The Parisian Gargoyle Clanks, known in Paris simply as the Gargoyles, are very large humanoid clanks, perhaps ten meters tall on average, brazen in color, and are made in a variety of forms, apparently no two alike. While their bodies are humanoid, their heads are more variable. Some have human faces, while others have bestial features, such as snouts or horns, or abstract, mask-like visages. Some have wings, although they seem to be decorative rather than functional.
Their designs are more sculptural and aesthetic than many other clanks seen in the comic, making them appropriate defenders of a city devoted to art and science. These clanks are used by the Master of Paris as part of the defensive forces of the city and there apparently are a multitude of them.[1] While they are semi-autonomous, they still require some effort to control, especially by an inexperienced operator.
In the comic[]
The Gargoyles first appear in the comic at the time of Grandmother's big party, ✣ during which first the Geisterdamen[2] and then Andronicus Valois[3] attack Paris. Colette Voltaire activates three of the Gargoyles ✣ to help defend the city while waiting for her father, Simon Voltaire, to take action. When her father shows up, he sends more of them ✣ into battle, along with some other clank forces.
Later on, after Colette has taken over the role of Master of Paris (her father having been killed during his defense of the city), she invites Gilgamesh Wulfenbach, Trelawney Thorpe, Tarvek Sturmvoraus, and Xerxsephnia von Blitzengaard to visit. On the way, they have a Gargoyle escort ✣ and their route is flanked ✣ by similar but less fanciful clanks, which also stand guard on the wall tops ✣ and in Colette's chamber ✣ in the redesigned and airborne Awful Tower. These other clanks lack wings and animal-like features and seem to be intended to mimic people in uniform for the most part, but with many whimsical variations. It is not clear if these clanks are also consider to be Gargoyles.
Much later, when Colette visits time-frozen Machanicsburg, on the eve of Agatha's attempt to unfreeze it by means of Lady Heterodyne's Star, she brings her flying tower and a mighty clank army. ✣ We do not get a close view of this army and it is not clear if it is made up of the "clanks in uniform" alone or also contains Gargoyles, assuming there is a difference.
References
- ↑ Colette Voltaire implies at one point that there are hundreds of them. ✣
- ↑ Tweedle reacts when the Geisterdamen attack ✣ Paris: "Geisterdamen! In Paris? Amazing!"
- ↑ Andronicus Valois reacts, then attacks, ✣ upon seeing Paris for the first time in centuries: "No. This is not Paris. This is a nest of oathbreakers and wizards! —And it shall not stand!"
