Markko Rivera

Markko Rivera
One Life to Live character
File:Markko Rivera.jpg
Portrayed by	Jason Tam
Duration	2007–12
First appearance	May 21, 2007 (May 21, 2007)
Last appearance	January 13, 2012 (January 13, 2012)
Classification	Former, regular
Created by	Dena Higley
Introduced by	Frank Valentini
In-universe information Other names Geraldo Rivera Occupation Student (Junior) at UCLA Director Parents Aurelia Rivera Ernesto Rivera Other relatives Hope Manning-Thornhart (goddaughter)

Markko Rivera is a fictional character from ABC's daytime drama One Life to Live, portrayed by Jason Tam since May 21, 2007. Tam last aired as Rivera on November 10, 2010, when he left town to continue studying at UCLA. He returned on April 11 and 12, 2011, to coincide with Wilde's exit and on July 28 and 29, 2011, for his Vicker Man film premiere. He made an appearance during the final episode of the show on January 13, 2012.

Storylines

Rivera's storyline begins when he appears in the gym of Llanview High School during tryouts for the school musical. Immediately annoyed by Rivera, Langston Wilde challenges him to tryout, which he does, and gets a part. During the prom, English teacher Marcie McBain gets ahead of herself, and announces Rivera and Wilde as king and queen of the dance. After prom night, Rivera and Wilde begin dating one another.

A few months into their relationship, Rivera becomes concerned about the constant absence of Wilde's parents. Sensing that something is not right, Dorian Lord hires private investigator Rex Balsom to dig up information on Wilde. Lord learns that Wilde has been orphaned and living on her own for over a year. During a conversation at school, Wilde talks with Manning about her parents' death, and they are overheard by fellow student Britney Jennings. Jennings contacts Social Services, and Wilde is placed in foster care. Starr's mother, Blair Cramer, is prepared to be Wilde's foster mother but she is called out of town; Lord becomes Wilde's guardian instead. Wilde moves into Lord's home and happily continues her relationship with Rivera.

After Manning becomes pregnant with Rivera's best friend Cole Thornhart's baby, she decides to have an abortion before her family and Thornhart learns about her pregnancy. At the last moment, Wilde gives Thornhart the address where Manning has gone for the abortion. After convincing Manning to take the time to make the right decision, Thornhart and Manning return to Llanview. With Rivera's help, Thornhart and Manning run off to Virginia Beach. Lord finds Wilde hiding a pregnancy book and suspects that she is pregnant and that Rivera is the father, but after the truth about Manning soon comes out, the misunderstanding is cleared up.

Problems arise for Rivera and Wilde when Ray Montez, Wilde's biological uncle, arrives in town. Montez was hired by Clint Buchanan in a scheme to remove Wilde from Lord's guardianship. The purpose of the scheme was to get Lord to sign Buchanan's company, Buchanan Enterprises, back over to him. Montez gains custody of Wilde and prepares to leave the country with her, but his wife Vanessa Montez arrives in town and shoots him. Montez is taken back to prison, allowing Rivera and Wilde to stay together.

Lola Montez, Ray's daughter, also arrives in Llanview and tries to develop a bond with Wilde. During a dance at Llanview High, Lola and Rivera kiss, but he confesses to Wilde and they shun Lola, who vows revenge.

Rivera and Wilde decide to finally have sex on prom night but because of what happened with Manning and Thornhart, the couple plans ahead. Rivera runs into problems when he tries to buy condoms and the salesperson at the pharmacy is a friend of his mother; he gets Thornhart to buy the condoms for him. Lola tries several times to stop Rivera and Wilde, but their plans to have sex succeed.

Rivera's parents, Aurelia and Ernesto Rivera, are introduced on June 12, 2009, on the day that Rivera graduates from Llanview High as valedictorian. He secretly plans to attend medical school.

Ray Montez decides to return to Colombia and take Lola with him, which upsets Lord so much that she gets drunk at Rivera and Wilde's graduation. In her inebriated state, she reveals to Rivera's parents that Rivera and Wilde had sex on prom night. She also fires bodyguard Shawn Evans and takes back her estate, La Boulaie, which she had previously signed over to Moe and Noelle Stubbs, and evicts them. As a result, Ernesto, who has an extensive knowledge of Lord's history, believes that she is a bad influence on Rivera and forbids him from seeing Wilde. After refusing to stop seeing Wilde, Ernesto disowns him on July 22, 2009; Wilde promises to be there for him.

In 2010, Rivera, Thornhart, Manning, and Wilde move into an apartment together. Rivera and Wilde's relationship is tested when Robert Ford, a sexy new teacher's assistant at Llanview University, attempts to seduce Wilde. Though she initially rebuffs his advances, she soon succumbs and the two embark upon an affair. Through a series of clues, Rivera learns of their affair, and finds Wilde and Ford in an embrace after her senior prom. Rivera then leaves Wilde.

Rivera leaves for UCLA (on a scholarship) with a girl named Karen, who had an affair with Ford at the same time that Ford was having an affair with Wilde. Karen went to California with Rivera because she was tired of being the Pizza Girl and wanted a different life. The two leave in July 2010.

Rivera returns to Llanview in September 2010. He runs into Wilde and informs her that he is in town because his father is having surgery. He also reveals that he and Karen have begun seeing each other. Two months later, Rivera leaves Llanview again when he decides to continue studying at UCLA for film school.

Rivera returns on April 11 and 12, 2011, to invite Wilde to move back to Los Angeles with him, to assist him with a new David Vickers film. At the end, they are shown looking through an old scrapbook before leaving for Los Angeles. It is implied that Rivera and Wilde may have rekindled their romance upon leaving Llanview.

Rivera briefly returns to Llanview on July 28, 2011, to attend the film premiere of Vicker Man. He served as director and it stars David Vickers in the title role, as himself. It is revealed that he and Wilde are indeed back together, and they are very successful with their careers.