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Elisa Nichelle[1] Maza is one of the two main protagonists (alongside Goliath) of Gargoyles. She is a detective, second class, at the 23rd Precinct and the only human member of the Manhattan Clan.
Overview
Elisa's Badge.
A detective second grade in the New York City Police Department 23 precinct,[2] Elisa first encountered the gargoyles when investigating a series of disturbances in the castle atop the skyscraper of billionaire David Xanatos. The sudden appearance of Goliath while she was snooping around shocked her into falling over the battlements, and he swooped down to rescue her. The two developed a bond almost immediately, at first connecting by their shared duty to "protect and serve", and an attraction grew over time. This soon made Elisa the avowed enemy of Goliath's ex-mate, Demona, who first "met" Elisa when the latter thwarted Demona's attempt on Goliath's life. Elisa largely dubbed herself the protector of the protectors, although on a number of occasions she did display a certain unwillingness to share her secret (the existence of gargoyles) with anyone else, even her friends and family. She convinced the clan to leave the home of David Xanatos and move into the clock tower above the police station where she works. She then did everything she could to make them feel at home, bringing them food and even supplying a television set and old recliner chair. It was in part due to Elisa's role as a police detective that the Manhattan Clan realized what their new role was in the world, as they then dedicated themselves to defending the citizens of Manhattan.
Character development
The character of a strong, female human lead was a part of the Gargoyles universe's conception since the development of Goliath as the gargoyle protagonist. Much as Xanatos began as a descendant or reincarnation of the prototypical Avalon Clan, Magus or Archmage character, Elisa was originally conceived as the reincarnation of the character that would later become Avalon Clan, Princess Katharine. This idea did not last, but the character endured as a potential love interest and equal for Goliath. Elisa had originally been designed as a Hispanic woman with the surname of Chavez. When Salli Richardson was cast as Elisa's voice actor, the character's race and ethnicity was adapted to match hers. Elisa became half-African American and half-Native American,[3] which suited the show's allegory of human intolerance for gargoyles representing racial prejudice. Her last name was changed to Maza, which the creators believed to be a Sioux word for "iron", and which suited the character's strong will. The name Chavez was later used for Elisa's NYPD captain.
Characteristics
Family Portrait.
Elisa is of mixed heritage, African American on her mother's side, and Native American (mostly, but not exclusively, Hopi) on her father's side, though she's a born and bred New Yorker. She is tall and athletic as well as quick witted, and she can hold her own against almost any adversary, though she is often impulsive.
A stand-out moment of her quick thinking occurred when Broadway turned to stone when caught in midair at sunrise while fighting the robot double of Macbeth. With only a few seconds to save Broadway and obviously unable to catch him herself without being crushed, Elisa fired at the cable of a nearby crane to make it spill its cargo of crated rugs in order to create a soft landing for the gargoyle. The following night, Goliath praised her as a miracle for accomplishing such an astounding feat to save Broadway. ("The Price")
Elisa doesn't take anything at face value, and accepts the beauty within, which is one reason she accepted the gargoyles as quickly as she did. She's down to earth and skeptical of certain things before she sees them with her own eyes, despite all the strange happenings that have occurred in her life. She's kindhearted and strong-willed and, like the gargoyles, tends to put the needs of others before herself.
However, Elisa does have her flaws as well. She's stubborn, and has acted selfishly when it came to telling trusted friends and family members about the gargoyles, wanting to keep them to herself. She tried for a long time to ignore her true feelings for Goliath, which caused heartbreak for both of them. Nevertheless, she always does the right thing in the end.
Elisa probably has a background in Christianity from her mother, but probably styled her beliefs after her Agnostic father. Still, all the stories her mother told about African myths and legends helped her maintain an open mind.
Elisa lives with her pet cat Cagney in a top level apartment in SoHo with a balcony and a large window providing easy access for the gargoyles when they visit. She drives a classic red car. Though she doesn't live with them, she is considered a member of the Manhattan Clan, both by herself and by the gargoyles.
Her badge number is 16123.
She wears a red leather jacket, a black T-shirt, blue jeans, and black boots.
