WARNING: The following contains spoilers for the DuckTales three-part series finale -- "The Last Adventure!" -- which aired on Disney XD and DisneyNOW on Mar. 15
One of the most enjoyable aspects of DuckTales has been seeing the producers sew the seeds for an entire universe of characters from across the popular Disney Afternoon Cartoons block of programming, all reinvented and integrated into a shared universe. However, while one of the most notable omissions was Gargoyles, all of that changes in the final arc of the show.
The DuckTales series finale actually found a way to bring Gargoyles to their shared-Disney Afternoon Universe by revealing that the joke-character Manny was actually the show's analog of Goliath all along, even being voiced by the character's original voice actor, Keith David.
Manny the Headless Manhorse was introduced in the series premiere of DuckTales, "Woo-Hoo!," appearing as one of the many relics kept in Scrooge McDuck's garage. Initially working with Captain PegHook to try and kill Scrooge upon being revived by his recently arrived nephews, the creature that would come to be known as Manny relented when he gained a head in the form of a Scrooge statue. Manny remained a silent comedy character throughout the series, eventually getting a job with Doctor Gearloose and helping him in his lab. He became a member of the cast, often paired with Bulby during season finales.
But "The Final Adventure!" reveals that Manny actually had a far more important history than anyone realized. Manny is actually the headless man horse of the apocalypse, who Phantom Blot reveals is prophecized to bring about a mystical end of days. After being blasted with the Blessed Bagpipe of Clan McDuck, Manny is seemingly restored to a normal form and gains the ability to speak through the Scrooge statue. But Phantom Blot promptly turns him to stone and attacks him, threatening to kill Manny despite his pleas that he's changed and has grown to love his normal life -- and has every intention of keeping it. After getting back up from Lena, Manny is forced to achieve his true form, shattering the stone and growing a new head, large wings and fiery mane.
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Manny's transformation -- and his newfound vocal performance by Keith David -- reveals that he's actually the DuckTales incarnation of Goliath from Gargoyles. The fan-favorite animated series centered around a band of the titular supernatural creatures, the last of their kind after they were frozen to stone a thousand years earlier. When Manny bursts to life, it prompts him to yell "I live again," which was a line of dialogue from the show associated with Goliath and the music shifts into an arrangement similar to the original Gargoyles score.
Tying it to Manny is a clever expansion of the character, and effectively retcons his role in the show. In reality, it turns out the Gargoyles cast had been represented in this series since the very beginning in a secret manner, technically being a part of the show long-before other elements like Darkwing Duck, Chip & Dale: Rescue Rangers and TailSpin would become a part of the show's universe. It's also a sweet revelation that his time working at McDuck Industries resulted in Manny growing an appreciation for people again and deciding to become their ally -- essentially a more comedic version of the same general character arc that Goliath went through in the original Gargoyles. In the end, it works as a part of the show's overall statement about found family, while also being the perfect way to bring Gargoyles to Duckburg.
Based on the 1987 series of the same name, DuckTales stars the voices of David Tennant, Danny Pudi, Ben Schwartz, Bobby Moynihan, Kate Micucci, Beck Bennett, Toks Olagundoye, Tony Anselmo and Paget Brewster. The three-part series finale, "The Last Adventure!," airs March 15 on Disney XD.
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