Azazel (Marvel Comics)

Azazel claims that many years ago an ancient horde of demonic humanoid mutants from biblical times called the Neyaphem were in an epic battle with a group of angelic xenophobic mutants, named the Cheyarafim. The Cheyarafim were victorious in the battle and banished the "demons" to an alternate dimension for all eternity. The Neyaphem's leader, Azazel, was the only one who was able to breach the dimensional void for brief periods of time due to his teleportation powers. His only hope to return to Earth was by impregnating women because his children are linked to his dimension.[1]

Azazel began mating with women who had unusual characteristics, at least with looks and abilities other women did not have, as successfully birthing a Neyaphem takes a great physical strain. He met Mystique in Germany; at the time she was married to a rich baron named Christian Wagner, who was unable to give her children. When Mystique was introduced to Azazel, whom Christian knew as a business partner, she had an instant attraction to him. Although she was hesitant to betray Christian, she gave in to Azazel and became pregnant with Nightcrawler. While Mystique had actually fallen in love with Azazel, he seemed only to be interested in impregnating her, and shortly after his "mission" was complete, Azazel left Mystique. Soon afterward, Mystique killed Christian and buried him because he suspected her betrayal. A few months later, Mystique gave birth to Nightcrawler. Due to the shock and the strain of the boy’s difficult delivery, Mystique lost concentration and accidentally revealed her true form. Considered a demon, Mystique was chased away by an angry mob. Barely escaping, she took the form of a townsperson and, acquiescing to the mob, tossed the baby down a ravine.[2] The child was teleported away, apparently by Azazel, and given into Margali Szardos’ care.[3]

Azazel eventually returns to Earth thanks to Frankenstein's Monster's former ally Carcabria (a witch of The Winding Way that is affiliated with Margali Szardos).[4] Azazel and his Azazel-like Bamfs side with Kade Killgore and the Hellfire Club where he works at the Hellfire Academy. Azazel also claimed that he took over Heaven and Hell.[5] In the depths of Hell, he encounters thousands of worm-like parasites whom he feeds with his blood and thus reforms them as Bamfs in his own image.[6]

Using his Bamf army and his link with Nightcrawler, who died in the meantime, Azazel begins invading the domains of afterlife - Heaven, Hell, and Purgatory - to gather souls and thus boost his power to divine proportions. However, Nightcrawler strikes a deal with some of the Bamfs. With the additional aid of his fellow X-Men, Nightcrawler draws Azazel from the afterlife and binds him to Earth, sacrificing his soul in the process.[7] But as Azazel is sent to Ryker's Island in S.H.I.E.L.D. custody, Mystique frees him despite Nightcrawler's attempts to stop her.[8]

Azazel is later seen in Washington, Making a deal with a congressman, when Mystique and Weapon X-force arrive, asking for his help to send them into hell to confront William Stryker. After a brief fight, he agrees to help them by decapitating Sabretooth.[9]

Azazel possesses all of his son Nightcrawler's powers, but to a much greater degree; claimed by Mystique and Nightcrawler to be the greatest[11] and most powerful[12] teleporter in the world, he has unparalleled teleportation powers and does not suffer from the limits of needing to see or know where he is going.

Azazel also seems to have studied swordsmanship to such a degree that he has become extremely skilled with bladed weapons. He has also studied many academic fields.

Azazel displays a number of super-human abilities during his appearances; these include:

• Immortality: He does not age at all, and can apparently regenerate injured or missing cells from even near-fatal injuries.
• Teleportation: able to transport himself, his clothing, and additional mass across inter-dimensional distances.
• Paralyzation: ability to generate bolts of paralyzing energy.
• Metamorph: can disguise his appearance through unknown means.
• Will Bending: ability to manipulate minds, giving him influence over others.

In the "Age of Apocalypse" reality, Azazel first appears as a member of the Clan Akkaba.[13] Weapon Omega appointed Azazel his Minister of Death and made him his right-hand man.

In the patchwork planet known as Battleworld that debuted in Secret Wars, a zombified version of Azazel is shown to exist in the Deadlands, a Battleworld domain outside God Emperor Doom's jurisdiction that represents the remnants of Earth-2149 and goes by the name of Red Terror.[14]

• Actor Jason Flemyng plays Azazel in X-Men: First Class.[15] In the film, Azazel is a member of the Hellfire Club, alongside Sebastian Shaw, Emma Frost, and Riptide. He is the assistant of Sebastian Shaw and works alongside his other allies Riptide and Emma Frost. In the film, he displays incredible teleporting abilities, similar to that displayed by Nightcrawler in the film X2 but ranging over a much greater distance, and hand-to-hand combat skills, assisted by a short sword and a sharp tail on which he impales his victims. He also is of Russian origin, speaking in a Russian accent and at times using Russian phrases, such as "nyet" and "comrade". At the film's climax, he engages Beast in a brutal fight until Beast finally knocks him out, and following the death of Shaw and paralysis of Xavier, Azazel joins Magneto's Brotherhood of Mutants.
• In the sequel X-Men: Days of Future Past, it is revealed that Azazel is among the mutants experimented on and killed by Bolivar Trask. In viral marketing it is mentioned that he and Angel Salvadore were killed by Project Wideawake members.[16][17][18] According to Dark Phoenix director Simon Kinberg, the Azazel of the film series was the father of Mystique, whereas in the comics he was her lover and the two the parents of Nightcrawler.[19]

• Azazel at Marvel.com
• Uncannyxmen.net Character Profile on Azazel
• Azazel on Marvel Database, a Marvel Comics wiki