History
Elisa was one of several members of the NYPD who appeared at the Eyrie Building when debris rained down from above the clouds. During her investigations, Elisa met Goliath, when he startled her into toppling off the castle's battlements. Goliath rescued her, and shortly thereafter, she introduced Manhattan to Goliath, and prompted Hudson to take his name from the river.[4]
Elisa's relationship with the clan grew, and she quickly became their most trusted ally in the modern world. Unfortunately, not all of her adventures with the clan came without a cost, as when Broadway accidentally shot her with her own gun.[5] Later, Xanatos hired a geneticist, Dr. Anton Sevarius, to mutate her brother, Derek Maza and three other individuals into gargoyle-like creatures called the Mutates.[6]
In December of 1995, Elisa left with Goliath, Bronx, and Tom for the magical island, Avalon, where she met the Avalon Clan, including Angela, who joined them on their journeys back to Manhattan Island.[7]
Eventually, Elisa engaged in a brief romantic relationship with Jason Conover, who was in reality the Hunter, Jason Canmore. During these revelations, Goliath accidentally knocked her from a dam, and failed to catch her. She managed to convince Jason that the hunt was unwise, and that it should be abandoned. When the tumultuous events settled, she and Goliath shared their first kiss.[8]
Elisa decided that she and Goliath couldn't possibly share a life together, and urged him to take a date of Delilah, from the Labyrinth clan. Elisa's co-worker, Morgan Morgan asked her out, and after some time, she accepted.[9] Both of the newly formed couples attended the Xanatos' party, where Elisa reaffirmed her decision that she and Goliath should remain apart.[10] When Thailog attacked Goliath, nearly killing him, she re-established their bond.[11]
After Dr. Sato treated Goliath, Elisa brought him to treat Maggie the Cat, convincing him that he was the only person who could do the job.[12]
Future
Eventually, she and Goliath will have a commitment ceremony of some sort (probably by 1999). Further on down the road, they will eventually raise a child together, most likely an adopted child. Greg Weisman confirmed at the 2004 Gathering that it is from this adopted child that Nicholas Natsilane Maza will be descended. By 2198, Elisa will be dead, but of what cause is unknown. Upon her death, the Manhattan Clan will give her a Wind Ceremony as a member of the Clan.
Relationships
Goliath
Elisa is most closely associated with Goliath. Her relationship with the noble gargoyle, despite their different species, was the series' backbone, and Hudson noticed it building.[4] Despite this, the relationship was never rushed: for much of the series, only Demona, Goliath's estranged and genocidal former lover, behaved as though aware of the unspoken tie between Elisa and Goliath. Demona's jealousy and hatred for humanity would lead her to fixate upon Elisa. A major turning point in the series was the episode "The Mirror". In this episode, a magic spell briefly transforms Elisa into a gargoyle. Elisa, who by this time has realized her own feelings for Goliath, sees this as the destruction of the only barrier preventing their relationship.
For Goliath (himself briefly turned into a human later in the episode), the transformation is all he needs to finally understand that he also harbors romantic feelings for Elisa. He says at one point, "I never realized before how beautiful you are." However, after Elisa playfully counters about the prospect that she was ugly as a human, Goliath nervously changes the subject back to their flight lesson in progress. Though at the end of the episode, both give evidence of awareness of the other's feelings; but while Goliath tries to talk to Elisa, she cuts him off just before the sun rises stating, after he is changed into stone, "...that's the way it is."[13]
The two continue to dance around each other until the final arc of the show's second season, "Hunter's Moon". In this, Elisa begins a relationship with her newly assigned partner on the police force, Jason Conover, little realizing that he is in fact Jason Canmore, a Hunter. Goliath's hurt and jealous when he learns this is palpable, but he forces himself not to act on it, and Elisa herself breaks the relationship off because "There's someone... who comes first."
At the end of the episode, Elisa and Goliath finally admit their feelings to each other, and share their first kiss. In the comics, after breaking up with him because she wants children and insisting that he date Delilah, Elisa realizes that she loves Goliath and can't stand to lose him.
