Archmage (Gargoyles)
(914 - 1995) A powerful and ambitious wizard in the service of Prince Malcolm of Castle Wyvern by 971. Secretly desiring to take over Malcolm's kingdom, the Archmage enacted many schemes for power, particularly any that might lead him to three artifacts- the Grimorum Arcanorum (which he acquired), the Phoenix Gate and the Eye of Odin. To that end, he used the gargoyles later known as Coldsteel and Demona as his pawns- even making Demona his apprentice. After Demona apparently failed to steal the Phoenix Gate for him in 975, he rejected her, and later took on the Magus as a replacement.
In 984, the Archmage made his bid to take over Malcolm's throne, and was exiled as a result. Furious, he returned to poison Malcolm, leading the gargoyles later known as Hudson, Goliath and Demona to seek him out in his lair and retrieve the Grimorum. Engaging them in battle, the Archmage lost the Grimorum, and apparently fell to his death. However, he was saved by his time-travelling future self ("the Archmage-plus"), who was empowered by all three of the artifacts of power he had long sought. Taken on a journey through time by his future self, the Archmage saw himself make a deal with the angry Weird Sisters, who wanted revenge on the Magus. In exchange for the Archmage's help, they made Demona and Macbeth immortal, so that the two could retrieve the magical artifacts for the Archmage in 1995 and then serve as his soldiers.
Arriving in 1995, the past Archmage received the artifacts- having his true self unlocked by the Eye of Odin, eating the Grimorum (so that he could take its knowledge of human magic onto Avalon), and wearing the Phoenix Gate. After helping his future self attack the Avalon Clan, the past Archmage went back in time, thus becoming the future self that saved his life. (Before saving himself, however, he came into conflict with a time-travelling Brooklyn.) Meanwhile, the Archmage that remained behind began his plans to wipe all opposition off of Avalon and conquer the world- only allowing Tom to leave so that he could also gain revenge on Goliath. Unfortunately, he underestimated his foes, and Goliath was able to remove the Eye of Odin from his brow. Reverted to a mortal wizard again, the Archmage was unable to control the power of the Grimorum he had ingested, and he disintegrated.
(Series creator Greg Weisman suggested that the Archmage received the idea for his complex plan from his future self, who in turn received it from his future self, and only claimed he conceived of it.)
