Azazel (Project ARMS)

Azazel is an alien entity that features in the anime Project ARMS.

Biography

Azazel's origin was largely a mystery though it was stated that it came into being at the same time as the solar system and scientific data led it to be determined that that the entity existed long before the birth of mankind. Thousands of years ago, the entity was known to had fallen to Earth where it remained in a dormant state underground. The existence of Azazel was discovered around half a century ago by the Miskatonic Univeristy team researching unusual magnetic levels in a crater at Gallows Bell. Upon arriving at the scene, they discovered a meteor with this scientific discovery holding the potential of changing human history. However, an organization known as Egrigori decided to hoard the information for themselves and continued the conceal their find. The discovery of Azazel would have likely rewritten scientific history had it gone public. However, Egrigori kept Azazel a secret and stories claimed that anyone who attempted to reveal the find were assassinated which even included a president. All data cocerning Azazel was suppressed by the government with nothing being recorded of it within the public databases. Around forty years ago, all signs of life was gone from the specimen and it became a mere tissue sample that they gave the code name Azazel. Initially, its existence was not known until a scientific team encountered what they determined to be an alien lifeform. Once the egg hatched, countless experiments were conducted the organism designated Azazel though no reaction came from it.

The meteor containing Azazel would crash onto Earth thousands of years ago where it was discovered in the modern age by scientists in the site of Gallows Bell. Upon encountering it, the scientists became dedicating in unlocking the secrets of this extraterrestrial entity.

To aid the research group, they began genetically engineering highly intelligent children for their research. Among the first of these Chapel Children was Alice who proved an invaluable addition in studying Azazel. At one point, Azazel became hostile and started attacking the security forces guarding it where it infected them with its substance. It was only the arrival of Alice did the creature calm down and it began changing its form to mimic Alice. She determined that Azazel desired a heart and she promised to teach it how to have such traits. Following this encounter, she began a period of intense contact with Azazel teaching it various feelings as well as music. This proved invaluable to the research program headed by Keith White and Dr. Tillingast. From contact with Azazel, the proto-Egrigori began experiments on other children in melding the elements of Azazel with mankind. This was part of Keith Black's goal in heralding the transformation and evolution of mankind into a superior race. Alice, however, began to see the suffering faced by the other children who were experiments with some being terminated after being declared failures. At first, she asked that these experimental child subjects to be freed by Keith Black refused. Thus, she decided to secretly leave in the night with the children but before doing so she told Azazel her intentions to depart and never return. Azazel pleaded with Alice to come back to the facility as it had not gained a heart yet and desperately wanted to do so. However, a saddened Alice refused stating that she did not want to return the base and instead wanted to see the wider world. Doctor Tillingast learnt of her intentions and informed Keith White who had armed guards prevent the escape. Whilst trying to convince Alice to stay, White had his guards terminate the other experimental child subjects. Alice managed to break free and went in-between the crossfire where she was mortally wounded as a result. A dying Alice's body was sensed by Azazel who broke free from containment and transformed into a giant monstrous version of Alice. The guards would open fire on Azazel whilst the wounded Alice was taken by Tillingast deeper into the facility with Keith White. Azazel would break through the doors and sought to merge with Alice as it concluded that it wanted to be her. As a result, Azazel and Alice became one being where her thoughts in her dying moments consumed Azazel as her feelings of anger over the betrayal dominated its thoughts. This moment led to the creation of the first four original ARMS. This also split Alice into two beings; White Alice embodied her kind nature and the other being Black Alice that contained all her feelings of anger as well as betrayal.

Afterwards, a period of study began over the ARMS whilst Azazel was secured deep within the facility. The Egrigori created a series of clones based off Keith White leading to the creation of the Keith Series. The first of their number was Zero also known as Keith Black who had an ARMS implanted in his body. This created a link between Black and Azazel where he began to hear Alice's voice leading to his desire to follow it. Thus, he began to serve Alice's will and sought to destroy all mankind with both Black as well as Alice ruling over the world. Part of his actions involved purging the facility of scientists and reforming the Egrigori under his control which also saw the apparent elimination of his genetic progenitor namely Keith White.

The electric resonance of Jabberwock was known to had awoken Azazel from its slumber.

Overview

Personality and attributes

In appearance, Azazel resembled a huge strange rock though in actual fact it was a silicon based lifeform that was a colony of tiny living things that colonized together to become one big whole. Being microscopic, one could barely see these under an electron microscope where it was a colony of living cells one hundreth of a micron long. Their existence was that of protruberances on the cell wall and were able to consolidate thus allowing it to move around and change shape. It had mimetic capabilities where it was known to had taken human form where it took the shape and form of the ones who discovered it. Azazel was a lifeform with the ability to copy whatever it observed which was accomplished due to the fact it was composed of silicone properties. Unlike carbon based bodies such as humans, metallically rich silicone life forms have a longer lifespan. Thus, time held little meaning to Azazel with forty or fifty years being considered nothing to it.

Initially, Azazel simply desired the feelings afforded to the human heart where it believed it could achieve this from Alice. However, when Alice was mortally wounded, Azazel came to the conclusion that it did not desire to have a heart but desired to become Alice. This train of thought led to its merger with Alice leading to the two becoming a single entity.

Powers and abilities

Its link to the Arms allowed it to create bursts of energy that allowed it to disable nanomachines. Furthermore, wearers of an Arm were able to feel Azazel's will and emotions such as sorrow. This stemmed from the fact that Azazel had been all alone for many millennia and it was drawn to the strongest beings in existence. Ultimately, it craved an embrace and human touch which was hwy it wanted to feel the Jabberwock. Azazel was claimed to be a pure untainted being similar to an infant and was drawn to the strongest will of people. The power of the human heart was seen as a beautiful thing by the alien entity. Strong hatred was capable of being resonated by Azazel who was able to increase multifold and destroy individuals.

Among its wide scale capabilities involved the use of the Schumann Resonance effect and its link to the Gaia theory. It was believed that Azazel was able to link itself with the magnetic field of Earth that allowed it to communicate with Gaia. This led to Al Bowen theorizing that this indicated a common point of origin between Earth and Azazel.

Appearances

• Project ARMS: