ZAURIEL	BIOGRAPHY
Created by Grant Morrison

PERSONAL DATA

Occupation: Adventurer, former Guardian Angel of the Eagle Host.
Homeworld: Heaven
Known Relatives: None
Base of Operation: Formerly Heaven; now the Aerie high above Los Angeles
Group Affiliation(s): Former member of the JLA; formerly the Pax Dei
Gender: Male
Height: 6' 1"
Weight: 180 lbs.
Eyes: Purple and red
Hair: Silver
Distinguishing Features: Pale skin and bird-like wings
First Appearance: JLA #6 (June 1997)
Creators: Grant Morrison

It was my job to protect some of the most pivotal characters in history from demonic possession... but never, in a million years of service, have I felt the way I do about this sales assistant in San Francisco with the house full of cats. - Zauriel Quote taken from JLA: Paradise Lost #1

OVERVIEW

An angel of the glorious host of Heaven, Zauriel took on mortal form due to his love for a woman he was assigned to protect as guardian angel. While in mortal form, he helped the Justice League to defeat the hosts of rogue angel Asmodel and later joined their ranks, giving the team a spiritual focus. He sacrificed his mortal life in the League's fight against Mageddon in order to return to Heaven and persuade the rest of the angelic host to come to Earth's aid. In recognition of his sacrifice, Zauriel was permitted once more to return to Earth, where he has been a guiding light both to Hal Jordan (when he was known as The Spectre) and to the young Hawkgirl among others.

HISTORY

Not all angels out of Heaven are fallen. Zauriel, former Guardian Angel and member of the Eagle Host of the Pax Dei relinquished his immortality for love of a mortal. Realising that he could never replace her true human partner he instead was given permission to become a new form of superhero. He is proof to a divided world that God does exist in a physical sense when people are often distracted by more colourful contemporaries).

Before the beginning there was The Presence, and then in the moment of the beginning two realms came into existence. The first was the material world of The Source, the other was the ethereal realm of Paradise – home to a plethora of angels and souls of many different hosts. Above this was the Archangels and the brightest of them all – Lucifer Morningstar. What happened next is known across the face of creation; Lucifer and his supporters tried to stage a rebellion in Paradise. They were defeated by the Pax Dei, the army of Heaven, stripped of their magnificence they were cast out into the realm of Hell. There is a legend that tells of the sole angel not to take sides forever he wanders the Earth as a Stranger, yet this is not his tale.

The Pax Dei is made is made up of four hosts, Bull, Eagle, Lion and Man, each ruled by a King Angel they stand ready to protect Heaven. It is also their job to supply the Guardian Angels that defend each of us from demonic possession, of these guardian angels one of the most faithful was Zauriel. For a million years he had been a Guardian Angel, he had protected Cleopatra, Mona Lisa and Joan of Arc from demonic interference but was prevented from taking action on the physical plane. All that changed when he was assigned to protect Shannon Coyne, a sales assistance from San Francisco. He was smitten with a form of love that few Angels experience towards their charges.

Somehow Zauriel found out that Asmodel, King Angel of the Bull Host was planning to ally himself with Neron and the forces of Hell in a second rebellion. This knowledge did not trouble him because he had full faith in his God. He went before an audience with the four King Angels of the Pax Dei (including Asmodel) and petitioned Heraphon, King Angel of the Eagle Host for permission to renounce his immortality so that he might spend his time on Earth with Shannon. After questioning, his request was granted by the Death-Angel of the Third Heaven.

Transformed into a mortal being Zauriel made planet fall in San Francisco where he was intercepted by the Martian Manhunter. Before Zauriel could explain who he was a trio of Bull Angels sent by Asmodel to silence Zauriel confronted them both. The action drew in the rest of the Justice League and Asmodel was forced to intervene directly. Organising an anomaly to distract the Presence he sealed off San Francisco and attacked with his forces. Meanwhile Neron's intervention distracted Superman leaving the rest of the League and Zauriel to face Asmodel alone. In a pitched battle, J'onn occupied Asmodel and Green Lantern took on the legions of Bull Angels while Wonder Woman and Zauriel attacked Asmodel's chariot in order to lower the shield that was surrounding the city. The moment the shield came down Superman appeared and wrestled Asmodel to a stalemate giving the Flash and Green Lantern enough time to cancel out the vibrations of the Angels, erasing them from this plane and returning them to Heaven.

Asmodel would have then been quite happy to leave Zauriel to rot on Earth had it not been for the words of his co-conspirator Neron who pointed out that once Asmodel had achieved his victory others would see his failure with Zauriel as a serious flaw. Convinced, Asmodel had Neron send Etrigan to Earth to peruse Zauriel who had contacted Shannon. He managed to persuade the Demon to leave him alone but he had not reckoned on Asmodel who used a flesh suit in the form of a child to enter out realm. He tracked Zauriel down killing the Martian Manhunter in the process. Zauriel managed to destroy Asmodel's Flesh Suit using his sonic cry but was too late to stop him from capturing Shannon whom he gave to Neron as an act to seal their bargain.

Content that he had his revenge on Zauriel Asmodel and Neron launched their attack on Heaven. They found their way blocked by the spirit of the Martian Manhunter and the three remaining hosts of the Pax Dei. Meanwhile back on Earth, Zauriel had Jerry (Shannon's boyfriend and a nurse) stop his heart effectively giving him a near-death experience allowing him for a time to return to Heaven and find Shannon. Zauriel and the Manhunter joined forces and held the battle for a time until the resuscitation efforts of the Justice League managed to bring J'onn back to life and ripped him from the afterlife.

The way open to him, Asmodel penetrated all the way to the Palace of the Seventh Heaven only to find it empty. It was there that Zauriel confronted him. Asmodel never had a chance Zauriel revealed. The Presence was not a physical Lord that sat upon a throne but was a vast and mysterious force that permeated every part of Earth, Heaven and Hell and that he was never in any danger what so ever of Asmodel. Defeated, Asmodel was consigned to the depths of Hell as Neron's prisoner. Neron also restored Shannon to the real world just because it would torment Asmodel that bit more.

In the aftermath Shannon returned to Jerry as Zauriel watched. Zauriel was ecstatic as he saw the love that the two humans had for each other, he was just content knowning that Shannon was happy and well. With the permission of his superiors Zauriel took up a new role, he would be a superhero, a beacon of hope to show proof that God really existed. He was whole heartedly backed, they provided him with a specially constructed uniform and headquarters ('more nineties according to Saint Peter'). Now as a member of the Justice League he continues that role of protecting humanity that he has held for over a million years.

POWERS AND WEAPONS

When Zauriel was immortal he possessed a wide range of powers and abilities special to angels. However now that he is mortal he is vastly depowered being effectively flesh and blood. He retains the mighty wings that mark him as an Angel and he can fly at incredible speeds. As well as this he has a number of talents that the Eagle Host allowed him to keep, these include a sonic cry/flash that disrupts the vibrations of angels on the Earth plane and a number of almost spell like tricks including the "old Dead Sea Trick" that allows him to part waters. Zauriel can also understand animals and respond to them in an angelic language.

Now that he is a 'superhero', the Eagle Host has constructed a magnificent secret headquarters for Zauriel called the Aerie that floats high above Los Angeles. He also has a specially designed costume and still keeps his old flaming sword around just in case.

CHRONOLOGY

For a definitive list of appearances of Zauriel in chronological order click here

PROFILE REFERENCES

JLA Secret Files #1 (September 1997)