| “ | I'm tired. Every time I get somewhere in life, every time... Something is taken away from me. | ” |
— Azrael Michaelis Winter
|
Azrael Michaelis Winter is the ArknAngel of Redemption and Salvation. He is the fourth ArknAngel and Paradox Player, described in the prophecy as the Arknza who "came forth from time itself". He was born the brother of Alex and Elizabeth Winter, and had his powers awakened by converging with Xerex Storn. He is often mistaken for Edgar Kharon (due to his western-style wardrobe, revolver, and connections to Death). He is the only Arknza able to wield Temporal Magick, and one of the only beings who can enter The Infernous at will.
Azrael appears is a minor character in Season 2 of Michael's Camera, and the eventual main protagonist of Season 3. He is also the main protagonist of Solar's Crimson, and a recurring character in many other Arknthology series.
History
Backstory
Early Life
Michaelis Winter was the youngest child of Marcus and Mary Winter. He was originally coded as another version of Michael Knight. However, due to Uriel throwing himself into a .Reality engine, his data became glitched, causing him to be born into the Winter family and with dormant Arkn powers.
From an early age, Michaelis and his brother could both hear the voices of the Arkn and the Dekn; Alex, the more troubled of the two, also claimed to see visions of monstrous creatures. On the rare occasions when Alex left the house, he would take Michaelis to the park to play ball. The boys were drawn to one particular tree, which was oddly-shaped; Michaelis once saw his brother (normally a calm, quiet boy) become irrationally angry and start a fight with a group of boys after he saw them kicking the tree.
When Michaelis was nine, his parents were murdered in what became known as the Winter Family Massacre. Michaelis believed that Alex was responsible and fled from home. He was separated from his siblings and grew up in a foster home, where his name was changed to Michaelis Spades. He became severely depressed, and at one point contemplated suicide by attempting to walk into traffic. However, the voice of his guardian, Ellpagg, instructed him to stop, telling him that he served a greater purpose.
While he grew up without any friends, Michaelis did meet and develop a love interest in a neighbor boy named Mark. Mark gave him two gifts: a giant stuffed white bear, and a gray and black hoodie vest, both of which he treasured. In time, Michaelis started seeing a therapist named Dr. Kestler, who had him record video logs of his dreams. Michaelis also reclaimed his original surname as a means of reconnecting with his lost family.
The Death of Michaelis Winter
At some point, Michaelis became attached to a being known as Xerex Storn. Xerex was drawn to Michaelis's Hethian blood, intending to use his body as a vessel to fight his father, The Carver. Xerex began taking control of Michaelis periodically; he apparently murdered Mark during one of these episodes, as he had plans for Michaelis and considered romantic relationships and feelings to be a distraction.
On the day his timeline underwent its apocalypse, Michaelis apparently had a violent confrontation with his siblings in the ruins of an abandoned church. Alex had taken Liz hostage with a gun and was threatening to kill her, claiming that she needed to die in order to fulfill a certain prophecy. What happened next is uncertain: while Michaelis claimed he had forgiven Alex, the brothers fired on each other; at the exact moment the bullet struck Michaelis, his timeline broke. Michaelis found himself floating in the void outside his broken ttimeline
While floating in the miasma, Michaelis encountered Ellpagg, who offered to take him back in Time and make him his apprentice. As Ellpagg extended his hand, he was suddenly replaced by Xerex, who threatened to squeeze the life out of Michaelis's heart (telling him that he was weak, and that only his flesh and blood were required). Michaelis, who felt he had nothing left to live for, told him to do it; Xerex obliged, and tried to seize control of Michaelis's vessel. However, Michaelis's essence remained in his body in the form of disseminated data, and was able to fight back and overcome Xerex. In the end, the two of them did not have a clean convergence, with Xerex becoming bound to Michaelis's body (rather than merging with him into a single being).
