Goliath
Backstory:
Goliath was born in 938 A.D.
In 984, Goliath was second in command to his mentor (later called Hudson). When Prince Malcolm was poisoned by the Archmage, Goliath, his mentor and his mate (later called Demona) went after the Archmage to get the Grimorum back for the cure to the Prince's poison. Goliath was able to get the Grimorum back from the Archmage at his cave, who then attacked him with a stalagmite, but the gargoyle was able to dodge and let him fall to his apparent death. After Goliath, his mentor and his mate returned and the prince was cured, his mentor, having lost the use of an eye during the altercation, decided to step down as leader of the clan and name Goliath his successor.
Goliath held the position as leader of his clan at Castle Wyvern, until 994. Like the rest of the clan he faced prejudice from the human residents of the castle, and members of Wyvern's court often compared him to his biblical namesake Goliath, especially the head of the castle herself, Princess Katharine. Her father, Prince Malcolm had named him years before.
In this time, he had mated with a female gargoyle that he called his "angel of the night" (later known as Demona). During the Viking attack he was led away from the castle with his mentor (later called Hudson), on bad information by Demona and the Castle Captain of the Guard. This information was part of a greater plot conceived by Demona and the Captain of the Guard to evict the humans and leave the castle to him and the Gargoyles. When he returned, he believed that his love had been killed with the rest of his clan, and desired vengeance. He led the five surviving clan members in a raid on the Vikings, and personally chased the Viking leader Hakon when he fled with Princess Katharine as hostage. He rescued Katharine, but Hakon himself was tackled by Wyvern's Captain of the Guard and fell to their deaths (though they later returned as ghosts).
Things were only compounded when he returned to the main group of Wyvern's refugees to discover that the five remaining members of his clan had already been turned to stone by a grief stricken Magus, who believed that they had been responsible for killing Princess Katharine. Upon realizing his mistake, he followed through with Goliath's request that he join them in stone sleep, and, along with Princess Katherine, vowed to protect the rookery eggs. Goliath and his clan was to remain in stone forever until, as the spell stipulated, "the castle rose above the clouds".
In 1994, Goliath and his clan were reawakened by billionaire David Xanatos who moved Castle Wyvern and the clan to the top of his Manhattan skyscraper, effectively breaking the spell. Initially distrustful of Xanatos's intentions, after an attack on the castle by enemies of Xanatos, he agreed to work for Xanatos for a time. It was through the intervention of an NYPD detective, Elisa Maza, that he came to see Xanatos for the ruthless individual who had manipulated him, and finally agreed to lead the clan away from their ancestral home.
Powers and Abilities:
Superhuman Physical Characteristics,
Longevity (Said that Gargoyles age at half the rate as humans),
Self-Sustenance (Type 1: Do not need to breathe air)
Pseudo-flight (Can use their wings to glide on air currents. While they claim they cannot really fly, in practice they are only really limited in their takeoffs, they have to jump off something tall to start gliding),
Natural Weaponry (claws and jaws),
Enhanced Senses,
Genius Intelligence,
Skilled in hand-to-hand combat,
Resistance against Electricity Manipulation (tanks an attack from an electric rifle, tanked an electric bomb),
Cold and possibly Magic and Mind Control (Resists magical effects from Oberon).
Weaknesses: None applicable
Jake Long
Backstory:
Before his thirteenth birthday, Jake started getting glimpses of his dragon heritage. For example, while younger, during a race with Brad at Camp Mugwomp for the Mugwomp Cup, he unintentionally breathed fire, startling himself into tripping over a log to fall face first into mud, losing the race.
On his thirteenth birthday, his magical abilities emerged fully, and he was set to protect an underground magical community existing within his city and throughout the world. The emergence of his dragon powers also made him the first official magical dragon guardian of America; "The American Dragon". Under the training of his grandfather, Lao Shi, and his animal guardian, Fu Dog, Jake would be taught in the methods of his dragon abilities, and his duties as a magical guardian. Due to his youth and while still in training, his territorial home base has initially been mainly restricted to the area of New York. However, anytime he is anywhere else in America, such as the forests of New Jersey during a camping trip with his father, his authority extends to these other areas as well as he is destined to become the representative dragon for the whole country.
