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Azrael (comics)
Encyclopedia
Azrael is the name of several fictional character
s in the DC Comics universe
. They are a group of assassins who were created by The Order of St. Dumas to "enforce god's will". The name is from the traditional Angel of Death
.
He then became a supporting character in the monthly Batman
titles, eventually taking over the role of Batman through the Knightfall, Knightquest, and KnightsEnd story arcs.
The subsequent Azrael series, chronicling Valley's battles against the Order of St. Dumas, ran for 100 issues between 1995 and 2003. Starting with issue #47, it was retitled Azrael: Agent of the Bat in an attempt to boost sales by tying the series in with the rest of the Batman mythos
, including Azrael as part of the team of Batman, Robin, and the new Batgirl
(Cassandra Cain
).
Michael Lane is the next Azrael introduced as part of the Battle for the Cowl storyline in a three-issue mini-series written by Fabian Nicieza
.
in Gotham City
, is unaware that he is the latest in a line of assassin
-enforcers for "The Sacred Order of Saint Dumas
", a sinister religious secret society
, and had received training and mental conditioning to prepare him for this role since before he was born. For most of his life, he has been brainwashed with "The System", a deep level of psychological conditioning
.
Valley only learns of this upon the death of his father, who was also his predecessor, at which time his conditioning is activated and he is called upon to take up the mantle of Azrael. When he is sent by the Order to kill a weapons dealer, a rogue member of the Order who had turned against the others and killed his father, he crosses paths with Batman, also investigating the death of Valley's father. He works with Alfred Pennyworth
to find the weapons dealer after he has captured Bruce Wayne, using the Batman costume to kill the other Order members. As Valley works with Alfred, demonstrating a detective's intuition in tracking Lehah's movements and later risking himself to rescue Bruce despite his traditional mission of vengeance, he is shown the error of his ways and decides to fight alongside Batman against the criminals of Gotham, rejecting his "birthright" and seeking Batman's help in breaking his conditioning to forge his own destiny
.
His name is not revealed to Alfred and Bruce until the end of the story, at which point he claims it was his father's name too. However a later storyline in his solo series stated his father's name to be Ludovic Valley.
Valley is given a job as a security guard at WayneTech headquarters, and also becomes an apprentice crimefighter alongside Batman and Robin, learning basic detective work.
Valley plays a pivotal role in the "Knightfall
" story arc
(1992–1994), in which he stands in as Batman after Bruce Wayne is defeated and paralyzed
at the hands of Bane
. Against Bruce Wayne's orders, Valley fights and defeats Bane, wearing an enhanced battle-armour he designed and built under the influence of the System. His performance as Batman is influenced by his Azrael conditioning; he grows increasingly violent, allowing the mass murderer Abattoir
to fall to his death, thereby also allowing one of Abattoir's still-living hostages to die. Valley also has control problems with Tim Drake's partnership, which climax when Valley almost strangles him to death and bans him from the Batcave
. He seals off the Batcave from Wayne Manor and the Drake property, and eschews working with Commissioner Gordon and the Gotham police.
Initially, Wayne is impressed enough with Valley's results to let him remain as Batman, but when Drake tells Wayne of Abattoir's death, he resolves to reclaim the Batman mantle. With his back repaired thanks to the sacrifice of Doctor Shondra Kinsolving
, and his fighting instincts rehabilitated after lessons with Lady Shiva
, Wayne goes after Valley to reclaim his identity. After a prolonged battle, stretching from a mobster's penthouse to Gotham Bridge before culminating in a final showdown in the Batcave, Valley is forced to remove his armour, subsequently departing Wayne Manor after acknowledging Bruce Wayne as the true Batman.
Valley lives among the homeless population of Gotham for several weeks, befriending an alcoholic former psychiatrist
named Brian.
Valley is sought out by Bruce Wayne who grants him money and resources to explore his origins. Along with Brian, he discovers the evil conspiracies within the order of St. Dumas, and they help a nun named Sister Lilhy escape. With the help of Ra's al Ghul
he discovers that he is a genetically engineered test tube baby
, and his gene
s have been spliced
with those of animals.
He returns to Gotham for several crossover events, including Underworld Unleashed
, Contagion, Legacy
, and Cataclysm
. He also discovers that his father's killer, Carlton LeHah, is still alive, and gains a new archenemy, Nicholas Scratch.
