- "Fear can create monsters where none existed before. Remind the world that there is still goodness here. Be that beacon of hope that we still need."
- —Olivia Marsdin to Supergirl[src]
Olivia Marsdin is a Durlan and the former president of the United States. After her true nature as an alien was exposed to the public by Mercy Graves, Olivia was forced to resign from office.
Biography[]
Original multiverse[]
Early life[]
Olivia was born on the peaceful world of Durla and lived there until invaders came. Her people had hoped for the best, but within a year, they were enslaved. However, Olivia managed to escape and found refuge on Earth, where she posed as a human and tried to live a peaceful life[1] in Northern Iowa.[2]
While they were in Radcliffe College, Olivia had been the R.A. for Cat Grant. At some point, Cat walked into their dorm's bathroom and saw Olivia in a bathrobe in her natural alien form, although Cat dismissed it due to the pot brownie she ate at the time.[1]
Eventually, Olivia achieved a great political career and was elected to be the president of the United States, triumphing against an unknown male candidate.[3]
Presidential pardon to J'onn J'onzz[]
When J'onn J'onzz (turned into a fugitive after he was forced to reveal his true identity as a Green Martian who has to pretend to be Hank Henshaw for over fifteen years) helped to defeat Non and Indigo, Marsdin granted him a full presidential pardon and re-instated him as D.E.O.'s director.[4]
Signing the Alien Amnesty Act[]
Marsdin arrived in National City to sign the Alien Amnesty Act: a decree on allowing aliens to come to Earth anytime they want and granting them the rights as U.S. citizens. However, as soon as she got off the plane, she was attacked and nearly killed if not for the intervention of Supergirl. Later the president was taken to D.E.O. for her safety until they felt that the offender was caught; then she gave her speech and was about to sign the decree when she was attacked again and the culprit turned out to be Scorcher. Supergirl saved again the situation and, the next day, at the D.E.O., Marsdin again thanked the heroine for having saved her life. As she walked away, her face briefly morphed, showing she's an alien.[3]
Marsdin contacted J'onn after Supergirl fended off an alien attack in National City as a result of a bounty being placed on her. She asked about the Daxamite ship and J'onn told her that it was stationary for the moment but they could become hostile later. She told J'onn to not engage the Daxam King and Queen as it could lead to an intergalactic war and J'onn told her that he understood. When J'onn, Supergirl and Winn engaged the ship to rescue Mon-El, Olivia quickly contacted J'onn and angrily asked why he defied her orders. He claimed that they had to rescue Mon-El who had their amnesty and everything worked out well in the end and he took full responsibility. She then asked if the ship had left and he told her it did; she informed him that there would be consequences. After the communication finished, she privately assumed her full alien form and smiled.[5]
Daxamite invasion[]
During the Daxamite invasion, Olivia talks to Rhea and requests that she cancel her attack. Rhea uncovers that she's on Air Force One and heading towards National City. As the circumstance raises, Cat Grant steps in (she's exhorting Olivia) and attempts to get them to talk harmony. Be that as it may, Rhea close off the line and shots Air Force One. As the plane falls to Earth, Cat flies out the side, however she's immediately saved by Supergirl. The remainder of Air Force isn't as fortunate. Supergirl fears that the president is dead, yet the president rises up out of flotsam and jetsam in her Durlan form.
Cat and Supergirl take Olivia into the improvised DEO central command and Cat clarifies that she "hitched a ride" with the president when the attack started. Olivia clarifies that she's an outcast from an outsider world - which clarifies why she's a major devotee to refugree rights. She arranges Alex to use the DEO's positron laser to destroy the Daxamite transport, over Supergirl's complaints.[1]
Identity exposed to the public[]
Lex Luthor, though the actions of the Children of Liberty, exposed Olivia as an alien through what appeared to be an assassination attempt at Camp David.[6] Following being exposed, she resigned from office, leaving vice president, and Lex Luthor's lackey, Phil Baker, to replace her.[2]
Anti-Monitor Crisis[]
During the Anti-Monitor Crisis, Olivia as well as everyone in the multiverse except for the seven Paragons, was killed in an antimatter wave by the Anti-Monitor on December 10, 2019,[7] only to be restored a month later, after the Paragons and the Spectre created a new universe.[8]
New multiverse[]
According to Cisco's Earth-Prime timeline, Olivia was the President of the United States on Earth-Prime and was also exposed as an alien just like in the original multiverse.[9]
Personality[]
- "A leader who caves to fear is no leader at all."