Humanity's Savior
Ellpagg took Michaelis back to the beginning of Existence, where he would be hidden from The Carver. He was sequestered in a Lighthouse Tower, where he was left to watch history unfold in isolation (and, on rare occasions, train with Ellpagg). From this location, Azrael witnessed the arrival of the Hethe, Raphael and Asmodeus playing as children, and Ambriel's childhood. Ellpagg gave Michaelis the Arkn name "Azrael" (which had previously belonged to another Arknza) and a powerful revolver.
Ellpagg's absences from the reality caused The Esragrath Effect to give Azrael Ellpagg's memories (particularly his memories of killing various versions of Alex), while Ellpagg's returns caused The Debigrath Effect to give him Edgar Kharon's memories. In time, the memories of Michaelis Winter's life became so painful and the "memories" of Kharon's life so prominent that Azrael came to believe that he was Kharon reborn; he readily adopted the outlaw's name and mantle.
After many eons, Azrael emerged from his tower and began interacting with other beings, going on missions for Ellpagg. He started using his powers to enter The Infernous, freeing Arkn and Dekn (and humans) who had overstayed their time in the realm. Azrael became known as The Savior: the Arknangel of Redemption and Salvation. He developed a rivalry with the Persophelums, who resented him due to his connections with Humanity (which they saw as their domain). Azrael took to calling himself a "fallen Hethe" (recalling the legends of Kharon becoming a Hethe at the end of his life).
Meeting Lahabrea (Book of the Mother)
During one of his rare trips to Paradisium, Azrael (wearing his Lurker mask) met the High Muse Lahabrea, shortly after she started training with Raziel.[1] While Azrael had watched Lahabrea grow up from a distance, this was the first time they had met in person; he kissed her hand, praising her beauty. When Lahabrea noted that he didn't have wings, Azrael replied that as an Arknangel, he didn't feel comfortable wearing them; he explained that he had originally been human, but had merged with "an Arkn". Lahabrea had never heard of either humans or Arknangels, and was confused; Azrael, saddened by her lack of an education, patiently explained both to her. Before he departed, he asked for one of Lahabrea's feathers as a keepsake.
Michael's Guardian (Michael's Camera Season 2)
"Spades" takes over the body of Michael Knight.
Azrael first appeared on camera on the eve of May 15th, when he took over the body of Michael Knight.[2] Azrael referred to himself as a "well-dressed gentleman", stating that "beggars can't be choosers, but I'm not a beggar". After Michael regained control of his body, he called Azrael a "freeloader" and nicknamed him "Spades" (because, as he put it, "he's an asshole and everyone knows only assholes play poker"). Azrael possessed Michael several more times after this, becoming a new guardian of sorts. During this time, he referred to himself as "Death".
As the May 15th event began, Michael tore into a timeline and encountered The Carver. Despite Michael's warning that he was "possessed by Death", The Carver began to threaten him; shortly after that, Azrael took Michael's place, causing Carver to remark, "I should have fucking known it". Azrael called himself a "Fallen Hethe", mocking Carver by telling him that the Hethe had created him without any genitals. After some bantering, he shot Carver in the head with his revolver, killing him and sending him back to the Infernous.[3] Azrael then took Michael's body out for a spin, shopping for finely tailored dress shirts while chaos erupted and timelines died around him (much to the disgust of Michael, who could only watch in the third person).[4]
After Michael regained control of his body, he tore into another timeline and attempted to kill Gabriel Holden. However, due to his growing Arknangel powers, Gabriel was able to overpower Michael. Azrael took over before Michael could make another attempt, and convinced Gabriel to accept Raziel and converge with him before departing.
Searching for Ambriel (Forbidden Knowledge (Vlog)
Azrael and Ellpagg meet to discuss Ambriel.
Some time later, Azrael was summoned to a secret meeting with Ellpagg, which was recorded on a private Cloud9 feed.[5] Ellpagg told Azrael all that he knew about Lahabrea (now revealed to be an Arknangel and going by her real name, Ambriel). She had long since fled the Paradisium, and had been in hiding. After telling Azrael all that he knew, Ellpagg told Azrael that Ambriel and her true nature were to be kept secret: a "forbidden knowledge", as it were.