He also changes his costume considerably for a time, after being framed for murder by Scratch. Azrael returns to his original costume and battles supposed hallucination
s that are supposed to represent both his father and St. Dumas himself. Toward the end of the series, Azrael is plagued by apparently supernatural
occurrences in the form of possible miracle
s.
Azrael is seemingly killed in the series' final issue, shot with two specially-coated bullets while battling Scratch and LeHah. However, his body is never recovered. His death went unconfirmed for several years. In Booster Gold (vol. 2) #10, a note can be seen written on time traveler Rip Hunter's chalk board reading "Jean-Paul Valley Lives!". In the following issue, another note says "Azrael comes and goes." Azrael appears in Blackest Night #4 (October 2009) as an undead
member of the Black Lantern Corps
; although at first it had not been confirmed whether it was Jean-Paul Valley or another Azrael (such as Ludovic Valley, who died in Gotham City). However, it was later revealed, in the index section of the Blackest Night tabloid vol.1, that it was in fact Jean-Paul.
Jean-Paul Valley makes a cameo at Batman's funeral service in Neil Gaiman
's 2009 story, Batman: Whatever Happened to the Caped Crusader?
, a story which is metaphysical
in nature.
The new Azrael is the Third "Ghost of Batman" to undergo Doctor Hurt's experiments; an African American
ex-cop named Michael Washington Lane. He is approached by the Order of Purity to reclaim the mantle of Azrael after the Order of Dumas' latest Azrael went mad and killed an undercover police officer. On his first night as Azrael he fights Talia al Ghul
and a new team of mercenaries led by Merlyn
and Nightwing
. After convincing Nightwing that he was not responsible for the murdered police officer, Nightwing persuades Talia to allow Michael to keep the Suit of Sorrows. In Batman And The Outsiders (vol. 2) #14, the character is displayed as a charming man who undergoes various purification rituals, overseen by the Order of Purity. The character is currently active in Gotham City.
angel
of vengeance. His weapons include wrist-mounted swords which ignite flames and can also be launched from the gauntlets. Azrael also dons bullet- and flame-proof armor.
It is implied towards the middle of the series that all Azraels have been imparted with some form of The System, but that the training and genetic tampering have been updated and changed significantly in the Order's 500-year history. The System also somehow separates an Azrael's civilian identity from his powers, in that they are only super strong or super fast while in costume. However, towards the end of his life Jean-Paul was able to manifest these abilities while in his normal personality.
Azrael is also an expert with computers. When he was first introduced in Batman: Sword of Azrael #1, it was revealed that Jean-Paul was studying computer programming in college and during Knightquest he frequently dealt with Tim Drake's (then newly appointed as Robin) attempts to hack the Batcave's computer system successfully, once stating that Tim was overconfident in his abilities and that a far more experienced hacker now inhabited the cave.
Jean-Paul also trained as a detective when he was with Batman's team, although he also demonstrated some deductive ability during his early days as Azrael when working with Alfred and Nomez to track down Lehah and the captured Bruce.
, and are used in her outfit.
Fictional character
A character is the representation of a person in a narrative work of art . Derived from the ancient Greek word kharaktêr , the earliest use in English, in this sense, dates from the Restoration, although it became widely used after its appearance in Tom Jones in 1749. From this, the sense of...
s in the DC Comics universe
DC Universe
The DC Universe is the shared universe where most of the comic stories published by DC Comics take place. The fictional characters Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman are well-known superheroes from this universe. Note that in context, "DC Universe" is usually used to refer to the main DC continuity...
. They are a group of assassins who were created by The Order of St. Dumas to "enforce god's will". The name is from the traditional Angel of Death
Azrael
Azrael is the name of the Archangel of Death in some extrabiblical traditions. He is also the angel of death in Islamic theology and Sikhism. It is an English form of the Arabic name ʿIzrāʾīl or Azra'eil , the name traditionally attributed to the angel of death in some sects of Islam and Sikhism,...
.
Publication history
The character first appeared in the series Batman: Sword of Azrael, as Jean-Paul Valley, in 1992.He then became a supporting character in the monthly Batman
Batman
Batman is a fictional character created by the artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger. A comic book superhero, Batman first appeared in Detective Comics #27 , and since then has appeared primarily in publications by DC Comics...
titles, eventually taking over the role of Batman through the Knightfall, Knightquest, and KnightsEnd story arcs.