- —Olivia Marsdin[src]
Olivia is proven to be progressive, positive, encouraging, modest, humble and polite, as well as extremely charismatic and optimistic. According to Kara Danvers; almost everything Olivia says is quotation material and will pass on to become history.[3]
Despite Olivia not being human herself, she has no prejudice towards humans, as she believes that someday most humans and aliens will be able to co-exist in peace.
Olivia is incredibly intelligent, calculating and patient, as she waited for an unknown number of years to initiate the Alien Amnesty Act, that allows aliens to come to Earth whenever they want to and gives them the same equal rights as humans, as seen when she uses Kara Danvers and J'onn J'onzz's heroic acts from defeating Non and Indigo as an excuse to initiate the alien amnesty act. She also supported J'onn when he was wrongfully accused of attempting to destroy the D.E.O. after his identity as the "Martian Manhunter" was revealed; due to alien prejudice, as Olivia knows full well that if the latter was trying to sabotage the D.E.O., he would've done it by now, as J'onn had years to destroy the organization.
Even during Olivia's time as the president of the United States; she is proven to be an extremely selfless and non-corrupt individual; as she cares more about the welfare of her country and morality, than she does about her approval ratings.
Powers and abilities[]
Powers[]
- Durlan physiology: Due to her alien physiology; Olivia has super physical attributes and shapeshifting powers.
- Superhuman strength: Olivia possess a degree of strength well-above normal humans; she was able to easily push off the plane rubble pinning her down.
- Superhuman durability: Olivia is extremely durable; she was able to survive a deadly plane crash seemingly unscathed.
- Shapeshifting: Olivia has the power to appear human.[3]
Abilities[]
- High-level intellect/Great political acumen/Expert tactician/Leader: Olivia is highly intelligent, enough that she became the president of the United States as well as a capable tactician and leader; as she managed to keep her alien identity a secret, even from the U.S. government itself.[3]
Appearances[]
Supergirl[]
Season 1
Season 2
Season 3
Season 4
Season 5
|
The Flash[]
Season 6[]
- "Marathon" (name seen)
Trivia[]
- Olivia is a member of the Democratic Party.[10]
- Due to the Natural-born Citizen Clause of the U.S. Constitution, Olivia is ineligible to serve as president in the first place (having been born on another planet, and thus outside of the United States), as stated by Olivia herself during her resignation.[6]
- It is unknown what happened to her after she resigned whether or not she went to jail for fraud or if she is out hiding, or if she is free to live her life doing whatever.
Behind the scenes[]
- In the original draft of DC's Legends of Tomorrow episode "Invasion!", Lynda Carter was intended to play the new President of the United States of Earth-1; acting as a doppelgänger of the Olivia Marsdin of Earth-38. At the suggestion of the studio, the role was changed, as they thought it would be too confusing.[11] Eventually, Lucia Walters got the role, and an original character was created.
- It's possible that her first name is derived from Olive Byrne's and the last name is phonetically similar to William Marston's. They were influential in the creation of Wonder Woman, a character previously portrayed by Olivia's actress, Lynda Carter.
References[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 "Resist"
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 "Fallout"
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 "Welcome to Earth"
- ↑ "Better Angels"
- ↑ "Distant Sun"
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 "American Alien"
- ↑ "Crisis on Infinite Earths: Part Three"
- ↑ "Crisis on Infinite Earths: Part Four"
- ↑ "Marathon"
- ↑ "Nevertheless, She Persisted"
- ↑ "Why Supergirl's Lynda Carter Wasn't In The Big DC TV Crossover As Planned" - CinemaBlend
Presidents of the United States | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
New multiverse | ||||
Earth-Prime U.S. |
Abraham Lincoln • Warren G. Harding • Calvin Coolidge • Roosevelt • Ike Eisenhower • John F. Kennedy • Obama • Olivia Marsdin • Shaw • Unnamed (current) • Dwayne Johnson (potential future) | |||
Original multiverse | ||||
Earth-1 U.S. |
George Washington • Ulysses S. Grant • Roosevelt • Ike Eisenhower • John F. Kennedy • L.B. Johnson • Richard Nixon • Ronald Reagan • Barack Obama • Traveler • Susan Brayden | |||
Earth-38 U.S. |
Eisenhower • Olivia Marsdin • Phil Baker • Plastino | |||
Earth-TUD5 U.S. |
Barack Obama |