Queen of All She Surveys
"Queen of All She Surveys" is the fifth issue of the Quest comic arc and the seventeenth Gargoyles comic by Dynamite Entertainment. It was released on December 4th, 2024. [1]
- Writer/Creator: Greg Weisman
- Pencil Artist: Pasquale Qualano & Gerardo Gambone
- Color Artist: Giovanna La Pietra
- Letterer: Jeff Eckleberry
- Editor: Nate Cosby
- Main Cover Artist: Drew Moss
Contents
Solicitation
JOURNEY'S END!
Despite Goliath's heroic efforts to stop her, Demona has succeeded in assembling the three New Keys to Power - and now, with all of humanity helpless to resist her commands, she faces a final showdown with the Manhattan Clan!
The Story
November 27th. With Xanatos, Owen, Fox, and Elisa Maza bowing before her, Demona triumphantly confronts Goliath. While inside the castle, Broadway is inspecting the Thanksgiving turkey he's frying when Angela interrupts him to alert him of the music emanating from Puck's Flute. On television, Travis Marshall interrupts the scheduled program to announce that all of Manhattan awaits the commands of their Gargoyle Magisters and, especially, their Gargoyle Magistra. Gnash is confused but Turquesa notices the music. Down in the library, Lexington ends his chat with Amp while Hudson advises Jeffrey Robbins to stay in the library for his own safety, Robbins agrees to follow the command given by his Gargoyle Maester. And, across town, Shahrizad and Anton Sevarius kneel before Thailog and Brentwood. Demona grins as Goliath tries to command Elisa to forever behave as if no spell was cast upon her, but, while Elisa would like to, Demona's commands forbid it.
Coldstone and Coldfire land on the tower and Coldfire cries out that a spell has been cast on all the humans as the rest of the clan converge on the tower. Angela demands to know what Demona has done; to which (after a moment) Demona happily responds that she's saved the entire gargoyle species. Katana remembers that humans are not gargoyle thralls in 2198, but Brooklyn reminds her that doesn't mean that Demona didn't rule for decades, or that they know how to stop her. Demona basks in her triumph, stating that she considered going apocalyptic and commanding the humans to walk into the sea, but having humans eternally obey gargoyles is, in her mind, a lovely compromise. But Goliath will hear none of it, outraged that Demona stole the humans' free will. Demona sighs, lamenting that there is just no pleasing him and flees to spread her magic further as she orders Xanatos to cover her exit. Xanatos agrees and summons the Steel Clan. Goliath orders the others to dispatch the robots, but, with Demona now gone, Angela quickly commands Xanatos to call off the robots and the billionaire complies.
Before Goliath can give chase, Coldstone pulls his Rhydderch aside and pleads with him to consider the advantages of what Demona is doing: if they can work together to restrain Demona from abusing the humans, this would ensure the safety of not only their clan but of gargoyles across the world. Coldfire is struck by Coldstone's words and Goliath will have none of it, vowing to stop Demona. Coldfire immediately channels her spiritual connection to magic and is able to track the forces Demona is wielding. The entire clan (save for Bronx and Fu-Dog) along with Jade and Turquesa pursue Demona to LaGuardia Airport.
Demona lands on the tarmac, displaying her disdain for humans' desire to take to the skies like gargoyles. As every human in the vicinity kneels before her, Demona singles out a crew chief and orders her to commandeer a luxury jet so that Demona may continue spread her influence across the world that much faster. The other gargoyles quickly arrive; Goliath determined to put an end to this. Demona stands back as her army of humans attack the clan. Goliath is resolute – this ends now. "One way or another, I suppose it will . . .," Demona replies.
The airport employees begin to charge at the Manhattan while Brooklyn coordinates the clan. Katana, Gnash Lex, Hudson Broadway, and Angela will follow his lead; the rest will follow Goliath. Broadway urges the rest of the clan to refrain from hurting the humans as they are not in control of their own actions, but, as Lex points out, this is easier said than done.
Goliath confronts Demona with Coldstone, Coldfire, Jade, and Turquesa at his side but Demona is not intimidated. Are Goliath's numbers as reliable as he thinks they are? She explains that just as she has targeted all humans with the lance, she is also able to take command of any gargoyle corrupted by humanity. Coldstone and Coldfire's free wills are now victim to their human-made shells (though only Coldfire expresses her attempts to resist). Demona likewise subdues the Mayan gargoyles as a result of their pendants forged by human sorcery, declaring that Jade and Turquesa have relinquished their gargoyle birthright.