The subsequent Azrael series, chronicling Valley's battles against the Order of St. Dumas, ran for 100 issues between 1995 and 2003. Starting with issue #47, it was retitled Azrael: Agent of the Bat in an attempt to boost sales by tying the series in with the rest of the Batman mythos
Mythology
The term mythology can refer either to the study of myths, or to a body or collection of myths. As examples, comparative mythology is the study of connections between myths from different cultures, whereas Greek mythology is the body of myths from ancient Greece...
, including Azrael as part of the team of Batman, Robin, and the new Batgirl
Batgirl
Batgirl is the name of several fictional characters appearing in comic books published by DC Comics, frequently depicted as female counterparts to the superhero Batman...
(Cassandra Cain
Cassandra Cain
Cassandra Cain is a fictional character in the , one of several who has served as Batgirl, an important character in the Batman comic book franchise. Cassandra's backstory presents her as the daughter of assassins David Cain and Lady Shiva, she was deprived of speech and human contact during her...
).
Michael Lane is the next Azrael introduced as part of the Battle for the Cowl storyline in a three-issue mini-series written by Fabian Nicieza
Fabian Nicieza
Fabian Nicieza is an American comic book writer and editor who is best known for his work on Marvel titles such as X-Men, X-Force, New Warriors, Cable and Deadpool, and Thunderbolts, for all of which he helped create numerous characters.-Early life:The son of Omar and Irma Riguetti Nicieza, Fabian...
.
Jean-Paul Valley
Jean-Paul Valley, a university graduate student of computer scienceComputer science
Computer science or computing science is the study of the theoretical foundations of information and computation and of practical techniques for their implementation and application in computer systems...
in Gotham City
Gotham City
Gotham City is a fictional U.S. city appearing in DC Comics, best known as the home of Batman. Batman's place of residence was first identified as Gotham City in Batman #4 . Gotham City is strongly inspired by Trenton, Ontario's history, location, atmosphere, and various architectural styles...
, is unaware that he is the latest in a line of assassin
Assassination
To carry out an assassination is "to murder by a sudden and/or secret attack, often for political reasons." Alternatively, assassination may be defined as "the act of deliberately killing someone, especially a public figure, usually for hire or for political reasons."An assassination may be...
-enforcers for "The Sacred Order of Saint Dumas
The Sacred Order of Saint Dumas
-History:The order was originally a part of the Knights Templar, a group of soldier-monks that were formed during the Crusades originally to protect pilgrims journeying to the Holy Land, and who grew quite powerful before being disbanded...
", a sinister religious secret society
Secret society
A secret society is a club or organization whose activities and inner functioning are concealed from non-members. The society may or may not attempt to conceal its existence. The term usually excludes covert groups, such as intelligence agencies or guerrilla insurgencies, which hide their...
, and had received training and mental conditioning to prepare him for this role since before he was born. For most of his life, he has been brainwashed with "The System", a deep level of psychological conditioning
Operant conditioning
Operant conditioning is a form of psychological learning during which an individual modifies the occurrence and form of its own behavior due to the association of the behavior with a stimulus...
.
Valley only learns of this upon the death of his father, who was also his predecessor, at which time his conditioning is activated and he is called upon to take up the mantle of Azrael. When he is sent by the Order to kill a weapons dealer, a rogue member of the Order who had turned against the others and killed his father, he crosses paths with Batman, also investigating the death of Valley's father. He works with Alfred Pennyworth
Alfred Pennyworth
Alfred Pennyworth is a fictional character that appears throughout the DC Comics franchise. The character first appears in Batman #16 , and was created by writer Bob Kane and artist Jerry Robinson. Alfred serves as Batman’s tireless butler, assistant, confidant, and surrogate father figure...
to find the weapons dealer after he has captured Bruce Wayne, using the Batman costume to kill the other Order members. As Valley works with Alfred, demonstrating a detective's intuition in tracking Lehah's movements and later risking himself to rescue Bruce despite his traditional mission of vengeance, he is shown the error of his ways and decides to fight alongside Batman against the criminals of Gotham, rejecting his "birthright" and seeking Batman's help in breaking his conditioning to forge his own destiny
Destiny
Destiny or fate refers to a predetermined course of events. It may be conceived as a predetermined future, whether in general or of an individual...
.
His name is not revealed to Alfred and Bruce until the end of the story, at which point he claims it was his father's name too. However a later storyline in his solo series stated his father's name to be Ludovic Valley.
