Both Alike In Dignity...
"Both Alike In Dignity..." is the first issue of the Gargoyles Meets the Fantastic Four crossover by Marvel Comics. It was released on October 15th, 2025. [1]
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Contents
Solicitation
MARVEL'S FIRST FAMILY UNITES WITH THE MANHATTAN CLAN!
Danger strikes when the super villain Diablo learns stone gargoyles may hold the secret to eternal life ... but the Gargoyles aren't about to let him leech the blood of his own! Fortunately, they've got the help of expert Diablo-bashers – the Fantastic Four! Plus: Tony Stark and David Xanatos compare facial hair, Marvel's own Gargoyle, Isaac Christians, bonds with his new kin, and more!
The Story
In the year 1094, Demona soars over the streets of Valencia – not on business for her employer, El Cid – as she breaks into the lair of Esteban Corazón de Ablo. De Ablo has abducted Angelika and chained her to the wall, intending to use her blood for his Elixir Vitae. Demona brandishes her sword and orders the human to release Angelika. De Ablo boasts that he will soon be more than human, sneering that gargoyles are something less. Demona frees Angelika and threatens to behead “the sorcerer,” but De Ablo corrects her, declaring himself an alchemist – a man of science. As he begins to marshal his powers, the two gargoyles flee.
In the “present day,” atop the Baxter Building in Manhattan, Angela, Broadway, and Lexington confront the Fantastic Four. Susan Richards, the Invisible Woman, makes introductions: her husband Reed Richards (aka Mister Fantastic), her brother Johnny Storm (aka the Human Torch), and their best friend Ben Grimm (aka the Thing). Angela introduces Broadway – using the human term “fiancé” to avoid confusion – and Lexington. Sue confirms that the team has seen the gargoyles on television and knows who they are. Ben and Johnny joke about avoiding the usual misunderstanding that leads to a pointless fight.
Lexington shakes hands with Reed and explains that they saw the Fantastic Four's flare and thought someone might need help. Sue is glad they came; the supervillain Paul Duval (aka the Grey Gargoyle) is currently attacking the Brooklyn Bridge, turning civilians to stone with his touch.
Meanwhile, in a mysterious lair, an unknown gargoyle is being tortured. He breaks free of his restraints and escapes across the city skies, hoping to “warn them.”
In Lower Manhattan, Tony Stark escorts David Xanatos through one of his facilities, past several suits of armor. Stark asks if Xanatos is impressed; Xanatos admits that he is, and predicts Stark will be impressed when he tours a Xanatos Enterprises facility in turn. They stop before a massive stasis container, musing about their competitive streaks. Stark boasts that he's left Xanatos in the dust, but Xanatos smirks, reminding him that “it's a marathon, not a sprint” as he leaves – promising he'll be back.
The Fantastic Four and the three gargoyles arrive at the Brooklyn Bridge to confront the Grey Gargoyle, who has turned many people to stone (including Brendan Quarters and Margot Yale). Mister Fantastic questions the Grey Gargoyle's motives, noting that a murderous spree isn't his usual modus operandi. Broadway and Lexington are offended that a human supervillain calls himself a gargoyle. The Grey Gargoyle taunts them and throws a smoke grenade, which the Human Torch catches – only for it to explode in his hand. Taking advantage of the distraction, the villain throws Margot from the bridge. Mister Fantastic stretches out to catch the petrified Assistant District Attorney as Angela lunges toward the Grey Gargoyle.
The Invisible Woman warns Angela not to make contact and traps the villain in a force field. When the smoke clears, however, both Angela and Mister Fantastic have been turned to stone – to Broadway and Lexington's horror.
Back at Stark Industries, the walls explode as Xanatos returns in his exo-frame. He tears the stasis pod from the wall and attempts to escape, only to be confronted by Iron Man. Stark mocks Xanatos's armor as a knockoff, but Xanatos summons several Steel Clan robots to distract him and makes his getaway with the pod.
The mysterious gargoyle lands at Castle Wyvern atop the Eyrie Building, where he is accosted by a suspicious Hudson. Hudson is surprised to see another gargoyle. The newcomer claims that he was “more or less” the only gargoyle until the Manhattan Clan revealed themselves. Hudson is skeptical but introduces him to Goliath, Coldfire, Coldstone, Brooklyn, and Bronx.
The gargoyle introduces himself as Isaac Christians – much to Goliath's surprise, as it's a human name. Isaac explains that he was human and made a mystical pact to protect his home, transferring his soul into the body of a dead gargoyle. Coldfire admits familiarity with such things, while Coldstone openly expresses disgust at a human soul inhabiting a gargoyle's body.