Ellpagg told Azrael that he needed to keep Ambriel safe, wherever she might be. Azrael told Ellpagg that he didn't know where she was; Ellpagg replied he should be able to find her by following Gilgamesh's energy traces. Azrael asked whether Ambriel was in The Infernous, to which Ellpagg only chuckled. Azrael repeated the question, becoming increasingly angry, but Ellpagg refused to give him an answer. Azrael eventually learned that Ambriel was indeed imprisoned in The Infernous, where she was being tortured by Gilgamesh. He set out to rescue her, but found doing so difficult, as her memories were scattered about The Infernous in fragments.
Vlogger (Michael's Camera Season 3)
Azrael officially introduces himself to Michael Knight.
Azrael next appeared to Michael while he was trapped in The Infernous.[6] On this occasion, he was far more helpful: he revealed his true identity, confessing that he wasn't a Fallen Hethe, but an Arknangel and a more successful version of Michael Knight from an alternate timeline. Before departing, Azrael left Michael his old revolver to use, hinting that Michael should shoot himself in the head to escape. However, Michael didn't trust Azrael, and instead made a deal with The Carver to get out of the Infernous. As a result, Michael ended up being taken over by Carver shortly after his escape.[7]
After learning about this, Ellpagg met up with Azrael. He explained that Michael had secretly been The Carver's Nephilim son the entire time, bred to be his Carver's vessel; Carver had finally used him as such, thanks to their agreement on the deal.[8] Using Azrael as his shade, Ellpagg released a fragment of Malek from inside Dale and went to fight The Carver. Carver escaped, and Ellpagg departed, leaving Azrael behind to hunt for the Persophelums and run Michael's YouTube channel.
Azrael briefly entered the Infernous, where he located one of Ambriel's memory data fragments containing memories of her friend, Japhet. The fragment was sent to Japhet for safekeeping, and Ambriel left Azrael a thank you message on the video. While hunting for Crow, Azrael realized that The Esragrath Effect was kicking in, gradually turning him into a replacement for Michael Knight. This caused him to forget names, become easily distracted and excitable, and experience fainting spells. He tried to consult Ellpagg for help, but Ellpagg just told him to get back into the Infinitium and get in contact with Cedric Kharon. He also warned Azrael not to contact him again, because the next time they met, he (Ellpagg) would on the receiving end of Azrael's revolver.
Carver tells Azrael to send the Arknangels a message.
A short time later, Azrael was ambushed by Crow and stabbed in the back. Dying from the attack, he woke to find himself in The Infernous, imprisoned with deceased variants of Michael from other timelines, including "Tour Guide Michael", a silent version of Michael in a rabbit mask (nicknamed "Spooky Michael"), and a Michael seemingly glued to the toilet. After showing him around their "cell", Tour Guide Michael was shot by The Carver, who proceeded to inflict various injuries upon Azrael. Before releasing him, Carver ordered Azrael to inform the other Arknangels of his return, and that nobody would be able to stop him.
Azrael was let out of The Infernous and tried to get Raziel and Uriel's help with the situation, but found that they were busy. While taking a break from rage-hunting lurkers, Azrael got a call from Raphael, who informed him that Tobias had been killed by Elias Exodus and was trapped in The Infernous. Despite being angry and disgusted with Raphael's carelessness, Azrael agreed to rescue Toby. He made a deal with Xerex, promising to let him go permanently if he would let him use his power one last time to enter The Infernous.
After a "last confession", Azrael returned to The Infernous, this time unarmed and unarmored. He encountered Ambriel and freed her, but then had to use the last of his power to pull Tobias out; because of this, he was left trapped and powerless. Having resigned himself to his fate, Azrael sat on a bench without moving for at least one Eternity, before getting up and trying to find The First Tree. As he found the Tree, Azrael also found The Carver. Carver took Azrael back to the Garage and tortured him, leaving him physically "broken"; he then revealed himself to be Deebo incarnate, breaking him mentally as well.
