Zauriel is a fictional superhero in the DC Universe. Originally a guardian angel who served Heaven for millions of years, he willingly falls to Earth to serve humanity as their champion and joins the Justice League. Publication history Zauriel first appeared in JLA #6 and was created by Grant Morrison, Mark Millar, Howard Porter, and John Dell. In his first appearance, he saved Aquaman's life, over time forming a close friendship with him, and helped the Justice League thwart and dispel the forces of the renegade angel Asmodel. Creation and concept Grant Morrison created Zauriel during their tenure as writer of JLA but was forbidden from using their originally intended name of Hawkman. At the time, Hawkman had been declared off-limits by DC editors due to the character's convoluted continuity, complicated by retcons from the Hawkworld miniseries, which DC tried to negate during the Zero Hour miniseries. Morrison does allude to a Hawkman-connection by having Aquaman mistake Zauriel as "Katar" when the two characters first meet in the middle of a frantic battle. Fictional character biography Zauriel was an angel of the Eagle Host, one of the four hosts of Heaven, the others being Human, Bull and Lion. Since the dawn of creation, Zauriel served the Presence (God) as a guardian angel, protecting the souls of countless women, including Cleopatra, Mona Lisa, and Joan of Arc. He later falls in love with one of his assignments, a woman with a boyfriend from San Francisco. At about the same time, Zauriel accidentally learns of the secret plans of Asmodel, King-Angel of the Bull Host and one of the generals of Heaven's armies, and a legion of Bull Angels attempting to succeed where Lucifer failed by overthrowing the Presence. In an attempt to be with his true love and escape Asmodel's wrath, Zauriel pleaded his case before the four King-Angels, one of which was Asmodel, expressing his desire to abandon his position in Heaven as a guardian angel and seek his love on Earth. The King-Angels rejected his notion and sent him spiralling toward Earth in a blaze that captured the attention of Martian Manhunter of the Justice League. His descent resulted in Zauriel becoming mortal. Upon reaching Earth, Zauriel immediately found that a group of Bull Angels had followed him down, adopting temporary mortal flesh granted by Asmodel himself, in an attempt to hunt him down and kill him before he