EVA

EVA, also known as Tatyana (Russian: Татьяна), and later known as Big Mama, was a spy and femme fatale, who fought alongside Naked Snake during Operation Snake Eater. While posing as a KGB agent, she actually worked as a spy for the Chinese People's Liberation Army, tasked with obtaining the Philosophers' Legacy. EVA later became the surrogate mother of Solid Snake and Liquid Snake.

Early life
EVA was born in Meridian, Idaho on May 15th, 1936. Since childhood, she was raised in a joint US-Soviet-Chinese facility and had received spy training at one of the Philosophers "charm schools," so she could become a "sleeper agent." As a result, she was indistinguishable from any other native-born American.

She eventually joined the Chinese People's Liberation Army General Staff Headquarters - Second Division. There, she learned techniques such as "bandit shooting," a horizontal sweep using the Chinese Type 17 Mauser pistol.

In 1964, she infiltrated Groznyj Grad, a Soviet military fortress led by Colonel Volgin. She did this by posing as the lover of rocket scientist Nikolai Stephanovich Sokolov (although Sokolov later revealed that she actually was posing as Volgin's lover), under the alias Tatyana. After Sokolov was captured by Volgin, in order to continue his work on the Shagohod weapon, she pretended to serve the Colonel.

EVA met Naked Snake in Tselinoyarsk, during Operation Snake Eater, as a KGB spy sent by Soviet leader Khrushchev, and was supposedly one of the NSA codebreakers who defected in 1960 along with ADAM. She had been ordered to use her position in Groznyj Grad to supply Snake with information and to acquire intelligence on Shagohod. Throughout the mission, EVA and Snake began to fall in love. Later in the mission, she stole C3 from a vault containing Western weapons for research purposes and gave it to Naked Snake to aid him in destroying the Shagohod. However, she ended up blowing her cover when going to a vault containing the Philosophers' Legacy and was nearly executed by Volgin until The Boss volunteered to execute her personally (in actuality, The Boss was actually trying to get her out of harms way). However, she had actually been sent by the Chinese branch of the Philosophers to steal the Shagohod's missile launch data and the Philosophers' Legacy from Colonel Volgin (it is unknown who the real EVA was and what became of him).

After the mission, Snake and EVA slept together inside a cabin. During the night however, EVA made a tape for Snake to hear the following morning. In this tape, EVA revealed the truth behind her mission. She had also been ordered to kill anyone who knew about what happened. As she watched Snake sleep on the cabin floor, she made the distinct decision not to kill him, not because they fell in love, but because she had promised The Boss not to. She also explained on a tape at least part of The Boss's true mission: that she was never a traitor to America, but actually dying for America, and that she was supposed to fake defection into Volgin's unit in order to destroy the Shagohod and steal the Legacy, which was to be The Boss's greatest mission, but the plan backfired after Volgin unexpectedly used one of the Davy Crockett launchers at the Sokolov Research Facility, and that Operation Snake Eater was a compromise between not proving their innocence and aborting their mission to steal the legacy.

She retrieved the microfilm containing the Philosophers' Legacy and the Shagohod's missile launch data for the Chinese government. With the launch data, the Chinese government eventually developed its own nuclear weapons technology later that year. But the microfilm that EVA recovered turned out to be a fake. Unbeknownst to her, half of the real Legacy made it back into the hands of the CIA thanks to Ocelot. This blunder cost EVA her job at PLA Intelligence and she was expelled from China. Around the same time, Naked Snake tried to locate EVA but couldn't find a trace.

According to official records, EVA disappeared in Hanoi during the Vietnam War in 1968.

The Patriots
In 1971, Big Boss (Naked Snake) and EVA reconciled after he tracked her down and rescued her in Hanoi. He invited her to become a founding member of the Patriots along with himself, Zero, Para-Medic (Dr. Clark), Sigint, and Ocelot. In 1972, EVA volunteered to serve as a surrogate mother in Les Enfants Terribles, a project designed to clone Big Boss and maintain his image as an icon for the organization. She later gave birth to two clones, who would later become known as Solid Snake and Liquid Snake. Despite the fact that Big Boss disapproved, and eventually left the group in opposition to Zero's methods, EVA saw the clones as her own children.

