Azrael

Real name: Jean Paul Valley "The Scourge Of Heaven"
Occupation: Adventurer
Group affiliation: Approved to function in Gotham
Base of operations: Gotham City

Height: 6'2"
Weight: 210 lbs.
Eye color: Blue
Hair color: Blonde

Powers: Being a genetically engineered person with the inclusion of certain animal DNA in his own, Azrael has been given greater strength than the human norm, he has been known to hurl large stone alters and steel objects possibly weighing one or two tons, however these powers are only available to Azrael and not Jean Paul. The costume is a neccessary trigger for "The System" to impart him with his "Angelic Wrath" giving him his strength and enhanced reflexes and speed.

Weapons: The costume Azrael curently wears was designed by Nomoz . Incorporating the advanced Order technology that created the silent hovercraft, the universal solvent, and the Azraels themselves, Nomoz crafted a fireproof and bulletproof fabric that resembles a weave of Kevlar and Nomex materials. He also weilds a fiery sword, the fire was fed by a module in the hilt.

The Bundi daggers telescope out to different lengths, and back into the sleeves. They remain attached to prevent loss, but, as seen in issue four, they can be fired at an opponent, a bit like throwing a knife. They are made from high tech alloys of the Orders invention they are sharp and immune to ordinary wear. The blade's fire is fed from a module in their basis, just like the sword, but the flame can sustain itself for a much longer time.

The gloves have only four fingers, and the medallion of The Order of St. Dumas is used as the cape clasp. The armor on Azrael's shoulders, and the chest plate are of unknown composition. The costume also includes a belt, which has pockets. What these pockets store is unknown at this point.

Azrael also employs a Flame cannon, Bat-Blade cannon, Servo-assisted joints, Chest light, Night lenses, Claws, Built-in air supply.

Azrael carries a mobile phone to allow him to contact Oracle as he was never fully trained as a detective and often needs information in a hurry.

History: The Order of St. Dumas has always had a guardian angel to protect it's members. From the middle ages, the 'honor' of being Azrael the avenging angel has been passed from father to son. After the conception of the child, the embryo was removed from it's natural mother (who was 'disposed' of) and grown in a tube of fluids and chemicals from various animals, including apes. Once every short while, the baby was subjected to electric shocks. This was the start of the conditioning that continued after the 'birth' of the child, in the form of hypnotic suggestions.

Jean Paul was trained and condition from birth by �The System� to be an angelic assassin through drugs, physical workouts, and hypnosis. He was trained to become a lethal weapon of the Order of St. Dumas--to punish the disobedient, destroy the unfaithful, and terrify the unrighteous.

Jean Paul Valley became the current Azrael after the arms dealer Lehah killed his father. Upon instructions given to him before his father's death, Jean Paul was taken to a small village in Switzerland, where a dwarf named Nomoz activated all of Azrael's training - until that moment he had no idea he was anything other than a normal student!

The zealous faith in Saint Dumas and the Order was instilled in Azrael in addition to the variety of martial arts, weaponry, fighting tactics, etc. He has been genetically engineered, as have all Azrael's, to achieve maximum, inhuman strength, stamina, speed, agility, etc. through his "half-animal" breeding.

As a fetus, the Grey Abbott tortured him with volts of powerful electricity (a form of "skyfire," ) to generate an innate, pure, angelic rage. Growing up was lonely for him, as he was isolated from the "un-holy masses" by his father and the Order, for Azrael must be an angel among men. He was enrolled as a very good computer science student at Gotham University. It was when his father died, while he was in college, that Jean Paul took over the role of Azrael. Trained by the Order's Nomoz, he became a fearsome angel of vengeance. But, hating the bloodthirst that he had, he rejected the Order and the killing.

Azrael's first opponent was none other than the Batman, who had followed a trail of clues to Switzerland, investigating the mysterious death of the previous Azrael - Jean Paul's father. Azrael was beaten, but rescued by Nomoz.

