Hunter (Gargoyles) - Early Hunters

Early Hunters

The Hunter first appeared in the multi-parter episode City of Stone, both in flashbacks to Scotland in the High Middle Ages and present day Manhattan. It was revealed through these flashbacks that the first Hunter had been the show's version of the historical Gillecomgain. Gillecomgain had been wounded as a boy by Demona, whose talons left three scars across his face. Gillecomgain, scarred inside as well as out, vowed revenge and became the Hunter. As well as helping to drive the gargoyle species to near extinction, he worked as an assassin for the current king, Duncan I of Scotland. In this capacity he murdered Findláech of Moray, father of the young Macbeth, and was rewarded with Stewardship of Moray.

Gillecomgain, however, became overconfident and attempted to blackmail Prince Duncan. Duncan, in retribution, revealed Gillecomgain's identity as the Hunter to Macbeth, now a fearsome warrior. Macbeth challenged Gillecomgain and would have been killed but for the intervention of Demona, seeking her own vengeance against the Hunter. Together, they killed Gillecomgain. The matter did not end there, however, because King Duncan himself collected Gillecomgain's mask, stating "There will always be a Hunter, and there will always be the hunted".

Duncan continued to use the Hunter identity in his campaign to wipe out the gargoyles. Duncan had become suspicious of Macbeth's loyalties, more so after he heard the prophecies of the Weird Sisters, and turned on his cousin, thus forcing Macbeth into an alliance with the gargoyles, specifically Demona. The pact was sealed by the Weird Sisters, who cast a spell over Macbeth and Demona to link them eternally, and the pair went on to defeat and kill Duncan. Macbeth became king of Scotland.

However, Duncan's son, Canmore was bitter at his father's death. Though Macbeth refused to kill the boy, banishing him to England to live with relatives, Canmore had learned the Hunter's craft from his father and adopted the mantle for himself. Canmore finally succeeded to the throne of Scotland, believing that he had killed Macbeth and Demona (though both survived). Nevertheless, his family continued to use the Hunter identity through the ages, seeking out gargoyles to destroy - specifically the now-immortal Demona, whom the Canmore Family refers to as "The Demon."

Note: in the German dub of the series, the Hunter, instead of being directly translated as "der Jäger", was given the name Nimrod, after the biblical king; the name is otherwise often connected with hunting.

In 1920, a female Hunter known as Fiona Canmore pursues Demona to Paris. She and the members of Team Atlantis prevent her from destroying the city with The Praying Gargoyle. She is still alive in 1997 and serves as an Illuminati Member (Her rank is unspecified)