Angels are a humanoid species from Heaven, many of whom are tasked in guarding select Humans.
Biology[]
Angels are externally identical to Humans, but possess vast essokinetic abilities, allowing them to perform various miraculous feats such as rewriting time, altering memories, teleporting themselves and others across space and dimensions, summoning objects, and writing in the air with energy. Their abilities rely on their concentration, so inexperienced angels may accidentally create the wrong thing or fail to summon a piece of something, and their reality-altering powers seem to activate only upon a hand gesture involving licking their thumb and then stamping said thumb into the open palm of their other hand. Despite their incredible power, angels appear to visibly age, and are susceptible to the effects of alcohol and other drugs.
Culture and society[]
Angels are organized into at least three castes, which include apprentice angels, guardian angels, and an executive branch of angels, although it is known that there are other classifications for angels. Angel apprentices train to become guardian angels, eventually undergoing a test where they must improve the life of a select Human within 24 hours. If they succeed, they will earn their 'wings,' which are a sort of medal of distinction, taking the form of decorative wing-shaped ornaments worn on their shoulders. Angels strongly value ideal standards of 'angelic' behavior, especially for apprentices and guardians, which involves abstaining from indulging in any earthly vices or slacking off on the job. Angel apprentices who fail their tests are 'reclassified' to an unknown lower rank, which is quite feared by apprentices. Angelic classification is handled by at least three divisions of a department known as Celestial Division Angel Placement.
While angels usually change their wardrobe to fit wherever they end up, angelic clothing worn in heaven usually consists of white robes and boots. The angelic language is identical to English, and angelic establishments are known to have no walls, simply appearing to be islands suspended in space, although they also possess free-standing doors, which appear to serve as either portals or a sort of teleportation beacon.
History[]
Angels have served as guardians to select Humans for an unknown period of time. By the mid-20th century, a considerably incompetent angel apprentice, Harmon Cavender, routinely failed his guardian angel test, and got addicted to Earth's liquor and cigars. Due to this, the office of the 3rd Celestial Division Angel Placement called him in, where the angel chief berated Cavender for his failures, but gave him one last chance to prove himself before reclassifying him. Cavender was assigned to a clumsy Human woman named Agnes Grep, offering to give Cavender his wings if he could improve her life in 24 hours.
As Agnes was riding the bus home, having just been fired from her last job, Cavender teleported into the bus next to her, attempting to explain that he was her guardian angel, but Agnes didn't believe him. To prove it, Cavender tried to turn the bus into a convertible car, but accidentally made it a horse-drawn carriage first, before getting it to a car, then turning it back into a bus, making the bus driver throw himself out the window in shock. Agnes still wasn't convinced, instead going home, where Cavender materialized in her apartment, attempting to explain what he wanted to do, namely improve Agnes' life. He turned to making her independently wealthy and completely rewriting time to make her a high-class socialite, not waiting for her input before warping her to a fine mansion with him, summoning a lavish party in her honor, although he first forgot to materialize pants on himself when he made their wardrobe more formal. However, while Cavender happily partied and got drunk, Agnes found herself unhappy with the situation, missing her old life and friends.
Cavender then awoke on the couch the next morning, realizing that Agnes wasn't around anymore. He quickly teleported himself to her, finding that she had returned to her old apartment but found everything altered. Cavender attempted to explain that his changes meant that her old life had been effectively erased, but Agnes missed her old friends. Cavender tried to take her back to the mansion, but Agnes told him that she preferred her old life, surprising Cavender, but Agnes explained that she was happy with how things were, even if she was unemployed and behind on her rent, as she felt truly close to her neighbors. While reluctant, Cavender reverted things to the way they were, and Agnes happily kissed him before running back inside to greet all her old friends. However, while outside, Cavender realized that in actuality, Agnes was the richest woman he had ever met, whose wealth was not in material things, finally making him realize that money did not equal happiness. She thanked him, and he bid her farewell, before the chief recalled him to Heaven with lightning.
In Heaven, the chief berated Cavender for unangelic behavior, such as drinking and smoking on the job, calling him a disgrace to the service and sentencing him to be reclassified. However, before he could officiate the verdict, the chief looked down at Earth, seeing that much to his shock, Agnes had ended up six times happier than the way Cavender had found her, learning what bowling was through watching her. The chief, delighted by the result, went back on his statement and allowed Cavender to remain a guardian angel, assigning him other deserving subjects. Cavender, glad with the results, left the office while smoking a new cigar.
Appearances[]
- The Twilight Zone, s03e36, "Cavender is Coming" (1962)