Azazel

Origin

Azazel is a mutant from biblical times and the ruler of the Neyaphem (a race of demonic looking mutants). He claims that the Earth and everything on it belongs to him. He sees humanity as a cancer on his world. In his time, he enslaves and kills humans in order to impose his rule and dominion. Another group of mutants, the Cheyarafim or "angels" banish him to the Brimstone Dimension that Nightcrawler uses when he teleports. He is only able to leave for short periods of time so he fathers numerous children in order to have one with the power to free him permanently from his prison. Nightcrawler was one of his children as a result of his time spent with a young Mystique who was married to Mr. Wagner. Around this time, he also fathered the mutants Abyss and Kiwi Black among others. Azazel bides his time and waited for his children's power to mature and grant him freedom.

Creation

Azazel was created by Chuck Austen and Sean Phillips and made his first appearance in Uncanny X-Men # 428 in 2003. 

Major Story Arcs

Freedom

Azazel uses his mental link to his children to call dozens of them to one spot, the spot where he was banished, in order to use their powers to come to our world. Nightcrawler is pulled along with his other brothers and sisters and had started a ritual to open a portal to the Brimstone dimension. The X-Men followed Nightcrawler and get in a fight with Azazel and his followers resulting in them all being trapped back in his dimension. After a coordinated effort from Polaris in the real world and Abyss in the Brimstone dimension, everyone but Azazel escaped back into the real world. Azazel's current status is unknown and if M-Day had any impact on him.
 

Powers and Abilities

Azazel can mentally control his progeny from his dimension, fire blasts of energy, teleport, has knowledge of dark magic, is a master swordsman, is immortal and can control the creatures that live in the Brimstone Dimension. He also appeared to have the ability whether through magic or limited shapeshifting to disguise his appearance (generally used to seduce and impregnate women). The blood of "angels" is caustic to Azazel and other Neyaphem. When Angel tried to use his blood to heal Nightcrawler, it burned him and he suggests this is the same with them all.

Other Media

Films

Here he is played by Jason Flemyng. He is one of the henchmen of Sebastian

Shaw and is a part of The Hellfire Club. In the film he is portrayed as an agile and stealthy assassin type character, with his ability to teleport and to use his prehensile tail to kill his victims. He is The Hellfire Club's most used form of getting from one place to another via his teleporting, however he also knows how to operate the submarine that they own, as well as various other boats. In the big fight towards the end of the film between the X-Men and The Hellfire Club, he is taken on by Beast and Havok, only to drop off Havok onto an enemy ship in the beginning of the fight via teleportation. He is eventually defeated by Beast as he is knocked out by him. At the end of the film, along with other members of The Hellfire Club, he joins Magneto's Brotherhood Of Mutants.