Guardian (DC Comics)

Guardian (James Jacob "Jim" Harper and Mal Duncan) are DC Comics superheroes introduced in April 1942 by writer/artist Joe Simon and artist Jack Kirby.

Guardian resembles the earlier Kirby and Simon character Captain America (first published 13 months earlier by Marvel Comics), as he had no super powers and carried an indestructible shield. When Kirby returned to DC in 1970, he eventually re-established the character as a supporting one in the ''Superman'' franchise: as a clone of Jim Harper who was head of security for Project Cadmus.

In the Arrowverse series ''Supergirl'', James Olsen, portrayed by Mehcad Brooks, became the superhero Guardian. Additionally, James Harper appeared in the first season as a marine colonel portrayed by Eddie McClintock. In the sixth season, Olsen’s sister Kelly Olsen (portrayed by Azie Tesfai) became known as the Golden Guardian.

Publication history

He first appeared in '' Star-Spangled Comics'' #7 (April 1942) and was created by Jack Kirby and Joe Simon.

Fictional character biography

Jim Harper

Jim Harper is a police officer in Metropolis' Suicide Slum who becomes a vigilante to catch crooks that the law could not prosecute, describing himself as guarding society from criminals. He was trained by ex-boxer Joe Morgan, who also trained Wildcat and Atom. He doesn't have superpowers, but he carries a bulletproof shield.

He is aided by a group of boys known as the Newsboy Legion, to whom he is, literally, a guardian, having volunteered to take them in rather than allowing them to be sent to prison; he does so on the grounds that they are good kids who just needed a chance. The Legion grows up to become the heads of the Cadmus Project, subsequently saving Harper's life by transferring his mind into a younger clone of himself.

It is later revealed that Jim Harper is the great-uncle of Roy Harper, who becomes Green Arrow's sidekick under the name of "Speedy".

Other relatives include his niece Roberta "Famous Bobby" Harper, who is briefly a member of the second Newsboy Legion and Jamie Harper, his grandniece working for the Gotham City police. She works as Robin's personal contact in the GCPD, similar to the role Commissioner James Gordon plays for Batman. After helping Robin and Jason Bard expose two dirty cops in the GCPD, Jamie becomes Detective Specialist and transfers to the Metropolis Science Police.

Golden Guardian

In ''Superman's Pal Jimmy Olsen #135'' (January 1971), Jack Kirby reintroduces the boys of the now grown-up Newsboy Legion as supporting characters connected with the DNA Project (later Project Cadmus), a genetics research laboratory. One of the Project's experiments is a clone of the late Jim Harper, who takes up his predecessor's role, and becomes the Project's Head of Security as the Golden Guardian. In post-''Crisis'' continuity, this character is simply known as the Guardian.

Harper remains Cadmus' head of security even after the former Newsboys leave. Eventually, he too is killed, although another clone is created and rapidly aged to adulthood, retaining all his predecessor's memories. This Guardian disappears along with the rest of Cadmus following an altercation with Amanda Waller and Lex Luthor, and his whereabouts are unknown.

Post-Infinite Crisis

Following ''Infinite Crisis'', the Guardian clone's backstory was retconned. As Dubbilex explains to Jimmy Olsen, Jim Harper was not killed in the line of duty, but shot by Cadmus' first head of security, Jonathan Drew, upon discovering the clone was already being created.

It is also revealed that the original Guardian clone had left Cadmus early on, and was now living in the town of Warpath on the Mexican border, where he assisted Greg Saunders. Subsequent appearances of the Guardian were new clones, each of which died within a year.

The original Guardian clone moves to Metropolis with Gwen, an adolescent female clone of himself who he rescued. He later becomes the field commander of the Science Police and joins the Justice League. Following the events of ''War of the Supermen'', Harper abandons his role as Guardian and takes his grandniece Jamie to an unknown destination.

