Elisa Maza

Elisa Maza is one of the main protagonists of Disney's cartoon series Gargoyles. A 2nd-class detective in the NYPD 23rd precinct, Elisa first encountered the gargoyles when investigating a series of disturbances in the castle atop the skyscraper of billionaire David Xanatos.

She was voiced by Salli Richardson-Whitfield, who also played Dr. Gail Stern in Anacondas: The Hunt for the Blood Orchid.

Appearance

Elisa is biracial. She is a Mustee, meaning that one of her parents (in her case, her father) is Native American, and the other (her mother) is African-American. She seems to favor her father's side in terms of ethnicity, as she looks closer to Native American. In comparison, her sister, Beth, and her brother, Derek (before he becomes Talon), seem to favor their mother's in that they both look (or looked, in Derek's case) African-American.

Personality

Elisa largely dubbed herself the protector of the protectors, although on a number of occasions she did display a certain unwillingness to share her secret (the existence of gargoyles) with anyone else, even her friends and family. She convinced the clan to leave the home of David Xanatos and move into the clock tower above the police station where she works. She then did everything she could to make them feel at home, bringing them food and even supplying a television set and old recliner chair. It was in part due to Elisa's role as a police detective that the Manhattan Clan realized what their new role was in the world, as they then dedicated themselves to defending the citizens of Manhattan.

History

The sudden appearance of Goliath while she was snooping around shocked her into falling over the battlements, and he swooped down to rescue her. The two developed a bond almost immediately, at first connecting by their shared duty to "protect and serve", and an attraction grew over time. This soon made Elisa the avowed enemy of Goliath's ex-mate, Demona, who first "met" Elisa when the latter thwarted Demona's attempt on Goliath's life.