Olivia Marsdin is the President of the United States on Earth Thirty-Eight. She is secretly an alien of the species Durlan.
Biography
Early life
The unnamed Durlan known by the alias "Olivia Marsdin" kept her true nature hidden for years and had a great political career, until she became President of the United States running against an unknown male candidate.[1]
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 pretend to be Hank Henshaw for over fifteen years) helped to defeat Non and Indigo, Olivia granted him a full presidential pardon and re-instated him as D.E.O.'s director.[2]
Signing of the decree on the rights of aliens
President Marsdin at the D.E.O.
President Olivia Marsdin arrived in National City to sign a decree on granting aliens the rights of US 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., Olivia Marsdin thanked again the heroine for having save her life. As she walked away, her face briefly morphed, showing she's either not human, or perhaps meta-human.[1]
Olivia 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 incident and J'onn told her that he understood. When J'onn, Supergirl and Winn engaged the ship to rescue Mon-El, Marsdin 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 and she informed him that there would be consequences. After the communication finished, she privately assumed her full alien form and smiled.[3]
Personality
Olivia is shown to be progressive, positive, encouraging, modest, humble and polite, as well as extremely charismatic and optimistic. According to Kara, almost everything Olivia says is quotation material and will pass on to become history.[1]
Despite 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 also incredibly intelligent, calculating and patient, as she waited for a 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 shown when she uses Kara Danvers and J'onn J'onzz's heroic acts from the events of "Better Angels", 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 "Martian Manhunter" was revealed due to alien prejudice, as Olivia knows full well that if the latter were trying to sabotage the D.E.O., he would've done it by now, as J'onn had years to destroy the organization.
Powers and abilities
Powers
- Shapeshifting: Olivia has the power to appear human.[1]
Abilities
- High-level intellect/Expert tactician/Leader: Olivia is highly intelligent, enough that she became President of the United States as well as a capable tactician as she managed to keep her alien identity a secret, even from the government itself.[1]
Appearances
Supergirl
Season 1
Season 2
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Trivia
- Olivia Marsdin is currently the only president of the United States, on Earth Thirty-Eight, who is secretly an alien, something that even the government itself is not aware of.
Behind the scenes
- In the original draft of the DC's Legends of Tomorrow episode "Invasion!", Lynda Carter was intended to play the new President of the United States of Earth One; acting as a doppelgänger of the Olivia Marsdin of Earth Thirty-Eight. At the suggestion of the studio, the role was changed, as they thought it would be too confusing.[4] Eventually, Lucia Walters got the role, and an original character was created.