Azrael: The Killer of Saints

{{DC Database:Storyline Template
 * Title                  = The Killer of Saints
 * Image                  = Azrael Michael Lane 0024.jpg
 * OfficialName           = The Killer of Saints
 * Aliases                =


 * Universe               = New Earth
 * Locations              = Gotham City, London, Scotland


 * Heroes                 = Azrael, Order of Purity
 * Villains               = The Crusader
 * Others                 = Father Day, Father Grieve


 * Titles                 = Azrael
 * Collected              = Azrael: The Killer of Saints
 * Creators               = David Hine; Guillem March
 * First                  = Azrael Vol 2 #10
 * Last                   = Azrael Vol 2 #13


 * Quotation              = The Order created the Suit of Sorrows. They didn't create me. I'm just a man. The Crusader is something more and I'm afraid of him. Do you understand? I'm afraid. You were wrong to choose me.
 * Speaker                = Michael Lane
 * QuoteSource            = Azrael Vol 2 13


 * HistoryText            = The Killer of Saints is an Azrael storyline written by David Hine and illustrated by Guillem March. It's Hine's first arc on the Azrael series, following the conclusion to Fabian Nicieza's Let Him Who is Without Sin and leading into Hine's second arc Three Mysteries.

Synopsis
Adrian Paratino grows suspicious that the Suit of Sorrows is driving Michael Lane insane, but Lane insists he is fine. There is chaos in the Order of Purity when a serial killer begins murdering high-ranking members in the manner that famous saints were killed. Father Day reveals these victims are part of an inner circle he belongs to that hold a deep secret, and the killer is interrogating them. They confront him in London and realize it's a religious zealot named Crusader who can transmute elements. The Crusader tortures Father Day and battles Azrael, but surprisingly lets them live and proceeds to his next target. Day explains to Azrael that Crusader is after the, which is the Vatican's best kept secret as it scientifically disproves the resurrection of Jesus Christ. The Crusader finds his last target in Somalia is willing to talk, and Azrael swears privately that after killing Crusader he will murder Father Day for being a liar. Azrael and Father Day travel to meet the Keeper of Secrets, a man named Father Grieve in Scotland. Grieve holds a lost bible chapter called the Book of True Revelations that has prophecized this entire series of events. He explains that the Order of Purity is interested in truth and not faith, having representatives in every major church embracing their similarities but denying their tenets. The Sword of Salvation and the Sword of Sin represent the duality between a God of the material world and a God of the spirit world, implied to be God and Lucifer respectively. The Crusader is revealed to be an agent of the Vatican dedicated to preserving their power by destroying evidence against the church, and he arrives to interrogate Grieve. Azrael loses to the Crusader in battle and Grieve submits to his destiny of being flayed alive until he reveals the secrets. Azrael and Day rush to take the Shroud away while Grieve is being tortured, but they find there is no escape as Crusader has destroyed the bridge. The Crusader confronts him alongside Grieve, who has been stripped of flesh but is still kept alive. Azrael uses the Crusader's arrogance against him and challenges him to the Test of Swords. Crusader allows himself to be stabbed with the Sword of Sin and see his sins, although this makes him realize the Vatican is evil and Azrael is the beloved warrior of God the prophecy foretold. Crusader floats away sadly and Grieve privately tells Azrael the Shroud's real secret, that its DNA sample will reveal the descendants of Christ who the Suit of Sorrows was originally made for.


 * Issues                 =

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 * Notes                  =
 * Father Grieve dies off-panel in the conclusion to this story, after imparting his secrets to Azrael. It is established in the next issue that Azrael broke his neck.
 * Trivia                 =
 * RecommendedReading     =
 * Links                  =