Isaac warns them that he has just escaped from the alchemist Diablo, who is hunting gargoyle blood for his Elixir Vitae. Diablo attempted to use Isaac's blood, but it was spoiled by the reanimated flesh. Goliath asks why Diablo seeks gargoyle blood; Isaac explains that it's to achieve immortality.
Their conversation is interrupted when Lexington returns with the Human Torch to report that Angela has been turned to stone. Hudson recognizes Johnny from Celebrity Hockey (adding that he lost to the Yancy Street Gang). Goliath asks for more information, and Johnny explains that they're tracking down an old enemy who can reverse the effect. Isaac correctly guesses that they're pursuing Diablo. As the team departs, Hudson goes to brief Katana and Gnash, while Coldstone secretly radios someone to inform them of the situation.
Xanatos arrives at Diablo's lair and delivers the stasis pod. Diablo promises to share eternal life with Xanatos once the elixir is prepared. After Xanatos departs, Diablo addresses the creature in the pod. He allowed the “false gargoyle” to escape, knowing he would warn the “true gargoyles” and lead them here. He also hired the Grey Gargoyle to ensure that at least one petrified gargoyle would be available for his purposes, and lured Xanatos with the promise of immortality to bring him the pod in case anyone interfered.
Goliath, Lexington, Isaac, and the Human Torch rendezvous with the rest of the team aboard the Fantasticar. Broadway clutches Angela's statue while, below, Officers Morgan Morgan and Phil Travanti investigate with help from Iron Man, Hudson, and Coldfire. As both teams converge on Diablo's lair, the alchemist releases Dragon Man from the pod. The giant bursts through the roof and attacks.
During the battle, Diablo opens a portal and pulls Angela's statue inside. Invisible Woman turns herself and Broadway invisible, and they follow him. The others continue to fight Dragon Man. Goliath notes that he's fought dragons before, but never one like this. The Thing explains that Dragon Man is actually an android, which gives Lexington an idea.
Inside the lair, Diablo secures Angela and ensures she's properly chained. Broadway wants to rush in, but Invisible Woman urges patience. Using his alchemy, Diablo invokes Mephisto and restores Angela and the Grey Gargoyle's other victims to flesh. (Back on the bridge, Margot immediately demands that Mister Fantastic release her.)
Angela demands to know where she is. Diablo promises an explanation but first immobilizes Broadway and Invisible Woman, having sensed their presence. He does not, however, detect Demona, who suddenly appears brandishing the lancehead of Gungnir. Both Angela and Diablo are stunned to see her. Diablo is shocked that she's even still alive, but Demona has grown more powerful over the centuries and refuses to allow another of her daughters to fall victim to him. Diablo attempts to immobilize her, but Demona deflects his attack with the Key to Power, mocks the “man of science” and defeats him with a Lightning Spell.
Above, Dragon Man has Goliath, the Thing, and the Human Torch at its mercy when Lexington commandeers the Fantasticar and uses an electromagnetic pulse to disable the android.
Inside, Angela and Broadway chain Diablo while Invisible Woman imprisons him in a force field, promising to ensure he doesn't get off easily. She asks about Demona, but Demona has already vanished. Broadway awkwardly explains that the “Demona situation” is complicated; Angela whispers that “complicated” is putting it kindly. Broadway is simply grateful that Demona saved Angela, suggesting it means something. Angela hopes so, though Demona remains a mystery to her.
Later, at the Baxter Building, Reed believes he can restore Dragon Man's benevolent programming, and Sue thinks the kids will love that. Ben interrupts, bringing them the phone – Tony Stark is calling.
At the Eyrie Building, Goliath, Brooklyn, and Isaac confront Xanatos in his office. The billionaire laments that he won't receive any of Diablo's elixir, insisting he wouldn't have accepted it at Angela's expense and will simply look elsewhere for immortality. Goliath and Brooklyn are skeptical of his claimed ignorance of Diablo's full plan. Owen Burnett interrupts to inform Xanatos that Tony Stark would like a word. As the gargoyles take their leave, Goliath praises Isaac for fighting like a true gargoyle and offers him a place in the Manhattan Clan. Isaac eagerly accepts.
