of human affairs such as when he assisted his wife Titania in attempting to kidnap David Xanatos
David Xanatos
David Xanatos is one of the primary characters of the animated series Gargoyles. In the series, he is the founder, owner and CEO of Xanatos Enterprises and a member of the Illuminati...
' son, Alexander, to Avalon. In the process, he battled Goliath for the second time violating another edict of his that his magic would not affect him or his clan. Upon returning to Avalon following the battle, he made a thinly veiled threat at the Manhattan clan, leaving his relationship with him and Goliath and his clans open to question in the future as to whether or not he is a friend or foe. Show creator Greg Weisman at this time has remained mum on the issue.
- Greg Weisman has revealed on his forums that Oberon has had at least four children in his long life. He has had two children by Titania (though they remain unnamed and never appeared on the show), as well as two children by mortal women. The first was the changeling boy from A Midsummer Night's DreamA Midsummer Night's DreamA Midsummer Night's Dream is a play that was written by William Shakespeare. It is believed to have been written between 1590 and 1596. It portrays the events surrounding the marriage of the Duke of Athens, Theseus, and the Queen of the Amazons, Hippolyta...
, giving him new motivation for wanting the child. The second was King Arthur's ally MerlinMerlinMerlin is a legendary figure best known as the wizard featured in the Arthurian legend. The standard depiction of the character first appears in Geoffrey of Monmouth's Historia Regum Britanniae, written c. 1136, and is based on an amalgamation of previous historical and legendary figures...
. It was because he owed Merlin a favor that Arthur Pendragon was allowed rest on Avalon, though Greg hasn't specified the full details.
- The only future plans for Oberon that Weisman has let known was that in future, Queen Mab was to break free from confinement with major implications for Oberon and everyone on and off of Avalon. He has not given any more details beyond that.
He was voiced by Terrence Mann
Terrence Mann
Terrence Vaughan Mann is an American actor, director, singer, songwriter and dancer who has been prominent on the Broadway stage for the past three decades...
.
Powers and Abilities
On Avalon, Oberon's powers are practically limitless, and even off the island he is by far the most powerful being in the Gargoyles universe. Like all his Children, he can change shape and appearance. By using his magic mirror, he can teleport anywhere in the world. He can grow to immense sizes (as tall as the tallest building in New York City), hypnotize someone into sleep with a look, and deflect energy blasts by hand. He is also telekinetic. He can manipulate the weather, conjuring both lightning and freezing rain in "The Gathering". He can use his hair as a weapon to entangle smaller objects or beings, and can absorb other beings into an alternate dimension for a limited time. His breath can be used as a weapon, as the forcefulness of one strong blow can knock flying objects from the air. The effects of his magic can be very far reaching; in "The Gathering", he is able to put all of New York City to sleep simply by yelling, "Sleep! Sleep! Sleep!".Oberon has also demonstrated control over most of the nature on Avalon; in "Ill Met By Moonlight", he at various times has rocks, vines, and lava attack Goliath and his clan, and nearly has them all swallowed by the ground. He can also fly, and assume a diamond form which renders him impervious to injury. Even in normal form, he is shown in "The Gathering" to be able to take a laser blast to the chest with no worse effect than being knocked down.
The Lord of Avalon has absolute command over the rest of the Third Race. When Banshee and Odin brawl at the onset of the Gathering, he is able to instantly immobilize both with a word. He then silences the Banshee by covering her mouth with a magical seal, rendering her powerless. Not long after, he forcibly changes Titania out of her human disguise and back to her true form. Oberon is later attacked by Puck, but only slowed down, not defeated, and then only because he had already been struck with an iron harpoon.
Oberon is shown to be a reasonably talented hand-to-hand combatant, as he manages to win a three-on-one fight against three gargoyles (while admittedly protected by his diamond form).
The only known weaknesses Oberon has are iron
Iron
Iron is a chemical element with the symbol Fe and atomic number 26. It is a metal in the first transition series. It is the most common element forming the planet Earth as a whole, forming much of Earth's outer and inner core. It is the fourth most common element in the Earth's crust...
(like the rest of his race), and energy. Iron used as a weapon will kill or seriously injure him, while overloading on energy absorbed will drain his powers.
