Centuries ago, Anansi punished the Panther Queen for mocking him by turning her into a human. In order to reclaim her original form Anansi commanded that she should build Kara Digi, a great city, in his honor. In order to accomplish this, she married the Oba, the chief, of the Houka tribe. She, her husband, and children built the great city, and it when it was populated, its citizens hunted and brought food to Anansi. He grew fat and happy, and returned the Panther Queen to her original form. To her dismay, she realized that Anansi had tricked her. As a panther, she missed her family, and so begged Anansi to turn her children into panthers. Anansi said that he would only let her choose one child, so she chose her eldest son. Anansi, desiring to keep the boy in his service, tried to trick him into turning on his mother, but his plans backfired when the boy chose to become a panther with his mother. In his rage, he drove away the people of Kara Digi, leaving him without a food source.
Sometime shortly before 1996, Fara Maku found Anansi and struck up a deal with him. Fara Maku would hunt for Anansi as a panther at night, if Anansi would prevent Maku's love, Tea, from leaving for the city, by turning her into a panther. Anansi agreed, and the two became panthers. When Tea discovered what Fara Maku had done to her, she vowed to hunt him down and kill him. The Avalon Travelers arrived, however, and helped to defeat Anansi in the lost city of Kara Digi, resolving the conflict between the battling lovers.[1]
Anansi generally looks like a spider, of varying size (what size he is generally depends on how much he's had to eat lately). He is a trickster, and will eagerly bend any bargain that he makes with anyone to his own advantage, at the expense of the bargainer. He likes to eat and has an enormous appetite, but is also very lazy and prefers to let other people obtain his food for him.
Alongside the ability to turn humans into werepanthers, Anansi can command ordinary spiders. The spiders that lived in Kara Digi served him, bringing him messages and even dropping thick webs upon intruders.
Real-World Background
Anansi the Spider is a familiar figure in African legend. He is something of a "buffoon-trickster," always coming up with wily schemes to benefit himself at the expense of others, whether by obtaining more food for himself, or by some other way. As in Gargoyles, however, his schemes have a way of backfiring upon him, with comically humiliating results.
Trivia
Anansi is one of several characters played by a Star Trek cast member. In this case LeVar Burton, who portrayed Geordi La Forge.
1. Awakening 2. Awakening, Part Two 3. Awakening, Part Three 4. Awakening, Part Four 5. Awakening, Part Five 6. The Thrill of the Hunt 7. Temptation 8. Deadly Force 9. Enter MacBeth 10. The Edge 11. Long Way to Morning 12. Her Brother's Keeper 13. Reawakening
1. Leader of the Pack 2. Metamorphosis 3. Legion 4. A Lighthouse in the Sea of Time 5. The Mirror 6. The Silver Falcon 7. Eye of the Beholder 8. Vows 9. City of Stone, Part One 10. City of Stone, Part Two 11. City of Stone, Part Three 12. City of Stone, Part Four 13. High Noon
14. Outfoxed 15. The Price 16. Revelations 17. Double Jeopardy 18. Upgrade 19. Protection 20. The Cage 21. Avalon, Part One 22. Avalon, Part Two 23. Avalon, Part Three 24. Shadows of the Past 25. Heritage 26. Monsters
27. Golem 28. Sanctuary 29. M.I.A. 30. Grief 31. Kingdom 32. The Hound of Ulster 33. Walkabout 34. Mark of the Panther 35. Pendragon 36. Eye of the Storm 37. The New Olympians 38. The Green 39. Sentinel
40. Bushido 41. Cloud Fathers 42. Ill Met By Moonlight 43. Future Tense 44. The Gathering, Part One * 45. The Gathering, Part Two 46. Vendettas 47. Turf 48. The Reckoning 49. Possession 50. Hunter's Moon, Part One 51. Hunter's Moon, Part Two 52. Hunter's Moon, Part Three
1. The Journey 2. Ransom 3. Runaways 4. Broadway Goes Hollywood 5. A Bronx Tail 6. The Dying Of The Light 7. And Justice For All 8. Genesis Undone 9. Generations 10. ...For It May Come True 11. To Serve Mankind 12. Seeing Isn't Believing 13. Angels In The Night
SLG comics
Gargoyles #1. Clan Building Chapter One: Nightwatch Gargoyles #2. Clan Building Chapter Two: The Journey Gargoyles #3. Clan Building Chapter Three: Invitation Only Gargoyles #4. Clan Building Chapter Four: Masque Gargoyles #5. Clan Building Chapter Five: Bash Gargoyles #6. Clan Building Chapter Six: Reunion Gargoyles #7. Clan Building Chapter Seven: The Rock Gargoyles #8. Clan Building Chapter Eight: Rock & Roll Gargoyles #9. Clan Building Chapter Nine: Rock of Ages Gargoyles #10. Clan Building Chapter Ten: The Gate Gargoyles #11. Clan Building Chapter Eleven: Tyrants Gargoyles #12. Clan Building Chapter Twelve: Phoenix
Bad Guys #1. Strangers Bad Guys #2. The Lost Bad Guys #3. Estranged Bad Guys #4. Louse Bad Guys #5. Strangled Bad Guys #6. Losers
Dynamite Entertainment comic books
Here In Manhattan
Quest
Dark Ages - Alliance
Gargoyles (2022) #1. Here In Manhattan: A Little Crazy Gargoyles (2022) #2. Here In Manhattan Chapter Two: Idyll or Nightmare Gargoyles (2023) #3. Here In Manhattan Chapter Three: Miracle Child Gargoyles (2023) #4. Here In Manhattan Chapter Four: Tale Old As Time Gargoyles (2023) #5. Here In Manhattan Chapter Five: Render Unto Caesar Gargyoles (2023) #6. Here In Manhattan Chapter Six: Underwater Volume Two Gargyoles (2023) #7. Here In Manhattan Chapter Seven: Everywhere Gargoyles (2023) #8. Here In Manhattan Chapter Eight: Mayday Gargoyles (2023) #9. Here In Manhattan Chapter Nine: Your Witness Gargoyles (2023) Special. Trick-Or-Treat Gargoyles (2023) #10. Here In Manhattan Chapter Ten: New Rules Gargyoles (2023) #11. Here In Manhattan Chapter Eleven: Young At Heart Gargyoles (2023) #12. Here In Manhattan Chapter Twelve: Cold Comfort
Gargoyles (2024) #1. Quest Chapter One
Dark Ages #1. Alliance Chapter One: The Reach Dark Ages #2. Alliance Chapter Two: The Draw Dark Ages #3. Alliance Chapter Three: The Oath Dark Ages #4. Alliance Chapter Four: The Promise Dark Ages #5. Alliance Chapter Five: The Dream Dark Ages #6. Alliance Chapter Six: The Pledge
