| “ | Did you think I'd forgotten our last battle? Well, I'm no longer that weakling. I could destroy you with a word. (Goliath: Then why don't you?) Because I'm having too much fun. | „ |
| ~ The Archmage during his second battle with Goliath. |
| “ | Oh, my lovely magic. | „ |
| ~ The Archmage's final words upon his death. |
The Archmage is a supporting antagonist in Gargoyles. He was a powerful but arrogant magician who taught both the Magus and Demona how to use magic, having once been a courtier at Castle Wyvern and he was the first person known to possess the spell book called the Grimorum Arcanorum.
He was voiced by the late David Warner.
Biography
Hudson enlists the young Goliath and Demona to go with him to the Archmage's cave. The three gargoyles battle with the Archmage, resulting in Hudson's scarred eye. Goliath saves the book before it falls into a chasm, and the Archmage tries to put up a final resistance but fails and seemingly falls to his death in the chasm.
In truth, he was saved by his future self saved him from his fall in a perpetual time paradox — as his future self-existed in the 1990s, and rescued his past self, without any explanation for how the loop began.
The Archmage continues to live through this loop, despite his later defeat, after rescuing himself in the past. 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 the gate, the Archmages are brought to 1020 A.D. Meeting with the Sisters, the older Archmage tells them to guide the destinies of both Demona and Macbeth. In order to do so, they need to bend Oberon's law. He also advises that they watch for the Grimorum, the Eye and the Gate, which perplexes them, as he already has the last two objects. Archmage laughs, for he didn't acquire them until the three of them brought them to him. He instructs them to meet him in 975 years in the waters before Avalon.
The Archmage proceeded to instruct his younger self to seek world domination and clear out the inhabitants of Avalon to claim it as a base. They then meet with the sisters and his past self is given the eye of Odin, before saying the Grimorum will help fill in his magical knowledge. However, the sisters reveal they cannot give him, the Grimorum for outside magic cannot enter Avalon. This causes his younger self to become enraged that they went to such perils and that now that he has the book, he can't bring it on the island with him. He sarcastically asked if he was supposed to eat it, causing his older self to remark that he is learning, and the younger self realizes what he is meant to do. Upon eating the book, its magic fuses with the eye, granting him extreme knowledge and power. He is then given the Phoenix Gate to travel anywhere, though the Sisters warn him about the sleeping king, who the younger Archmage was shocked to learn was real, but the Future Archmage says that they'll ensure he is dealt with.
With this, he goes to terrorize the inhabitants on the island, while giving them a day to prepare for the end. He explained to the Sisters that by the day's end, the Gargoyles will be statues and only three humans will be left. He goes on by revealing this was a ploy for him to draw in and finally get revenge on Goliath. The younger self proceeds to travel back in time to make sure everything goes the way it should go to Journey.
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 counterattack. 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 previously 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.
Personality
The Archmage is characterized by his insatiable lust for power and his unwavering belief in his own superiority. His personality is dominated by an intense arrogance that borders on megalomania, leading him to view others as mere pawns in his grand schemes. The Archmage is highly intelligent and cunning, with a deep understanding of magic that he uses to manipulate both people and events to his advantage. His patience is remarkable, as evidenced by his willingness to orchestrate plans that span centuries, demonstrating a level of strategic thinking that sets him apart from more impulsive villains.
Despite his intelligence, the Archmage's overwhelming pride often becomes his greatest weakness. He is prone to underestimating his opponents, particularly those he deems inferior, which can lead to critical errors in judgment. The Archmage is also notably cruel and vindictive, taking pleasure in the suffering of others and harboring long-lasting grudges against those who have wronged him. His thirst for knowledge and power is insatiable, driving him to pursue magical artifacts and secrets with single-minded determination. This obsession with power, combined with his lack of empathy and moral constraints, makes the Archmage a truly dangerous and unpredictable foe, willing to go to any lengths to achieve his goals of domination and revenge.
Powers and abilities
- Advanced Magic: The Archmage was a master of the arts of magic and sorcery. His powers came from the artifacts he had come into possession of, such as the Grimorum Arachnorum, the Eye of Odin, and the Phoenix Gate.
- Extensive Knowledge of Magic: After eating and absorbing the Grimorum Arcanorum into himself, the Archmage gained an uncommon knowledge of magic and sorcery.
- Spell Casting: With the Grimorum Arcanorum, the Archmage could cast spells and magic rituals that made him nearly unstoppable.
- Enhanced Magical Powers: Thanks to the Eye of Odin, the Archmage's powers and magic were greatly enhanced.
- Power Regulator: Thanks to the Eye of Odin, the Archmage could regulate and control the enormous amount of power granted to him after absorbing the Grimorum Arachnorum
- Teleportation: Using the Phoenix Gate, the Archmage could teleport himself and others to any location in space.
- Time Travel: Thanks to the Phoenix Gate, the Archmage could travel to any moment and era in time.
Gallery
Trivia
- Head-Writer Greg Weisman, has confirmed that though the Archmage believed himself using the Weird Sisters as pawns, it was they that let him use them as set-pieces in his scheme and passively egged him on, in order to get around Oberon's rules by serving a mortal; Thus it was truly he that was used as a pawn.
- The Archmage was the mentor of both Demona and The Magus. With Demona he discontinued her apprenticeship in an outrage at her failure, with The Magus, it was the Magus that refused to follow the Archmage any further after The Magus turned on the king; This neatly ties to both apprentices, Demona was only dropped as an apprentice because she failed her malevolent mentor, whereas the Magus outright refused to work with said mentor after a point - showing that the Magus, for whatever else he was had standards and was loyal, and Demona's only limitation to how low she would sink, was the temperamentality of those around her.
- The Archmage is well versed in magic even without the Grimorum Arcanorum, however without the actual incantations, he cannot cast any spells.
- As Oberon was always set to return to Avalon and the Weird Sister's service to the Archamage ends once the humans and gargoyles were destroyed, the three would have known they'd either watch, or be asked to slay the Arachmage shortly after his hypothetical victory.
- All of the Archmage's spells recited from the Grimorum Arcanorum are in Latin.
- Like many guest stars, actor David Warner was a recurring actor used in the Star Trek series.
 Villains
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Labyrinth Clan Xanatos Enterprises Children of Oberon Scotland The Hunters Others | ||