EVA would remain in contact with Big Boss, passing on tape recordings to his private mercenary company, the Militaires Sans Frontieres in 1974. In them, she detailed further information on The Boss's final mission in Groznyj Grad, and the motivations behind her actions, having been entrusted to pass this on to him.

After Big Boss' "death"
After young rookie Solid Snake unexpectedly foiled Big Boss's coups d'état in Outer Heaven and Zanzibar Land, Zero put Big Boss in a nanomachine-induced coma, which motivated EVA and Ocelot to secretly defect from the Patriots. After EVA and Ocelot enlisted the assistance of Naomi Hunter and Gray Fox to kill Para-Medic (Dr. Clark) in 2003 and Ocelot killed Donald Anderson himself during the Shadow Moses Incident, Zero was the last one alive and went into hiding. Sometime, after losing contact with Ocelot after the Big Shell Incident, EVA fled to Eastern Europe and became "Big Mama", leader of the Paradise Lost Army. In addition to taking in war orphans, she worked to stop Zero's proxy-AIs (and, by extension, the War Economy) forever.

In 2014, during Old Snake's mission to terminate Liquid Ocelot, Raiden revealed that he had worked with Big Mama to steal Big Boss's body from the Patriots in exchange for help rescuing Sunny. Snake went to Eastern Europe to find the body and keep it out of Liquid's hands.

Snake followed a member of the Paradise Lost Army and ultimately reached Big Mama's hideout. There, she revealed to him the creation of the Patriots. She also revealed Big Boss's body, which was being kept alive, but unconscious, by nanomachines. However, in reality, this was really Solidus Snake's body as Big Mama had acquired it to stand in as a ruse while she was repairing the damage done to Big Boss's real body, with parts from Solidus and Liquid Snake, as well as waiting for the AI system to be brought down so Big Boss could be revived from his nanomachine-induced coma.

Soon after, it was discovered that a trio of Dwarf Gekko had followed Snake to the hideout, and PMCs were locking in on them. As EVA, members of the resistance, and Snake moved out, decoy vans were set to allow the van with the corpse of "Big Boss" to get away. Riding with EVA on her motorcycle, Snake protected Big Mama and the van from PMCs in a wild chase until Raging Raven's continuous attacks caused them to crash. Oddly enough, Big Mama was injured in the same place as during Operation Snake Eater after crashing in a similar manner. After Snake defeated Raven, he tended to the injured Big Mama, and they headed for their getaway cruiser and the corpse of "Big Boss" only to find Liquid Ocelot waiting for them. After Liquid Ocelot beat Snake with CQC techniques and defeated Meryl Silverburgh and her men by activating Guns of the Patriots, Liquid Ocelot had Vamp toss the corpse of "Big Boss" to Snake and EVA as it burnt (since Liquid Ocelot no longer needed Big Boss's DNA). EVA, in an exhausted and hallucinatory state, threw herself into the fire in order to save "Big Boss". Snake saved her from Liquid Ocelot's gunshot but badly burnt the left side of his face in the process.

Snake held Big Mama in his arms until the moment she died. It appeared she died from the combination of her injuries from the motorcycle crash and from the fire into which she leapt attempting to save Big Boss's body. However, it was later revealed that Big Boss was still alive, and that the body Liquid Ocelot had burned on the Volta was actually the body of Solidus Snake. Big Boss revealed to Snake that Big Mama had actually died from the new strain of FOXDIE within Snake, and that she had been partially involved with Ocelot's master plan, by reviving Big Boss in order to stop Zero.