Titania
Lord Oberon can seem arrogant and cruel at times, so it must be pondered just how bad his young wife, the Lady Titania must have been for Oberon to levy and enforce a thousand-year banishment from Avalon upon her and every other member of their race in order to make her "grow up".Nevertheless the punishment seems to have worked, and Titania as she appears on the show is far more mature than her old self, appearing especially serene and mature when compared to her arrogant and short-tempered husband. Oberon certainly seems to appreciate the change when they are reunited in the episode "Ill Met By Moonlight", and the two remarry. Titania is depicted as a skilled (though oddly utilitarian) manipulator, possessing near total control over Oberon himself to the point where she can influence him to do whatever she desires. She also expressed a keen interest in "the human magic known as science" over her centuries of exile, learning much of the human sciences. "Anastasia Renard", one of her personae, gained quite a reputation as a scientist in fields such as nano-technology and biology.
During her time on Earth, Titania posed as a number of mortal women. Most recently, she posed as Anastasia Renard, the ex-wife of Halcyon Renard and mother of Fox. It is through her union with Halcyon that Fox's son Alexander (and, to a lesser extent, Fox herself) came to possess limited magic powers. She tried to take Alexander back to Avalon with her with the help of Oberon, but was thwarted. Though, it seems that her failure in doing so was seemingly her idea from the beginning.
She was the only member of the third race to appear in the non-canonical season 3 The Goliath Chronicles. In the episode For It May Come True, she had used the same reality manipulation powers similar to Puck's attempts in the episode Future Tense to create an alternate future in order to manipulate Goliath.
Titania was voiced by Kate Mulgrew
Kate Mulgrew
Katherine Kiernan Maria "Kate" Mulgrew is an American actress, most noted for her roles on Star Trek: Voyager as Captain Kathryn Janeway and Ryan's Hope as Mary Ryan...
.
Puck
A trickster fey, PuckPuck (Shakespeare)
Puck, also known as Robin Goodfellow, is a character in William Shakespeare's play A Midsummer Night's Dream that was based on the ancient figure in English mythology, also called Puck. Puck is a clever and mischievous elf and personifies the trickster or the wise knave...
was banished from Avalon along with the rest of his race. Despite this, and despite Oberon's order that his children not interfere in mortal affairs, Puck continues to bypass these rules (as, admittedly, do others). Like other children of Oberon, such as Titania and Coyote, Puck developed an affinity for humans, and chose to remain with them on Earth rather than return to Avalon for the Gathering. Knowing that this could incur Oberon's wrath (indeed, Banshee's refusal of the same later resulted in a dire punishment for her), he planned to bribe Oberon with the Phoenix Gate in order to buy himself some more time, but he failed to get it from Goliath
Goliath (Gargoyles)
Goliath is a fictional character, and lead protagonist, in the animated television series Gargoyles, voiced by Keith David.-Overview:The Gargoyles concept began as a comedy series in the style of The Gummi Bears, although set in the modern day...
(By law, he could not take the Phoenix Gate by force, it had to be given to him.).
It was Puck that, during the show's run, cast the spell on Demona
Demona
Demona is a fictional character in the animated television series Gargoyles, voiced by Marina Sirtis. One of the primary antagonists in the series, Demona was once Goliath's lover and part of their castle's Wyvern Clan of gargoyles...
that made her turn human during the day, rather than turning to stone. Further, it was later revealed that Puck had played a far more central role in affairs than had previously been believed, when it was revealed that he had for many years been posing as Owen Burnett, the stiff and severely un-Puck-like aide to David Xanatos
David Xanatos
David Xanatos is one of the primary characters of the animated series Gargoyles. In the series, he is the founder, owner and CEO of Xanatos Enterprises and a member of the Illuminati...
, who was in fact, based on Halcyon Renard's aide, Preston Vogel.