Before Carver left, he branded Azrael's chest with a symbol that would burn hot in the presence of Hethe; he told Azrael that the next time they met, he wouldn't be wearing the same face. Shortly thereafter, Michael Knight entered the Garage; Azrael, mistakenly believing him to be The Carver, summoned his revolver and shot Michael in the head, completely destroying him and wiping him from existence.[9]
After being let out of The Infernous by an amused Carver, Azrael was contacted by Raphael, who informed him that the second May 15th event was underway and The Golden City was under attack. Broken and distraught, Azrael ranted and raved to Michael's audience, before deciding to put down the camera and go rescue the alternate Michaels he'd encountered in The Infernous, starting with the Tour Guide. Declaring that The Carver had created "a fucking monster", Azrael closed out the video by summoning a set of armor (created from fragments of Ellpagg's clothing and some of his own) and heading off.
Royal Adviser (The Golden Queen)
Azrael spent time in Paradisium, watching over Ambriel while she recovered from her battle with Zophiel. Once Ambriel was awake, Azrael informed her that the people of Paradisium saw her as a prophet or goddess, and wanted her to be their queen. Ambriel was terrified at the prospect, but Azrael encouraged her to accept the role, telling her that the two of them were the only remaining Arknangels and that this was her destiny (adding that he knew she would make an "amazing" Queen). Azrael remained until Ambriel's coronation, at which time he departed from The Golden Cities.
A Search For Purpose (Solar's Crimson, Season 1)
"Michaelis Spades" vlogging in The Infernous.
Returning to The Infernous for his "rescue mission", Azrael quickly became trapped himself. Ensnared by a combination of PTSD and the realm's power, he forgot his identity as an Arknangel and began reliving his human life as "Michaelis Spades", complete with the mouth sores he'd acquired when Xerex first started possessing him. Throughout this time, Azrael was haunted and attacked by "Spooky Michael"a s a manifestation of his guilt over killing Michael. After obtaining his old Arknza hat and revolver (courtesy of Malek), Azrael's memories started to awaken, and finally returned in full (much to his tearful regret). Punching a bathroom mirror in rage, he declared that he was leaving The Infernous, and jokingly called "maintenance" to have the mirror replaced.
Azrael believed that his escape had been successful, and even made a call to Tobias to check up on him (as he'd promised Raphael). However, after waking up to find himself trapped in a strange house, and with a mysterious brand on his right hand, he realized that he was still in The Infernous in some capacity. Azrael used a bathroom mirror to summon Xerex, who explained that he was in Humanity's Infernous: a sector created by Redgrave specifically for humans. Unable to contact Redgrave and inquire further, Azrael tried once again to escape. However, the laws of physics in the realm began breaking down, causing his efforts to fail and teleporting him to various strange locations.
Azrael learns of Uriel's deal with The Carver.
Upon returning to the Infernous, Azrael was met by The Carver. Carver explained that the Infernous was breaking down because it was no longer under his control, and hadn't been since Ellpagg got out. He revealed that he had handed over control of the Infernous to Uriel, who had made a deal with him after betraying the Arkn. Feeling stunned and betrayed, Azrael escaped from The Infernous in earnest.[10] He tried to summon Ellpagg explain the situation, despite Ellpagg's earlier warning against contacting him. Angry at being interrupted at work (i.e. running Arkaissa), Ellpagg punished Azrael by beheading his teddy bear before he left.
Heartbroken, Azrael sought solace, eventually finding it in his old friend, Lazarus Delphar. Delphar confessed that he had been a part of the Arkn Council that had decided to send Ellpagg to The Infernous. Azrael insisted that he needed to confront Ellpagg and tell him about Uriel's betrayal, but Delphar told him he wasn't ready and went into the Garage in his place. Delphar's efforts to make Ellpagg see reason failed, and Azrael remarked on how much Ellpagg's personality had changed over time from when he first met and started training with him. Delphar told Azrael that Ellpagg took part of The Carver with him when he left The Infernous; he believed that this aspect of The Carver was gradually warping Ellpagg's mind, molding him into The Carver's spiritual successor.