Powers and Abilities:
Superhuman Physical Characteristics,
Transformation (Can transform into his dragon form and back at will, or individual parts of his body if he so chooses),
Flight (Through the use of their wings, dragons are capable of flight),
Magic (Dragons are stated to be creatures of immense magical power),
Breath Attack (Can breath fire),
Fire Manipulation (Can breathe fire from his mouth and create balls of fire from his hands, that are hot enough to melt steel beams on a water tower in moments. When transforming into his dragon form it generates fire that caused Trixi to cry out in pain and let go of his arm),
Limited Elasticity (His dragon tongue is capable of stretching),
Acrobatics (Shown to be acrobatic on multiple occasions),
Limited Attack Reflection (Can use his tongue to grab certain projectiles out of the air and launch them back),
Bodily Weaponry (Dragons can use their sharp claws and teeth as weapons or other forms of use),
Enhanced Senses (Dragons possess heighten senses, the Ear of the Dragon allowes them to hear conversations from a distance they wouldn't normally be able to, Eye of the Dragon allows them to see clearly in the dark),
Martial Arts (Shown to be proficient in hand to hand combatant against multiple opponents at once),
Duplication and chi manipulation (Can split himself up into multiple selves without fractioning his power, at the cost of stamina.)
Limited Air Manipulation (Can create intense gusts of wind by flapping his wings),
Surface Scaling (Dragons can use their claws to scale the side of walls),
Resistance to Fire (His human body was able to breifly withstand his own fire, despite it being show capable of melting steel in moments. Took Haley's dragon fire to the face without issue).
Weaknesses: Jake is noticeably overconfident and in turn, he usually underestimates his opponents, which hinders him in combat, and his lack of focus can even causes him to revert back into his human form unintentionally or mess with his powers. It is stated that while armored along most of their body, dragons have a soft underbelly, and that they have a weak spot behind their left ear which if directly hit will result in a "clean slay". The more chi doppelgangers he creates, the more his chi supply dwindles, making him weaker.
Song: Modern Myths
The usual sights and sounds of New York City went about their business, the hustle and bustle of the city continuing apace, as the warm, golden orb of the sun gradually sank beneath the horizon, staining the sky in hues of orange and purple. As the final glimmers of sunlight dipped below the horizon, casting a tranquil twilight across the city, a gargoyle statue perched atop a roof came to life. The stone exterior cracked and shattered, giving way to reveal the fearsome figure of Goliath. The beast unleashed a thunderous roar, flexing his massive muscles and unfurling his expansive wings, ready to take flight in the cover of the night.
Goliath launched into the air with a powerful leap, his wings carrying him through the towering skyscrapers and tangled web of streets, initiating his nightly patrol over the city. Unbeknownst to him, a Chinese-American teen witnessed his transformation while skateboarding, his curiosity piqued by the sight of the gargoyle suddenly coming to life.
"Whoa. Did that gargoyle just come alive? I need to get a closer look at this."
Jake Long skated into an alleyway to conceal himself, coming to a halt as he cried out,
"Dragon up!"
In a fiery transformation, flames enveloped his being, morphing him into a mythical red dragon passed down through his bloodline. The American Dragon had emerged, ready to explore this extraordinary encounter.
Goliath glided through the night sky, diligently watchful for any signs of trouble, when he sensed an imminent threat approaching from behind. To evade the incoming attack, he swiftly turned and dug his clawed hands and feet into a nearby building, going to the structure to prevent a direct hit. Despite the harmless nature of the attack, the gargoyle was not one to take chances. He turned around to find the source of the assault, only to see Jake Long, soaring through the air towards him.
"Hey, where's the fire, gargoyle? You know, aside from me, of course."
He inquired, a hint of teasing in his tone. He folded his arms, his wings maintaining his levitation as he faced off against the monstrous creature. Goliath's gruff voice rumbled out, his expression stern and unamused.
"Who do you think you are, to attack me without justification, winged lizard?"
As Jake responded with surprise at the gargoyle's ignorance, he proclaimed proudly,
"Who am I? You seriously asking me who I am? I am the magical protector of this city, the American Dragon. And I lay down the law for those in the evil bandwagon!"
The Am Drag rapped for his intro, doing a mid-air moonwalk, before flexing to show off his dragon prowess. Irritation crossed Goliath's face at Jake's energetic introduction, but he brushed it off and resumed his climb up the building he was clinging to. He muttered, his voice laced with dismissiveness.
"Hmph, arrogant younglings. I mean no harm, so best you leave me be."
As Goliath continued to scale the building, Jake landed on the same side above him. He looked down at the gargoyle with a determined expression and declared:
"Sorry, creepy. But I can't just take your word for it. It sure would be an irresponsible thing for me to turn a blind eye away from such an intimidating creature such as yourself."
