James Harper

James Harper was a student of the great Joe Morgan and one of the best cruiserweight boxers in America. He was born in 1910 and by the time World War II kicked off, he was already on the edge of stepping into retirement. He volunteered for military service and was promoted to Staff Sergeant inside of a year, assigned largely to training programs for elite troops. He lacked any superhuman powers aside from exceptional willpower and focus.

Taking on the mantle of 'Guardian', James chose to emulate the great Steve Rogers. He railed against training commands and moved to where the fighting was the thickest. By the end of the war he was discharged as a Master Sergeant. He founded Guardian Gloves boxing gym in Brooklyn, which would go through several incarnations and ultimately end up in the hands of Ted Grant. James married a widower named Marissa Obenchain in 1952, and had several children. One of his notable descendants was the vigilante known as Roy Harper.

James Harper died in 1985 after seeing his protege Ted Grant win the Olympics and the Boxing Federation world championship.