Azazel (Marvel Comics)

{{Infobox comics character

|character_name = Azazel

|image = Azazel HCV.jpg

|converted = y

|caption = Azazel

|species = Devil

|publisher = Marvel Comics

|debut = Uncanny X-Men #428
(August 2003)

|creators = Chuck Austen
Sean Phillips

|alliances = Hellfire Club

|aliases = Satan
Beelzebub
Beliar

|powers =

Paralyzing bolts projection
Prehensile tail
Shapeshifting
Teleportation
Telepathy
Night Vision
Spell casting
Mind control
Immortality

|alt = Azazel

}}

Azazel is a character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by Chuck Austen and Sean Philips, the character first appeared in Uncanny X-Men #428 (August 2003). He belongs to the subspecies of humans named mutants, who are born with superhuman abilities. He is the father of the X-Men's Kiwi Black{{Cite web |last=Hunt |first=James |date=October 6, 2017 |title=Marvel's Mutant Families |url=https://www.denofgeek.com/tv/marvels-mutant-families/ |access-date=October 11, 2022 |website=Den of Geek |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |last=Thompson |first=Jonathan |date=August 1, 2018 |title=Pret A Teleporter: 20 Things About Nightcrawler Only Real X-Men Fans Know |url=https://www.cbr.com/x-men-nightcrawler-things-to-know/ |access-date=October 11, 2022 |website=CBR |language=en-US}} and was originally the father of Nightcrawler as well until that was retconned in 2023.

The character was played by Jason Flemyng in the film X-Men: First Class (2011) and by Eduardo Gago Munoz in the Marvel Cinematic Universe film Deadpool & Wolverine (2024).

Publication history

Azazel's first appearance was in Uncanny X-Men #428 (August 2003) during "The Draco" storyline, written by Chuck Austen. The character's name comes from Azazel, an angel from the Book of Enoch mentioned first at chapter 8 verse 1. His origin story was presented in The Uncanny X-Men #433 (2004).

Fictional character biography

Azazel is said to be one of the oldest mutants, belonging to an ancient group of demonic-looking mutants called the Neyaphem.{{Cite web |last=Stewart |first=Brenton |date=September 22, 2019 |title=House of X: Every Mutant Villain Who Just Joined the X-Men, Ranked by Evil |url=https://www.cbr.com/house-of-x-every-mutant-villain-who-just-joined-the-x-men-ranked-by-evil/ |access-date=October 11, 2022 |website=CBR |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |last=Reynolds |first=Johnny |date=September 15, 2018 |title=25 Marvel Characters Fans Never Knew Had Gods For Parents |url=https://www.thegamer.com/marvel-characters-gods-for-parents/ |access-date=October 11, 2022 |website=TheGamer |language=en-US}} He states that he once rivaled Mephisto for the title of "Satan."{{Cite web |last=Zachary |first=Brandon |date=November 7, 2020 |title=The WORST X-Men Story Ever Almost Ruined Marvel's Most Noble Mutant |url=https://www.cbr.com/x-men-nightcrawler-draco-worst-story/ |access-date=October 11, 2022 |website=CBR |language=en-US}} Eventually, the Neyaphem were banished to the Brimstone Dimension by another group of angelic-looking mutants known as the Cheyarafim.{{Cite web |last=Young |first=Andrew |date=February 24, 2017 |title=10 Most Evil X-Men Villains |url=https://whatculture.com/comics/10-most-evil-x-men-villains |access-date=October 11, 2022 |website=WhatCulture.com |language=en}}{{Cite web |last=Avina |first=Anthony |date=December 16, 2019 |title=Marvel: 10 Most Powerful Alternate Dimensions in Marvel Comics, Ranked |url=https://www.cbr.com/marvel-strongest-dimensions-universes/ |access-date=October 11, 2022 |website=CBR |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |last=Outlaw |first=Kofi |date=May 29, 2020 |title=X-Men Producer Simon Kinberg Confirms Shocking Connection Between Mystique and Azazel |url=https://comicbook.com/movies/news/x-men-movies-producer-confirms-mystique-azazel-father-daughter-connection/ |access-date=October 11, 2022 |website=Movies |language=en}} Azazel is seen to be convinced that Warren Worthington III was one of the members of the group. Azazel has been known to make demonic deals with humans, including the family of Monet St. Croix.Weapon X Vol 3 #26