Valley is given a job as a security guard at WayneTech headquarters, and also becomes an apprentice crimefighter alongside Batman and Robin, learning basic detective work.
Valley plays a pivotal role in the "Knightfall
Batman: Knightfall
"Knightfall" is the title given to a major Batman story arc published by DC Comics that dominated Batman-related serial comic books in the spring and summer of 1993...
" story arc
Story arc
A story arc is an extended or continuing storyline in episodic storytelling media such as television, comic books, comic strips, boardgames, video games, and in some cases, films. On a television program, for example, the story would unfold over many episodes. In television, the use of the story...
(1992–1994), in which he stands in as Batman after Bruce Wayne is defeated and paralyzed
Paralysis
Paralysis is loss of muscle function for one or more muscles. Paralysis can be accompanied by a loss of feeling in the affected area if there is sensory damage as well as motor. A study conducted by the Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation, suggests that about 1 in 50 people have been diagnosed...
at the hands of Bane
Bane (comics)
Bane is a fictional character who appears in comic books published by DC Comics. The character first appeared in Batman: Vengeance of Bane #1 , and was created by Chuck Dixon, Doug Moench, and Graham Nolan. Bane has been one of Batman's more physically and intellectually powerful foes...
. Against Bruce Wayne's orders, Valley fights and defeats Bane, wearing an enhanced battle-armour he designed and built under the influence of the System. His performance as Batman is influenced by his Azrael conditioning; he grows increasingly violent, allowing the mass murderer Abattoir
Abattoir (comics)
Abattoir is the alias of Arnold Etchison, a fictional character in the DC Comics universe. He first appeared in the January 1991 issue of Detective Comics.-Fictional character biography:...
to fall to his death, thereby also allowing one of Abattoir's still-living hostages to die. Valley also has control problems with Tim Drake's partnership, which climax when Valley almost strangles him to death and bans him from the Batcave
Batcave
The Batcave is the secret headquarters of fictional DC Comics superhero Batman, the alternate identity of playboy Bruce Wayne, consisting of a series of subterranean caves beneath his residence, Wayne Manor.-Publication history:...
. He seals off the Batcave from Wayne Manor and the Drake property, and eschews working with Commissioner Gordon and the Gotham police.
Initially, Wayne is impressed enough with Valley's results to let him remain as Batman, but when Drake tells Wayne of Abattoir's death, he resolves to reclaim the Batman mantle. With his back repaired thanks to the sacrifice of Doctor Shondra Kinsolving
Shondra Kinsolving
Shondra Kinsolving is a fictional supporting character in the DC Comics universe. She was introduced during the "Knightfall" storyline in Batman #486, . She was created by Doug Moench and Jim Aparo.-Fictional character biography:...
, and his fighting instincts rehabilitated after lessons with Lady Shiva
Lady Shiva
Lady Shiva is a fictional comic book character co-created by Dennis O'Neil and Ric Estrada, and published by DC Comics. She first appeared in Richard Dragon, Kung Fu Fighter as an antagonist of Richard Dragon...
, Wayne goes after Valley to reclaim his identity. After a prolonged battle, stretching from a mobster's penthouse to Gotham Bridge before culminating in a final showdown in the Batcave, Valley is forced to remove his armour, subsequently departing Wayne Manor after acknowledging Bruce Wayne as the true Batman.
Valley lives among the homeless population of Gotham for several weeks, befriending an alcoholic former psychiatrist
Psychiatrist
A psychiatrist is a physician who specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of mental disorders. All psychiatrists are trained in diagnostic evaluation and in psychotherapy...
named Brian.
Valley is sought out by Bruce Wayne who grants him money and resources to explore his origins. Along with Brian, he discovers the evil conspiracies within the order of St. Dumas, and they help a nun named Sister Lilhy escape. With the help of Ra's al Ghul
Ra's al Ghul
Ra's al Ghul is a DC Comics supervillain and is one of Batman's greatest enemies. His name in Arabic has been translated in the comics as "The Demon's Head" and references the name of the star Algol. Created by writer Dennis O'Neil and artist Neal Adams, he was introduced in Batman #232's...
he discovers that he is a genetically engineered test tube baby
In vitro fertilisation
In vitro fertilisation is a process by which egg cells are fertilised by sperm outside the body: in vitro. IVF is a major treatment in infertility when other methods of assisted reproductive technology have failed...
