Azrael (Arkhamverse)

"I bring a message: dark days are coming, Batman. The Prophecy is coming true, you are the warrior who will close the gates of Hell, you are the one who will save this day, and in doing so, events will occur that you cannot stop, from the ashes of Arkham the fires will rage and Gotham will burn, and you, you will burn too."

- Azrael

Azrael appears in Batman: Arkham City. He watches Batman and can be found around the city leaving the Dark Knight cryptic clues. Throughout the game, his bio is labeled "Unknown", but once every one of his challenges is complete, his bio is completely unlocked, revealing this incarnation is indeed Michael Lane. In the sidequest involving Michael, he is labelled as "The Mysterious Watcher".

Biography
Born Michael Lane, Azrael was once a police officer based in Gotham City. His first appearance in the Batman series was in March 2009, in ''Azrael: Death's Dark Knight no.1. ''Lane was once part of an initiative to create "the ultimate crime fighter," however it turned him into a criminal. Once captured by Batman, Lane confessed his sins to a priest of the Order of Purity. He was then recruited to "fight evil as their crusader Azrael" while wearing the Suit of Sorrows and using the Sword of Sin. The Suit of Sorrows will defeat Lane if he does not keep his soul pure.

Early days
When Michael Lane was a police officer, he was partners with Aaron Cash. They were investigating a lead to the killings in the order of St Dumas and when they arrived, they had found Azrael, armed with a sword surrounded by scared children. Lane, thinking he was the killer, told Azrael to step back when Azrael did not comply, he was shot. Lane then told Cash to get the kids out of the building. While escorting the kids Cash forgot a child and when he came back for her saw Lane burn Azrael’s body. After the incident it was revealed that Azrael was not the killer and that the real killer had been found dead from a stab wound. Lane then resigned from the police. He became the new Azrael to atone for his sins.

Batman: Arkham City
thumb|200px|left|Batman follows Azrael's quest and listens to his prophecy As Bruce Wayne is entering Arkham City, Azrael can be seen watching him on a roof top nearby, he vanishes when you get closer to him.

Batman encounters Azrael (birth name is Michael Lane) many times throughout the game, where he gives cryptic statements before disappearing and leaving an ambiguous symbol. He appears to be stalking Batman (hence, the side mission title "Mystery Stalker"). Once all the symbols are collected, they form a map of Azrael's location, leading Batman to the Gotham Cathedral. At the church, Azrael reveals that he has been sent to observe Batman, believing he is a warrior foretold by an ancient prophecy. He reveals he was sent by the Order of St. Dumas to deliver the prophecy to Batman, claiming he is Gotham's only hope. He tells how Gotham City will burn, and that Batman is the "warrior" who will save Gotham, but will fall in the process. Batman remains skeptical of Azrael's prophecy, claiming he does not believe in fairy tales, but Azrael holds firm in his belief, telling Batman the message has been given and promises the Dark Knight that they would meet again before vanishing into the night.

Later on, after Batman has saved Cash and the medical team from Riddler, a large amount of inmates attack the church looking for revenge against Quincy Sharp. While the inmates break down the doors, Azrael comes to their rescue, making himself known to the Medical team first. It is later revealed that Cash knows Azrael from back when he was a rookie. He explains to Vicki Vale how his partner Michael Lane mistook Azrael for a killer and shot him. Meanwhile the inmates finally break through the first door only to find the second door to be protected by a blast door. The inmates then call on Bane who they convince that there is Titan in the building. The guards try to fight Bane off but are unable to stop him. Azrael then arrives to their rescue taking out some inmates then confronting Bane himself who throws Azrael aside, Cash then jumps to Azrael’s defense and even scratches Bane in the face. Bane in anger nearly kills Cash but Azrael jumps to his rescue and defeats Bane by cutting off his venom tank Azrael then calls Cash 'rookie', a nickname his partner Michael Lane used to call him. After defeating and capturing Bane, Azrael and the rest of the staff fight off the remaining inmates who flee in terror. Azrael then leaves with Vicki Vale saying how Cash has some interesting friendships.

Azrael's prophecy

 * Azrael: I knew you would find me.
 * Batman: It wasn't hard, you left me a map. Who are you, and what do you want? Why are you watching me?
 * Azrael: We have been given many names, but you will come to know me as Azrael, loyal servant to the order of St. Dumas.
 * Batman: Just what I need. Another secret society.
 * Azrael: I bring a message: dark days are coming, Batman. The Prophecy is coming true, you are the warrior who will close the gates of Hell, you are the one who will save this day, and in doing so, events will occur that you cannot stop, from the ashes of Arkham the fires will rage and Gotham will burn, and you, you will burn too.
 * Batman: I don't believe in fairy tales.
 * Azrael: Believe what you will. The message has been delivered. We will meet again.

Trivia

 * When you walk in as Bruce Wayne to Arkham City, you can see Azrael on top of the building watching you. This could suggest that Azrael is fully aware that Bruce Wayne is Batman and if you zoom in on him he will disappear in a cloud of smoke.
 * The Batman: Arkham City "Catch" trophy/achievement (similar to the "Catch!" trophy/achievement from Arkham Asylum) can only be obtained by guiding a Remote-Control Batarang to Azrael (in one of the four spots where he waits for Batman) who will "catch" it in the same manner Batman does (in both games) if it is directed back to him. If the player solves the "Watcher in the Wings" side mission then in order to obtain the trophy/achievement, one must do it on another save file or via "new game plus".
 * Despite Bane having mentioned the Knightfall story arc in the previous game, this appears to be the first time Batman has heard of either Azrael or the Sacred Order of St. Dumas.
 * This version of Azrael appears to be an amalgam of the previous two versions; despite being named as the Michael Lane version of Azrael his origin story is that of Jean-Paul Valley, with his armour also being a mixture between the two Azraels.
 * If the player tries to approach Azrael as Catwoman, he will disappear in a cloud of smoke and not return. However, if you switch over to Batman, he will be on the same building but in a different position.