= Modern Age =

The leader of the Neyaphem, Azazel, is the only one who is able to breach the dimensional void and return to Earth for brief periods of time due to his teleportation powers. His main scheme to return to Earth permanently is to impregnate women, as his children are linked to his dimension and he can use them to create a stable gateway between dimensions.{{Cite web |last=Hernandez |first=Danny |date=January 1, 2020 |title=X-Men: 10 Things You Didn't Know About Nightcrawler |url=https://www.cbr.com/marvel-xmen-nightcrawler-things-didnt-know/ |access-date=October 11, 2022 |website=CBR |language=en-US}} Azazel begins mating with women who have strange appearances, at least with looks and abilities other women didn't have. He meets Mystique in Germany, when she is married to a rich castle lord named Baron Christian Wagner.{{Cite web |last=Galanis |first=Lia |date=February 13, 2020 |title=X-Men: Wait, Nightcrawler's Parents Were Almost WHO? |url=https://www.cbr.com/x-men-nightcrawler-parent-origins/ |access-date=October 11, 2022 |website=CBR |language=en-US}} Mystique is introduced to Azazel, whom Christian knew as a business partner. Mystique has an affair with Azazel and subsequently uses his genetic information, combined with her own, to impregnate Destiny with Nightcrawler.X-Men Blue: Origins #1 (November 2023) It is later shown that Azazel was taking care of business involving the Cheyarafim, and had to leave, knowing that Mystique would find some way to live. Christian discovers Mystique and Destiny together and is killed by Mystique. However, she doesn't have much time to formulate a plan, as the angry villagers soon find out about Christian's murder and come after her and the demonic-looking baby.{{Cite web |last=Billings |first=Charlie |date=June 4, 2022 |title=10 Marvel Comics Relationships Ruined By Villains |url=https://www.cbr.com/marvel-comics-relationships-ruined-by-villains/ |access-date=October 11, 2022 |website=CBR |language=en-US}} She shape-shifts into one of the villagers and drops Nightcrawler by a tree while she went back to save Destiny from the townsfolk. Kurt is then taken by Margoli Szardos.Uncanny X-Men #428.{{Cite web |last=Archbold |first=Phil |date=May 12, 2020 |title=Marvel Superheroes You May Not Realize Have Super Parents - Looper |url=https://www.looper.com/208855/marvel-superheroes-you-may-not-realize-have-super-parents/ |access-date=October 11, 2022 |website=Looper.com |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |last=Balino |first=Tomas |date=May 24, 2020 |title=Rogue, Mystique, Sabretooth & Nightcrawler: Their Twisted Family Connection, Finally Explained |url=https://www.cbr.com/rogue-mystique-sabretooth-nightcrawler-family-connection-explained/ |access-date=October 11, 2022 |website=CBR |language=en-US}} Later, believing Nightcrawler is his son, Azazel sires several dozen other children as part of an effort to forge a permanent connection between his hell-dimension and Earth.{{Cite web |last=Allan |first=Scoot |date=December 18, 2020 |title=Marvel: 10 Mutants With A Connection To Other Dimensions |url=https://www.cbr.com/xmen-mutants-connection-other-dimensions/ |access-date=October 11, 2022 |website=CBR |language=en-US}}

= Brimstone Dimension Opening =

Azazel's other children are all mysteriously called to gather and sacrifice themselves on the island known as the Isla Des Demonas to open a portal and bring his army to Earth, with the goal of destroying both the Cheyarafim and what Azazel calls "normal mutants", mutants whose bodies do not show signs of their mutation, and who are not seen as monsters and demons. In addition to Nightcrawler, another son of Azazel's is the Genoshan called Abyss. The children of Azazel all join each other in a zombie-like state and open a portal to his dimension. A group of X-Men had followed Kurt to see where he was going, and jump into the portal once it opens. Once inside, Azazel takes great pleasure in toying with the team, having them believe that he is actually Satan. In the end, the X-Men defeat Azazel and his army and banish him to an unknown oblivion. The X-Men, including Nightcrawler, are able to escape, along with two other children of Azazel: Abyss and Kiwi Black.Uncanny X-Men #429-434.

= Return =

Azazel's whereabouts are unknown for several years, but he resurfaces in this dimension, revealing himself to be the master of Calcabrina, former ally of Frankenstein's Monster, and banned from all realms of Hell.Amazing X-Men (Vol. 2) #1-5.