A hint of tension settled in the air as Goliath prepared for a potential conflict. His voice is laced with a warning tone.
"You think of me as just a monster? You may find taking me on is no small feat. But if you insist, I'll show you what a gargoyle can really do."
With a powerful roar, Goliath sprung upwards, seizing hold of Jake and grappling with him against the side of the building. The impact of their struggle rocked the structure, causing the concrete to give way and crack under their force.
Jake clenched his teeth, his expression hardening as he retaliated by scratching Goliath's face. The unexpected response caught the gargoyle off guard, causing him to involuntarily release his hold on Jake. Taking advantage of the momentum, Jake then delivered a powerful tail swipe, knocking Goliath off the edge of the building. With a powerful flap of his wings, he ascended into the air.
As Jake approached, Goliath pounced forward, extending his right claw to deliver a stinging blow across Jake's face, leaving barely visible scratches. Without wasting a beat, the gargoyle pursued his attack, attempting to follow up with a swift left-handed punch. However, Jake reacted quickly, catching Goliath's fist in mid-air. In response, he launched two powerful counter punches, followed by a potent kick that sent the gargoyle hurtling into a nearby wall.
"Is that the best you got? This is gonna be a breeze! You don't measure up to me by a million degrees!"
Jake charged forward, aiming to strike Goliath. However, the gargoyle swiftly evaded the attack, propelling himself up the wall, utilizing his claws as climbing tools. Without a pause, he then leaped off the structure and glided into the sky above.
"So he can't fly without a vantage point first? Talk about some weak sauce."
As Jake chuckled at Goliath's flight limitations, he took flight and chased after, then let out a mighty breath, releasing a powerful plume of fire at the gargoyle. Goliath glanced over his shoulder to see the inferno approaching, quickly executing a looping maneuver to elude the assault. Without hesitation, he then swooped down towards Jake and delivered a forceful punch, sending him crashing onto the rooftop of a nearby building.
Goliath touched down behind Jake, unamused by his rash actions. As he moved towards him, Jake wheeled around and unleashed a burst of fire at the gargoyle. However, instead of evading, Goliath wrapped his wings around himself, forming a protective shield as the inferno encircled him. Surprisingly, the gargoyle remained unharmed, his scales resistant to the heat.
As Jake's flames gradually subsided, a clearing formed, revealing Goliath's next move. The gargoyle bounded into the air and slammed both fists into the ground, causing a shockwave of stone shards to shoot out in all directions. The forceful impact sent Jake stumbling backward, struggling to maintain his balance.
Goliath continued his offensive, delivering a ferocious uppercut to the dragon's jaw, propelling him backwards. Without a moment's pause, the gargoyle ascended into the sky, soaring towards Jake and forcefully thrusting him back down with a savage punch. The ground beneath them buckled, resulting in a small crater upon impact. Goliath calmly landed once more as Jake shakily regained his footing, his glare fixed firmly on the gargoyle.
In a quick move, Jake lunged forward, executing a swift tail swipe that caught Goliath off guard, sending the gargoyle stumbling backwards. Taking advantage of the momentary disorientation, he unleashed a ball of fire that struck Goliath, propelling him off the building. Gravity took hold, sending the gargoyle into a freefall, and Jake quickly followed suit, plummeting after him. At the very last second, Jake grabbed hold of Goliath, steadying themselves and leveling out their descent, gliding through the air, carried by the wind.
Goliath quickly disentangled from Jake, seizing the momentary opening to consider his next move. Jake, disoriented, tumbled downwards, desperately attempting to regain control, before launching an attack with a furious swipe of his claws. However, Goliath's tough skin proved resistant, taking the brunt of the assault. Countering, the gargoyle delivered a swift headbutt, followed up by a forceful shoulder barge that sent Jake careening away once more.
As Goliath started to circle around, Jake swiftly regained his bearings. With a well-aimed elbow strike, he caught the gargoyle off guard and knocked him into a freefall. Jake quickly followed, descending after him, and the gargoyle attempted to regain control. Jake, however, caught up and engaged in a brief aerial struggle with Goliath. In a sudden move, Jake sank his teeth into the gargoyle's shoulder, biting down forcefully.
The piercing bite inflicted by Jake drew a guttural roar of pain from Goliath, accompanied by a trickle of blood from the wound. Grabbing hold of the gargoyle's arm, Jake hurled him with forceful momentum towards the streets below. Jake quickly followed suit, giving chase in a relentless pursuit.
