WARNING: The following contains spoilers for the story "Propheties" from Future State: Justice League #1, by Ram V, Marcio Takara, Marcelo Maiolo and Rob Leigh, on sale now.
While the Justice League Dark has always faced unspeakable terrors and long odds as they defend the DC Universe from supernatural threats, things are looking particularly grim for the magical ensemble in the possible timeline of Future State. With the world of magic hunted relentlessly to the point of near-extinction, many familiar supernatural characters in this fiery vision of the DCU have been killed in the occult genocide.
And in the Justice League Dark story in Future State: Justice League #1, one of the recognizable figures in the growing body count is a fan-favorite member of the '90s Justice League, the angel Zauriel.
Created by Grant Morrison, Mark Millar, Howard Porter and John Dell in 1997's JLA #6, Zauriel arrived on Earth to help the Justice League defeat the rogue angel Asmodel and his wayward heavenly host. Zauriel was exiled after discovering Asmodel's plot while falling in love with a human woman in San Francisco. Joining the Justice League after saving Aquaman's life, Zauriel and the team defeated Asmodel, even after the evil angel teamed up with the demon Neron to storm Heaven. Redeemed for his actions in saving Heaven, Zauriel received divine gear and a celestial headquarters hovering over Los Angeles while serving as Heaven's official ambassador to Earth.
While largely absent for the DC Rebirth era, Zauriel's body appears in Future State as dark forces led by the Wizard Merlin seek to purge all magic in the DCU. As members of the reunited Justice League Dark investigate the scene of a mass execution of magical characters, they encounter the charred remains of Zauriel. Barely recognizable, Zauriel's corpse is a blackened husk, with his incinerated wings spread out as Zatanna and Detective Chimp survey the scene in horror. Reacting incredulously that a such a powerful angel could be captured and burned alive at the stake, Chimp reveals he is the new host for Etrigan the Demon, transforming into the fiery figure to provide some hellish insight on the scene of the crime.
Zauriel and Etrigan formed a natural rivalry during the angel's time on Earth, owing to Zauriel and the rhyming demon's conflicting origins. The two eventually made peace, but a sense of tension remained, with Zauriel also expressing a willingness to destroy other heroic demons in the DCU including Blue Devil. Any sense of animosity between Etrigan and Zauriel appears to be behind them in Future State as Etrigan discovers the angel's body when he swaps places with Detective Chimp. Etrigan is visibly upset by the especially cruel nature of Zauriel's death, as he and Zatanna note that the angel was tortured and interrogated before being finished off. In the wake of Zauriel's death, Etrigan agrees to help Zatanna search for additional allies to mount a last stand against Merlin.
With the death of Zauriel, not even one of Heaven's most formidable warriors could withstand Merlin's wrath. And while the avenging angel held deep rivalries with even the most heroic of the demons fighting for good on Earth, all differences were cast aside when Etrigan the Demon saw what had become of his longtime frenemy. The magical heroes of the DCU have been mercilessly wiped out by Merlin and his insidious loyalists and with Heaven's champion among the fallen, no one is safe as the Justice League Dark reassembles in a last ditch effort to save magic.