Ellpagg then appeared unexpectedly, causing Azrael to drop Michael's camera and teleport away in fear. Ellpagg told Delphar that he needed kill Azrael in order to fulfill the Arknza prophecy, so that he could kill The Carver; until then, the Arknza were standing in his way. Delphar and Ellpagg fought, leaving them both badly wounded. Azrael re-appeared and rushed to Delphar's side; instead of providing him with answers, Delphar grabbed Azrael's hand and teleported him far away with a burst of power.
After a brief return to The Beyond (and another run-in with Theatre Mask), Azrael found himself back in The Infernous, where he quickly became hopelessly lost. After repeatedly running into The Carver (becoming increasingly frightened and confused with each encounter), he finally found himself back in the Garage. Declaring that he'd had enough, Azrael angrily denounced The Carver and his role as an Arknza. He removed his signature waistcoat, leaving it, and Michael's camera, behind in The Infernous as he departed.
Parting Ways (MedBoy789)
Azrael began living in .Reality under his old human identity. He tried to resume his old life, moving in with Mark (who, as it turned out, was still alive). During this time, the two of them went on a date at the carnival; after noting several vesseled Arkn and Dekn close by, Azrael told Mark about his true identity, as well as everything that he'd suffered. Mark reassured Azrael that he loved him no matter who he might be.[11] Despite this, however, Azrael's relationship with Mark eventually fell apart, causing the two of them to break up after less than a year.[12]
Now living alone, Azrael was still angry and depressed when he saw that a new video had been uploaded by The Carver.[13] The video revealed not only that The Carver was capable of directly controlling Ellpagg, but that Gilgamesh had been released from his cell in the Infernous and resumed his position as Carver's secret partner.
Azrael and Raphael come to blows.
Despite his parting declaration, and his mental state, Azrael decided to track down the rest of the Arknangels and warn them. He teleported to Tobias's home, hoping to find Raphael. Instead, he materialized in Toby's shower and found that Asmodeus and The Carver were already at the house.[14] The four of them had a conference by Toby's pool, during which Azrael informed Toby that The Carver was "God" and was briefly sent to The Vale with Toby. Delphar finally interrupted the poolside shenanigans by teleporting Azrael, and Toby, safely away to Tobias's new home between dimensions.
Azrael encountered Raphael, and told him about Ellpagg's state, as well as Uriel's (and Gilgamesh's) treachery. However, Raphael had recently been rescued from the Valkyrium prison by Uriel, and was in no mood to receive bad news about his savior. After investigating Azrael's claims, Raphael returned and confronted Azrael, insisting that he still supported Uriel.[15] The two of them began to argue, which quickly turned into a fist fight when Raphael mockingly asked, "Are you going to kill me like Michael?" The skirmish ended with Raphael putting Azrael's own revolver to his head, exclaiming, "This is how Michael felt!" Beaten and discouraged, Azrael gave up and returned to his own reality.
The Search Continues (SC, Season 2)
Abandoned by Delphar (who claimed that he had to leave Azrael "for a purpose") and hated by most of his fellow Arknangels, Azrael resumed trying to live a normal life in .Reality. For some time, all was quiet, and he was free of the headaches and visions of dying family members that usually plagued him. After a year, however, Azrael was struck by a horrendous headache; he resumed vlogging on Christmas 2017, the seventeenth anniversary of the Winter Family Massacre.[16] Depressed and isolated, Azrael recalled Michael's dying words about being a hero; he feared that he had failed to live up to the ideal.
A short time later, while talking on the phone with Raziel, Azrael was smacked in the face by his old camera: the same one he had previously abandoned in The Infernous. Examining the camera, he discovered an old video that had been recorded by Ellpagg, during his imprisonment in the Infernous; the video showed his interactions with The Carver, hinting at the friendship that had developed between them.[17] Azrael uploaded the video to his YouTube channel, which enraged Ellpagg (who saw it as a violation of his privacy). Ellpagg appeared in Azrael's house and knocked him out with a snap of his fingers, taking his place.