Goliath barreled down like an unstoppable force, smashing his head against the rooftop of a tall building before impacting with a devastating crash into the roof of a grey Toyota Camry. The collision set off the car's blaring alarm as the gargoyle rolled and crashed across the street, finally coming to a dusty and battered rest. Jake swiftly descended opposite him, landing with poise. As the dust settled, Goliath slowly got up, groggily rising to his feet.
Jake seized the nearby Toyota Camry, heaving it with impressive strength towards Goliath. The gargoyle reacted promptly, unleashing two powerful strikes of his claws, effortlessly slicing through the structure. Jake countered by launching three fiery projectiles towards Goliath, but the agile gargoyle evaded the assault, effortlessly gliding around each one.
The two adversaries engaged in an intense, close-quarters struggle. While Jake's martial arts training gave him an edge in agility and technique, Goliath's sheer brute strength proved nearly overwhelming. Jake prepared to deliver another tail swipe, only to find his tail ensnared in the gargoyle's grip.
The gargoyle gripped Jake's tail more firmly, repeatedly slamming him into the pavement with brute force. The onslaught continued, each impact growing fiercer than the last. Finally, with a desperate kick aimed at Goliath's abdomen, Jake managed to break free. Staggering, dazed from the onslaught, he fought to maintain his balance, stumbling on the street. Jake contemplated his tactics, realizing that none had proven particularly effective.
"Okay, you're tougher than I thought. But let's see how well you handle this."
In response, Jake clapped his hands together and concentrated his chi, summoning four duplicates of himself, now standing against the gargoyle as a formidable quintet. Surprised, Goliath surveyed the scene, finding himself surrounded on all sides.
"What kind of sorcery is this? How did you manage to create multiple versions of yourself like this?"
"It's a technique called 'Doppelgänger,' using chi. I'm going to give you a beating you'll never forget, five times over."
The four clones ascended into the air, circling around the gargoyle. Attacking simultaneously, the clones attempted to strike Goliath, but he adeptly dodged under a punch and delivered an uppercut to two of them. However, he was quickly overwhelmed by the remaining three, who ganged up and launched an all-out assault.
The original Jake lashed out with a powerful kick, sending the gargoyle reeling. As soon as Goliath attempted to regroup, another clone seized the opportunity, throwing him skyward. The original Jake followed closely behind, firing a burst of fire at the gargoyle. The pursuit continued as Goliath sought to stabilize himself within the air, using his wings to remain airborne. Just as the dragon clone approached, Goliath retaliated with a strong punch, sending him careening away. However, before the gargoyle could respond, he was once again caught off guard by another onslaught from the remaining clones.
Despite being overwhelmed by the dragon clones, Goliath proved resilient and strong, managing to lift, and then forcefully punch away each one. This left him once more face to face with the original Jake, the two resuming their intense combat. Blows were exchanged between them, until Goliath delivered a powerful kick to Jake's face and swung another strike at the back of his head. In a momentary reaction, Jake recoiled, instinctively trying to protect the vulnerable spot behind his left ear – his Achilles' heel.
The gargoyle took advantage of his discovery, a sinister smile spreading across his face as he prepared to lunge at the exposed weakness. Just as he was about to execute the attack, he was abruptly interrupted by a strong tail whip, delivered with precise timing and force that knocked him out of the air and sent him crashing to the ground. The real Jake and the four clones strategically maneuvered themselves around, further complicating the already challenging task of discerning the true dragon from the rest.
The gargoyle made a valiant attempt to defend himself, managing to land a blow on one or two of the dragon clones before being tripped by a strategic tail swipe from behind. The original Jake then seized the opportunity, grabbing hold of the gargoyle and launching him airborne with a strong slash, only for the dragon clones to deliver a powerful double punch that sent him crashing into a nearby building.
"Yeah! Take that, you oversized statue!"
One of the clones jeered, reveling in their momentary triumph. A roar emerged from the building, but it wasn't the typical roar. This one sounded much more savage, more animalistic, and incredibly chilling. Fear crept onto both Jake and his clones' faces, their bodies tensing as a mixture of confusion and dread washed over them, sending a bone-chilling shiver down their spines. What on earth was happening?
With an earth-shaking crash, Goliath burst through the wall, hurtling towards Jake with unprecedented speed. Desperate, Jake sought to defend himself, using a nearby manhole cover as a makeshift shield. However, the sheer force of Goliath's punch shattered the manhole cover like fragile glass, and the subsequent impact sent Jake plummeting downwards, deeply embedding him into the ground and propelling him over an impressive distance. Jake grunted, acknowledging the predicament.
