Anyone who grew up in the 1990s will have fond memories of watching Gargoyles on the Disney Channel. The popular animated series focused on a group of ancient stone warriors who were awakened after 1000 years to protect humanity in modern-day New York City. The show was notably darker and more mature than most other Disney fare of the time, making it immensely popular with viewers, explaining why it lasted for three seasons from 1994 to 1997. And the central team of Gargoyles in the show includes the leader, Goliath, the elder known as Hudson, the tech-savvy Lexington, the occasionally reckless Brooklyn, the comedic Broadway, and the dog-like Bronx. The show developed a massive cult following over the years, with some even citing it as one of the best animated shows of the 1990s. Therefore, the series deserves your immediate attention if you have not watched it already.
Now, the Gargoyles will soon be crossing over with another team of iconic heroes in the Fantastic Four, as the pair will interact in two new one-shot comics. Marvel will publish Fantastic Four/Gargoyles in October while Dynamite Entertainment will release Gargoyles/Fantastic Four in the same month. Fantastic Four/Gargoyles will be written by Greg Weisman, the creator of Gargoyles, so the comic will certainly be authentic to the series. And Deadpool illustrator Enid Balám will provide the artwork for the comic. Weisman is also writing Gargoyles/Fantastic Four, which will directly connect to the plot of Fantastic Four. In a statement, Weisman provided the following insight into the process of revisiting the Gargoyles as they join forces with the Fantastic Four:
“It just feels perfect to have the First Family of the Marvel Universe interacting with the First Family of the Gargoyles Universe, i.e. the Manhattan Clan...These two sets of heroes, both operating out of Midtown Manhattan – one from the Baxter Building and one from the Eyrie Building – just have so much in common. And, let’s face it, in ways big and small, Stan & Jack’s Fantastic Four was a clear influence on the creation of Gargoyles back in the early ‘90s. Getting to work on this project really brought out the gleeful kid in me. SO MUCH FUN!”
It has been confirmed that the plot for the two crossover comics will focus on the Gargoyles and the Fantastic Four joining forces to prevent the villain known as Diablo from carrying out a sinister plan to achieve immortality. Fantastic Four/Gargoyles will arrive in stores on October 15, and the story will then continue in Gargoyles/Fantastic Four, later in the month. We also know that Isaac Christians, a character known as Gargoyles in the Marvel Universe, will make an appearance in the crossover, as will Tony Stark/Iron Man and billionaire David Xanatos from Gargoyles. And since the Thing from the Fantastic Four is literally made of a rock-like substance, it seems like a natural fit for him to be joining forces with the Gargoyles, who are literally made of stone throughout daylight hours.
The standard cover for Fantastic Four/Gargoyles by Taurin Clarke depicts the stone warriors and Marvel’s First Family triumphantly charging into battle, with the variant covers by Peach Momoko, Luciano Vecchio, and Gabriele Dell'Otto also showing the Fantastic Four and the Gargoyles encountering each other in various situations. And since both the Gargoyles TV show and most comics featuring the Fantastic Four are known for featuring plenty of spectacular action sequences, we can no doubt expect the crossover between the two groups of heroes to be filled with enough action to satisfy fans of both franchises.
The Fantastic Four will be seen on the big screen in this month’s The Fantastic Four: First Steps, which opens on July 25. The film was directed by Matt Shakman, and it stars Pedro Pascal, Vanessa Kirby, Joseph Quinn, Ebon Moss-Bachrach, Julia Garner, and Ralph Ineson. While all three seasons of Gargoyles can be viewed on Disney Plus, if you would like to catch up on the classic animated series before these new crossover comics arrive in stores.
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