Xanatos Tag

The Xanatos Tag was a staple of the series both on television and in the comic books. Often it would seem like Goliath and his clan won the day only for the audience to learn that the villain of the episode, usually David Xanatos achieved victory.

Notable Xanatos Tags

• "The Thrill of the Hunt" - Although the Pack had been defeated, we learn that Xanatos created the Pack and that he wanted to test them and Goliath. He was pleased with the results.
• "The Edge" - While Xanatos failed to capture the gargoyles or locate their new home, he still successfully tested his new prototype battle exo-frame, recovered the Eye of Odin and still had the city owe him a favor, and was assured that he had not lost his edge.
• "Leader of the Pack" - The Pack had failed to defeat the gargoyles but that never mattered - Xanatos had no interest in revenge and the Pack's escape was engineered to give Fox a shot at an early parole and test out Coyote.
• "Metamorphosis" - While the Mutates escaped, Xanatos was successful in transforming Derek Maza into Talon and making sure he'd keep them under his thumb.
• "Legion" - Xanatos awoke the comatose Coldstone and sent him to invade Golden Cup thus providing cover for the police to send in RECAP in an attempt to download the defense specs Coldstone was stealing. While the defense specs weren't recovered, a powerful computer virus that Xanatos could use as a weapon was.
• "Upgrade" - The upgraded Pack may have been defeated and Xanatos may have lost his chess game with Fox, but he was thrilled to have found in her an equal.
• "New Rules" - Xanatos successfully engineered Goliath's hearing to go the way he wanted thanks to a bribe he had provided to Judge Roebling.

Non-Xanatos Tags

However, Xanatos isn't the only villain who earns such moments.

• "High Noon" - Though the gargoyles and Elisa Maza survive and Coldstone escapes, the Weird Sisters maintain control of Demona and Macbeth and, using them, acquire the Grimorum Arcanorum, the Eye of Odin, and the Phoenix Gate.
• "Double Jeopardy" - Thailog manages to manipulate everyone and pulls off a scheme to fake his own death and escape with $20 million extorted from Xanatos.
• "Bash" - Thailog doesn't succeed in killing Goliath, but he is joined by Brentwood and escapes with samples of each of the Manhattan Clan's DNA.
• "Cold Comfort" - Demona pulls one off spectacularly by using Antoinette Dracon to use the clan to get rid of Dino Dracon and place Dominic Dracon at the head of the Six Families while Antoinette controls Dominic while following Demona - this granting Demona control of the city's underworld.