Before the beginning of the series, Puck, following the lead of Titania, had formed the identity of Owen Burnett by imitating Preston Vogel, the aide to Halcyon Renard. He had gone to work for Xanatos, whom he considered a trickster like himself, and eventually revealed his identity, offering a deal: a single wish from Puck, or a lifetime's loyal service from Owen, with no interference from Puck. Xanatos chose Owen, and the two have been inseparable ever since, so much so that Puck risked angering Oberon by remaining with Xanatos and missing the Gathering. He revealed himself when Oberon attempted to kidnap Xanatos's infant son, Alexander (also the grandson of Titania through his mother, Fox).
In the aftermath, Oberon decreed that Puck would remain with Xanatos to teach the young Alexander how to use his magical gift. However, he would be locked in the form of Owen when not training or protecting Alexander, and he was banished forever from Avalon. Puck himself reacted badly to this news (though Owen took it stoically, after he transformed back).
One night, while Xanatos and Fox went to dinner, Puck/Owen watched over Alexander and taught him his first magic lesson, soul switching. Disguising themselves as Goliath and Hudson, they bring the three souls inside of Coldstone (Coldstone himself, his love Desdemona, and the evil gargoyle Iago) into the bodies of Broadway, Angela and Brooklyn. Puck took on Coldstone's cyborg form while Alexander took over Lexington. They worked together to bring the souls inside Angela and Brooklyn to their new robotic bodies, Coldfire (Desdemona) and Coldsteel (Iago) respectively. This had been part of a plan made by Xanatos to make things up with Goliath. Once the souls went into their rightful bodies, Puck turns back to Owen and acted as if nothing had happened when the parents came home.
Puck was voiced by Brent Spiner
Brent Spiner
Brent Jay Spiner is an American actor, best known for his portrayal of the android Lieutenant Commander Data in the television series Star Trek: The Next Generation and four subsequent films. His portrayal of Data in Star Trek: First Contact and of Dr...
, and Owen by Jeff Bennett
Jeff Bennett
Jeffrey Glenn "Jeff" Bennett is an American voice actor and musician, listed "among the top names in the voice-over field", best known as the voice of Johnny Bravo in the series of the same name...
.
Weird Sisters
Manhattan Clan
The Manhattan Clan are the fictional protagonists of the animated Disney series Gargoyles. They are six gargoyles , the last survivors of a Scottish Gargoyle clan who are frozen in stone in the year 994 AD only to be reawakened in 1994 in Manhattan...
also).
In order to get their revenge while circumventing Oberon's rules preventing interference in mortal affairs, they bound themselves in servitude to the Archmage (who was traveling through time in his own plot to take revenge on Goliath). The Weird Sisters, on the Archmage's word, performed the spell that bound Demona
Demona
Demona is a fictional character in the animated television series Gargoyles, voiced by Marina Sirtis. One of the primary antagonists in the series, Demona was once Goliath's lover and part of their castle's Wyvern Clan of gargoyles...
to Macbeth
Macbeth (Gargoyles)
Macbeth is a fictional character from the Disney animated television series Gargoyles, voiced by John Rhys-Davies. Macbeth is one of several characters in the show based on characters from plays by William Shakespeare , though in fact his back-story is closer to the historical story of Macbeth of...
, making both immortal and invulnerable, and then enslaved them to the Archmage. When they were defeated, the ever vengeful sisters returned to Avalon with Oberon hoping to get one final score.
Like Oberon, their true motives are inscrutable and their behavior amoral. While they unquestionably follow Oberon's will and do his bidding such as bringing back the defiant Banshee and guarding Avalon, they have done actions that often circumvent his will such as assisting the Archmage. While they initially helped the Gargoyles in their first appearance on the show (in the episode City of Stone), they have since often gone into conflict with Goliath and particularly the Avalon Clan making them villains. Creator Greg Weisman
Greg Weisman
Greg Weisman is an American comic book and animation writer and producer, best known as the creator of Gargoyles and as the Supervising Producer of The Spectacular Spider-Man. Weisman is currently a producer on the Young Justice animated series...
has stated that each of the three has a distinct personality. The dark-haired one, Selene
Selene
In Greek mythology, Selene was an archaic lunar deity and the daughter of the Titans Hyperion and Theia. In Roman mythology, the moon goddess is called Luna, Latin for "moon"....
