Story: "Vanishing Angels and Sudden Death" (25 Pages)

Credits:

Dennis O'Neil (plot, script)
Joe Quesada (pencils)
Kevin Nowlan (inks)
Ken Bruzenak (letters)
Lovern Kindzierski (colors)
Bill Kaplan (edits)

Feature Character:

Jean-Paul Valley (first appearance; a Gotham University graduate student; last in flashback in Azrael Annual #1; in flashback in Azrael Annual #1 between pages)

Guest Star:

Batman (last in Batman: Shadow of the Bat #9)

Supporting Characters:

Alfred Pennyworth
James Gordon
Oracle
Azrael III (Jean-Paul Ludovic Valley; Jean-Paul Valley's father; dies; last in flashback in Azrael Annual #1)
Nomoz (first appearance)

Villains:

Carleton LeHah (a former acolyte of the Order of St. Dumas)
Francois
Patrick (first appearance of all three; all three last in flashback in Azrael Annual #1)
Monsieur LeCault (first appearance; an arms dealer)
Monsieur Renard

Other Characters:

Mike
Sherri Port (first appearance of both; two reporters for Gotham TV; latter dies)
Heinreich (an acolyte of the Order of St. Dumas)
The Order of St. Dumas (behind the scenes)

Synopsis:

A bullet-ridden angel of death crashes in the midst of a Gotham City parade. Batman follows the mystery which leads him to the middle of Europe and the existence of the hidden secret Order of Saint Dumas whose champion is Azrael... the sword of vengeance.