= Weapon X-Force =

Confronted by a shape-shifted Mystique, a disguise he easily sees through, Azazel is asked to join Mystique to the realm of Hell to fight the newly resurrected William Stryker, who has become demonic. Weapon X-Force is close in proximity, and Sabertooth grows agitated with the lack of progression towards the mission's goal, eventually having the team reveal themselves to attack Azazel, with the plan to force him to teleport them to the realm of Hell where Stryker now resides. Azazel quickly overpowers the team and obliges the request because of the ties Mystique has with both him and Sabretooth, as she is the mother of the sons of both men (Azazel is the father of her son Nightcrawler, and Sabretooth is the father of her son Graydon Creed).

In order to send them to Hell, the Weapon X-Force are killed by Azazel, as they are all sinners who are already designated for eternal damnation anyway. Due to all members of Weapon X-Force possessing powers of regenerative self-healing, Azazel is able to keep the entire team in suspended animation with the use of his teleportation abilities. Frozen in time, the team's souls are able to be transported to Hell to complete the mission and Azazel is then later able to unfreeze them to return them to their individual bodies once they are revived due to their individual healing factors.Weapon X Vol 3 #25

= House of X =

Azazel is eventually welcomed to the new mutant island of Krakoa, created by Xavier, Magneto, and Moira X. He enters through the teleportation gateway alongside other villainous and fractious mutants, who are invited to join the nation to heal mutantdom and start over as a species.House of X #5{{Cite web |last=Outlaw |first=Kofi |date=September 27, 2019 |title=Here Are All the X-Men Villains That Showed up in Marvel's House of X #5 |url=https://comicbook.com/marvel/news/marvel-house-x-5-x-men-villains-cameos-list/ |access-date=October 11, 2022 |website=Marvel |language=en}}{{Cite web |last=Adams |first=Tim |date=September 18, 2019 |title=House of X Opens Krakoa's Doors to the X-Men's Greatest Villains |url=https://www.cbr.com/house-of-x-krakoa-x-men-villains/ |access-date=October 11, 2022 |website=CBR |language=en-US}}

However, Azazel decided to reject Krakoa and join the Goblin Queen in the Limbo Embassy along with Emplate, who became his servant. After the event of the third Hellfire Gala, he became part of the Limbo's new X-Men team to rescue mutants in difficulty.Dark X-Men (Vol. 2) #1 Trying to rescue Carmen Cruz, Azazel had to leave his teammate Archangel behind, an action that created friction between him and another teammate, Maggott.Dark X-Men (Vol. 2) #2 When the Embassy was attacked by Orchis they used Abyss as a weapon to capture part of the team. Azazel had to kill his child to free Pryor and the rest of the squad.Dark X-Men (Vol. 2) #4 Soon after, Azazel encountered the familiar-looking Bamf Dragon and was savagely ripped in half by the beast.Dark X-Men (Vol. 2) #5

Later, Destiny and Mystique are revealed to be Kurt's biological parents. Having foreseen that Azazel would destroy the mutant race unless stopped by a child he believed was his own, Destiny urged Mystique to use her ability to change herself at the genetic level to take Azazel's form and impregnated her in an act of love.X-Men Blue: Origins #1

Powers and abilities

Azazel is an immortal mutant.Marvel Zombies: The Book of Angels, Demons & Various Monstrosities #1{{Cite web |last=Greene |first=Nancy O. |date=August 1, 2018 |title=20 Marvel Superheroes And Villains Who Are Actually Related |url=https://screenrant.com/marvel-superheroes-villains-related-family/ |access-date=October 11, 2022 |website=ScreenRant |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |date=October 27, 2018 |title=Family Ties: 25 Comic Characters That People Forget Are Related |url=https://www.cbr.com/heroes-that-people-forget-are-related/ |access-date=October 11, 2022 |website=CBR |language=en-US}} He is able to transport himself and others through great distances.Amazing X-Men Vol 2 #5 He is able to project bolts of paralyzing energy, manipulate the minds of others, and change his appearance.{{Cite web |last=Asidianya |first=Adaora |date=September 19, 2020 |title=10 Marvel Characters You Wouldn't Think Are Stronger Than Azazel (But Actually Are) |url=https://www.cbr.com/marvel-characters-stronger-azazel/ |access-date=October 11, 2022 |website=CBR |language=en-US}} Azazel can also cast magic spells.