While Azrael was asleep, Ellpagg recorded a furious message; he told him that he hated him and the other Arknza, because they were preventing him from killing The Carver. He ordered Azrael to stop trying to pretend he was human, ignore his siblings (who were still alive), and face his destiny as an Arknangel. Before departing, Ellpagg informed Azrael that a war was coming, and that he and the other Arknza would get the power of the Hethe and fight The Carver — whether they liked it, or not.
Azrael gears up for the last time.
Azrael tried to ignore Ellpagg's warnings and resume living a normal life. However, one year after his previous video, he was drawn back to the camera by the beeping of its dying battery. Azrael resumed vlogging, and explained his current situation to the audience. Having realized that he could no longer ignore his destiny, Azrael knew that the Arknangels only stood a chance against The Carver as a united force; with the fellowship irreparably broken, his only hope lay in altering the events of the past .Azrael phased into his Arknza gear on camera, and left Earth in search of Redgrave: the only rational being who was also close to The Carver.
Azrael located Redgrave, and explained his plan to help the Arknza defeat The Carver and prevent the End Times. Redgrave surprisingly agreed to help, and the two put aside their differences, spending the next eternity training together. Azrael discovered that (as he'd been told) his powers revolved around Time, an aspect of Existence unique to non-Hethian beings. Believing he had mastered his power, Azrael tried to go back to the creation of The Golden City, planning to overlook the rule of Gilgamesh and ensure that The Carver never defeated him. However, the flow was unstable, and Azrael was unable to control his stopping point; he overshot his goal, ending up at the dawn of the creation of Existence, as the Hethe first stepped through the door. His appearance (which was a paradox) created a ripple in Time outside of .Reality; this allowed the "new" version of events to exist as their own separate universe, with a version Azrael somehow present in both the old and new universes.
The Battle of the Arknza
In the original (A) universe, the End Times began some time after Azrael completed his training with Redgrave. The seven Arknza came together for the first time, arriving at the battlefield where they were met with The Carver and his massive army. Carver's army attacked, and Raguel was slain after wounding Carver. Azrael and Raziel tried to converge on The Carver, but were cut off by Gilgamesh-possessed Ellpagg; Raziel attempted to reason with Ellpagg, and ended up being killed. Raziel's spirit (and power) were absorbed by Ellpagg, strengthening him and allowing him to separate and split off from Gilgamesh. Azrael and Ellpagg fought Gilgamesh together and defeated him, but Azrael was mortally wounded in the process. Azrael told Ellpagg that he was at peace and wanted to die a hero, offering up his power to Ellpagg. Ellpagg accepted and killed Azrael, absorbing his Hethian blood (and power).
Alternate Versions
Universe E
Azrael arrived in Xua, bringing with him the existence of Light and the passage of Time. The Hethe took him in as one of their own, and he taught them about his world: an Existence frought with chaos and war. The Hethe accepted his teachings, and began to believe that chaos was unnecessary.
The Hethe began to create, with Azrael observing. The Dekn first Dekn, Hash'bor'kanibal, was created as before. However, De'ebo was unsatisfied with the rules in place, and attempted to create the Arkn in secret, planning to start the war with the Dekn for the Tree. Gar'sha discovered the plan, and De'ebo was sealed away in a small cube through the power of all six remaining Hethe (and Azrael).
With De'ebo now gone, Azrael realized that the flow of events would be forever impacted, creating a completely new outcome. In order to ensure that creation unfolded as it should, he took De'ebos place, with the six remaining Hethe bestowing him with Hethian power. Azrael, now the Hethe Az'renfal, oversaw the evolution of the Arkn and the Dekn.
Personality
In his original human life, Azrael was a weak and emotionally insecure young man. He suffered from severe depression, as well as feelings of guilt and loss. Once he became an Arknza, however, his entire personality changed; the isolation he suffered over many eons (in combination with his newfound powers and skills, and his mixed-up memories) made Azrael lose touch with his humanity. As his memories of his human life faded into the background, he became utterly consumed by his new mythical status as "Edgar Kharon" and Azrael the Arknangel, the Savior of Humanity.
