JLA #6

Jun 1997 · DC · 1.95 USD; 2.75 CAD

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“Fire in the Sky”

★ 1st appearance — Zauriel

About this Issue

JLA #6 is the first appearance of Zauriel, Grant Morrison's fallen-angel hero who became the series' resident supernatural expert and a recurring presence across DC's cosmic mythology for decades. The character was born directly from an editorial constraint — Morrison had designed a new Hawkman but was blocked from using that name, forcing the creation of an entirely original figure whose angelic DNA nonetheless winks at the Hawkman legacy throughout the issue. The debut also seeds the wider 'American Dreams' arc's war-between-Heaven-and-Hell premise, demonstrating Morrison's method of treating the JLA as a modern pantheon facing mythic, world-shattering stakes rather than street-level crime. As the opening chapter of that arc, issue #6 is the entry point for one of the run's most cosmologically ambitious storylines.

"Fire in the Sky" kicks off a high-stakes JLA mission as the team faces an unexpected threat from above, testing their unity and resolve. With Howard Porter’s dynamic cover art and John Dell’s sharp inks setting the tone, this 1997 issue delivers a gripping blend of superhero teamwork and mystery—perfect for fans of the era’s bold, character-driven storytelling.

writer Grant Morrison · artist Howard Porter · inker John Dell · colorist Pat Garrahy · colorist Heroic Age · letterer Ken Lopez · cover Howard Porter, John Dell

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More listings for this title

NM $3 NM $4 JLA #6 Comic Book Grant Morrison DC Comics 1997 $2.99 JLA #6 - 1st Appearance of Zauriel - DC Comics (1997 1st Series) $3 JLA #6 June 1997 DC Comics $3.59

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History

Morrison originally planned a brand-new Hawkman for the JLA roster, but DC editorial placed the Hawkman name under a moratorium because of the character's convoluted post-Crisis and post-Hawkworld continuity problems. Working with collaborator Mark Millar and artist Howard Porter, Morrison reconceived the winged figure as an actual fallen angel named Zauriel, preserving the visual and thematic echoes while creating a wholly new character. The creative team even embedded an in-story acknowledgment of the substitution: Aquaman, upon first seeing Zauriel, mistakes him for Katar Hol. The issue was published under editor-in-chief Jenette Kahn's tenure, part of the broader JLA relaunch that had already reversed years of franchise dilution by uniting DC's top-tier heroes on a single title.

Trivia · 8 facts

First appearance of Zauriel, a fallen angel of Heaven's Eagle Host who later joins the JLA as its supernatural expert and eventually spins off into the miniseries JLA: Paradise Lost (written by Mark Millar).
Zauriel was created by Grant Morrison, Mark Millar, and Howard Porter as a direct substitute for Hawkman, after DC editorial barred Morrison from using that name due to Hawkman's unresolved continuity issues.
The issue's in-story title is 'Fire in the Sky,' named after the 1993 science-fiction film — consistent with the series' early pattern of titling chapters after classic sci-fi movies.
Issue #6 is Part 1 of the 'American Dreams' arc (JLA #5–9), collected in the trade paperback JLA Vol. 2: American Dreams; it has also been reprinted in JLA: The Deluxe Edition Vol. 1 (2008) and JLA: New World Order DC Essential Edition (2019), among other international editions.
The revamped, cadaverous version of the Key — the villain's Morrison-era redesign — makes his teaser first appearance in this issue, setting up his starring role as the arc's primary antagonist in issues #8–9.
First appearance of Asmodel's Chariot, the golden war-vessel of the rogue King-Angel Asmodel, whose descending bulk begins crushing San Francisco in the story's climax.
Introductory cameos of Animecus (listed as Animech in some sources) and Mangatron, two anime-styled robots defeated by Aquaman and Wonder Woman in Tokyo before the main angelic threat emerges.
Creative team: script by Grant Morrison, pencils by Howard Porter, inks by John Dell, colors by Pat Garrahy (with Heroic Age separations), letters by Ken Lopez, edited under editor-in-chief Jenette Kahn.