, and his gene
Gene
A gene is a molecular unit of heredity of a living organism. It is a name given to some stretches of DNA and RNA that code for a type of protein or for an RNA chain that has a function in the organism. Living beings depend on genes, as they specify all proteins and functional RNA chains...
s have been spliced
Genetic engineering
Genetic engineering, also called genetic modification, is the direct human manipulation of an organism's genome using modern DNA technology. It involves the introduction of foreign DNA or synthetic genes into the organism of interest...
with those of animals.
He returns to Gotham for several crossover events, including Underworld Unleashed
Underworld Unleashed
Underworld Unleashed was a multi-title comic book cross-over event released by DC Comics in 1995. As well as the core story-line of the three-issue Underworld Unleashed mini-series, most of the DC titles published in November and December 1995 and a number of one-off titles were part of the...
, Contagion, Legacy
Batman: Legacy
"Legacy" is a crossover story arc in the Batman comic book series, which is a sequel to another Batman story arc, "Contagion" and also serves as a follow-up to the "Knightfall" story arc....
, and Cataclysm
Batman: Cataclysm
"Cataclysm" is an 18 chapter DC Comics crossover story arc that ran through the various Batman family comics from March to May, 1998. The plot of the storyline centers around Gotham City being hit by a massive earthquake, the epicenter of the which is less than a mile from Wayne Manor...
. He also discovers that his father's killer, Carlton LeHah, is still alive, and gains a new archenemy, Nicholas Scratch.
He also changes his costume considerably for a time, after being framed for murder by Scratch. Azrael returns to his original costume and battles supposed hallucination
Hallucination
A hallucination, in the broadest sense of the word, is a perception in the absence of a stimulus. In a stricter sense, hallucinations are defined as perceptions in a conscious and awake state in the absence of external stimuli which have qualities of real perception, in that they are vivid,...
s that are supposed to represent both his father and St. Dumas himself. Toward the end of the series, Azrael is plagued by apparently supernatural
Supernatural
The supernatural or is that which is not subject to the laws of nature, or more figuratively, that which is said to exist above and beyond nature...
occurrences in the form of possible miracle
Miracle
A miracle often denotes an event attributed to divine intervention. Alternatively, it may be an event attributed to a miracle worker, saint, or religious leader. A miracle is sometimes thought of as a perceptible interruption of the laws of nature. Others suggest that a god may work with the laws...
s.
Azrael is seemingly killed in the series' final issue, shot with two specially-coated bullets while battling Scratch and LeHah. However, his body is never recovered. His death went unconfirmed for several years. In Booster Gold (vol. 2) #10, a note can be seen written on time traveler Rip Hunter's chalk board reading "Jean-Paul Valley Lives!". In the following issue, another note says "Azrael comes and goes." Azrael appears in Blackest Night #4 (October 2009) as an undead
Zombie
Zombie is a term used to denote an animated corpse brought back to life by mystical means such as witchcraft. The term is often figuratively applied to describe a hypnotized person bereft of consciousness and self-awareness, yet ambulant and able to respond to surrounding stimuli...
member of the Black Lantern Corps
Black Lantern Corps
The Black Lantern Corps is a fictional organization of revenants appearing in comic books published by DC Comics. The group is composed of deceased fictional characters that seek to eliminate all life from the DC Universe.-Publication history:...
; although at first it had not been confirmed whether it was Jean-Paul Valley or another Azrael (such as Ludovic Valley, who died in Gotham City). However, it was later revealed, in the index section of the Blackest Night tabloid vol.1, that it was in fact Jean-Paul.
Jean-Paul Valley makes a cameo at Batman's funeral service in Neil Gaiman
Neil Gaiman
Neil Richard Gaiman born 10 November 1960)is an English author of short fiction, novels, comic books, graphic novels, audio theatre and films. His notable works include the comic book series The Sandman and novels Stardust, American Gods, Coraline, and The Graveyard Book...
's 2009 story, Batman: Whatever Happened to the Caped Crusader?
Batman: Whatever Happened to the Caped Crusader?
"Whatever Happened to the Caped Crusader?" is a 2009 story featuring the DC Comics character of Batman. The story is published in two parts, in the "final" issues of the series Batman and Detective Comics , released February and April respectively...
