The New Olympians (spin-off)

The New Olympians was one of seven proposed spin-offs for Gargoyles, although it was originally developed by Bob Kline before Gargoyles was created. [1]

Development

After The New Olympians was called off and Gargoyles made instead, Greg Weisman worked the "The New Olympians" episode into the second season of Gargoyles as a back-door pilot for it, with some minor tweaks to better fit it into the Gargoyles universe. It was pitched internally as a spin-off, but even then, it was still not made. [2] Greg has written that it is very '[Jack] Kirby-inspired concept.' [3]

First introduced at the 1998 Gathering of the Gargoyles, Greg Weisman has presented The New Olympians art pitch annually as a treat for convention attendees. [4]

Story

In The New Olympians, a young man named Terry Chung decides, somewhat rashly, to sail around the world on his own, only to be caught in a storm near New Olympus, and rescued by Sphinx, a young female New Olympian based roughly on the Sphinx of Greek mythology, though with a more humanoid build. When she brings him to New Olympus, his arrival serves as the catalyst for the New Olympians to at last reveal themselves to the outside world, sending a delegation (consisting of Taurus, Talos, and Sphinx) to the United Nations in Terry's company. [5][6] The human world would finally enter into diplomatic relations with New Olympus, Terry's mother serving as an ambassador to the New Olympians from the United Nations. [7]

Three factions spring up in New Olympian society over what to do about the humans. Some, such as Ekidna and Kiron (not to mention Ekidna's daughter Medusa, a reluctant member of this party), want nothing to do with them. Others, such as Sphinx, want to make peace with them. A third group, led by Jove and including Helios and a son of Boreas, recall the days when the humans worshipped the New Olympians' ancestors as gods, and want to bring them back. To make matters more complicated, Terry and Sphinx fall in love in a Romeo-and-Juliet style, much to the alarm and disgust of a great many humans and New Olympians alike. [8][9] Xanatos enters into trade relations with New Olympus (for his own advantage) while Sevarius and Proteus also become involved in the events in time, in some unspecified but no doubt appropriately villainous manner. [10][11]

Members of the New Olympian Clan would eventually be recurring characters. [12] After arriving in New York, Taurus would be sure to come across the Manhattan Clan as well. [13]