Wolf Volkov: The Queerest Villain in the Gargoyles Universe?

 Hello all,

Sydney here, hoping that this newest blog post finds my readers well!

 

After being relatively caught up to speed on the recent 12 issue comic run of Gargoyles and the long awaited return of my favorite character, Wolf, I'd like to once again share my thoughts on the big guy.

 

  

I'm sorry, who is this "Wolf" you speak of?

 

To refresh everyone's memory on who the hell Wolf even is, you can either read my prior aricle I'd published in 2020 OR I can just summarize it here for those who would like a recap!

 

Wolf, who's full name could now be considered as Wolf Volkov, is a minor recurring villiain from the cult classic Gargoyles franchise, created by Greg Weisman, aired on Disney from 1994-1997. In season 1, Episode 6, "Thrill of the Hunt", the show introduced a squad of villains posing as TV stars known as "The Pack."

The pack has always been this dream squad of supervillains from the start of the show, and Wolf is brought into the show as a part of that squad and since then has been this component to add to that villain squad aesthetic.

Yet as the show's story progressed, two of the five original members of said squad have bailed because they were fleshed out in the writing room, Fox & Dingo.

The twins, Jackal & Hyena, have always just kind of been a psychopathic evil, and it was very much established that way in their own solo episodes where they're the villains. Season 1 Episode "Her Brother's Keeper" is the finest example.

But based on how everything plays out with The Pack, where does that bring their final member, Wolf?

 

I would even say that maybe out of the original five members, that Wolf for a while was the least developed in the writing room, and in doing so, the writers incidentally made him one of the more developed characters of the Gargoyles universe?

The base description of the role he plays in the show: He's the strong man of the pack. Visually, he's imposing and gruff, and he's someone unafraid to go hand to hand with Goliath in physical combat for some really fantastic action sequences. I think the description of him being the one who is always going hand to hand with Goliath kind of set the premise in stone that this character should become absolutely obsessed with Goliath, and he should be obsessed with the fact that he can't overpower him. It's a very simple yet effective motive for just making a character.

The more this character appeared with that same premise in mind, I'd say the more dedicated to this premise the character's personality became. His obsession with another man is what drew me to become so fascinated the character, not to mention he looks like someone a average queer viewer could find visually attractive—through his large muscles, his imposing eyes, the testosterone fueled performance voice actor Clancy Brown delivers through him, all of it combines into a character that just exhumes masculinity, and even goes as far as craving it when its before him.

There are a few story based connections made to the character, mostly due to Clancy Brown's other roles on the series as viking leader Hakon, who lead the siege on slaughtering the Scotland clan of Gargoyles. Hakon was revealed to be Wolf's ancestor in Season 2, Episode 46 of Gargoyles, "Vendettas." In it, we get the rare occasion to solely focus on Wolf separate from the rest of the pack (finally.) Within this episode, we see what Wolf is like on his own—angry, witless, directionless, frustrated, and stooping low to get what he desires. What he desires most of all, though, is the real kicker—he is doing all of this because he desires Goliath. He wants to 'get his claws on him.' As they say, 'the bigger the humiliation, the bigger the revenge.'

For Wolf to feel so strongly about someone else who thinks very little of him speaks volumes. It displays bursts of insecurity and feigning masculinity, not to mention the instability in dealing with intense emotions.

 

Hakon and Wolf have something of a toxic dynamic themselves, both of them just trying to use the other for their own benefit. During one of these arguments with his ghostly ancestor, Hakon says to him, "How you could be descended from me, I'll never know." The first known member of Wolf's family and bloodline which we're aware of, and he finds Wolf to be an 'inferior relative.'

 

With this in mind, the Wolf fanatics lurking from the shadows such as myself have had burning questions in mind! Such as, why does he feel this massive amount of pressure to hold up to someone else's masculinity? How did he become this way and who made him this way?

Ohhh okay I remember now! So, what's new with Wolfie?

So now that we're caught up to speed, here is what we have learned about Wolf recently in the new 12 issue comic run:

• Wolf reappears into the Gargoyles franchise via Issue #6 of Dynamite Comic's run... The same issue where we get canon confirmation of Lexington's relationship with Staghart. Gay coincidence? I think NOT!
  
  
• Wolf's father, Russian gangster Grisha Volkov, looks like a god damn serial killer. Sorta like if Putin couldn't afford all his age regression drugs? Just looking at him blackens my soul. If I was gay and my father looked like this, I might turn out like Wolf too!
  

"You look at him and tell me there's a God." ~Master Shake, Season 1, Episode 11 of Aqua Teen Hunger Force

• Wolf is Russian and speaks Russian to his father, making him bilingual.
  
  
• Wolfs last name is likely Volkov.

