Cu Chullain is a character who appears in the Disney animated series, Gargoyles.
Background[]
Cu Chullain was the greatest hero of Ireland who lived between the first century BCE and the early first century CE, serving as a warrior for his country. When he killed a gargoyle beast, Cu Chullain earned his namesake when he killed the "hound" and replaced it with another one which would later be known as the Hound of Ulster, a dog which he trained that would often fight alongside Cu Chullain.
Cu Chullain was most famous for fighting against Ireland's fearsome monster, the Banshee who became an enemy all across Ireland. During battle, Cu Chullain wielded a magic spear, the Gae Bolga, and used it to fight against the Banshee during battle and was successful in defeating her. In addition to using this spear, he also used it to strike the Lia Fáil, which split the stone into half, when it refused to recognize its friend, Lugaid Red-Stripe, who served as the king of Ireland. Following Cu Chullain's death, he was buried in an ancient tomb dedicating to Cu Chullain known as "Cairn na Chullain", along with his weapon the Gae Bolga.
Years later after Cu Chullain's death, Rory Dugan rediscovered his heritage and then reincarnated into the Irish folk hero, Cu Chullain, using the Gae Bolga to reincarnate himself as Ireland's greatest hero which he used to defeat the Banshee once again with the help of Bronx, still serving as the reborn hero to be a protector of Ireland once again. This spear when activated allows Rory to transform into Cu Chullain complete with armor.
Appearances[]
Gargoyles[]
In "The Hound of Ulster", Rory sees an image of Cu Chullain in his tomb, Cairn na Chullain, upon entering it, which suddenly disappears. A mysterious spear suddenly shines next to him, which Rory recognizes his heritage and grabs the Gae Bolga, the Spear of Light, reincarnating himself as Cu Chullain once again while Molly transforms into the Banshee just as the two engage into a confrontation at the tomb. A battle between Cu Chullain and the Banshee begins outside the tomb, followed by Bronx taking his role as the Hound of Ulster who assists the reincarnated Cu Chullain attempting to defeat the Banshee only for her to transform into Cromm-Cruach, the death worm. During battle, Cu Chullain defeats Cromm-Cruach in combat while the Manhattan Clan, consisting of Goliath, Elisa Maza, and Angela, hear the commotion between Cu Chullain and Cromm-Cruach fighting each other. With the Banshee defeated, Cu Chullain transforms back into Rory Dugan, which he thanks the Manhattan Clan for helping him remember his heritage once again just before the Manhattan Clan leaves.
Printed material[]
In the comics, Cu Chullain only briefly appeared in the issue "Rock & Roll" where he appears during a flashback sequence with no dialogues. It is said that Cu Chullain also used the Gae Bolga to strike the Lia Fáil, which split the stone into half, when it refused to recognize its friend, Lugaid Red-Stripe, who served as the king of Ireland.
External links[]
- Cu Chullain on GargWiki.