The gargoyle appears in the first edition Monster Manual (1977), where it is described as a ferocious predator of a magical nature, found among ruins it attacks anything it can detect.

Advanced Dungeons & Dragons 1st edition (1977-1988) The kopoacinth, an aquatic version of the gargoyle, first appeared in the 1975 Dungeons & Dragons supplement, Blackmoor by Dave Arneson. The gargoyle was one of the first monsters introduced in the earliest edition of the game, in the Dungeons & Dragons 'white box' set (1974), where they were described as a reptilian bipedal beast, Chaotic in alignment. The gargoyle was one of the earliest creatures introduced in the D&D game. In the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game, a gargoyle is a grotesque winged monstrous humanoid creature, with a horned head and a stony hide. A gargoyle, pictured in the original Monster Manual (1977).