Azrael (DC Comics)

Azrael is an antihero and superhero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character was created by Denny O'Neil and Joe Quesada and debuted in Batman: Sword of Azrael #1 (October 1992). Both the original version and subsequent version are typically Christian assassins and vigilantes with a profound connection to a secret religious order derived from the Knight Templars. The original version of the character is Jean-Paul Valley Jr. a college student who discovers he is from a long hereditary line of assassins and enforcers of the Order of St. Dumas, an extremist sect of the Knight Templars who employs "Azraels" by manipulating and grooming them at a young age to silence dissent among their ranks and as field operatives for their agent. Ultimately rejecting their agenda and dogma, he instead joins alongside Batman as one of the "extended" members of the Batman Family, protecting Gotham City and dismantling the order. The character once also served briefly as Batman during the events of the Knightfall storyline as a more brutal substitute for Batman after his back was broken by Bane. He was also a member of the Justice League Odyssey. While Valley serves as the primary incarnation, other versions of the character exist; in the character's comic book death prior to The New 52, Michael Lane served in the role of Azrael. An African-American and former Gotham City police officer, he is trained secretly to replace Batman and is approached by the Order of Purity, a less violent off-shoot of the Order of St. Dumas, and became his successor. In current continuities, they serve in the role concurrently. Both Jean-Paul Valley and Michael Lane have appeared in associated DC media. Additionally, an original iteration of the character appears in the second season of Gotham, portrayed by James...