Black Rook / Azazel (Earth-2299)

The history of this alternative version of Azazel is basically identical to that of Earth-616's Azazel with a fundamental difference. He is not and never was a "True Demon". As this Azazel discovered very early he was a mutant and an "X-Ternal" or summarizing an "immortal mutant" whose mutation and "demonic" appearance terrified common people by mistakenly thinking he was. Very old his mutation was manifested in him at the time of the Díluvium and he had his figure associated with the mythical Fallen Angel who was one of the 200 Angels who came down to Earth led by Shemihazah to have children with human women. It was purely a myth and an untruth that normal humans created to have an explanation that made sense to them and that served as an excuse to qualify him as "a Demon". But for Azazel it didn't matter. He came to think that if people called him "Devil" even though he was not "a Devil he would be" and proceeded to act literally as if he were in fact "the Devil himself" participating in ceremonies and services of darkness in which he he was idolized as the true Fallen Angel Azazel taking his name for himself, demanding human sacrifices and very astute offerings in the form of wealth in exchange for power that he did not confer but that always had a perfect excuse ready to give to the Cultists and deceive them and become increasingly wealthy and influential among humans in exchange for their silly and futile need to have a Cunning Demon to worship and attribute their successes to and ask for revenge, wealth and power. It was so until he happened to meet Mister Sinister in England from Victorian times and Nathaniel Essex revealed the truth about his nature and supposed demonic powers. He was not a "Demon" he was a "Mutant" and also an X-Ternal which explained his centuries of existence. Mister Sinister took Azazel as his disciple and made Azazel take a taste for science and for playing "scientific" mind games with humans. He who was already completely unbelieving in the figure of a "God" became a complete Atheist who believed that "God" and "Devil" were two hypocritical excuses that humanity had invented to have someone to thank for the happy moments and to blame when everything failed. The world was in reality pure and cold logic devoid of any major faith or religiosity in any "Great God on the heights" and "Insidious Demon in the Depths". There was only the cruel and detached reason for any feeling or morality for both good and evil.The centuries passed and he met the mutant shapeshifter Mystique with which he decided to play one of his wicked mind games and destroy the little faith that still remained in humanity in the poor and confused Raven Darkholme. He seduced her and the two made love in the chapel of Castel do Baron Wagner, an act that would result in the birth of Nightcrawler who was destined to be the "exact opposite" of his father.When Kurt Wagner finally came to know his real biological father in recent times he had an immediate disgust for Azazel and the two fought hard what Kurt won by forcing his father to flee. Recently Azazel was invited to be the new Black Rook of the Hellfire Club accepting for his adorable and badly directed Mystique to be the Black Queen and he envision many new chances to be able to play with humans and destroy their faith.

POWERS AND SKILLS

Powers

Telepathy, telekinesis, pyrokinesis domination of minds

Hyper-accelerated healing factor

Teleport psychically across interdimensional distances

Bursts of negative energy (they "burn the victim's soul" but in reality it is the same type of damage as Psylocke's telepathic adaqga ie purely mental damage)

Manipulation of Organic and Inorganic Matter

Disintegration of Organic and Inorganic Matter

Corporeal Possession

Immortality

Super Agility

Super speed

Super Reflexes

Prehensile Tail

Wall Crawling

Invisibility

Intangibility

Skills

Fluent in all Earth languages

Owner of immense material wealth accumulated over the centuries

Ability to mentally control Firedancers, reptiles that inhabit the sulfur dimension

Great knowledge of Occult and Demonology

Master in sword handling

Great knowledge about the mutated physiology and genetics acquired with Mister Sinister.