Usually, in fiction, Heaven is depicted as an entirely good place that everyone wants to reach, but that certainly wasn’t the case when theJustice Leaguehad to fight off an invading angelic force. As absurd as it sounds, there was a time when Superman was punching angels in the middle of California.
…even angels in the DC Universe are not beyond corruption.
The Justice League has faced countless threatsfrom outer space and beyond. Many times, cosmic forces have emerged from alternate dimensions or universes, usually as malevolent, ontological forces—like when the Dark Multiverse tried to invade Earth.
However, inJLA#7 by Grant Morrison and Howard Porter, the threat was different.This issue introduced Asmodel, an angel who, along with a battalion of angels, invaded Earth to capture Zauriel, an angel who had uncovered Asmodel’s plan to usurp control of Heaven.
JLA#7 by Grant Morrison, Howard Porter, John Dell, Ken Branch, Pat Garrahy, and Ken Lopez
Concerned that Zauriel would thwart his plans, Asmodel attempted to capture and kill him. However,this became complicated when Zauriel allied himself with the Justice League.This led to the bizarre situation where the Justice League—one of the greatest forces for good—had to go to war with Heaven, a place typically regarded as the ultimate force for good. While not the full force of Heaven, Asmodel was a King-Angel, one of the highest-ranking beings Heaven had to offer.
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The conflict escalated after Neuron’s plot to crash the Moon into Earth was thwarted, and Superman himself got involved. In an epic showdown,Superman matched Asmodel’s incredible physical power.Ultimately, the Presence became aware of Asmodel’s treachery, stripping him of his angelic powers and banishing him to Hell. This storyline marked one of the Justice League’s first major interactions with Heaven, offering an intriguing take on the idea thateven angels in the DC Universe are not beyond corruption.
Superman Proved His Divine Might inJLA#7
One of the most interesting aspects of the DC Universe is its sheer size. With realms like Heaven, Hell, the Underworld, the Dreamworld, higher dimensions, and alternate realities, the universe is vast. And with such expansiveness, it’s clear that no place is purely good or evil.DC has explored this in the past, showing that even beings in Hell are capable of good, like theSuperman of Hellor Etrigan the Demon. Similarly, not every angel in Heaven is inherently good—after all, Lucifer was once an angel too.
The Justice League has faced off against some of the most powerful entities in the universe, including cosmic Gods and nearly unstoppable forces. They’ve defeated universe creators like Perpetua anduniverse destroyers like the Anti-Monitor. Given their history of taking on such powerful threats, it’s not all that surprising that the League was able to go up against and ultimately defeat a rogue faction of angels from Heaven. However, the sheer audacity of the situation—seeingSupermanand theJustice Leagueengage in battle with the celestial forces of Heaven, right in the middle of California—was still beyond wild.