As Goliath lies severely injured from one of Thailog's attacks, they both say that they love each other and kiss.
Other gargoyles
Though Elisa is closest to Goliath, she has an effect on every gargoyle in the Manhattan Clan.
It is Elisa that convinces Goliath's mentor to choose his own name Hudson, after the river —an act that is soon followed by the rest of the clan.
Elisa is also supportive of Lexington's technological curiosity, providing many of the gizmos that he tinkered with.
She even seemed to impress Brooklyn, who was slower than the others to forgive humans for the Wyvern Massacre.
Besides Goliath, though, she seemed to make closest friends with Broadway. On several occasions, Broadway would arrive at Elisa's apartment unannounced. He showed an unparalleled interest in Elisa's police work, mostly because of detective movies that he had seen, joining her as her "partner" sometimes even without telling her first (such as in "the Silver Falcon"). Despite this, he always managed to come through for her in the end.
Broadway's relationship with Elisa was the focus of the episode "Deadly Force", which stresses the importance of gun safety: Broadway finds and plays with Elisa's gun, and he ends up accidentally shooting Elisa, nearly killing her. Broadway's guilt after this incident leads him to eschew all use of firearms (and Elisa is later shown taking far more precautions about her use of guns as well).[14]
Demona harbors, out of nearly the entire human race, the greatest resentment for Elisa, given her position in Goliath's (love) life; several of Demona's schemes include a plan for dealing specifically with Maza, either eliminating her outright or attempting to cause Goliath's trust in her to falter. Despite Demona's greater physical abilities and keen mind, Elisa has always stood up to the gargoyle, selflessly placing herself between her friends (the Manhattan clan) and the threat at hand.
Finally, during the Avalon saga of the series, Elisa comes to meet and befriend Goliath's daughter, Angela, who is delighted to have a woman to converse with in the predominantly male clan. Elisa often functions as Angela's confidante, giving advice about various things and providing the same care and trust she gives to the rest of the clan.
Maza family
Elisa's upbringing in a multiracial household may have contributed to her open-mindedness, which is clear in her befriending the gargoyles and in her eventual relationship with Goliath. Elisa is the eldest of three children born to Peter Maza and Diane Maza. Peter, a retired NYPD sergeant, is of Native American descent. Diane, a professor at Columbia University,[15] is an African American of Nigerian descent. Elisa also has two siblings: her brother, Derek (a.k.a Talon), and her sister, Beth. Derek also follows in their father's footsteps—somewhat ambivalently—by joining the NYPD. Beth, on the other hand, is studying anthropology, like her mother, but focused on Native American culture. Elisa's family becomes more and more important as the series progresses, and her relationships with some of them are explored in greater detail.
In "Mark of the Panther," part of the "Avalon World Tour" story arc, the travelers find themselves in Nigeria, where they encounter Diane Maza, who has been studying to become a village griot. Elisa's relationship with her mother is a bit strained at first. Diane reprimands Elisa for keeping secrets and is protective of her; Elisa is annoyed and tells Angela that Diane is always demanding "more time, more detail" from her. By the end of the episode, Elisa learns to appreciate her mother's concern and interest more, and Diane becomes more accepting of Elisa's independence.
The episode "Cloud Fathers" explored Peter's background and shows more of Beth. The travelers land at the University of Flagstaff, where Elisa's sister Beth is in school, and where Peter has just arrived to help Beth investigate what Xanatos is doing on land leased from a local tribe. It is revealed that Peter was estranged from his father, Carlos Maza, who objected when Peter moved to New York and, as his father saw it, abandoned his heritage. Peter thought Carlos was too old-fashioned and insists throughout the episode that there is no truth in traditions Carlos wanted him to preserve. After the gang encounters Coyote the Trickster, a shapeshifting kachina, Peter finally acknowledges that his father was not entirely wrong to hold on to tradition and apologizes at Carlos's grave, expressing regret over not having reconciled with him before it was too late.