, represents fury; the gold-haired one, Phoebe
Phoebe (mythology)
In Greek mythology "radiant" Phoebe , was one of the original Titans, who were one set of sons and daughters of Uranus and Gaia. She was traditionally associated with the moon , as in Michael Drayton's Endimion and Phœbe, , the first extended treatment of the Endymion myth in English...
, represents grace; the silver-haired one, Luna
Selene
In Greek mythology, Selene was an archaic lunar deity and the daughter of the Titans Hyperion and Theia. In Roman mythology, the moon goddess is called Luna, Latin for "moon"....
, represents fate. Their actions, while sometimes appearing contradictory, work towards achieving all three aims simultaneously. As such, they can appear variously as Fates
Moirae
The Moirae, Moerae or Moirai , in Greek mythology, were the white-robed incarnations of destiny . Their number became fixed at three...
(or Norns
Norns
The Norns in Norse mythology are female beings who rule the destiny of gods and men, a kind of dísir comparable to the Fates in classical mythology....
), Graces
Grâces
Grâces is a commune in the Côtes-d'Armor department in Bretagne in northwestern France.-Population:Inhabitants of Grâces are called gracieux.-External links:*...
or Furies, depending upon which one of them is "ascendant". Note that they are all named after moon goddesses, though no connection to the moon has ever been made clear on the series.
The three sisters take many forms, most commonly young women, but have also appeared to Goliath as children. To Macbeth, they appeared as old women (the three witches who prophesied that Macbeth would be King of Scotland); to Duncan, the second Hunter
Hunter (Gargoyles)
In the Walt Disney animated television series Gargoyles, several of the show's antagonists, as legacy villains have used the name and identity of the Hunter. Traditionally, the Hunter persona was used specifically for the purpose of destroying members of the gargoyle species, such as the show's...
, as maids; to Coldstone in cyberspace they appeared as three versions of his mate Desdemona; to Demona they appeared as wizened old gargoyles. Interestingly, when Demona and Macbeth both saw the Sisters at the same time, they seemed to have each seen a different vision of their appearance, implying they may deal more in illusions than transformation. Notably, the sisters' respective hair colors remain the same no matter how they look.
All three Weird Sisters were voiced by Kath Soucie
Kath Soucie
Katherine Elaine Soucie is an American voice actress. She is sometimes credited as Kath Soucie, Katherine Soucie, Kath Souci, Kath E...
.
- A planned but unmade 2 Part story has The Weird Sisters imprisoning the cast into the Shakespeare play MacbethMacbethThe Tragedy of Macbeth is a play by William Shakespeare about a regicide and its aftermath. It is Shakespeare's shortest tragedy and is believed to have been written sometime between 1603 and 1607...
. The higher ups insisted on the story being a single episode, due to its weirdness. Since it wouldn't work as such, it remained unmade.
Other members
Several other members of the Third Race were shown during the series, often in one-off appearances. In their own spotlight episodes, most of the following were not identified as children of Oberon, and were referred to only by terminology relevant to their own mythological roots. However, their heritage was made clear in the episode The Gathering, in which Oberon calls his children back to Avalon and they all attend. These other children are as follows.- AnansiAnansiAnansi the trickster is a spider, and is one of the most important characters of West African and Caribbean folklore.He is also known as Ananse, Kwaku Ananse, and Anancy; and in the Southern United States he has evolved into Aunt Nancy. He is a spider, but often acts and appears as a man...
, voiced by LeVar BurtonLeVar BurtonLevardis Robert Martyn Burton, Jr. , professionally known as LeVar Burton, is an American actor, director, producer and author who first came to prominence portraying Kunta Kinte in the 1977 award-winning ABC television miniseries Roots, based on the novel by Alex Haley...
, is a west African spider trickster and popular folk heroFolk heroA folk hero is a type of hero, real, fictional, or mythological. The single salient characteristic which makes a character a folk hero is the imprinting of the name, personality and deeds of the character in the popular consciousness. This presence in the popular consciousness is evidenced by...
. Appeared as a villain in an episode. - AnubisAnubisAnubis is the Greek name for a jackal-headed god associated with mummification and the afterlife in ancient Egyptian religion. In the ancient Egyptian language, Anubis is known as Inpu . According to the Akkadian transcription in the Amarna letters, Anubis' name was vocalized as Anapa...