And there he is for the first time since the 90s, in all his queer glory! Of course, he can't help but get slightly giddy when he's thinking about seeing Goliath again...

• While off panel, he has a conversation in Russian with his father about the attempted hit, referring to Grisha as "papa." Wolf asks him if his father would prefer if he went after Jack Dane, but his father says, "any of our men can get to Dane." I wonder if is including Wolf in the matter when he says "our", or if he's disregarding Wolf of having any importance in his father's criminal underworld. He assigns him to go after the other man, Thomas Brod, instead. Thomas Brod is in Rikers with Goliath, of course exciting Wolf... Throughout the conversation, Wolf exhibits a level of care and concern for his father.
  
  
• We also get confirmation that both of his parents are alive and seem to be aware he mutated, not commenting on the matter?

• He expresses care about his mom being "ticked" regarding the ordeal with his father, but in regards to his father, is more concerned about reputation and how he's percieved. He loves his Mama, I think, which is sweet and I'd like to learn more about her as well. For papa, however, I think he's more concerned about how much respect he's able to attain from him.
  
  
• Can't get over how Wolf's father specifically wanted Wolf to carry out the hit on Brod. Not really the most ideal thing a father could want for their child...
  
  
• Tomas Brod, the Russian mobster Wolf & the twins are assigned to kill, is voiced by Clancy Brown in the TV series, giving a huge level of irony as Wolf is also voiced by Clancy Brown.
  
  
• Wolf was okay with killing Brod and his cellmate Tony Dracon himself, but I'm convinced he made this choice since this assignment was so close to home. (Everyone's got daddy issues, these days.)
   
• He's not the gunman of the operation (outsourcing to the twins, big surprise there) but he's also the one who seems to be calling the shots. It's interesting, to see him actually take a leadership role seriously out of personal motivation rather than just for the sake of being the "alpha."
  

• This is undoubtedly the most displeased I have ever seen him in having to deal with Goliath. In the series he always gets this twisted smile on his face and even gets excited from the thought of fighting him. Here he's addressing him as an inconvenience!
  

• Wolf was more concerned about the assignment at hand than getting to see Goliath again, which is interesting as that's normally not the priority for him. We all know how much his masculinity just feeds on his encounters with Goliath. For this particular mission regarding Brod, I think the familial connection shifted his priorities hardcore.
  
  
• Wolf screwed up royally by being the one to give Dracon the information regarding Dino and the hit. It's both cold and callous of him to use that information to taunt Dracon before having him killed, however, it was weaponized back against him after failing the hit. Long story short, he's still not very good at his job due to incompetency.
  
  
• Despite the attempted hit, he still has not yet killed anyone in-universe (that we know of.)
  
  
• Failing to make this hit is going to complicate things for him, not just in regards to being thwarted by Goliath again, and not just because he's in prison again (he'll get busted out by Coyote, I'm sure) but in regards to his family and that reputation he wanted to protect. Goliath hitting him close to home is gonna grind those already rusted gears.
  
  
• He smiled real big thinking about Goliath "in chains" when we first saw him in Issue #6. However in Issue #8, nothing made him smile about the fight itself. The more unhinged unfiltered Wolf we saw from "Vendettas" was in mad check during this run.
  
  
• Speaking of "Vendettas", can we mention how whenever Wolf gets the story's focus, the themes of broken family seem to follow him? He was brought back to the story of Gargoyles through a family tie yet again. Considering how this run ended for the Dracon family, it displays a lot of how men in the criminal world become obsessed with power, even going as far as losing sight of friend and foe from those closest to them by blood.
  
  
• Can I also mention how in Issue #12, Wolf's father when confronting the Gargoyles alongside the rest of the mob shows not an ounce of blame to himself for his own son getting arrested and instead condemning the Gargoyles for stopping him from committing further felonies... Congratulations Greg, you have created a character that I actually hate more than Maggie! But of course like Maggie, I love to hate him, because that just means there's so much more in terms of potential for Wolf and getting a taste of where he comes from is a much needed dosage of medicine for context to his character.

WOW that is a lot! So Syd, what are YOUR thoughts on this new context?

 

Wolf's "Yandere" smile at Goliath from "Vendettas", a visual replication of Syd's expression when he saw we were getting more Wolf content!

 

The more I think about it, the more I believe Goliath is somewhat of a moral savior for Wolf. Whenever Wolf is out of line he always puts him back in his place, always doing the responsible thing on his regard without any intense feelings or hatred towards Wolf. I'm glad he saves the day, as someone who would prefer to see Wolf pushed away from both The Pack and his criminal lifestyle. Maybe a part of Wolf's psychosis sees Goliath as someone who represents an outlet for what he feels he couldn't ever possibly be—an intelligent, free-spirited and heroic man, who's secure and balanced with his masculinity? The roots of Wolf's psychotic and queer obsession just keep coming through with all this new context, and I absolutely love it!

