Roxanne “Roxy” Sterling was born and raised in Dallas, Texas, growing up in a comfortable Southern household where good manners, hospitality, and looking after family were treated as obligations rather than suggestions. Warm, graceful, and naturally affectionate, Roxy nevertheless developed a stubborn streak of her own and never had much patience for arrogance or irresponsibility. She met Eric Sterling before the name Overdrive became synonymous with American heroism, and remained beside him as his career carried him all the way to the position of America’s No. 1 Pro Hero. To the public, Overdrive was larger than life. To Roxy, he was simply Eric—the man she loved and the father of their son, Jaxon.
As Eric’s fame grew, so did the danger surrounding their family. Villains, criminal organizations, and enemies accumulated over years of hero work, and Eric eventually became convinced that remaining in Roxy and Jaxon’s lives placed them in unacceptable danger. Rather than asking them to share that burden, he made the decision himself. Eric abandoned the Sterling name, disappeared from public view, and continued hero work under another identity before eventually vanishing into retirement entirely. Roxy understood why he was afraid for them, but understanding his reasoning never meant agreeing with what he did. He had chosen for both her and their son, leaving her to explain an absence she had never asked for. She never taught Jaxon to hate his father, but she also refused to pretend Eric’s decision had not hurt them.
Roxy raised Jaxon in Dallas on her own, though the Sterlings were never impoverished or financially desperate. Jaxon grew up in a secure home with every opportunity Roxy could provide him, along with considerably more discipline than he usually appreciated. She taught him to respect women, mind his manners, speak properly when the situation demanded it, and never treat strength as an excuse to bully someone weaker. Unfortunately, she also discovered very early that her son absolutely loved fighting. Pit Grit made Jaxon unusually durable and naturally gifted in close combat, while his personality made walking away from a challenge nearly impossible. Roxy supported legitimate training and understood that fighting was part of who he was, but she constantly tried to impress upon him the difference between enjoying competition and recklessly putting himself in danger. His eventual involvement in illegal underground pit fights was exactly the kind of distinction Jaxon preferred not to discuss with his mother.
Despite Jaxon’s size, swagger, disciplinary history, and increasingly intimidating reputation, Roxy has never been remotely intimidated by him. A disappointed look, the words young man, or using his full name is usually enough to accomplish what threats from teachers and other students cannot. Their relationship is exceptionally close, particularly after Eric’s disappearance left the two of them as each other’s constant. Jaxon openly adores her, carries a photograph of them wherever he goes, buys her flowers when he knows he has caused trouble, and remains far more concerned about disappointing his mother than getting suspended or losing a fight. Roxy, in turn, sees through every ounce of bravado and still regards the towering teenager as her sweet boy.
When Jaxon received the opportunity to attend U.A. High School in Japan through recommendation, Roxy supported the move despite knowing exactly how dangerous the Hero Course could become. She left Dallas with him and established a new home in Japan, determined to give her son the chance to become something greater than an underground brawler. She is immensely proud of his courage and protective instincts, but remains deeply worried by his habit of treating his own body as expendable. For Roxy, Jaxon becoming a great hero matters far less than making sure the boy she raised grows into a good man—and, preferably, one who comes home without requiring Recovery Girl to put him back together first.