Later still, the Fantastic Four gather at the Baxter Building with their entire family – including Franklin, Valeria Richards, Alicia Masters, Jo-Venn, N'kalla, and H.E.R.B.I.E. – while the Manhattan Clan assembles as well. Both families celebrate their new alliance, just a few skyscrapers apart
Review
This might be the most bizarre Gargoyles story yet. A crossover with some of Marvel Comics' most famous super-heroes, it's not intended to be canon (though making use of the canon elements introduced in Dynamite's Gargoyles comics), just a fun romp – and it's certainly entertaining.
Following up on Broadway, Lexington, and Angela encountering the Fantastic Four at the end of Demona #0 (technically, after a couple of introductory pages linked to the Demona spin-off, showing us Demona and Angelika in Spain in the late eleventh century), the gargoyles and super-heroes quickly exchange friendly introductions (with a delightful moment where Ben Grimm/the Thing expresses his disappointment that this isn't going to be another of those cases where the two groups of heroes mistake each other for enemies and fight each other – perhaps all the more amusing given that in the radio play crossover between Gargoyles and The Spectacular Spider-Man, Goliath and Spider-Man *do* have one of those misunderstandings), and team up to deal with a Marvel super-villain, the "Grey Gargoyle", who's turning people to stone (including Brendan and Margot, who yet again display their tendency to be at Ground Zero). The fight becomes all the more complicated thanks not only to Angela and Reed Richards/Mr. Fantastic getting turned to stone as well, but another living gargoyle from Marvel (though a much friendlier one), Diablo (also a Marvel villain, who'd been introduced in the flashback scene as Angelika's kidnapper), and a gargoyle-like android (also a Marvel figure) getting involved – not to mention Xanatos, who's hoping for immortality in his dealings with Diablo, and who confronts another noted Marvel super-hero in the process.
Although this reviewer has only a general familiarity with Marvel Comics and its denizens (of the "cultural osmosis" variety), he had no difficulty following the story; the lesser-known Marvel figures (such as Diablo, the Grey Gargoyle, and the gargoyle Isaac Christians) are given enough explanation that the reader can understand their part in the story. (The only Marvel cast members not given explanation are the Fantastic Four's family members, who appear briefly at the end – and since it's in just one panel in a "family gathering" scene, it's clearly not a problem.)
The Marvel characters also all fit the Gargoyles crossover. The Fantastic Four make appropriate new allies for the gargoyles, since when Disney thought of making Gargoyles the start of its own counterpart to the Marvel Universe, the Manhattan clan was seen as being to that prospective universe what the Fantastic Four were to the Marvel Universe, the "founding members". Xanatos is pitted against Tony Stark/Iron Man; both are extremely wealthy corporate heads with similar beards and high-tech red suits of armor (they had even been compared to each other by Gargoyles fans well before this crossover comic came out). Diablo echoes Demona (both are long-lived, going back to medieval times, and Diablo's name – Spanish for "devil" – matches Demona's. As for the Grey Gargoyle, Isaac, and Dragon Man, they're all clearly gargoyle-ish (the Grey Gargoyle and Isaac explicitly so), making them very appropriate guest stars for a Gargoyles story.
The comic ends in a naturally upbeat tone (if with the indication that Demona's still out there – the story is set before the climax of her scheme in Gargoyles: Quest, and the Manhattan clan are given another reminder that Xanatos hasn't changed that much), with Isaac being invited to join the Manhattan clan, to his delight, and the gargoyles and Fantastic Four as now friends and allies. While, again, this isn't canon, there'll be one more crossover story between these two properties coming up – from Dynamite rather than Marvel – which will no doubt continue the elements in this story.
"Both Alike in Dignity" isn't on the level of "City of Stone" or "The Price", but it still makes an amusing romp that's worth reading for fans of Gargoyles and The Fantastic Four alike.
Featured Characters and First Appearances
| Gargoyles | Humans | Others |
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| Places | Miscellaneous |
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Quotes
- "Wait, so we're not havin' a misunderstandin' leadin' to a hugely pointless battle?"
- "Guess not."
- "Well, shoot, where's the fun in that?" - Ben Grimm/the Thing and Johnny Storm/the Human Torch
Tidbits
- The flashback sequence in Valencia takes place between the events of "Fools Rush In..." and "Fortune Favors the Brave...", while the main story in the present day takes place the same evening as "A Prize Beyond Compare...", during the events of Gargoyles: Quest (hence Demona wearing her armor and wielding the spearhead of Gungir).
Cover Gallery
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See Also
| << Previous Episode: "Send Up a Flare!" | Next Episode: "Gargoyles/Fantastic Four" #1 >> |