 
I am curious about Wolf's mother, and what she would think about his life choices as of lately, whether she was nice or mean to him, whether she knows his feelings in regards to his sexuality. If she's still with his father then it would likely explain a few things. Something about the big bad Wolfman loving his mother is really sweet to me. While it's not always the case, a lot of closeted gay men find it much easier to open up to their mother than their father. The reason being a mother is much more emotionally mature and understanding than the father would be. I don't know a thing about her other than she did a fantastic job at creating a beautiful man, even if it was indirect. I wonder how much she knows/cares, and am ever so curious!

I don't know if Wolf intended on carrying out the hit himself when he'd first heard about what happened, but once his dad kind of seemed sure that was what he wanted to happen, Wolf did not hesitate and tried his best to follow the assignment through. I don't know if this is something that has happened before in the relationship, or if this is a new development? I'm not sure how tethered to the mafia lifestyle Wolf had been. Clearly he's very close to it considering who his father is, but has he really killed for it before?

I am glad that Goliath was able to stop him from causing any serious damage to others because that also stops him from doing further damage to himself. Wolf probably doesn't register it that way, but that is the case.

Well, Wolf, maybe you're NOT meant to be a bad guy. Maybe you're not very good at being bad for a reason? Maybe you're so used to masking yourself into this particular role that it's all you know how to do? I wish there could be someone who can help guide him towards better choices. Dingo had been the closest thing to that once upon a time until Dingos falling out with the pack. Dingo himself was/is kind of a mess himself.

As for Fox, she was the one who flipped the switch for him way back in Season One. Showing him that photo of Goliath was like giving a doggie a scent to follow and he's been hell bent on pursuing that, despite probably forgetting who put the seeds there to begin with. Fox knew how to work Wolf without the need for physical contact, and it's not like it's difficult—Wolf is a dolt! I wonder what she would say to him nowadays about everything, now that her and Xanatos have had their priorities shift.

Wolf needs to get away from the twins and his family, and maybe he could even seek refuge with the redemption squad which would be his closest source of refuge for an individual like him, and we would get to see him team up with Dingo again, maybe even Fang? I think a group of misfits who have done bad and are trying to do better are his best course of rehabilitation.

A big part of why I'm so invested into Wolf's story is that I firmly believe that queer coded villains definitely deserve better in this day and age. A big part of the strain that queer coded villains have in the queer audience is that when queer audiences they see those coded signs, or something depicting outside the norm expressions, whether it be gender or same sex attraction, they kinda get that mental "click" and grow attached to the fantasy depictions of queerness. I think the reason is we're a real sensitive group cause we often have experienced unhappiness ourselves, hence why I think we care so much about those things. I feel a lot of queer folk who have survived growing up in Russia would absolutely love Wolf. Masking yourself to fit in with a group like Wolf probably did his whole life. In my eyes he's kinda a big dumb mangled doggie just doing what he's used to, yes he's done bad and is continuing to do bad but... He's also so BAD at being bad in case y'all haven't noticed!

 

Anyways, long story shor I'm satisfied with how this recent run has gone, and have no real criticisms in regards to how Wolf's role in this run was told. I think all this context makes him all the more fascinating. I'll be looking forward to what Weisman has in store for the future, all the recent information and context the comics have been giving are a gift for certain and I wanna see more of it!

What do you think the future of 'Gargoyles' has in store for Wolf?

An art commission I received from Furiarossa, displaying a distressed Wolf inside an empty room and covering his ears as a pride parade ensues outside.

Well, its hard to say what the future has in store for my favorite character. I'm certain Greg is set on going through with the Ultra-Pack, and a new variant of Coyote will upgrade Wolf, Hyena & Jackal further somehow.

 

As for myself, knowing that there so much queerness inside of Wolf, and because of that there has always been these massive storms brewing inside of him mentally, making his perspective on the world as well as himself extremely warped—I don't want Wolf to turn further into a monster of any sorts. I fear he would continue to lose control until someone is forced to take him out or lock him up for good.

 

If we're going off the logic that its only fair for him to ensue such a fate as his family is responsible for so much heartbreak and pain in the world, the fact that he purposely went through with becoming a monster in order to match up to Goliath already defies the prophecy of "Wolf, the beast slayer"—he IS a beast now!

You could make the argument that a villain can be both queer and an evil person, and Wolf doesn't necessarily need any redemption as there are much more positive portrayals of queer people in the Gargoyles universe, (Lexington, Staghart, and probably numerous other characters.)