, a story which is metaphysical
Metaphysics
Metaphysics is a branch of philosophy concerned with explaining the fundamental nature of being and the world, although the term is not easily defined. Traditionally, metaphysics attempts to answer two basic questions in the broadest possible terms:...
in nature.
Michael Lane
In 2009, a mini-series titled Azrael: Death's Dark Knight was produced as a tie-in to the Battle for the Cowl crossover event, with a later regular series.The new Azrael is the Third "Ghost of Batman" to undergo Doctor Hurt's experiments; an African American
African American
African Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have at least partial ancestry from any of the native populations of Sub-Saharan Africa and are the direct descendants of enslaved Africans within the boundaries of the present United States...
ex-cop named Michael Washington Lane. He is approached by the Order of Purity to reclaim the mantle of Azrael after the Order of Dumas' latest Azrael went mad and killed an undercover police officer. On his first night as Azrael he fights Talia al Ghul
Talia al Ghul
Talia al Ghul is a fictional character in the DC Comics universe, the now-estranged daughter of the supervillain Ra's al Ghul, a love interest of Batman, and the mother of his son Damian Wayne, the fifth Robin...
and a new team of mercenaries led by Merlyn
Merlyn (DC Comics)
Merlyn is a fictional character in the DC Comics universe. He is an archer created by writer Mike Friedrich, artist Dick Dillin, and inker Neal Adams as an archvillain of the hero Green Arrow, and he first appeared in Justice League of America #94 ....
and Nightwing
Dick Grayson
Dick Grayson is a fictional superhero that appears in comic books published by DC Comics. Created by Bob Kane and Bill Finger and illustrator Jerry Robinson, he first appeared in Detective Comics #38 in April 1940....
. After convincing Nightwing that he was not responsible for the murdered police officer, Nightwing persuades Talia to allow Michael to keep the Suit of Sorrows. In Batman And The Outsiders (vol. 2) #14, the character is displayed as a charming man who undergoes various purification rituals, overseen by the Order of Purity. The character is currently active in Gotham City.
Other versions
Valley is not the only Azrael in the DC Universe:- Valley's father (Jean-Paul Ludovic Valley) was the previous Azrael, as seen in Batman: Sword of Azrael (referenced by his son as having the same name) and, with more detail, in Azrael Annual #1 (identified as just Ludovic Valley).
- A Chinese man, supposedly given the same training as Valley and an identical costume, is briefly under the control of the Order. Also, the position of the order's enforcer has been passed on since medieval times.
- Earlier on in the Azrael series, another man is supposedly selected and trained in the same way as Valley and the Chinese Azrael to be Valley's replacement. He is defeated by Valley and supposedly falls to his death, only to resurface in Gotham at one point wearing one of Valley's 'Batman' armors and engaging in underground fights.
- There was a character Azrael who was briefly a member of the Teen Titans and who is otherwise unrelated to the character introduced in the Batman comics.http://comicbookdb.com/character.php?ID=518
Powers and abilities
The source of Azrael's abilities is a post-hypnotic training regimen known as The System. The details of The System are never fully explained, but it is understood that training begins before birth and includes genetic modification, prenatal electric shock, and the use of apes as surrogate mothers. The end result is a human being who is inhumanly strong and fast and has a raging split personality triggered by the donning of the Azrael costume. The split personality is apparently coached to believe it is an actual BiblicalBible
The Bible refers to any one of the collections of the primary religious texts of Judaism and Christianity. There is no common version of the Bible, as the individual books , their contents and their order vary among denominations...
angel
Angel
Angels are mythical beings often depicted as messengers of God in the Hebrew and Christian Bibles along with the Quran. The English word angel is derived from the Greek ἄγγελος, a translation of in the Hebrew Bible ; a similar term, ملائكة , is used in the Qur'an...
of vengeance. His weapons include wrist-mounted swords which ignite flames and can also be launched from the gauntlets. Azrael also dons bullet- and flame-proof armor.
It is implied towards the middle of the series that all Azraels have been imparted with some form of The System, but that the training and genetic tampering have been updated and changed significantly in the Order's 500-year history. The System also somehow separates an Azrael's civilian identity from his powers, in that they are only super strong or super fast while in costume. However, towards the end of his life Jean-Paul was able to manifest these abilities while in his normal personality.
