AZAZEL

Real Name: Azazel

Class: Demon

Occupation: Ruler of Hell

Group Affiliation: Hell's Hierarchy

Known Relatives: None

Aliases: None

Base of Operations: Hell

First Appearance: Sandman II #4 (April, 1989)

Powers: Like other demons Azazel was ageless, immortal, and supernaturally powerful.. He normally appeared as shifting darkness containing a number of mouths and eyes, and could swallow souls into his shadowy self.

History: (Spectre III #25) - <150 AD> Lucifer assembled the lords of Hell, including Azazel, showing them the work of Spectre, the Wrath of God, and said his mission of bloody vengeance was nudging humans to stay on the straight and narrow out of fear. He told the lords they'd each get a chance to destroy Specter, with whoever succeeded being elevated in Hell's hierarchy.

(Sandman II #4) - Following the Shadow Creature's assault on Heaven there was civil war in Hell. Lucifer ended it by sharing his rule of Hell with Beelzebub and Azazel. Dream came to Hell to reclaim his lost helm, and a passing remark he made about the power of dreams rankled Lucifer. Lucifer vowed to one day destroy Dream.

(Hellblazer #44 (BTS), 45) - John felt himself dying of his cancer, and slit his wrists to speed up the process. The First of the Fallen arrived to watch him die. As his life faded, Azazel and Beelzebub arrived for John’s soul. John humiliated the Devil by revealing to his fellow rulers how John had bested him. He then revealed that they were both due his soul, as he’d fooled them like fledgling demons into signing separate contracts with him. By demon law, someone was owed their due, and John told them they could go to war over his soul, but another rebellion in Hell was guaranteed to be dealt with harshly by Heaven. After the others berated the Devil long enough, and made him see that was would be suicide for all of them he agreed to help save Constantine’s life. The lords of Hell cured John’s wrist, and ripped out his cancer, but they made the process as agonizing for him as they could. The First impotently railed and threatened John. John dusted himself off, elated at having bested the lords of Hell, reminded them that it was in their best interests to keep him healthy, and shot them an obscene gesture before walking off.

(JLA #23) - Dream placed a necklace made of Star Conquerors in the chest that contained Azazel and other threats to creation.

Comments: Adapted to comics by Neil Gaiman & Sam Kieth.

For more information on the Biblical Azazel, see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Azazel.

Azazel received a profile in Who’s Who in the DC Universe #11 under the Hell’s Hierarchy entry.

Azazel had a cameo in Hellblazer #46.