Azrael is the name given to the champions of at least two splinter groups of the Sacred Order of St. Dumas. The mantle of Azrael was passed down hereditary lines in the Order of St. Dumas for hundreds of years until the their final Azrael, Jean-Paul Valley destroyed that faction of the order. This orders Azraels wore suits of armor that resembled St. Dumas', and brandished flaming swords.
The Order of Purity, another splinter group also called their champions, Azrael. These Azrael's wore mystical armor called the Suit of Sorrows, and wielded the Sword of Sin and the Sword of Salvation. These armaments were past from one generation to another since the crusades. Sir Geoffrey de Cantonna was the first knight to don the suit of sorrows for the order. He, and all his successors since then were driven insane by it.
Augmented with animal hormones and trained from birth through a process of hypnosis known as "The System" to be the ultimate warrior, Jean Paul Valley is the avenging angel of the Order of Saint Dumas, Azrael. After his injuries at the hands of Bane; Jean-Paul Valley was chosen to replace Bruce Wayne as the Batman. When Batman returned, Valley became Azrael once more.
Michael Washington Lane, the current Azrael of the Order of Purity is an ex-cop who gained enhanced strength and reflexes after being experimented on by evil scientist Doctor Hurt. Originally, he was intended to be part of a program for Police Officers in Gotham City to create replacement heroes for Batman should anything ever happen to him. This treatment drove him insane, and he now bears the Suit of Sorrows and acts as an agent of the Sacred Order of St. Dumas.
Current Azrael:
Michael Washington Lane
Former Azraels:
Jean-Paul Valley