Mal Duncan

In ''Teen Titans'' #44 (November 1976), Mal Duncan becomes Guardian, wearing the original's outfit and an exoskeleton with strength augmenting abilities. The two Guardians meet in '' The Superman Family'', when Duncan helps rescue Jim Harper from Adam, an evil clone created using genetic material from Harper and Dubbilex.

The ''Crisis on Infinite Earths'' reboot removes Duncan's time as Guardian from DC continuity.

Jake Jordan

In 2005, Grant Morrison's ''Seven Soldiers'' megaseries introduced Manhattan Guardian, a new character based on the original Guardian.

Powers and abilities

The Guardian possesses exceptional combat and tactical skills. He was trained in many forms of fighting, and excelled at gymnastics, thinking quickly on his feet, and deduction. His only weapons are his golden helmet and shield. Guardian often used a customized motorcycle equipped with autopilot and a set of video cameras filming from various angles and recorded on videodisc.

The Jim Harper clone possesses enhanced strength and reflexes, and an accelerated healing factor. As an agent of Cadmus, Harper has access to the Whiz Wagon, a multi-terrain vehicle that can fly and travel underwater.

Other versions

* In '' Batman: The Dark Knight Strikes Again'', the Guardian is one of the superheroes killed by Dick Grayson. It is implied that he had a daughter with Lois Lane named Lana Harper-Lane, a television reporter.
* A bearded version of Guardian exists on the post-'' Flashpoint'' Earth-23 as a member of a predominantly African American Justice League.
* The Guardian makes a non-speaking cameo appearance in the final issue of ''The Golden Age''.

In other media

Television

Animation

The Jim Harper and Mal Duncan incarnations of Guardian appear in ''Young Justice''.
* Jim Harper (voiced by Crispin Freeman) is a clone of Roy Harper created by the Light to serve their needs. A green check mark indicates that a role has been confirmed using a screenshot (or collage of screenshots) of a title's list of voice actors and their respective characters found in its credits or other reliable sources of information. Through programming and hypnosis, Jim operates as a superhero who believes he is Roy's uncle while also working for Project Cadmus. After learning of his true nature, Jim spends the second season searching for Roy and taking part in an intervention for fellow clone, Red Arrow, before retiring the Guardian identity. In the third season, '' Outsiders'', Jim forms a familial relationship with Red Arrow and Roy.
* Mal Duncan (voiced by Kevin Michael Richardson), a member of the Team, becomes the Guardian in the second season episode "Cornered".

Live-action

Several incarnations of Guardian appear in media set in the Arrowverse:
* James Harper appears in the ''Supergirl'' episode "Manhunter", portrayed by Eddie McClintock. This version is a colonel in the United States Marine Corps.
* With Winn Schott's help, James Olsen (portrayed by Mehcad Brooks) became Guardian in the second and third seasons of ''Supergirl''.
** An alternate reality variant of James Olsen / Guardian appears in "Crisis on Earth-X". This version is a member of the Freedom Fighters from Earth-X who wears a costume patterned after the American flag. He is tasked with protecting a temporal gateway from the New Reichsmen, but is killed by Nazi Führer Oliver Queen.
* In the sixth season of ''Supergirl'', James' sister Kelly (portrayed by Azie Tesfu) becomes the new Guardian.

Film

A character inspired by Guardian named Nathan Hardy appears in '' Man of Steel'', portrayed by Christopher Meloni. He is a member of the United States Air Force who goes by the call sign "Guardian".

Miscellaneous

The Mal Duncan incarnation of Guardian makes non-speaking appearances in ''DC Super Hero Girls'' as a student of Super Hero High.

References

External links

*

Guardian profile
at The Unofficial Guide to the DC Universe

{{Justice League characters
Characters created by Jack Kirby
Characters created by Joe Simon
Clone characters in comics
Comics characters introduced in 1942
DC Comics characters with accelerated healing
Fictional American police officers
Fictional police officers in comics
Fictional shield fighters
Golden Age superheroes
Vigilante characters in comics