The role of Azrael was passed from generation to generation until the Order perfected genetic engineering. (Mind you, this was centuries before the discover of DNA.) From that point on, the Azraels were part human and part animal. The unborn child was surgically removed (and then the mother was killed) and incubated in a tank that would regularly subject the fetus to electric shocks. The idea was to instill "wrath" even before the child was born. After birth, the children went into a training program known as "The System". They became killing machines.
Hundreds of years after the Order was formed, an Azrael failed in a mission to kill a man named LeHah (also known as the Demon Biis), an enemy of the Order. The Azrael crawled to his son's doorstep (in Gotham) and passed the role to the next generation. The Gotham University student was named Jean-Paul Valley.
Jean-Paul, alarmed by the information about his past, took his father's place. Along the way, he rescued Bruce Wayne, who gave him a job at Waynetech. Azrael soon became yet another of Batman's proteges.
Azrael and Batman shared a fairly close friendship. So much so that when Bruce's back was broken, he asked Jean-Paul to stand in for him as Batman. However, Jean-Paul's past training caught up with him. The result was a nervous breakdown and a number of deaths with Batman named as the killer. It took a combined effort of Nightwing, Robin, and a recovering Bruce to put an end to his rampage.
Azrael returned to the Order to seek his identity. He met the Order's leader, Brother Rollo, and Sister Lilhy, a powerful member. He also came into contact with his replacement Azrael. Jean-Paul became involved in a plot from Sister Lilhy to assassinate Brother Rollo. The plans failed, however, and Azrael fled along with Lilhy and another man named Brian Bryan. He did, however discover his identity. During his search to find out more about his past, he was horrified to learn the truth about his creation and purpose.
Azrael eventually returned to Gotham and immediately encountered LeHah, who was quickly defeated. Ra's Al Ghul, a member of the order, then released a strain of Ebola Gulf-A virus from the Babylon Towers in Gotham. Azrael discovered the cure and saved Tim Drake's life. (He'd been infected with the deadly virus.)
Jean-Paul found himself fighting when not wearing his Azrael disguise. He was attacked by "Nug and Kluber", who had a revenge kick with him, and he "inflicted serious injuried on them." He began to try and put his life as Azrael behind him, and succeeded. The timing, however, was most inopportune. Brother Rollo, from the Order, wanted Jean-Paul and all his friends dead. Azrael was reborn at the hands of Brian and Nomez (whoever that is), who re-implemented the System. Azrael was responsible for the distruction of the Order in Switzerland. Sister Lilhy then set up a base in Mexico, and Azrael followed her there. However, over time, she became just as domineering and corrupt as the Order had been. Jean-Paul left Mexico and returned once again to Gotham. He has since been struggling to redeem himself in Batman's eyes.
The biggest step he took was capturing Bane. During the struggle, Azrael was captured and addicted to Venom, Bane's steroid drug. Azrael battled his way through withdrawl and outsmarted Bane. Bane was brought into police custody just as an earthquake struck Gotham.
Azrael was then faced with the task of recapturing Bane, who had escaped in the midst of the chaos, and helping the people of Gotham. He assisted as many people as possible, but was not able to handle the death that resulted in spite of his efforts. He left Gotham for good, and returned to Sister Lilhy and Brian in Mexico.
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