, voiced by Tony JayTony JayTony Jay was an English actor, voice actor and singer. A former member of the Royal Shakespeare Company, he was known for his voice work in animation, film and computer games. Jay's distinctive baritone voice often landed him villainous roles...
, is a death-god originating in Ancient EgyptAncient EgyptAncient Egypt was an ancient civilization of Northeastern Africa, concentrated along the lower reaches of the Nile River in what is now the modern country of Egypt. Egyptian civilization coalesced around 3150 BC with the political unification of Upper and Lower Egypt under the first pharaoh...
. David Xanatos attempted to use him in his quest for immortality. If he is trapped, then no one in the world can die. Also, if anyone can become merged with Anubis to become the Avatar of Death, can control it and the process of age. However, he cannot play favorites nor bring anyone back from abyss of the afterlife. The Emir attempted to merge Anubis with him, only for the transfer to be interrupted by Jackal, who proceeded to bring death to the entire planet. Emir managed to transfer Anubis to his body and rechanneled the stolen energies. Also in this episode it is revealed that gargoyles age at approximately half the rate of humans. Jackal doesn't know this, and it costs him. - BansheeBansheeThe banshee , from the Irish bean sí is a feminine spirit in Irish mythology, usually seen as an omen of death and a messenger from the Otherworld....
, voiced by Sheena EastonSheena EastonSheena Easton is a Scottish recording artist. Easton became famous for being the focus of an episode in the British television programme The Big Time, which recorded her attempts to gain a record contract and her eventual signing with EMI Records.Easton rose to fame in the early 1980s with the pop...
, is a creature of Irish mythology whose powers are derived from her voice. She is an old enemy of the hero Cuchullain. Like Puck, she refused to return to Avalon for the gathering but was forced back by the Weird Sisters. She is gagged indefinitely by Oberon for her defiance. - Unnamed centaurCentaurIn Greek mythology, a centaur or hippocentaur is a member of a composite race of creatures, part human and part horse...
present at The Gathering (though given the mythological nature of many of Oberon's Children, ChironChironIn Greek mythology, Chiron was held to be the superlative centaur among his brethren.-History:Like the satyrs, centaurs were notorious for being wild and lusty, overly indulgent drinkers and carousers, given to violence when intoxicated, and generally uncultured delinquents...
might be a fair guess). - CoyoteCoyote (mythology)Coyote is a mythological character common to many Native American cultures, based on the coyote animal. This character is usually male and is generally anthropomorphic although he may have some coyote-like physical features such as fur, pointed ears, yellow eyes, a tail and claws...
, is a Native American trickster spirit who took the appearance of Peter Maza, father of Elisa MazaElisa MazaElisa Maza is a fictional character from the Disney animated television series Gargoyles, voiced by Salli Richardson. She is the main human character of the series, the steadfast ally of the Manhattan Clan of gargoyles...
. Xanatos also tried to use him in his quest for immortality. - Grandmother, an aged woman and Native American spirit that guides the destiny of Natsilane to battle Raven.
- Lady of the LakeLady of the LakeThe Lady of the Lake is the name of several related characters who play parts in the Arthurian legend. These characters' roles include giving King Arthur his sword Excalibur, enchanting Merlin, and raising Lancelot after the death of his father...
, a water spirit from Arthurian mythology. In the Gargoyles universe, she lives in Central ParkCentral ParkCentral Park is a public park in the center of Manhattan in New York City, United States. The park initially opened in 1857, on of city-owned land. In 1858, Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux won a design competition to improve and expand the park with a plan they entitled the Greensward Plan...
and helps King ArthurKing ArthurKing Arthur is a legendary British leader of the late 5th and early 6th centuries, who, according to Medieval histories and romances, led the defence of Britain against Saxon invaders in the early 6th century. The details of Arthur's story are mainly composed of folklore and literary invention, and...
locate ExcaliburExcaliburExcalibur is the legendary sword of King Arthur, sometimes attributed with magical powers or associated with the rightful sovereignty of Great Britain. Sometimes Excalibur and the Sword in the Stone are said to be the same weapon, but in most versions they are considered separate. The sword was...
when he comes to retrieve it. - MerlinMerlinMerlin is a legendary figure best known as the wizard featured in the Arthurian legend. The standard depiction of the character first appears in Geoffrey of Monmouth's Historia Regum Britanniae, written c. 1136, and is based on an amalgamation of previous historical and legendary figures...