Goliath, on the other hand, declares that he has relinquished nothing and Demona is surprised he doesn't fall victim to her enchantment. She takes the time to point out the scent of Elisa on his hair, lips, everywhere in fact, and promises to take her time torturing the detective and the human will thank her with tears of joy in her eyes. Goliath frees himself from his rookery brother and sister and advances on Demona, but she fires lightning at him from Gungnir, throwing him back several feet. But Goliath keeps on advancing, promising to turn these forces back on her and takes hold of Puck's Flute. Demona retorts that this enchantment cannot touch her as she is the last true gargoyle left in the world. The two of them battle for control of the flute, and Goliath reminds Demona that she too "reeks of humanity" addressing her as "Dominique" and grip on the Three Keys begins to fluctuate. But before Goliath can wrestle the flute from her hands, Coldstone and Coldfire restain him. Despite her pending transformation into a human, Demona has taken precautions and has contingencies in place.
Angela separates herself from the brawl the rest of the clan is having with the humans to go and confront Demona. She knocks Coldfire aside and while the metallic gargoyle cannot defy Demona's orders, Angela is able to command her rookery mother to be in no rush to obey them. Demona tells Angela not to interfere, as Goliath again wrestles her for the flute. Angela grabs Cleopatra's Necklace from behind Demona, telling her mother that as long as she walks the path of evil, Angela will stand against her. Still, should Demona choose a better course, Angela would gladly embrace her. With Goliath and Angela wrestling with two of the Keys, Demona's control continues to weaken, allowing Coldfire to blast flames, which Demona blocks with a shield generated from the lance. Jade and Turqusa free themselves as Demona asks Goliath if he would truly save humanity just to see them destroy their kind. Goliath turns her words back on her, reminding Demona of Wyvern and her role in the massacre. Demona hesitates, allowing Turquesa the opening she needs to seize the spear.
The magical energy bursts as Goliath takes the flute, Angela the necklace, and Turquesa the spear culiminating in Demona falling unconscious. Goliath is determined to destroy the talismans right then and there, but Coldfire gathers them around her and tells them to repeat her command, thereby ensuring the humans are freed from Demona's geas. All across the city, the humans return to their senses and continue their evening as planned. With the humans freed, Goliath, Angela, and Turquesa destroy the Three New Keys to Power. Spear and flute are snapped in half while beads from the necklace scatter across the tarmac. Their energies disperse into the air. Coldfire warns that those energies will eventually find and create Three New Keys but, for now, it's over. Angela then notices that Demona has vanished.
November 28th. In the aftermath of this, Jade and Turquesa return to Avalon and finally make it home with the Mayan Sun Amulet, where they are greeted by Zafiro and Obsidiana. Broadway's turkey is ruined but Angela reminds him that they have other things to be thankful for and others to mourn. Hudson apologizes to Robbins that the feast didn't work out, while Lex promises to call Amp and tell him about what happened.
As Elisa and Goliath thank Coldstone for his help, he is confronted by Coldfire who demands to know how long he has been working with Demona. Before Coldstone can get a word in, Coldfire reminds him that she knows his heart and tells everyone that Coldstone betrayed the clan to Demona. Goliath is in disbelief, but Coldfire knows Coldstone won't deny it. Coldstone doesn't, but does attempt to justify his actions with his belief that Demona's plan was the only way to guarantee safety for the clan and their kind. But Goliath is furious that Coldstone conspired behind his back. Coldfire declares that Coldstone be banished and Goliath reluctantly agrees before asking how long. Coldfire pronounces that Coldstone's banishment will last until she judges him worthy of return. Coldstone accepts his punishment as he flies off. Meanwhile, Owen examines the remains of Puck's flute and smiles as Xanatos and Fox check up on their sleeping son.
Elisa can't believe that Coldstone would betray the clan but before that conversation can continue, Katana cries out from the rookery and suddenly Elisa remembers. Demona had earlier entered the 23rd Precinct and entranced her, assigning her a task she was only too happy to carry out. While Demona was distracting the clan, Elisa went down into the rookery and tranquilized Bronx and Fu-Dog before stealing Egwardo. In the rookery, Brooklyn, Katana, and Gnash kneel solemnly before the empty spot that once contained the egg.
Antoinette Dracon arrives at Demona's Townhouse, presenting her with Egwardo. Elisa followed their instructions to the letter. The detective never saw Antoinette, had no idea who recovered the "package", or where it was delivered. Demona holds aloft the egg in triumph, the night not being a total loss. Demona vows that the hatchling will be raised the way "a true gargoyle should be raised" to hate and vie to destroy the humans along with any "false gargoyles" that stand in their way. Coldstone and Antoinette join her as they bask in their victory.
Demona's quest to acquire the Three Keys might be over, but when it comes to her vision and her schemes, it is never the end.
Review
"Gargoyles Quest" concludes in this issue, in a very effective manner.
