Olivia Mason

*"Not all heroes wear capes. Not all heroes are members of The Five. We’re all heroes in our own way. You, me, your neighbor. Heroes do not have to be big or strong. ‘A hero is not someone who does something courageous when he has nothing to lose and something to gain, but rather, he is one who acts well when he has nothing to gain and everything to lose.’" - Olivia Mason*

## Olivia Mason

### Alias(es)

Liv, Ollie, Silver Valkyrie, Test Subject 6695

### Occupation

CEO and Lead Scientist of Vanguard Genetics, A member of The Five

## Physical Description

### Eye Color

Blue

**Olivia Renee Mason** is the CEO of Vanguard Genetics, a founding member of The Five, and the famous telekinetic Silver Valkyrie. Known in Vanguard Genetics private archives as Test Subject 6695, Olivia Mason is the first publicly known metahuman of the 21st century.

## Biography

Olivia was born on June 6, 1995 to Elaine and Robert Russo in Baltimore, Maryland. Olivia lived a relatively normal life up until she contracted a rare form of The Black Plague. After developing a sudden onset of fever, chills, and swollen lymph nodes, Olivia was rushed to The Johns Hopkins Hospital where it was deduced she had contracted the plague from a dead bunny she sought to resuscitate while traveling with her family abroad in Peru. It took two weeks for her to fully recover.

### The Awakening

Unbeknownst to the Russo's, Olivia and Elaine both had the METP05 gene. The near death experience caused the gene product of METP05 to undergo a conformation change, which in turn, altered its binding properties to bind to another segment of DNA, transcribing a new protein. Strange occurrences surrounding Olivia caused her mother to investigate her DNA which ultimately led to the discovery of the METP05 (Mutagenic Enhancement Transfer Protocol) in 2001.

Elaine first noticed something off about her daughter after their return home. Hushed conversations, meant not for her daughter's ears, were easily heard by the five year old. As time went on, Elaine tested her daughter, whispering different messages to her throughout the house. On Olivia's sixth birthday, the full extent of her abilities were recognized after her father refused to give her a second piece of birthday cake. A blast of blue energy exploded from the little girl in the midst of her tantrum and rushed towards the cake. Within seconds, the treat hovered above her, before plopping down onto her plate.

### The Origin of Vanguard Genetics

Extensive testing began on Olivia two weeks later. Robert, curious and excited at the prospect of learning more about his daughter, convinced his wife to join his mission. Analysis of Olivia's blood led to Elaine's discovery of the gene recognized as the Metahuman gene.

A lot of Olivia's adolescent years were spent exploring her abilities. Instead of attending the prestigious, local private school, the young Meta was homeschooled up until Vanguard's Academy for Extraordinary Boys and Girls was founded.

### University

Olivia was accepted into Princeton University in 2012. She currently holds a bachelor degree in molecular biology from the university. Additionally, she has a Masters in Pharmaceutical Sciences from the University of Maryland.