Trivia

 * During Operation Snake Eater, EVA told Naked Snake "the least you can do is call me Cynthia." This is a reference to Amy Elizabeth Thorpe, known as the most successful spy in history, who used "Cynthia" as her codename. She was active during World War II, and used her wit and charm to elicit countless secrets, even the Naval codes of French Vichy government.
 * EVA and Snake planned to have a sushi dinner upon rearriving at the United States in the conclusion of Operation Snake Eater, to which she also expressed surprise when Snake mentioned that he wanted to try Otton Frog.
 * EVA's personal data reveals that: her eyesight was 20/16; her blood type was "A"; her hobby was motorbiking; her favorite food was instant noodles; her least favorite food was potatoes; her favorite animals were dogs; her favorite liquor was wine; her measurements were 36-23-33; her favorite flowers was roses; her favorite jewellery was emeralds; and her ring size was 5½.
 * EVA's medical history reveals that she has had a breast enhancement and Proctitis. Also, looking at her food history shows that she had eaten a Tsuchinoko.
 * EVA originally served as a surrogate mother for eight clones, though six were intentionally aborted in order to encourage stronger fetal growth of the "Twin Snakes," Solid Snake and Liquid Snake.
 * During the Peace Walker Incident, Big Boss, after his meeting with Strangelove speculated that EVA's account on the reason behind The Boss's mission shortly after the end of Operation Snake Eater may have been part of the CIA's coverup on the events of Operation Snake Eater.
 * Matka Pluku is a Czech phrase that means "Mother of the Regiment."
 * In 2014, EVA carried a Chinese Type 17 pistol similar to the one from Operation Snake Eater, which she lost during the bike chase at Groznyj Grad.
 * During the events of Liquid Ocelot's Insurrection, she was impaled by a protruding spike in the same manner as she was in Tselinoyarsk, which also happened after a motorcycle chase.
 * EVA's real name is never revealed. When Naked Snake asked her what her real name was, she refused to tell him and asked "What's wrong with Tanya?"
 * At one point prior to posing as EVA, she had received a wound near her breast. When Naked Snake asked her how she got the wound, she refused to tell him.
 * Rosemary speculated that one of the reasons why EVA/Big Mama was so skilled with a bike was because she was afflicted with rider's high.

Behind the scenes
The defection of NSA codebreakers ADAM and EVA is based on a real life incident in September 1960.

Although Laughing Octopus holds the distinction of being the first character to use the word "fuck" in the English version of the series, it was first used by EVA in the Japanese version of Metal Gear Solid 3, when she says "Fuck you" in English to Volgin. This line was changed to "Go to hell" during localization.

According to Hideo Kojima, EVA's character was unpopular with the English voice actors.

EVA's alias, Tatyana, is also the name of the Bond Girl in From Russia With Love.

Though Metal Gear Solid 4 states that EVA was involved in Ocelot's plan to destroy the Patriots, it is never made clear whether she was aware of Ocelot's willing assumption of Liquid Snake's persona as part of said plan. Piggyback Interactive's Complete Official Guide states that EVA died believing Liquid's ambitions had really taken over those of Ocelot, and that Ocelot had intentionally concealed the truth of his possession from her.

When contacted at the Communications Base, EVA says "Это Татьяна. С кем я разговариваю?" which roughly translates to "This is Tatyana. Who am I talking to?"

According to the non-canon recruitment mission in Portable Ops, after fleeing China under the threat of the PLA executing her for her blunder in regards to bringing back a dummy microfilm of the Legacy, she became a cargo pilot and did her own delivery service, at least one of her customers was the San Hieronymo Peninsula. She intended to rescue Snake when he contacted her (due to a frequency in the security base's lockers), but she was shot down by a surface-to-air missile before she could land at the airport, resulting in her crashlanding in the Western Wilderness.

Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater

 * In Metal Gear Solid 3, during some of the first-person view cutscene moments, if the player presses R1, Naked Snake may be looking at EVA's breasts or behind.
 * If the player refrains from removing the transmitter from Snake, after his torture session in Groznyj Grad, the path to the waterfall will be guarded by an Ocelot Unit. Nevertheless, for navigating through this, the reward is a hilarious slapstick scene in which EVA removes the transmitter herself.
 * During the escape through the woods, EVA can be interrogated for her personal information. Also, if the player puts a magazine on the floor she will be disgusted.
 * If the player tranquilizes EVA in Zaozyorje, she will start talking in her sleep about Snake, The Boss, and her dog named Fido, repeating the phrases, "mmm, right there" and "that feels so good..."
 * If the player called her in Bolshaya Past South, EVA would tell Snake about The Boss carrying EVA's bags for her, commenting on how she sometimes dreams about it. She would also tell Snake that she used to have a dog, commenting on how she sometimes dreams about the day her dog became housebroken. This makes her sleep-talking about The Boss and her dog significantly less disturbing.
 * If the player harasses her too many times, EVA will kick Naked Snake in the groin hard enough to kill him.

Other appearances

 * In Metal Gear Solid: Portable Ops, EVA is the magazine's centerfold as well as on the pages of the magazine. She also appears in the game as a hidden recruitable character, and is the only non-canon hidden character to have a graphic novel still of her (it is seen during the debriefing after her recruitment). She is also referenced (although not by name) in an optional radio conversation with Roy Campbell when he advises Snake using psychology to have him find a girl.
 * In Portable Ops, EVA uses her alias Tatyana as a call sign for her cargo plane.
 * EVA makes a cameo appearance in Super Smash Bros. Brawl as an obtainable sticker, usable exclusively by Solid Snake in The Subspace Emissary.
 * EVA's Type 17 pistol can be obtained in Metal Gear Solid 4 by either earning the Hound emblem in a single-player session, or by using a password (See Secrets).
 * EVA's revelation to Big Boss about The Boss's true mission in Tselinoyarsk is heard during Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker, after Big Boss fails in his pursuit of Peace Walker into Nicaragua. Also, EVA is briefly referenced by Big Boss and Kazuhira Miller in a conversation shortly after Extra Op. Mission # 29.

Portable Ops recruitment
''In Portable Ops, the player is given the option to recruit EVA. This section details how the recruitment takes place.''


 * After recruiting Sokolov, the player will be informed of a Spy Report from the Silo Entrance that was never actually received. Head to the Silo Entrance and interrogate the Soviet Officer located on top of the bridge area. The Officer will mention "a man with twirling revolvers" who was seen in the Town.


 * A Spy Report from the Town will then be received, regarding a Government Official who prowls around at night time. Head to the Town at nightfall and locate the Government Official in one of the upper buildings. Interrogate him about the "revolver-twirling man," and he will mention that he went to the Airport to visit a friend.


 * Travel to the Airport and interrogate the FOX soldier at the control deck in order to learn the man's radio frequency: 141.23.


 * A Spy Report from the Guest House will then be received, regarding another Government Official. Head to the Guest House, locate the Official, and interrogate him twice. He will then reveal that there is a radio frequency written inside one of the lockers at the Security Base.


 * A Spy Report from the Western Wilderness will then be received, regarding yet another Government Official. Head to the Western Wilderness, locate the Official, then, rather than interrogate him, capture him instead.


 * Travel to the Security Base, and locate the radio frequency in a locker in the northwestern building: 142.52.


 * Next, travel to the main building of the Comm Base, and relay the second frequency (142.52). EVA will answer, and inform Snake that she will arrive on the peninsula in a week. After waiting a week, a Spy Report will be received, regarding the crash of EVA's plane in the Western Wilderness.


 * Head to the Western Wilderness, and locate EVA in the basement cell. After the following conversation, EVA will automatically be recruited.

The PAL password, used as an alternate means of unlocking EVA as a playable character, is 016K/HYH: the motorcycle license plate for the motorcycle she used during their escape from Groznyj Grad during the climax of Snake Eater.

"A female spy encountered by Snake during Operation Snake Eater. Once worked with the National Security Agency (NSA), but later defected to the Soviet Union, posing as lovers for both Colonel Volgin and Nikolai Sokolov. She would later aid Snake in his mission."

- Official description in Metal Gear Solid: Portable Ops Plus

Notes and references
EVA