The Birth: The Order of St. Dumas is centuries old, and because of internal problems a long time ago, it went secret, unknown to all non-members. They chose an avenger Angel to guard their secret and avenge them. This was Azreal!
Modern Day : Jean Paul Valley, a normal computer graduate student at Gotham U, was minding his own business when suddenly his father showed up at his doorstep, leaking blood. Oh, and his father was dressed in this weird costume.
Seems his father had tried to execute an exotic arms dealer, LeHah by name, but instead bought the bullets himself. Teflon coated lead which his fancy suit of armor could not withstand. Before dying, he left behind his legacy to his son, giving him instructions which he hoped he would follow.
And teenage Jean Paul, following the instructions to a tee, soon founding himself in a foreign land, standing in front of a dwarf called Nomoz, for reasons he had no notion of whatsoever.
Nomoz introduced himself as his new teacher. He told Jean Paul that his father had been implanting subliminal suggestions into his mind, training him for his future role as Azreal of the ancient Order of St. Dumas. And he was soon to become aware of that training as Nomoz used the signia of the Order to recall all those suggestions.
From that moment on, Jean Paul's life was changed forever. He became Azreal, the Avenging Angel!

Azreal made his swashbuckling debut in Sword Of Azreal #1 in 1992.

The Alter Ego: Jean Paul Valley was a mild mannered kid, studying computers at Gotham University. But because of the subliminal messages implanted in him since his birth, his psyche was left in shambles. After all, when he became Azreal he nearly forgot what his real identity was. And because if the system, he became totally unhinged, a reason that made him want the mantle of the bat as his own, when he was standing in for Bruce as the Batman.

The Legend: Azreal had become a true killing machine, living upto his name as an Avenging Angel. But Alfred helped him find his humanity which was buried below, and Azreal saved Bruce Wayne from the fires that LeHah had started. After LeHah's death, Azreal declined the title that Nomoz had given him of the Avenging Angel saying he was just a man. And he remembered his true name. After that, Jean Paul went to help Bruce Wayne in Gotham.
He even became Bruce's stand-in for the Batman (See Batman) when Bane had broked his back. But the system within him took over once again, making him turn on Bruce and Robin as he tried to claim the mantle of the Bat for himself. He even tried to kill Bruce and Robin. Finally Bruce knocked Azreal over a couple of times and proved that he was still the one and only Batman.
Jean Paul, as he got better, resumed his identity as Azreal and continued to help the Bat in protecting Gotham.

Azreal's powers extends to his training and to what his costume provides him with. Unlike his father who carted around the heavy sword, Azreal has blades in-built within his forearm armor. The blades telescope into the sleeves and are fueled by fire from a module in their bases. His costume's fabric is bullet-proof and fire-resistant. And like the Batman, Azreal has a utility belt for storing knick-knacks like grappple and line etc.

Sword Of Azreal #1