Were Batgirl and Azrael Supposed to Develop a Sibling Relationship

Coming from similar assassin backgrounds, it would be expected that these two Batman allies would form a kinship, but how deep was it meant to go?

When Cassandra Cain made her debut in DC Comics as the new Batgirl in 1999, she would find herself consistently paired with Batman ally and occasional advocacy, Jean-Paul Valley, also known as Azrael. Since the two have incredibly similar origins (both have been trained by secret assassin organizations and abused by parental figures), it made sense that they would be partnered up occasionally in the comics.

However, in much of Cassandra's early appearances, like the long running 1999 comic book crossover event Batman: No Man's Land (by Paul Dini and Alex Ross), she and Jean-Paul would find themselves almost always paired together, especially throughout Dennis O'Neil's 1999 Azrael: Agent of the Bat. With other early depictions of the two being closely associated with each other, it may have been the writers' (Chuck Dixon, Dennis O'Neil and Greg Rucka) intent to give them a sibling-like bond within the Batman Family.

From their first meeting in Batman: Legend of the Dark Knight #120 (by Greg Rucka, Mike Deodato. Jr, Sean Parsons and Pamela Rambo), the two immediately form a kinship, with him being one of the few who could understand her. He also displayed great empathy for her in this issue when former Batgirl, Barbara Gordon, mentioned that much like Azrael, Cassandra's father was abusive and forced her to become an assassin.

Batman tasked them to work alongside each other to capture Nicholas Scratch, the man responsible for Gotham's transformation to a "no man's land". Batgirl rescues Azrael in Azrael: Agent of the Bat #57 (by Dennis O'Neil, Roger Robinson, James Pascoe and Rob Ro) after Scratch's gang captured him. The two publicly humiliate the master criminal by beating him in single combat, diminishing his respect in the underworld. They continue to team up throughout the comic book event, facing the Joker in Azrael: Agent of the Bat #60 and assisting Batman in his search for Detective Essen-Gordon in Detective Comics #741.

In Azrael: Agent of the Bat #61 (by Dennis O'Neil, Roger Robinson, James Pascoe and Rob Ro), it became abundantly clear that Batgirl and Azrael had formed a strong connection. This issue depicts the two being tasked to find and rescue a group of babies that the Joker kidnapped during the holiday season. They bond over their past grievances with their abusive parents and shared unfamiliarity with Christmas, indulging in the festivities during their search for the Joker's hostages.

Cassandra attempts to follow the tradition of gift-giving by performing a ballet dance for Azrael who promises to return the act of kindness. The two eventually arrive at the alleged location of the babies but realize it was a trick to distract them while a nearby Christmas tree is being filled with explosives. Azrael shields Batgirl from the blast and suffers severe burns. When she visits her comrade in the hospital, he surprises her with a gift, an angel ornament that was on the tree.

Unfortunately, Azrael's death in the 2003 finale of Dennis O'Neil's Azrael comic series put an end to the blooming sibling relationship between the two vigilantes. Another Batman ally, Stephanie Brown, replaced Azrael's role as Batgirl's closest friend, with the two sharing a comic series in 2022's Batgirls (by Becky Cloonan, Michael W. Conrad and Jorge Corona).

Although the DC Universe's New 52 reboot did revisit their past kinship when Scott Snyder's 2016 Batman Robin Eternal introduced the pair as victims of a villain known as "Mother" during their childhoods. However, they have yet to establish the close friendship they had in the aftermath of Batman: No Man's Land. But, with Cassandra and Jean-Paul both being given their own solo comic runs, they just might pop up in each other's storylines.