Description
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 (August 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.
In media, the Michael Lane incarnation of Azrael has been featured in the Batman: Arkham series of video games, voiced by Khary Payton, while an original iteration of Azrael, Theo Galavan , appeared in the second season of the television series Gotham , portrayed by James Frain.
