The Manhattan Guardian is a DC Comics costumed hero. Created by Grant Morrison and Cameron Stewart, based on the character The Guardian, he first appeared in The Manhattan Guardian #1 (2005) which was part of the Seven Soldiers of Victory "megaseries". Publication history The character originally appeared in the Manhattan Guardian mini-series. The inspiration came from the British newspaper The Guardian which gave Morrison the idea for a tabloid-sponsored superhero, translated to America. The Manhattan Guardian series is set in "Cinderella City" (to separate it from the ugly sisters Metropolis and Gotham) which is New York City but with unrealised architectural projects including an idea for the Hotel Attraction proposed by Paul Laffoley, Hans Hollein's "Rolls-Royce Building" concept for 28 Liberty Street, Robert Moses' Mid-Manhattan Expressway and Frank Lloyd Wright's "Ellis Island Key". The original idea came from Paul Laffoley's suggestion to reference Gaudi's architecture for inspiration in rebuilding Ground Zero. Morrison said: "I want it to be a more exalted New York, where things that were dreamed of were finally brought into reality". The character later made cameos in Infinite Crisis and 52. Fictional character biography Seven Soldiers Jake Jordan was an unemployed and disgraced former police officer, who left the force after killing a young boy he misidentified as the murderer of his partner. On the suggestion of his fiancee's father Larry, Jake applied for a mysterious job at the Manhattan Guardian tabloid newspaper. After facing several trials disguised as a terrorist attack, including fighting a Golem, Jordan was confronted by the paper's owner, Ed Stargard. Impressed with his conduct, Ed offered Jake the job: to be the newspaper's very own Superhero/Reporter. During his meeting with Jake, Ed notes that he had bought the rights to the Guardian name from Project Cadmus, who had sponsored the original. Shortly afterwards, Jake's fiancee Carla was kidnapped by subway pirates, and her rescue becomes his first mission. He is assisted by the newspaper's delivery boys, who have developed an information network. The pirates are rampaging through New York's underground in an effort to find a tattoo-based map. During the battle, Carla's father is killed. Shortly after the battle, Carla breaks up with Jake. Later, the Guardian faces down killer robots modeled after the world's ethnic groups. Fed up with how his new job has changed his life, Jake storms Ed's office, intent on quitting, only to find Ed is an elderly