Elisa's relationship with her brother became problematic when Derek was enticed to quit the police force and work for David Xanatos, stubbornly refusing to believe his sister's warnings about the industrialist's amoral ruthlessness. Derek paid a high price for this: he was manipulated by Xanatos and the amoral geneticist Anton Sevarius, who turn Derek into one of the Mutates.
Trivia
- Elisa was the first character to appear onscreen.
- Salli, the name Elisa used to go undercover in Brod's gang is an in-joke; Elisa is voiced by Salli Richardson.
- Elisa's last name was originally Chavez, but when Richardson was hired to voice her, her heritage was re-imagined as half Native American, and half Nigerian-American. Elisa's appearance was also partially drawn from Ms. Richardson.
- Elisa went through various name changes in the early development of the show, and many of these names were later given to secondary characters. Her original name was "Morgan Reed" (which inspired the last name of Maggie Reed and the double name of Officer Morgan Morgan), after architect Julia Morgan. [16] Her forename was changed to "Elisa" for aesthetic reasons, and her surname changed to "Chavez" (later given to Maria Chavez, captain of Elisa's precinct), then "Bluestone" (given to Matt Bluestone, Elisa's partner) and then "Maza". [17]
- Elisa and her earlier incarnations also had a number of different professions, including schoolteacher, firefighter, museum curator, inventor, and archaeologist. For a while she was the former partner of Xavier (the early incarnation of David Xanatos), a mother, and a descendant of the Scottish Princess who became Princess Katharine. [18]
Elisa as Belle
- Elisa's role and relationship with the Manhattan Clan is similar to April O'Neil from Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.
- When Elisa dresses up in costume, she dons the dress of Disney Princesses, most notably Belle and Jasmine.
- Elisa is one of several characters played by an actor who had a role on Star Trek. In this case Salli Richardson who portrayed Fenna/Nidell in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine episode Second Sight.
- In 2009, Elisa was ranked as sixth on the Retro Junk's list of top cartoon women of the 1990s.[19] In 2011, she was included on UGO.com's list of "the fifty imaginary women that really need to be brought to life by science somehow", called "one of the hottest female supporting characters in animation history."[20]
Gallery
Image Gallery for Elisa Maza. Click here to see all of the images, featuring Elisa Maza.
Appearances
| Season 1 | Season 2 | Season 3 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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2. Awakening, Part Two 3. Awakening, Part Three 4. Awakening, Part Four 5. Awakening, Part Five 6. The Thrill of the Hunt 7. Temptation 8. Deadly Force 9. Enter MacBeth 10. The Edge 11. Long Way to Morning 12. Her Brother's Keeper 13. Reawakening |
2. Metamorphosis 3. Legion 4. A Lighthouse in the Sea of Time 5. The Mirror 6. The Silver Falcon 7. Eye of the Beholder 8. Vows 9. City of Stone, Part One 10. City of Stone, Part Two 11. City of Stone, Part Three 12. City of Stone, Part Four 13. High Noon |
15. The Price 16. Revelations 17. Double Jeopardy 18. Upgrade 19. Protection 20. The Cage 21. Avalon, Part One 22. Avalon, Part Two 23. Avalon, Part Three 24. Shadows of the Past 25. Heritage 26. Monsters |
28. Sanctuary 29. M.I.A. 30. Grief 31. Kingdom 32. The Hound of Ulster 33. Walkabout 34. Mark of the Panther 35. Pendragon 36. Eye of the Storm 37. The New Olympians 38. The Green 39. Sentinel |
41. Cloud Fathers 42. Ill Met By Moonlight 43. Future Tense 44. The Gathering, Part One 45. The Gathering, Part Two 46. Vendettas 47. Turf 48. The Reckoning 49. Possession 50. Hunter's Moon, Part One 51. Hunter's Moon, Part Two 52. Hunter's Moon, Part Three |
2. Ransom 3. Runaways 4. Broadway Goes Hollywood 5. A Bronx Tail 6. The Dying Of The Light 7. And Justice For All 8. Genesis Undone 9. Generations 10. ...For It May Come True 11. To Serve Mankind 12. Seeing Isn't Believing 13. Angels In The Night | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| SLG comics | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Notes & References
External link
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