Azrael is also an expert with computers. When he was first introduced in Batman: Sword of Azrael #1, it was revealed that Jean-Paul was studying computer programming in college and during Knightquest he frequently dealt with Tim Drake's (then newly appointed as Robin) attempts to hack the Batcave's computer system successfully, once stating that Tim was overconfident in his abilities and that a far more experienced hacker now inhabited the cave.
Jean-Paul also trained as a detective when he was with Batman's team, although he also demonstrated some deductive ability during his early days as Azrael when working with Alfred and Nomez to track down Lehah and the captured Bruce.
Equipment
Azrael's original costume consists of special red and gold armor. After becoming an "Agent of the Bat", he dons silver and black armor with a red cape and a stylized red bat symbol on the chest. Later on, he dons red armor with golden gauntlets, boots, shoulder pads and a blue cape. He sometimes carries a flaming sword, and also uses two retractable daggers hidden in the gauntlets of his costume. On page 71 of the updated edition of Batman: The Ultimate Guide to the Dark Knight, Scott Beatty implied that Azrael's changing costumes were reflections of the changes in Azrael's life from an agent of St. Dumas to an agent of the Batman to his own man. The gauntlets were taken by Kate Spencer, the current ManhunterManhunter (Kate Spencer)
Manhunter is a fictional character, a superheroine in publications from DC Comics. Kate Spencer is the eighth DC Comics character depicted using the name Manhunter, and the first female to do so. The character first appears in Manhunter Manhunter is a fictional character, a superheroine in...
, and are used in her outfit.
Video games
- Azrael is a character that can be officially created after obtaining all the mini-kits for the hero chapters of the game in Lego Batman: The Videogame in the character customization feature. The Nintendo DSNintendo DSThe is a portable game console produced by Nintendo, first released on November 21, 2004. A distinctive feature of the system is the presence of two separate LCD screens, the lower of which is a touchscreen, encompassed within a clamshell design, similar to the Game Boy Advance SP...
version also features him and can be unlocked and made available to purchase after all the levels have been completed and True Hero on Batboat Chase.
- Azrael appears in Batman: Arkham City, voiced by Khary PaytonKhary PaytonKhary Payton is an American actor and voice actor known for his voice characterizations in animated cartoons, having portrayed Cyborg in the Teen Titans animated series and Aqualad in Young Justice. In the cartoon series Justice League, Payton provided the voice of the villain Ten...
. This Azrael wears an amalgamation of Jean-Paul Valley's Azrael armor and Michael Lane's Azrael armor yet retains Michael Lane's crusader-esque look, but also has a wrist-mounted flaming blade like the one used by Jean-Paul Valley. His character profile states he is the Michael Lane incarnation of the character. If Batman chooses to pursue him, he leaves symbols in his standing spots that are revealed to be a map leading to the destination of a final symbol. When Batman discovers it, Azrael appears and reveals that he is a member of The Order of St. DumasThe Sacred Order of Saint Dumas-History:The order was originally a part of the Knights Templar, a group of soldier-monks that were formed during the Crusades originally to protect pilgrims journeying to the Holy Land, and who grew quite powerful before being disbanded...
and delivers him a cryptic message about the impending dark future of Batman and Gotham City. Furthermore, Batman has apparently never heard of the Order of St. Dumas, even though BaneBane (comics)Bane is a fictional character who appears in comic books published by DC Comics. The character first appeared in Batman: Vengeance of Bane #1 , and was created by Chuck Dixon, Doug Moench, and Graham Nolan. Bane has been one of Batman's more physically and intellectually powerful foes...
alluded to Knightfall in the previous gameBatman: Arkham AsylumBatman: Arkham Asylum is a 2009 action-adventure stealth video game based on DC Comics' Batman developed for PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Mac OS X and Microsoft Windows. It was developed by Rocksteady Studios and published by Eidos Interactive in conjunction with Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment...
. Azrael gives Batman a message that dark days are coming and that Batman will be the one to close the Gates of Hell. He also states that from the ashes of Arkham, the fires will rage and Gotham will burn alongside Batman. Upon stating that the message has been delivered, Azrael leaves stating to Batman that they will meet again, creating a cliffhanger for any potential sequel.
External links
- World of Black Heroes: Azrael Michael washington lane Biography
- Azrael (Jean-Paul Valley) at the DC Database Project
- Azrael (Jean-Paul Ludovic Valley, the father) at the DC Database Project
- Azrael (Michael Lane) at the DC Database Project
- Azrael Biography at Batman Myth.com