By this time, Lehah believed he was the embodiment of the Demon Biis, St. Dumas' arch enemy, and was systematically executing all the members of the Order. Batman tracked Azrael to the site of Lehah's latest execution, just in time to see Jean Paul come crashing through the window of the hospital he had been in. While Alfred tended to the boy, Batman, while still dressed as Bruce Wayne, gave chase after Lehah. Unfortunately, after having shelves full of chemicals fall on him, Bruce was affected by the fumes and easy pray for the Demon Biis, who kidnapped him.

After much encouragement from Alfred, Jean Paul proved he was more than just a fighter and deducted that Bruce had been taken to London. Jean Paul donned the Azrael mask and rescued Bruce from the building he was hostage in. Lehah was apparently killed in the fire that destroyed the same building.

Azrael left the dwarf, Nomoz, and went back with Bruce to live in Gotham. He got a job as a security guard at Waynetech during the day and continued his training as Azrael with Robin at night. Bruce Wayne was suffering from exhaustion and Azrael took over the mantle of the bat at Robin's suggestion. (Unknown to Bruce) to try and stop Killer Croc.

This was where Jean Paul first met Bane. After 'Batman' has taken a beating from Killer Croc, Bane arrived and took Croc apart without even breaking a sweat, as a 'message' to Batman. He realised immediately that this Batman was not the one he had met before, and treating Jean Paul as if he didn't exist, left. Bruce arrived shortly after and was not too pleased at what Robin and Jean Paul had done, taking back the mantle of the bat.

The System, as the hypnotic suggestion was known, started to take over Jean Paul. He was determined that he would never be ignored again and started a heavy training routine, all the time fighting the assassin instincts of Azrael. Bane, in the meantime, had let every occupant of Arkham Asylum free - just to test Batman. After deeming Batman ready, Bane went to Wayne Manor and fought Bruce in the Batcave. Bruce was so exhausted he could hardly stand and hardly managed to touch Bane. Batman had his spine broken and was almost killed. Azrael was handed the mantle of the bat again.

Falling further into the murderous clutches of the System, Jean Paul redesigned the bat costume into a robotic exoskelton, with blades and body amor - more like Azraels costume than Bruce's.

After a long, hard fight Azrael defeated Bane, and managed to beat the System temporarily and not kill Bane. But it was a small victory.

As Azrael continued Jean Paul began to vanish. The System had taken over completely, with Azrael seeing visions of St. Dumas and his father - both telling him that he had failed them. This drove Azrael mad. He continued upgrading the suit, adding more armor and weapons, including a flame thrower and shuriken launcher. In his disregard for life he allowed the psychopathic killer, Abattoir, to die and in doing so condemned an innocent man to death.

It was shortly after that Bruce Wayne returned from overseas to see what Jean Paul had done to the batman. Confronting Paul in the Batcave, Bruce told him he was taking the mantle back. Jean Paul attacked Bruce, saying there was only one Batman and he was it. He then told Bruce not to come back and left.

Bruce went to Lady Shiva for training as his reflexes were not what they used to be. He confronted Paul again as Batman, but even with the help of Robin, Nightwing and Catwoman was not able to defeat him.

He eventually shocked Azrael out of his murderous rage by exposing him to bright sunlight whilst he had his nightvision lens in place. Paul removed his mask for the first time in weeks and admitted that Bruce was the Batman. He left Wayne Manor a broken shell and lived as a bum for a while, meeting Brian Bryan, the world's worst psychiatrist.

Batmen, feeling guilty for letting Jean Paul go without any help, tracked him down and returned his original Azrael costume and give him information about the whereabouts of the Order of St. Dumas.

Epilogue:
Jean Paul has since apparently destroyed the corrupt order of St. Dumas, discovered his animal origins, met Ra's Al Ghul and fought and defeated Bane again, all the time looking for a way to rid himself of the controlling power of the System - although it has never taken control of him in the way it did during the Knightquest saga.

Wandering in Gotham, the broken Jean Paul began to desire to control his System. Thus, began his journey.

Now Jean has become an "Agent of the Bat" and works for Batman in a sense. He has assumed a new mantle/costume, but the powers still are in effect in this new guise.

Azrael has a strong desire for aproval from Batman. This probably stems from his lack of a father figure during childhood, similarly his emotional experiance can make him vulnerable to women as Catwoman, Lilhy and Talia have collectively proved.