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Religion: sorcerer; demonolatry; anti-Catholic 
Name: The Crimson Mage
Alter Ego: Azaziah Hornsby
Other Names: Azaziah; Azazih; Ghost Rider
Classification:
villain
Publisher(s): 
First Appearance: Ghost Rider (vol. 2) #43 (Apr. 1980): "Night of the Crimson Mage!"
Creators: Michael Fleisher, Carmine Infantino, Ricardo Villamonte
Super? (Has Super Powers/Special Abilities/Technology): Yes
Number of Appearances: 4
Enemy of: Ghost Rider, Pope John Paul II
Gender: male
Note: tried to kill Pope
Azaziah Hornsby, known as the "Crimson Mage", was a powerful sorcerer who had lived for about a thousand years. He used power from a globe stolen from three demons. Hornsby wanted to prolong his life by taking over the Ghost Rider form. To this end, he split the current human host of the Ghost Rider (Johnny Blaze) from the Ghost Rider. But before Hornsby could complete his plans, he died, crumbling to dust when Blaze destroyed the globe that provided his power.
In What If (vol. 1) #28 (Aug. 1981), Azaziah Hornsby usurped the power of Ghost Rider and tried to kill the Pope. He was thwarted in his attempt to do so by Johnny Blaze, the human ghost of the Ghost Rider - the man Azaziah had stolen power from. Azaziah Hornsby was a long-lived and formidable sorcerer, and it might seem that he must have had some kind of special hatred for the Catholic Church to go after the Pope like this. Azaziah summons the "Scimitar of Ra-Mon-Beth" during this venture, and planned to use the mystic weapon to kill the Pope.
The Crimson Mage states that after he sacrifices the Pope in a ritual, using the Scimitar, he will rule the world. So possibly this venture has less to do with personal animosity than it does to do with a mad quest for power. Johnny Blaze is also perplexed a bit by Azaziah's choice of targets, until he realizes that Azaziah is from the Middle Ages. Around 1100 A.D., the Pope really was the center of civilization and power.
Ghost Rider (vol. 2) #43 (Apr. 1980): "Night of the Crimson Mage!"Marvel Legacy: The 1980s Handbook (Mar. 2007)
Suggested links for further research about this character and the character's religious affiliation:
- http://www.marvunapp.com/Appendix3/crimsonmageazaziah.htm
- http://www.marvunapp.com/Appendix3/earthghostsepblaze.htm
- http://everything2.com/e2node/What%2520If%253F%2520%252328
- http://comicbookdb.com/character.php?ID=9232
- http://www.marvunapp.com/master/cracri.htm
- http://www.marvunapp.com/master/gfgh.htm
- http://www.marvunapp.com/master/scasscn.htm
- https://www.comics.org/issue/34288/
- http://comicbookdb.com/issue.php?ID=68686
- https://www.comics.org/issue/35584/
- http://comicbookdb.com/issue.php?ID=56486