"This isn't good at all."
The four clones swooped and encircled the gargoyle, firing streams of fire at him, creating a whirling vortex of fire with the wind from their wings. Even for Goliath's robust form, the scorching heat was undeniably uncomfortable, stoking the fires of his anger.
Powering through the pain by the blazing vortex, Goliath extended his arm through the flames and grasped the tail of a clone, forcefully pulling him back. Utilizing the captured dragon as a flail, he lashed out at the remaining clones, swiftly dispatching each one. With a menacing glare, he fixed his gaze on Jake, who felt a pang of worry upon the dissipation of his clones.
"Uh oh..."
Jake muttered, sensing trouble. Goliath surged forward, his eyes filled with a determined and lethal intention. Roaring ferociously, he aimed to deal the final blow. Cornered and desperate, Jake unleashed a scorching torrent of fire, pouring every ounce of his power into the attack. Goliath, in turn, crossed his arms in an attempt to shield himself, but the intense assault slowed his relentless advance.
Goliath grunted in pain as the scorching heat seared through him. Jake persisted, channeling all his energy into the flame's relentless onslaught. Initially, the fire seemed to have no impact, but as the barrage intensified, an unusual phenomenon began to unfold. The gargoyle's back glowed ominously, the faint outlines of his bones becoming discernible beneath his skin. Finally, the flame pierces through Goliath's body completely, leaving a burning wound in his back.
Goliath let out a shocked gasp as his body was ruthlessly burnt through. Jake, panting heavily, ceased the attack, and observed the devastating aftermath. Not only were Goliath's forearms burned away, but the force of the blast had left his entire chest scorched and cauterized, a gaping, smoking wound in its wake. With a weakened groan, the gargoyle crumbled forward, his life force steadily fading.
Jake approached the lifeless form of Goliath, his expression a mixture of discomfort and regret. He spoke, his voice laced with a tinge of guilt.
"Uh... sorry about that, dude. I'm not sure if this counts as self-defense, or what... I guess it doesn't matter now. Aw man."
Jake wrapped his claws around the lifeless body, gently lifting it into the air.
"At least I can give you a dignified burial,"
He murmured, his voice filled with a hint of sadness. He made his way to a nearby park where he dug a grave and laid the gargoyle to rest. Jake paid his respects, his mind weighing heavily with the profound events that had unfolded. Once finished, he took to the air again and flown off, unsure of how to process the situation.
Strength: These two are relatively equal, because they're stronger than each other in different ways. Goliath is superior in physical might, as he can lift boulders and rend steel, feats that would require 10 tons of force. Jake could similarly match this level of strength if he pushed himself, but Goliath would consistently be stronger. However, the same can't be said for Jake's fire breath. Granted, Goliath has survived enough punishment where a regular fire attack won't do much. But where Death Battle stopped at 31 tons of TNT by breathing down a couple of concrete walls, they neglected where Jake vaporized a water pillar. Vaporizing the whole pillar as he did would require an energy output of 532 tons of TNT. That's certainly way more than Goliath has ever done all by himself, or withstood.
Speed: While both combatants may have similar light speed dodging feats, Jake has the superior mobility, as he can freely fly through the air, instead of relying on air currents, meaning he'd also have the greater flight speed.
Skill: Jake is the superior martial artist. Sure, Goliath has decades more experience of actually fighting, but that's more on gargoyle based instinct than actual martial arts.
Experience: Discounting the 1000 long nap, Jake was essentially fighting a 60 year old guardian who has faced just as many threats as Jake has. So this goes to Goliath
Powers: Unfortunately, Goliath lacks any inherent magic. If he had the Eye of Odin, he could turn things around, but it's not part of his typical arsenal. Jake could always keep him at range with his fire breath, and his doppelgänger technique would make defeating the real target more challenging before he could win himself.
The winner is Jake Long.
Next time:
"Our very presence here, three-thousand-some-odd years in the past, could have irreparable consequences to the timeline. Imagine the butterfly effect extrapolated out over thousand of years. Every step we take puts the future at risk. And you're talking about snuffing out one of the most profoundly influential villains in all of human history. That's the biggest butterfly effect of them all."
"The people decided they were better off without us. They even called us criminals. They tore our family apart. But look around. Someone has to do something. We have to do something. We can make a difference again. The world needs us now more than ever. Are you with me?"