Rupert Franken was born with mutations that resembled reptilian skin and eyes.

Rupert Franken was born with mutations that resembled reptilian skin and eyes.
 
His grandparents were zoologists, and it was assumed that their proximity to animals during the time of the original Vanishing in the early twenty-first century is the cause of Rupert’s mutations.
 
His mother died in childbirth.
 
Rupert’s father works in the IERA as a custodian, but because of his employment with the agency, Rupert was able to attend secondary school and joined the reformed US Military Force, fighting in ‘peacekeeping’ initiatives – typically in precarious situations requiring his ‘unique’ skills.