 

But there is one thing you cannot deny about Gargoyles as a franchise, and it is that they respect their villains enough to give them complexity.

 

Hell, his two other teammates from the pack, Hyena and Fox, are both bisexual women. Fox for a while was on and off as a villain for several episodes until she settled in and had a baby with Xanatos, ie, her priorities changed. Hyena on the other hand, is an unabashed psychopath who would enjoy killing her former lover, Fox, as well as anyone who gets in her way. You can argue Xanatos is also obsessed with Goliath in a pseudo-queer way, trying to make him the equivalent to a pawn in his schemes.

Wolf's biggest motivator as a villain is, he wants to "kill" Goliath out of his own inferiority. His goals are always emotionally motivated and poorly executed. He is giving himself an idea of what it is he is striving for so he can distract himself from the truth of how he feels. A lot of his behavioral mannerisms are similar to the reality of insecure men who fall victim to "alpha male" scams. A lot of men with the inability to cope with their emotions and insecurities will condition themselves mentally and emotionally to try and adjust in their environment. The closest father figure Wolf ever had is a gangster and a killer. Being a part of The Pack could be  compensation for not being able to adjust completely to the brooding world of his father's dark business.

 

When someone is changing themselves as much as they can so they can better blend into the role they're given, that is a mental tactic known as masking, and it leads to mental issues such as repression, or the inability to feel secure with yourself at any point in time. I don't think Wolf has known peace at any point in his life, outside of when he's asleep that is. When he's asleep I think is when his subconscious can finally run wild and free without the repression induced by the conscious mind. Psychologically, Wolf is layered as hell and beneath those layers is a giant queer diva who's just screaming for attention.

 

The longer you look into Wolf, he reflects a sad reality of what many repressed queer men put themselves through to cope with their problematic reality, finding themselves at mercy to the environment they're born and raised into involuntarily. Wolf was dependent on his family to bring him up in the world so that he can discover himself, and that clearly failed hardcore as he doesn't even know who he is outside of his own "big bad Wolf" persona.

Per the notes from Greg's blog, the Ultra-Pack will have Jackal, Hyena and Wolf all freshly upgraded, in an unknown manner, led by Coyote and will also obtain a new member who Greg hinted will probably be a male. Greg's only comment as to what the upgrades will be in particular is, "there will be upgrades. I'm not saying anything else."

I kinda hope the only changes Wolf gets is a new outfit, maybe he can get a mustache back as well? (I'm feeling he needs to ditch the singlet and get a black crop top w/ some matching briefs? More guy-liner maybe, to try and bring out that queer energy I do so love to see from him!)

Also, the premise of a new guy on the super villain dream squad? I'd imagine its due to two-fifths of the members quitting. It brings to mind another note on the GargWiki regarding Coyote's impending leadership with the Ultra-Pack, that he would use 'carrot-and-stick' tactics to keep the team united...

They're not gonna honey pot Wolf with a boyfriend, are they..? Cause it low-ley sounds like they're gonna honey pot Wolf with a boyfriend... Or, perhaps they're getting a new member cause someone else may not be a member for long? These theories are large stretches and I think the outcome may be far more complex.

 

At the end of the day, Wolf is currently in prison yet again having failed the hit. The next time we tune in for his story, I think we will find him at a particularly interesting crossroads. Because this failure is so personal, he could continue to dwell on his thoughts and the current circumstances, furthering his descent into insanity—or maybe this loss is so significant that we could see signs and instances of reevaluation for his coping with failure, though this is all depending on how his environment continues to treat him.

Wolf to me from the very beginning has been a psychologically disillusioned guy, surrounded by criminals his whole life and have only ever found any form of social freedom for his identity amongst other criminals. He strikes me as a very stupid character that is victim to an intelligent world growing and changing around him, and from the start, he's always conditioned to pick the side that benefits his circumstance the most. Presently, the characters who are continuing to reel him astray are his other pack members, Jackal, Hyena & Coyote, and likely most of all—his own father and the connections his family has to the criminal underworld.

Greg has done an absolutely breathtaking job giving us much more context to Wolf's character in this run and as to what the future for my favorite character may be—the possibilities are endless! At this point, all we can do is trust Greg behind the wheel, and he seems to be on a roll so far!

Thank you again y'all,

~Syd

 

 

• "The Room of The Wolf", Furiarossa, https://linktr.ee/FuriarossaAndMimma
  

•  Vendettas. GargWiki. (n.d.). https://gargwiki.net/Vendettas

• “Wolf.” GargWiki, https://gargwiki.net/Wolf
  

• Greg’s Latest Responses : Gargoyles : Station Eight, www.s8.org/gargoyles/askgreg/latest.php