Origin
Born with a genius-level intellect, as an infant Edward Stargard joined other unusual and extraordinary children to form the Newsboy Army. Due to the corruption of his character arc by the Terrible Time Tailor Zor, his body matured but failed to develop in the usual way, leaving him a massive, disfigured infant. Following the collapse of the Newsboy Army, Stargard grew reclusive. He eventually opened The Manhattan Guardian, a daily newspaper which resurrected the concept of the Newsboy Army to write and research its articles.
Creation
Ed Stargard was created by Grant Morrison and Cameron Stewart. He made his first appearance in Seven Soldiers: Guardian #1.
Major Story Arcs
Seven Soldiers of Victory
Ed recruits Jake Jordan to take the position of the Guardian, the mascot for his newspaper. He sends Jordan to investigate the reports of subway piracy. Despite Jordan’s concerns over the safety of the job and his family, Ed is able to convince him to remain with the paper. He later sends Jordan to investigate the troubles in Century Hollow, and backs him up with several members of the Newsboy Army. When Jordan again attempts to quit, Ed reveals his true nature to him. He reveals the dark history of the Newsboy Army, the Terrible Time Tailor, and the imminent return of the Sheeda. He reveals that Jordan is one of the Seven Soldiers, destined to destroy the Sheeda menace once and for all. Jordan brings Ed into the fray, from which he reports on the ongoing events. It is presumed he survives the Sheeda invasion.
Powers and Abilities
Ed possesses a genius-level intellect, and from infancy was capable of full, cogent, and informed speech and thought. He is widely read and knowledgeable in a number of areas, including business administration. While in the Guardian headquarters, he interfaces with various computer systems, allowing him to control much of the building and his business operations.