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SPECIAL POWERS: Physically and psychologically programmed by scientists of the Order of St. Dumas to be an assassin. Azrael possesses superb combat skills, great strength, speed and agility.

HISTORY: Jean Paul Valley was a normal student at Gotham University. It was only when his father died that Jean-Paul discovered that he had been the avenging angel of St Dumas, the agent of a strange religious orginazation. He also discovered that the mantle was passed automatically to him, and was initiated into the Order of St. Dumas. However, aided by Batman, he resisted his mental programming and became a more moral vigilante.

Valley plays a pivotal role in the "Knightfall" story arc (1992–1994), in which he stands in as Batman after Bruce Wayne is defeated and paralyzed at the hands of Bane. Against Bruce Wayne's orders, Valley fights and defeats Bane, wearing an enhanced battle-armour he designed and built under the influence of the System. His performance as Batman is influenced by his Azrael conditioning; he grows increasingly violent, allowing the mass murderer Abattoir to fall to his death, thereby also allowing one of Abattoir's still-living hostages to die. Valley also had control problems with Robin as his partner and vice-versa, which reached its peak when he almost strangles him to death and bans him from the Batcave. He holes off the Batcave from Wayne Manor and the Drake property, and eschews working with Commissioner Gordon and the Gotham police.

Initially, Wayne is impressed enough to let him remain as Batman, but when Robin tells him of Abattoir's death, he resolves to reclaim the Batman mantle. With his back repaired thanks to the sacrifice of Doctor Shondra Kinsolving, and his old fighting spirit regained after lessons with Lady Shiva, Wayne goes after Valley to reclaim his identity. After a prolonged battle, stretching from a mobster's penthouse to Gotham Bridge before culminating in a final showdown in the Batcave, Valley is forced to remove his armour, subsequently departing Wayne Manor after acknowledging Bruce Wayne as the true Batman.

Azrael is seemingly killed when he is shot with two specially-coated bullets while battling Scratch and LeHah. However, his body is never recovered. His death went unconfirmed for several years. In Booster Gold (vol. 2) #10, a note can be seen written on time traveler Rip Hunter's chalk board reading "Jean Paul Valley Lives!". In the following issue, another note says "Azrael comes and goes." Azrael appears in Blackest Night #4 (October 2009) as an undead member of the Black Lantern Corps, thus confirming that the character is, in fact, dead.