Azrael (DC Comics)

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Azrael
Swordazrael1.jpg
Jean-Paul Valley as Azrael on the cover to Batman: Sword of Azrael #1 (1992)
Art by Joe Quesada and Kevin Nowlan.
Publication information
Publisher DC Comics
First appearance Batman: Sword of Azrael #1 (October 1992)
Created by
In-story information
Alter ego
  • Jean-Paul Valley Jr.
  • Michael Washington Lane
  • Theo Galavan (Gotham)
Species Metahuman
Team affiliations The Order of St. Dumas
The Order of Purity
Partnerships
  • Jean-Paul Valley:
  • Sister Lily
  • Nomoz
  • Brian Bryan
  • Batwing II
AbilitiesThe chief suit piece of Azrael, the arcane Suit of Sorrows, grants various abilities dependent on the continuity:
  • Pre- Flashpoint : Suit of Sorrows grants Azrael superhuman attributes, the skills of previous bearers, and the ability to revive the bearer akin to a Lazarus Pit should they die while having the armor on.
  • Post-Flashpoint: Suit of Sorrows possess an advanced artificial intelligence that enables Azrael to strike at the weak point of his targets. The suit itself is also protective, considered bulletproof.

Azrael is an alias used by multiple fictional characters appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The original version, Jean-Paul Valley , was created by Denny O'Neil, Joe Quesada, and Peter Milligan, and debuted in Batman: Sword of Azrael #1 (October 1992). The second character to assume the alias was Michael Washington Lane, in Azrael: Death's Dark Knight #1 (May 2009). Both iterations are Christian vigilantes and assassins created by the Order of St. Dumas and/or its derivatives (i.e the Order of Purity), secretive religious organizations seeking to restore justice to Gotham City through religious extremism. They are typically portrayed as antiheroes and reluctant allies of the superhero Batman and the Batman Family, battling forms of manipulations employed by their respective orders, violent tendencies shaped by tragedies in their life, and proving themselves trusted allies to Batman.

Contents

Both Jean-Paul Valley and Michael Lane have appeared in associated DC media. Additionally, an original iteration, Theo Galavan , appears in the second season of the television series Gotham , portrayed by James Frain.

Characters

Jean-Paul Valley

Jean-Paul Valley was introduced as the original Azrael in the 1992 four-issue miniseries Batman: Sword of Azrael. [1] [2]

He later briefly assumed the identity of Batman in the "Knightfall" story arc (1993-1994), after Bruce Wayne was severely injured in a fight with Bane. [3]

Then, he starred in the subsequent Azrael series.

Michael Washington Lane

Michael Lane was originally introduced in Batman #665 (June 2007) as the alter-ego of the supervillain Bat-Devil. In Azrael: Death's Dark Knight #1 (May 2009), the character was re-introduced as the current Azrael, as part of Battle for the Cowl , a storyline told in a three-issue miniseries format written by Fabian Nicieza. [4] [5]

Others

A number of other characters besides Valley and Lane have assumed the identity of Azrael in the DC Universe:

Other versions

In The Multiversity: The Just, which takes place on the alternate Earth-16 (where the grown sidekicks and children of superheroes live on an Earth free of crime), Damian Wayne, the new Batman, has a variation of Jean Paul's Azrael suit in a glass display in the Batcave.

In other media

Television

An original incarnation of Azrael, Theo Galavan , appears in the second season of Gotham , portrayed by James Frain. [8] He is a billionaire industrialist, heir apparent of the Order of St. Dumas, brother of Tabitha Galavan, uncle of Silver St. Cloud, benefactor of a criminal group called the "Maniax", and later mayor of Gotham City. After being exposed and killed by Oswald Cobblepot and Jim Gordon, Theo is later revived by Hugo Strange, but is rendered insane and amnesiac. Under the belief that he is Azrael, an ancient immortal warrior who vanquished the Order's enemies, Strange gives Theo armor, a mask, and sword and tasks him with killing Gordon, only for Theo to be killed by Cobblepot and Butch Gilzean via an RPG. [9]

Video games

Miscellaneous

The Jean-Paul Ludovic Valley and Jean-Paul Valley Jr. incarnations of Azrael appear in the Batman: Knightfall audio drama.

Collected editions

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<i>Azrael</i> (comic book)

Azrael was an American comic book ongoing series, published by DC Comics based on the character Azrael. The name, inspired by the Judaic Angel of Death, is primarily associated with two characters: Jean-Paul Valley and Michael Lane. Valley was primarily featured between 1992 and 2003, while Lane was the star of a comics series which ran from 2009 to 2011.

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"Azrael" is the nineteenth episode of the second season, and 41st episode overall from the Fox series Gotham. The episode was written by co-producer Jim Barnes and co-executive producer Ken Woodruff and directed by Larysa Kondracki. It was first broadcast on May 2, 2016. In the episode, Theo Galavan is finally resurrected and begins a killing spree across Gotham City, calling himself "Azrael" while Gordon and Bruce try to arrest Dr. Hugo Strange for his involvement in the resurrection and his inhuman experiments.

"Unleashed" is the twentieth episode of the second season, and 42nd episode overall from the Fox series Gotham. The episode was written by executive producer Danny Cannon and directed by Paul Edwards. It was first broadcast on May 9, 2016. In the episode, Azrael continues his killing spree across Gotham City while Dr. Strange tries to evade arrest for his experiments.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Michael Lane (character)</span> Fictional character in DC Comics

Michael Washington Lane is an antihero character appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. He debuted in Batman #665 as the supervillain Bat-Devil, before later taking on the identity of Azrael, being the second character to do so, after Jean-Paul Valley.

Oswald Cobblepot (<i>Gotham</i>) Fictional character on Gotham

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References

  1. Manning, Matthew K. (2010). "1990s". In Dolan, Hannah (ed.). DC Comics Year By Year A Visual Chronicle. Dorling Kindersley. p. 255. ISBN   978-0-7566-6742-9. Azrael, one of the most important characters of the modern Batman mythos, was dropped right under the noses of an unsuspecting reading populace in the debut issue of Batman: Sword of Azrael by esteemed bat-scribe Denny O'Neil, talented young penciler Joe Quesada, and inker extraordinaire Kevin Nowlan.
  2. BATMAN: SWORD OF AZRAEL
  3. Booker, M. Keith, ed. (2014). Comics Through Time: A History of Icons, Idols, and Ideas. ABC-CLIO. p. 909. ISBN   9780313397516.
  4. "Batman: Battle for the Cowl - Enter Azrael", IGN , December 18, 2008
  5. "Fabian Nicieza Unleashes Azrael", Comic Book Resources , December 29, 2008
  6. Azrael #4 (May 1995)
  7. Azrael #10 (November 1995)
  8. "Get Ready for Azrael's 'Gotham' Debut with New Synopsis". Comic Book Resources. 2016-04-08. Archived from the original on 2016-08-11. Retrieved 2016-04-08.
  9. Gotham EP Promises Comics-Accurate Azrael in Second Half of Season 2