Reception

= Critical reception =

Andre Young of WhatCulture ranked Azazel 10th in their "10 Most Evil X-Men Villains" list. CBR.com ranked Azazel 7th in their "10 Most Powerful Comic Book Villains With Demonic Origins" list,{{Cite web |last=Avina |first=Anthony |date=May 12, 2020 |title=10 Most Powerful Comic Book Villains With Demonic Origins |url=https://www.cbr.com/most-powerful-comic-book-villains-demonic-origins/ |access-date=October 11, 2022 |website=CBR |language=en-US}} 9th in their "X-Men: The 5 Deadliest Members Of The Hellfire Club (& The 5 Weakest)" list,{{Cite web |last=Chrysostomou |first=George |date=October 4, 2019 |title=X-Men: The 5 Deadliest Members Of The Hellfire Club (& The 5 Weakest) |url=https://www.cbr.com/x-men-hellfire-club-deadliest-members/ |access-date=October 11, 2022 |website=CBR |language=en-US}} and 29th in their "Age Of Apocalypse: The 30 Strongest Characters In Marvel's Coolest Alternate World" list.{{Cite web |last=Lealos |first=Shawn S. |date=September 16, 2018 |title=Age Of Apocalypse: The 30 Strongest Characters In Marvel's Coolest Alternate World |url=https://www.cbr.com/age-of-apocalypse-characters-ranked/ |access-date=October 11, 2022 |website=CBR |language=en-US}}

Other versions

= ''Age of Apocalypse'' =

An alternate universe variant of Azazel from Earth-295 appears in Age of Apocalypse. This version is a member of Clan Akkaba and Weapon Omega's Minister of Death.Age of Apocalypse #1. Marvel Comics.

= ''Marvel Zombies'' =

A zombified alternate universe variant of Azazel from Earth-2149, also known as the Red Terror, appears in Secret Wars.Marvel Zombies vol. 2 #1. Marvel Comics.

In other media

Azazel appears in X-Men: First Class, portrayed by Jason Flemyng.{{cite news |last=Mortimer |first=Ben |date=August 15, 2010 |title=Jason Flemyng Joining X-Men: First Class |url=http://www.superherohype.com/news/articles/105761-jason-flemyng-joining-x-men-first-class |access-date=August 15, 2010 |publisher=Superhero Hype!}} This version is a member of the Hellfire Club before defecting to Erik Lehnsherr's group after he kills the Club's leader, Sebastian Shaw.
As of X-Men: Days of Future Past and its accompanying viral marketing campaign, it is revealed that Azazel was among several mutants who were captured, experimented on, and killed by Bolivar Trask and Project Wideawake.[http://www.independent.ie/entertainment/movies/flemyng-being-dad-wins-over-xmen-29115995.html "Flemyng: Being dad wins over X-Men"]. The Independent. March 8, 2013.Simmons, Harper (2014). [http://www.thebentbullet.com/#!/full-article "The Bent Bullet"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140527111836/http://www.thebentbullet.com/#!/full-article |date=2014-05-27 }}. thebentbullet.com. Marvel Studios/Twentieth Century Fox.Hunt, James (May 23, 2014). [http://www.denofgeek.com/movies/x-men-days-of-future-past/30636/11-questions-about-x-men-days-of-future-past-answered "11 questions about X-Men Days of Future Past answered"]. Den of Geek! Additionally, according to screenplay writer Simon Kinberg, Azazel was the father of Mystique.{{cite web | title=X-Men: Days of Future Past Writer Reveals Shocking Mystique Detail | url=https://www.cbr.com/x-men-days-of-future-past-writer-mystique/ | date=May 30, 2020 | author=Tom Chapman | publisher=Comic Book Resources | website=cbr.com}}
An alternate timeline variant of Azazel, based on his appearance in X-Men: First Class, appears in Deadpool & Wolverine, portrayed by an uncredited Eduardo Gago Munoz.{{cite web |last=Outlaw |first=Kofi |date=April 22, 2024 |title=Deadpool & Wolverine Trailer Reveals the Return of More X-Men Movie Villains |url=https://comicbook.com/movies/news/deadpool-wolverine-trailer-easter-eggs-cameos-xmen-movie-villains-deathstrike-azazel/ |website=Comicbook.com}}