, the friend and mentor of King Arthur and a powerful wizard. Though never seen on the show, according to creator Greg Weisman, Merlin is in fact the literal child of Oberon and a human woman in the 5th century. Though Merlin and his father had a difficult relationship, Oberon granted Merlin's request to allow the mortally wounded Arthur to sleep on Avalon, as payment for an unknown favor Merlin had done him earlier. - OdinOdinOdin is a major god in Norse mythology and the ruler of Asgard. Homologous with the Anglo-Saxon "Wōden" and the Old High German "Wotan", the name is descended from Proto-Germanic "*Wodanaz" or "*Wōđanaz"....
, voiced W. Morgan SheppardW. Morgan SheppardWilliam Morgan Sheppard , sometimes credited as Morgan Sheppard or W. Morgan Sheppard, is a British actor.Sheppard was born in London to an Anglo-Irish family but was educated in Ireland. He graduated from the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art 1956-58 before spending 12 years as Associate Artist with...
, the all-father of Norse mythology, lost his eye to Mimir that became a powerful artifact called the Eye of Odin. Eventually he battled GoliathGoliath (Gargoyles)Goliath is a fictional character, and lead protagonist, in the animated television series Gargoyles, voiced by Keith David.-Overview:The Gargoyles concept began as a comedy series in the style of The Gummi Bears, although set in the modern day...
to get it back. However, after Odin finally reclaimed his property, he and Goliath reconciled for their mistakes during their encounter. - PegasusPegasusPegasus is one of the best known fantastical as well as mythological creatures in Greek mythology. He is a winged divine horse, usually white in color. He was sired by Poseidon, in his role as horse-god, and foaled by the Gorgon Medusa. He was the brother of Chrysaor, born at a single birthing...
(or a similar winged horse), seen in line at the Gathering. - RavenRaven (mythology)Ravens are common characters in the traditional narratives and mythology around the world, notably a part of North American, Siberian, Norse mythology and Celtic mythology...
, a devious trickster spirit from Native American mythology, he serves as the antagonist of Natsilane. - Naught - Dapper looking cloaked figure that appeared to be paying fealty to Oberon during the Gathering Episode. Aside from his name, Greg WeismanGreg WeismanGreg Weisman is an American comic book and animation writer and producer, best known as the creator of Gargoyles and as the Supervising Producer of The Spectacular Spider-Man. Weisman is currently a producer on the Young Justice animated series...
has not given any details about the character. However, he strongly resembles DC ComicsDC ComicsDC Comics, Inc. is one of the largest and most successful companies operating in the market for American comic books and related media. It is the publishing unit of DC Entertainment a company of Warner Bros. Entertainment, which itself is owned by Time Warner...
' Phantom StrangerPhantom StrangerThe Phantom Stranger is a fictional character of unspecified paranormal origins who battles mysterious and occult forces in various titles published by DC Comics, sometimes under their Vertigo imprint.-Publication history:...
. - MedusaMedusaIn Greek mythology Medusa , " guardian, protectress") was a Gorgon, a chthonic monster, and a daughter of Phorcys and Ceto. The author Hyginus, interposes a generation and gives Medusa another chthonic pair as parents. Gazing directly upon her would turn onlookers to stone...
is seen on the second floor talking with a gargoyle. - A CyclopsCyclopsA cyclops , in Greek mythology and later Roman mythology, was a member of a primordial race of giants, each with a single eye in the middle of his forehead...
and GiantGiant (mythology)The mythology and legends of many different cultures include monsters of human appearance but prodigious size and strength. "Giant" is the English word commonly used for such beings, derived from one of the most famed examples: the gigantes of Greek mythology.In various Indo-European mythologies,...
ess is waiting on the side as Oberon's other's children go to bow to him.