When he first appears, Azrael is extremely cocky and arrogant. This is especially demonstrated in his early interactions with Michael Knight: he calls himself a "fallen Hethe", taunts The Carver, and takes Michael's body for a joy ride without his consent (while people and timelines die around him). While he has a strongly benevolent, heroic side to his personality (taking his job as humanity's savior very seriously, using his powers to brave The Infernous and rescue prisoners – including Michael Knight), he never passes up the opportunity to boast or show off.
After he experiences vulnerability in The Infernous and suffers a beat-down from The Carver, Azrael's human memories are re-awakened; he gets in touch with his humanity for the first time in eons, causing him to become much more emotional and open with his audience. He also becomes extremely mournful, talking openly about his losses (particularly the loss of his family) and even crying on camera. During this time, he also expresses the sentiment that he is a "mistake" and shouldn't exist. During his eternity of training with Redgrave, Azrael finally comes into his own, coming to terms with his role as an Arknangel and becoming a true hero.
Physical Appearance
Azrael is identical in appearance to Michael Knight. He has pale white skin, dark eyes (one of which is marked with a magic sigil) and messy, dark brown hair. He often sports some kind of facial hair. Despite being many eternities old, he looks to be no older than his early 20s (due to being undead).
When armored (i.e. in "Arknza mode"), Azrael dresses in a Wild West-style ensemble inspired by both Edgar Kharon and Uriel. His normal getup consists of a black vest (sometimes in leather), black dress slacks, and a white dress shirt. The vest is buttoned, but the white shirt always seems to be lazily put on, with the buttons partly undone and the collar out of place. In addition to this, Azrael's right arm always seems to be damaged, bandaged, or covered up, with the sleeve on that arm often rolled up or cut off. Aside from the arm-wear, Azrael often wears the combination of a cowboy hat and a Lurker's mask (for unknown reasons) when going into battle. He apparently owns a duster and a full suit of armor, though he seldom wears either one.
When in casual or "human" mode, Azrael typically wears a plain white tee-shirt with black gym shorts or gray sweatpants. He often sports the black and gray hoodie-vest given to him by Mark. Sometimes, he combines his casual look with his Arknza gear, wearing the dress slacks and vest with the tee-shirt.
Powers and Abilities
Azrael rewinds Time.
Azrael is an expert marksman and a competent fighter. He has a great deal of knowledge about the Aetherium and Arkn history (due to having witnessed it firsthand), as well as .Reality. Due to his awakened Arkn blood (which is tinged with Hethian power), he possesses the standard Arkn abilities, including flight, teleportation, summoning, psionics, and possession.
Azrael has mastered .hopping, and is easily able to jump between realities (both in and out of .Reality). Because he has a human body, he is also able to physically enter .Reality without using a vessel. Due to his training with Ellpagg, Azrael is an expert at breaking into places that would normally be inaccessible to Arkn, and is one of the few beings who can enter the Infernous at will. However, his most significant power is his Temporal Magick: a school of magick which allows him to manipulate Time and travel through it.
Notes and Trivia
Behind the Scenes
- The character of Azrael was created and portrayed by DeathlyLogic.
- While it is never revealed onscreen, DeathlyLogic has stated that Azrael received his Hethian blood directly from Carver-possessed Ellpagg on the day his family was killed (as mentioned in "Salvation"). This element of Azrael's backstory was set to be revealed in Season 2 of Solar's Crimson, before the series' cancellation and revival let to the plot being retooled. (However, it is still considered canon.)
- Azrael's damaged right arm was intended to foreshadow a future connection to Voidweb. In the planned second season of Solar's Crimson, it would have been revealed that Azrael's signature weapon was connected to the God Eater; once Azrael became corrupted, the arm would have been amputated, preventing him from being fully consumed by Voidweb. (As it stands, the damaged arm is simply another connection to The Knight, who once lost an arm himself.)
Trivia
- Azrael is chronologically the oldest of the Arknza. He is also the only Arknza who was undead (discounting Ellpagg, who was a last minute addition).
