Zafiro

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Zafiro

Zafiro is agargoyle of theMayan Clan, and currently its leader.

History

Zafiro's pendant

The gargoyle that would come to be known as Zafiro was hatched inChacIxChel in1918.[1] At some point between his hatching and 1993, he became leader of theclan and was also entrusted with themagical Sapphire Pendant linked to theMayan Sun Amulet, thus receiving his name.[2]By 1968, he andObsidiana had probably become mates and laid their firstegg that year.[3][4] He and the three other pendant-wearers were away from thePyramid in 1993 when poachers looted it and destroyed the clan.Fortunately, the eggs in therookery, including one Zafiro fathered, were unharmed and they are due to hatch in1998.[5][6]

Later, in1996, he helped protect the rain forest inGuatemala fromCyberbiotics, and fromJackal andHyena when they enteredPreston Vogel's employ. He remained behind in Guatemala with Obsidiana to protect"The Green" whenTurquesa andJade temporarily went toAvalon to plant some of the tropical plants in the clan's charge there.("The Green")

In late1997, Zafiro and Obsidiana greeted Jade and Turquesa when they finally returned home with the Mayan Sun Amulet.("Queen of All She Surveys")

Zafiro and Obsidiana will be the ancestors ofZafiro.[7][8]

Characteristics

Zafiro differs from the other surviving gargoyles in his clan in that, instead of having two legs and leathery wings, he resembles a feathery winged serpent.Since all other known gargoyles are six limbed, it is possible that Zafiro's skeleton still retains tiny vestigial legs.[9]Despite being the only surviving gargoyle with this snake-like body structure, it is apparently quite common among Mayan gargoyles, with at least half of the members having it, on average. The eggs due to hatch in 1998 will reflect this fact; most of them will have serpentine bodies as well.[10] He is also the only surviving member of the clan to have white hair and a distinctly reptilian eyes and jaw. How common or rare these traits are is unknown.

Appearances

"The Green" (First Appearance)
"Queen of All She Surveys" (No Lines)

Apocrypha

Gargoyles Meets The Spectacular Spider-Man Meets Young Justice

Zafiro and Obsidiana traveled to New York in an effort to follow two smugglers that transported a powerful totem (the shaft of theSpear of Destiny) through the rain forest of ChacIxChel. There, they catch up with the smugglers only to get distracted by Spider-Man, who attacks them (thinking the gargoyles are genetic mutants). Later, after reuniting with the Manhattan Clan, they learned ofDemona's plans at an OsCorp vault. While Obsidiana goes with Goliath and Spider-Man, Zafiro and theTrio enters the outer vault and fight Venom, Kraven, the Lizard, and Gulyadkin. Despite being shocked unconscious by Electro, he still entered Demona's thrall when she acquired theCrown of Thorns and stands up only to fall down to his "knees". After Demona lost the Spear and Crown, Zafiro returned to consciousness.("Religious Studies 101: A Handful of Thorns")

Real World Background

Zafiro's appearance suggests that gargoyles of his variety in Central America could be the origin for the legends in that part of the world about feathered serpents. In Mesoamerican legend, these serpents are known as couatl, and dwell in the depths of the rain forest. They are also linked to the legend of Quetzalcoatl, a culture-god of the Aztecs who was often depicted as a feathered serpent. In theGargoyles Universe, the story of Quetzalcoatl could well be a distorted memory of gargoyles that looked very much like Zafiro.