Greg responds...

Gabriel was there biological son, yes.
There were no gargoyle pieces left to make a second (or third) cyborg for Coldfire and Coldsteel. Robots were the best Xanatos could do.
Jalapeña (which we altered on purpose, I know how to spell and pronounce jalapeño, thank you very much) was basically added to the show on a dare.
Anyone who was at the Gathering this past summer heard Keith David tell the story of the Blues singer who used to say "¡Jalapeña!" instead of "Halleluia". Keith took the habit from her. (I wish I could remember her name.) Our voice director Jamie Thomason bet me I couldn't find a way to work it into the show. I took that bet. Worked it in and fell in love with it. Everyone else on the show hated it.