- DeathlyLogic has stated that "Michaelis Winter was a wimp", and that Azrael's badass and boastful qualities come entirely from Kharon's memories. (This also made Azrael disregard his earlier human memories as "inconsequential".)
- Azrael adopted Edgar Kharon's skills and personality so thoroughly that he eventually became almost indistinguishable from the original (creating rumors that either Kharon was still alive, or he had a close relative).
- Azrael is known to have died at least three times: once by Xerex squeezing the life out of his heart, the second time by being stabbed in the back by Crow, and the third (and final) time by Ellpagg's sword (on his own request).
- Azrael does not need to sleep.[18] However, he can do so if he wishes, and can forcibly by put to sleep by other entities (such as Asmodeus or Ellpagg).
- Azrael's rivalry with the Persophelums was due not only to jealousy, but because Redgrave arranged for Michael Knight's neighbor to be taken and killed by an Aero Sethe (in Season 1 of Michael's Camera). Azrael's failure to save the girl from The Infernous[19] cemented his hatred for the group.
- Azrael's cameo in Book of the Mother contains many details that contradict canon. Azrael acts as though he doesn't know who Ambriel is (even though he later mentions watching her grow up), describes himself as "a Arkn, totally merged with a human host" (even saying "Our thoughts, feelings, pain and happiness are one”), and smokes cigarettes.
- According to DeathlyLogic, almost all of Azrael's memories were false. In actual history, Elizabeth and Alex were murdered along with their parents (the latter by Carver-possessed Ellpagg), and Michaelis faced the apocalypse alone as an adult, hiding in a closet; The Esragrath Effect (brought about by Ellpagg's frequent absences from the "Lighthouse timeline") caused him to receive Ellpagg's memories of alternate timelines, including the events that transpired when Ellpagg killed various versions of Alex, making Azrael believe that he was his brother's murderer. This also explains why Azrael seems to remember two different versions of what happened on the day of the apocalypse.
Quotes
| “ | I think we both know damn well that I'm a fallen Hethe, right? I mean you're not stupid, right? I mean, you're about to be, because normally smart people have brains, which you kinda... Don't anymore. | ” |
— Azrael before casting The Carver into The Infernous.
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| “ | As shit goes, here's my introduction. I'm you from a more successful timeline. My name is Azrael, and I happen to be the ArknAngel of Redemption and Salvation. I'm not Edgar, I'm not a fallen Hethe, I'm just the you you should have been. But I'm not holding grudges, I'm getting you out of here. You can thank me later. | ” |
— Azrael meeting Michael Knight.
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| “ | As far as introductions go, I guess this is a introduction. My Arkn name is Azrael, the Arknangel of Salvation and Redemption, but, y'know, we're human here, right? My human name is Michaelis... So there's that. Hello world, I am Michaelis Winter, and I am going to be using this camera now. | ” |
— Azrael to the audience.
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Gallery
References
- ↑ "Chapter 7", Book of the Mother.
- ↑
"Prelude to the catastrophe of May 15", Michael's Camera Season 2.
- ↑ "Aftermath to the Prelude to the catastrophe of May 15", Michael's Camera.
- ↑ "Aftermath to the Prelude to the catastrophe of May 15", Michael's Camera.
- ↑ "Episode 1", Forbidden Knowledge.
- ↑ "Out of the Frying Pan", Michael's Camera Season 3.
- ↑ "Into The Fire", Michael's Camera.
- ↑ "The War With No Sides", Michael's Camera.
- ↑ "[Finale Michael's Camera]", Michael's Camera Season 3.
- ↑ "Unforgiveable", Solar's Crimson.
- ↑ "(Chapter) 2", Arknthology Stories (Original).
- ↑ "16) Seventeen Years Later", Solar's Crimson Season 2.
- ↑ "Phantom of War", Solar's Crimson Season 1".
- ↑ "Fisher Water", MedBoy789.
- ↑ "A Change of Environment", MedBoy789
- ↑ "16) Seventeen Years Later", Solar's Crimson Season 2.
- ↑ "17) Let the Past Die".
- ↑ "The Court of Three Fools", MedBoy789.
- ↑ "Almost".