Devona's actions after magically enslaving the entire human population of Manhattan at the end of the previous issue surprised this reviewer. Although she had frequently spoken about warring against the human race to save her people from extinction, I had always had the strong impression that her real goal was to wipe it out for revenge, and that the cause of "preserving the gargoyles" was more justification for her actions (both to the other gargoyles, and to herself) than something that was truly driving her. But now, with every human in the city serving her, she chooses to keep them alive instead - at least, for now. She did provide a good argument for it - the environmental impact of so many dead humans (something she doesn't seem to have considered with Operation Clean Sweep in "Hunter's Moon", of course) - and an even stronger explanation for this approach was her describing it as a "compromise", apparently believing that if she spared the enthralled humans, Goliath and his clan would make less of an attempt to stop her. (They don't, of course.) She doesn't say that she wouldn't change her mind about that later, either, for that matter. (A part of me wonders, however, whether the real reason was a necessary plot device to ensure that Demona *didn't* succeed in wiping out all the humans in Manhattan and leaving Goliath's clan in a now-empty city, which would make the Gargoyles Universe far too different from the real world.)
Goliath and his clan - alongside the visiting Jade and Turquesa - all dedicate themselves to stopping Demona. All, that is, except for Coldstone, who goes through the motions, while arguing that leaving the humans like this might be better for the gargoyles. Goliath immediately dismisses this argument, of course.
While Demona had indicated in the previous issue that her spell would spread of its own accord until it encompassed the entire planet, she decides to speed it up (she never was the patient sort) by commandeering an airplane (a luxury jet, of course) from La Guardia Airport, complete with some mocking remarks about human aircraft being the result of the humans envying the gargoyles. (She also eagerly quotes from Shelley's "Ozymandias". Maybe not the best poem to quote in this situation, given that: a) Ozymandias's kingdom was reduced to ruin and b) the image of its downfall in the poem was a broken statue - definitely not auspicious from a gargoyle perspective!)
As Goliath and the others confront Demona at the airport, she shows that she's even developed a tone of "strict gargoyle purity" (alongside "gargoyle supremacy"), forcing the ColdDuo to obey her because their mechanical bodies are human-made (though I wonder whether Coldstone really was compelled, or if he was just going through the motions to hide where his true allegiance lay), and likewise Jade and Turquesa because of their human-crafted pendants. Goliath holds his ground, however - and reminds Demona that she herself "reeks of humanity", addressing her as "Dominique". This is one of the particularly great moments - the irony that Demona, the gargoyle who hates the human race and wants to eradicate it, herself turns into a human in the daytime. (Demona mentions having "contingencies" - but the way she pauses in the middle of the sentence makes one wonder whether that had truly slipped her attention until Goliath reminded her of it.)
Angela joins in, to help Goliath wrest control of the Three New Keys to Power from Demona - and Goliath delivers the final blow by striking at her greatest weakness of all: her unacknowledged, yet ever lurking below the surface, guilt over the Wyvern Massacre. Goliath, Angela, and Coldfire undo Demona's mind-control spell and then destroy the Three New Keys to Power. (Which has the disadvantage, as they themselves admit, that three new keys will someday emerge. The gargoyles had best hope this won't be for a while - and that Demona, or any other ambitious person hoping to use them for their dreams of conquest and domination, will have a much more difficult time locating and uniting them.)
All is not well, though. Demona gets away once more. Coldstone's secret partnership with Demona is revealed (he continues to justify it, of course), and he is banished from the clan (to work with Demona, of course - now openly). But that is not the worst of it. Demona had earlier compelled the magically enslaved Elisa to steal Egwardo from the rookery and deliver the egg to her - thus ensuring that the detective whom she hates will have carried out her own betrayal of the clan (if an involuntary one) as part of her torment. And Demona now has Egwardo, hoping to indoctrinate the hatchling that will emerge from the egg in a few months to her cause. (Many readers speculated that the cost of stopping Demona would be the death of one of the Manhattan gargoyles, especially with how some of them were talking about looking forward to seeing Egwardo's hatching - but this is an even more effective blow, given that the promise of that said hatching was the common feature of those scenes.)
So, while Demona has been thwarted, the consequences are serious. Coldstone has openly defected to her, and Egwardo is now in her keeping. Not to mention Elisa's own actions in helping to bring about the latter event, which will no doubt have their own unhappy results in the stories to come. A melancholy end to "Gargoyles Quest" - but one which matches the tone of the series. (The Winter Special, coming up next, will undoubtedly be much more upbeat....)
Featured Characters and First Appearances
| Gargoyles | Humans | Others |
|---|---|---|
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Tidbits
- Demona quotes Percy Bysshe Shelley's 1818 poem, "Ozymandias", when she realizes that, thanks to the conditions of her enchantment, the humans at LaGuardia Airport can't despair. [2]
- Demona triumphantly holding up Egwardo is reminiscent of the cover from the 1995 apocryphal Gargoyles issue, "The Egg And I".
- Angela is the only one who uses the parameters of Demona's geas to Manhattan Clan's advantage.
Cover Gallery
Links
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