The Manhattan Clan is an offshoot of the ancient Wyvern Clan. In 1994, nearly a millennium after the Wyvern Massacre, David Xanatos transported Castle Wyvern to the top of the Eyrie Building in New York City, lifting it above the clouds and breaking the sleep spell. This awakened Goliath, his four surviving clanmates, and one gargoyle beast, marking the rebirth of the clan.

Initially manipulated by Xanatos and Demona, the clan was drawn into criminal activity before learning the truth with the help of Elisa Maza. Demona soon departed after revealing her hatred of humanity. Forced to leave Castle Wyvern, the clan relocated to the Clock Tower above Elisa’s precinct. In February 1995, they formally swore to protect Manhattan and all its inhabitants, human and gargoyle alike, an act generally considered the true founding of the Manhattan Clan.

Over the next two years, the clan faced numerous enemies, including Xanatos, Demona, the Pack, Tony Dracon, and Thailog, while forging alliances with figures such as Macbeth, Vinnie Grigori, and members of what became the Labyrinth Clan. They also established strong ties with gargoyle clans worldwide, particularly the Avalon Clan, often regarded as their sister clan.

In late 1996, the arrival of the Hunters in New York led to the destruction of the Clock Tower and forced the clan to return to Castle Wyvern atop the Eyrie Building. During this conflict, the clan was publicly exposed, becoming the first gargoyle clan known worldwide. Though unwillingly revealed, they became the primary catalyst for humanity’s recognition of gargoyles as a living people.

The years that followed brought further upheaval. Brooklyn vanished into the timestream and returned decades later with a mate, child, beast, and egg, expanding the clan to fourteen members by 1997. Goliath’s later capture by the Gargoyle Taskforce led to a landmark legal ruling recognizing gargoyles as sentient beings with rights, a major step toward coexistence despite continued opposition from groups such as the Quarrymen.

The Manhattan Clan would go on to influence global gargoyle–human relations profoundly. Members eventually served as protectors for the NYPD and representatives to the United Nations, helping pave the way for the Gargoyle Minority Protection Act. The clan continued to reside at the Eyrie Building, later the Eyrie Pyramid, into the 22nd century.

In 2198, during the Space-Spawn invasion, Goliath and the Manhattan rookery were kidnapped from Queen Florence Island. Following this catastrophe, Samson, then second-in-command, organized a resistance movement against the occupation.