Halcyon Renard

Halcyon Renard

Halcyon Renard is the CEO and founder of Cyberbiotics.

History

A younger Halcyon Renard with his pregnant wife, Anastasia.

Halcyon Renard and Preston Vogel.

Halcyon Renard was born in 1928. [1] As a young man, Halcyon Renard worked as a scientist and thus met and fell in love with Anastasia Renard (maiden name unknown); they married and had one child, Janine Renard (now Fox). Renard was completely unaware that Anastasia was in fact the human alias of Titania. Later Renard would found the Cyberbiotics corporation. He would eventually become the world's leading expert in the field of artificial intelligence. ("The Gathering" Part Two, "Your Witness")

Renard is a man with a strong belief in integrity and responsibility for one's actions, something that Anastasia/Titania increasingly found too rigid for her liking, resulting at last in their divorce. To Renard's grief, Janine also showed herself to have little fondness for his belief in honor and moral rectitude, and began a relationship with David Xanatos that saddened and angered him even more. ("The Gathering" Part Two)

After the destruction of Fortress-1 by Demona during the Cyberbiotics raid, Renard personally financed the building of Fortress-2 to replace it, and went aboard with Preston Vogel for its maiden flight. On that occasion, he met Goliath for the first time, who had followed the airship to prevent Xanatos from sabotaging it, and took him prisoner. Renard learned Goliath's story from him, and made it clear to him that he needed to take responsibility for the harm that he did during the Cyberbiotics raid, rather than blaming it on Xanatos. Together the two of them saved Fortress-2 from Fox's attempt to sabotage it (with some help from Preston Vogel). Afterward, Renard decided that in helping save Fortress-2, Goliath had made proper amends for the damage of the earlier incident and he and Goliath became friends. ("Outfoxed")

By this time, however, Renard had contracted a debilitating illness that had already crippled him, and which was now slowly killing him. As it progressed, he for once forgot his belief in integrity, and made a desperate effort to avoid his doom by forming an alliance with Tomas Brod in Prague. Renard has found an ancient spell that would transfer his soul into the Golem. He hired Brod to steal the Golem for him in return for a Cyberbiotics hovercraft. Renard's soul was transferred into the clay body. Goliath and Max Loew persuaded him that such an action was wrong, however, and in the end, Renard understood them and had his soul returned to his own body, to patiently await his fate. ("Golem")

In gratitude, Renard offered to transport the World Tourists home, but Goliath declined, deciding to let Avalon decide when to return his company home. However, upon returning to Manhattan, Renard contacted Goliath's clan through Matt Bluestone to tell them that the gargoyle and his companions are alive and well, but would be gone for an indefinite period of time. ("Pendragon") [2]

Renard visited the Eyrie Building to attend the birth of his grandson Alex, and afterwards learned from Xanatos of how Oberon intended to kidnap the child. [3] He and Vogel entered the battle that followed to stop him, fighting against him in Fortress-2, but were finally defeated, along with all the other defenders. ("The Gathering" Part One, "The Gathering" Part Two)

After the events of "The Gathering" Renard learned that Anastasia wasn't human, but nevertheless tried to get "his head around the entire Titania thing." [4][5]

Halcyon Renard on his death bed.

By 1997, Renard began to put his affairs in order. While his daughter and grandson stood to inherit his fortune without much fuss, there was still one friend whose legal standing was undefined, at best. By May of that year, he decided to fund the Gargoyle Taskforce with "more money, equipment, and resources" than the Mayor and NYPD had anticipated. Ensuring the GTF would be going after gargoyles one way or another, Goliath was quickly captured one night and the court proceeded to determine both his sentience and whether he was entitled to the same rights as any human. In preparation for the nightly hearing, Goliath asked for Renard as a character witness, although he was unaware that Renard was the driving force behind his capture. During his testimony, Renard vouched for the gargoyle's intelligence as well as his "admirable integrity and restraint". Renard also attempted to clarify the evidently contradictory revelation that he was also the primary benefactor for the GTF. The gambit was ultimately a success and not only was Goliath freed, but it granted Renard the opportunity bequeath Goliath a controlling interest in Cyberbiotics. ("Tale Old as Time", "Everywhere", "Your Witness", "New Rules", "Young At Heart")

The same night that Goliath was released from custody, Preston Vogel escorted him to Fortress-2, where Renard finally succumbed to his illness. At his death bed, he shared his final moments with Titania (as Anastasia), Fox, Alex, Vogel, and Goliath at his side. Xanatos and Owen were also present. ("Young At Heart") [6]

Characteristics

Renard has a strong loathing for Xanatos, partly because of the latter's utter amorality, partly because Xanatos lured Owen and Sevarius away from Cyberbiotics, and partly because of his relationship with Fox. He is also a Calvinist. [7]

Before his death, Renard labored under a crippling disease that he had for some time, which confined him to a high-tech wheelchair. It rendered him unable to participate much in the day-to-day affairs of Cyberbiotics. Renard was already divorced from Anastasia when he first became ill. [8]

Appearances

• "Outfoxed" (First Appearance)
• "Double Jeopardy" (Mentioned Only)
• "Golem"
• "Walkabout" (Mentioned Only)
• "Pendragon" (Mentioned Only)
• "The Green" (Mentioned Only)
• "The Gathering" Part One
• "The Gathering" Part Two
• "Tale Old as Time"
• "Everywhere" (Mentioned Only)
• "Your Witness"
• "New Rules"
• "Young At Heart"

Production Background

Voice Actor: Robert Culp

In the early development of the series, there was talk of creating a rich, but benevolent, human as an ally for the gargoyles and to contrast with Xanatos, but according to Greg Weisman, the notion was dropped because they "didn't want to make life too easy for our heroes". Eventually the character of Renard would "sort of" embody that role. [9] While Renard's debilitating illness was never clarified in the show or comic, Weisman intended it to be a real illness, but that it would be well researched to ensure he had his "facts straight" on the matter. [10]

Frank Paur is credited for creating the character, with Cary Bates and Greg Weisman being credited with figuring out the character's name and his relationship to Fox. [11][12]