Isaac Christians was an elderly man who sold his soul to an alliance of minor demons styling themselves as "The Six-Fingered Hand" in exchange for prosperity for the dying hometown that his ancestors had founded (the fictional town of Christiansboro, Virginia). Christians made a pact with the demon Avarrish to inhabit the body of an ancient gargoyle and act as an agent of the Six-Fingered Hand. The demons of the Six-Fingered Hand transferred Christians' life force into the Gargoyle body and sent him on a mission to capture Patsy Walker, at that time operating as Defenders member Hellcat. Christians battled the Defenders, but rebelled against the Six-Fingered Hand. He was trapped in the gargoyle's body, but joined the Defenders.[6] The Defenders then helped him defeat the Six-Fingered Hand.[7] As a member of the Defenders, Gargoyle helped the Squadron Supreme defeat the Overmind and Null the Living Darkness.[8] The Gargoyle briefly fell under the control of an Afghan wizard, and he was forced to battle the Defenders.[9] Christians later returned to Christianboro, and was later released from the Gargoyle body and the original demon spirit re-inhabited it. Christians, to prevent the chaos being wreaked by the gargoyle, re-assumed the body with the help of a druid and killed his original human body to prevent the demon from returning.[10] Moondragon, under the influence of the Dragon of the Moon, later separated Christians' life force from the gargoyle body. The body was to be used as a vessel for the Dragon of the Moon, and it became larger and more grotesque. The gargoyle body was carbonized and transformed into a statue of ash, when the Defenders defeated Moondragon and the Dragon of the Moon.[11] Christians' life force came to reside in a crystal talisman. He reconciled with the spirit of Moondragon, and journeyed with Pamela Douglas to Titan, where he witnessed the rebirth of Moondragon. The former Defender known as Cloud created a new body for Christians, with the ability to change back and forth between his gargoyle and human form.[12] Alongside the Presence, Starlight, Jack of Hearts, and others, he returned to Earth from the Stranger's laboratory world.[13] When the final confrontation between Gabriel, Devil Hunter, and Hellstrom left Gabriel irretrievably insane, only capable of babbling incoherently, Hellstrom left him in the care of the Gargoyle.[14] Following the "Civil War" storyline, Christians was one of the registered superhumans seen in Avengers: The Initiative #1. He was shown flying in an attack against HYDRA;[15] this helped save the President from an assassination attempt. He is shown in battle against KIA.[16] Gargoyle was also seen aiding Hellcat.[17] He ignored Nighthawk's offer to join the Last Defenders[18] and remained at Camp Hammond to serve as an instructor training the Initiative cadets[19] before retiring.[20] He returns to assist in defeating a deranged copy of Thor called 'Ragnarok'.[21] Alyosha Kravinoff later captured Gargoyle and placed him in his zoo for animal-themed superhumans which also consisted of Bushmaster, Tiger Shark, Kangaroo, Aragorn (the version that was owned by the Vatican Black Knight), Vulture, Mongoose, Man-Bull, Dragon Man, Swarm, Mandrill, Grizzly, Frog-Man, and Rhino.[22] Isaac Christians later opened up a restaurant called Isaac's Oysters in Greenwich with Eugene Patilio as his busboy. Both of them were approached by Iron Man for help in rescuing James Rhodes from Korvac.[23]