Archmage (Gargoyles)
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The Archmage is a fictional character and villain from the Disney animated television series Gargoyles. He was a powerful but arrogant and greedy magician, voiced by David Warner. He taught both the Magus and Demona how to use magic, having once been a courtier at Castle Wyvern in Scotland in the High Middle Ages, and he was the first person known to possess the spellbook called the Grimorum Arcanorum.
The Archmage was first introduced in flashback segments of the episode Long Way To Morning, when he poisoned Prince Malcolm, the lord of Wyvern Castle. Three gargoyles, who would later be named Hudson, Goliath and Demona, tracked him to a cave where he had hidden himself in order to retrieve the antidote and save Prince Malcolm. During this encounter, he blinded the future-Hudson in one eye, then seemingly fell to his death when attempting to retrieve the Grimorum.
The Archmage made a second appearance in the episode Vows, in which several characters used a device called the Phoenix Gate to travel back in time to the year 975. In this year, the Archmage was still the premier spellcaster in service to Prince Malcolm. Though he did not act openly, it was revealed that he desired the Phoenix Gate (which, when combined with his Grimorum Arcanorum and the Eye of Odin, would give him ultimate power), and that he had taken Demona on as an apprentice. Likely he had a formative effect on the young gargoyle's personality. In this instance, he failed to retrieve the Phoenix Gate.
The Archmage became a far greater threat during the Avalon three-parter. It was revealed that he had survived his fall during Long Way To Morning by travelling back in time and saving himself. By manipulating events, and coercing the Weird Sisters to do his bidding, he managed to obtain the Grimorum Arcanorum, the Phoenix Gate and the Eye of Odin, granting him ultimate power as he had long wished. Using his powers, he rescued himself in the past and then arranged for himself to gain the three items, before his younger self set out to do the same in a predestination paradox.
Using his new powers, he laid siege to the mystical island of Avalon and attacked the Avalon Clan of gargoyles that lived there. However, he refused to destroy them immediately because he wanted revenge on Goliath and believed that he was invincible. His hubris allowed the Avalon Clan, with Goliath's help, to mount a counter-attack. Goliath managed to steal the Eye of Odin away from him, and without the Eye, he was unable to control the power of the Grimorum Arcanorum (having previouly swallowed it in order to circumvent the law that the book could never enter Avalon), and it destroyed him, turning him to a pile of dust.
According to Greg Weisman, he makes an unseen trip through time either during Avalon Part 2 or 3. That particular trip would be detailed in the unmade spinoff, Timedancer.
Also, he would be a main character in the unmade prequel to Gargoyles, Dark Ages, which would have followed the exploits of the gargoyles of the Wyvern Clan (younger versions of Goliath, Demona, Hudson, Coldstone and others) before the massacre of the clan. It would have revealed more of the Archmage's past, including his alliance with Prince Malcolm, and his double dealings with the gargoyle Iago.
Episodes • Characters • Locations • Items • Quotes
Notable Episodes
City of Stone • The Gathering
Characters & Items
Goliath • Elisa Maza • David Xanatos • Demona
Gargoyle clans: Manhattan Clan • Avalon Clan
Archmage • Owen Burnett • Coldstone • Fox • Hakon • The Hunters • Macbeth • Mutates • Oberon's children • The Pack • Anton Sevarius • Steel Clan • Thailog
Creators & Writers
Greg Weisman • Frank Paur • Michael Reaves • Cary Bates
