Black King
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I'm not like the blue boy, but you can pet me if you want. |
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— Himself |
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The mysterious diabolical lord of mystery. Most famous ex of Mystique. Probably no relation to Nightcrawler, but he loves winding people up about it.
Background
A long time ago, Azazel came into being. He was part of a species that have come to be known as demons, but that is a very broad term, and it is more accurate to say that Azazel is a type of superhuman otherplanar being, part of a larger society of similar beings, of which Azazel has always been the ruler.
In the old times, Azazel was an active warrior, and he occasionally was able to come to Earth for conquest. However, due to his nature and the unusual concentration of sorcery on Earth, Azazel found himself often rebuffed back to the other planes, though he also found his way back every time, usually through contracts with those same mages.
More in the modern age, Azazel became involved with the Hellfire Club, amused by its motif. In a way, he saw it as destiny. It made things even more entertaining that some of the X-Men started spreading all kinds of gossip about him, and that made him take a special interest in the mutant heroes.
SIGNATURE ABILITY
Satanalia
It doesn't happen often, but when he really needs to, Azazel can pull a miracle out of his hat that might just save him from an annoying inconvenience or being relegated to story arcs no one talks about after. Putting all of his skills and talents together, he can use most of his energy and contribute to a distractingly arousing atmosphere around him. He can affect perhaps a city block at most, but just one floor's height regardless, and the effect will diminish the farther from Azazel, dropping off sharply outside of the immediate room or comparable area he is in.
This will be extremely difficult to resist, and it will make it hard to stay angry at Azazel, since the effect will be centered around his location when he initiates this spectacle. It can enable escape and even leave his enemies feeling more conflicted with themselves than with him now. He will be utterly drained by doing something like this and require immediate rest for at least three days.
SKILLS
Acrobatics - Competent Level
Business - Novice Level
Fighting - Expert Level
With panache and flair, Azazel is a master of managing opponents and using his abilities to his advantage. Most especially well-trained in bladed weapons of all sizes, he can also do very well with hand-to-hand engagement.
Mysticism - Competent Level
Azazel knows a fairly wide range of information about magic, and he knows rituals and how to cast a spell, usually through some sort of ritual. Azazel does not generally use magic offhand or casually, and most of the time, he doesn't deal in mystical knowledge. He can be a helpful presence for spellcasters, though, and his knowledge may come in handy.
Pacts - Novice Level
It is in Azazel's nature to make contracts, pacts, and otherwise agreements with others, usually for some mutual benefit. For such an agreement to work, an offering must be made and accepted by Azazel, and through the offering, the intended goal may manifest into reality. Because Azazel isn't really performing magic himself and is essentially enabling a transaction, this usually has more of a burden on the person coming to him for a specific purpose.
Azazel can do basically the same thing for a goal he wants, though in that case it is less of a contract and more of a straightforward transaction. He can, for example, take offered items or energy (such as in the case of worship or idolatry) and use them towards his own goal.
ABILITIES
Power: Superhuman - Supreme Level
Azazel is not only ageless, but he can also recover from disastrous damage that would stop a conventional living being. His ability to regenerate his form from nearly any level of damage, given enough time, means that he rarely can be counted out for long. Additionally, he possesses enhanced senses and has a higher natural agility and balance, and can also see in total darkness.
His tail is prehensile, and he can use it expertly, even to wield weapons. It is strong enough to support his whole weight without strain, though likely not indefinitely. He is able to stick to surfaces, and even to walk upside-down comfortably, on a ceiling.
Though it doesn't tend to add to his significant and obvious abilities, he also has a very short fur covering his skin. Shorter than the closest comparable fur, on Nightcrawler, Azazel has more of a velveteen feel, though the fur is so short that it is easy to miss.
Power: Telepathy - Enhanced Level
Azazel can communicate telepathically with others, but he is not primarily a telepath; communication is one of his only gifts in this area. His other main focus in this area is his ability to dominate weaker wills. The average human tends to be well within his ability to influence, and some he can even control outright. However, exceptional figures of intelligence and especially training are likely to be able to resist Azazel's influence.
Power: Teleportation - Supreme Level
Azazel possesses the ability to teleport at will. This is usually accompanied by a small puff of smoke. He is not limited to places he has seen, and he is not susceptible to disaster like teleporting into an object; somehow, he has the ability to sense where he can safely appear. He can teleport other people or items along with him, but usually this must be in at least indirect contact with him, or it risks not accompanying him.
His teleportation requires greater preparation and energy, depending on where his destination is and whether he's teleporting himself alone, or if he has cargo of any kind. Azazel can travel between dimensions, but this takes more energy and focus. Naturally, some places are easier to access than others and may require different levels of energy to contact.
ADVANTAGES
Hellfire Club
Azazel is a member in very good standing with the Hellfire Club, and occupies a position on the Lords Cardinal. This means that most all resources available to the Hellfire Club are available to him, as is the support of the Lords Cardinal and the entirety of the guard.
Riptide
Riptide is a mutant with the ability to produce and manipulate air currents effortlessly. He speaks very little, but works closely with Azazel and is a valuable member of the Hellfire Club.
Stability
Through his nature, Azazel being present when magic is being done, such as a spell being cast or a ritual worked, tends to be a stabilizing factor. Naturally, he must be at least not in conflict with the purpose for which the magic is being done. This is likely related to his ability to facilitate supernatural transactions.
WEAKNESSES
Appearance
Azazel's distinctive appearance mean that not only is he unforgettable, some people will judge him on sight. Some people are instantly afraid of him, and others will assume he is evil because of his resemblance to the stereotypical image of the devil.
Reputation
Azazel has a bad reputation, from his name on. Not only is he frequently conflated and confused with the actual Devil, there are also plenty of other rumours about him that aren't that dramatic but still cause him difficulty.
