Manhattan Guardian

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 man who never physically developed beyond babyhood. Ed explains that he used to be a member of a group called the Newsboy Army known as Baby Brain. The group had a deadly and maddening encounter with the evil faerie-folk, the Sheeda, who are now storming the Guardian building, intent on finishing the former Newsboy off. Not content to leave Ed to die, the Guardian, Baby Brain, and his secretary set off to find Carla and fight the Sheeda.

With the assistance of other heroes, such as Mr. Miracle and the new Bullet-Woman, the Sheeda are defeated, and Jake and Carla are tearfully reunited, making up in the process, shown in a headline proclaiming "HERO GETS GIRL!".

Following Seven Soldiers of Victory, Jake Jordan has been seen valiantly fighting Doomsday in the Villains United Infinite Crisis Special. He is seen in the related seven-part limited series, Infinite Crisis. Jake, along with many other superpeople, attend a mass for fallen and missing superheroes. He is one of the hundreds of defenders in the "Battle for Metropolis", protecting the city from a climactic attack from dozens of members of the "Secret Society of Supervillains".[4]

Jake's association with the heroes does not end there. Jake is seen attending the memorial service for Superboy, despite having only become the Manhattan Guardian a short time prior to the young hero's death. In week 50 of the 52 maxi-series, Jake is one of the dozens of heroes called up to the border of China to battle the maddened, rampaging Black Adam. This fight is also detailed in a tie-in series.[5]

Superman writer James Robinson expressed a desire to have Jake team up with the original Guardian at some point in the near future.[6]

After Eclipso destroys the moon during a battle with the Justice League, Jake is seen helping evacuate citizens from the streets of Manhattan as the city descends into chaos. The moon is repaired with effort by many of Earth's magic-based heroes.[7]

Jake teams up with Supergirl to combat a virus-based attack on the citizens of Metropolis.[8]

Manhattan Guardian appeared as a member of the Justice League of Earth-23.[9] He's later seen again as the entire League examines a robotic threat from beyond known time and space.[10]