Origin
Antonia “Toni” Monetti is the daughter of a former U.S. Senator from New Jersey who is now a very affluent man. Toni has had a very pampered life, and wanted for nothing. Deep down, however, she felt like there was something missing in her life. About the time she turned sixteen, Toni’s skin became more pale, and her flesh had a silvery coat to it. This was actually a manifestation of her alien DNA and powers coming to bare at age sixteen, although she didn’t know this at the time. At a pool party for her sixteenth birthday, Toni was mysteriously teleported away.
Awakening on the alien ship of the dreaded H’San Natall, Toni met other super-powered teenagers in the same situation. Together, they rescued another meta-human teenage girl who was raised in a virtual-reality simulator program aboard the ship. The group of teenagers escaped the aliens and returned to earth, where they found safe haven with the wealthy Loren Jupiter and his enigmatic associate, Omen.
During the adventure, the teens learned that they were half-alien, and their mothers were impregnated by the H’San Natall years ago. All born on June 21st, the kids were part of a sleeper agent program by the H’San Natall to defeat the super-powered beings already on Earth. The group stayed together, and with the funding of Loren Jupiter, became the newest incarnation of the Teen Titans. The heat-generating Isaiah Crockett became Joto; Toni Monetti’s silver plasma powers earned her the codename Argent; With enhanced speed and strength, Cody Driscoll took the nickname Risk; And the alien girl who could absorb and project light adopted the name Prysm. Atom decided to remain on the team to learn how to readjust to his life as a teenager, since he was de-aged by Extant during the Zero Hour Crisis.
Toni didn’t take adventuring very seriously at first. After a battle with Haze, fellow teammate Joto seemingly died, leaving the team devastated. Argent took his death particularly hard. In his memory, she vowed to become a better hero in her own right. Complicating matters, Mr. Jupiter disbanded the team. Argent sought training advice from Robin, and accompanied him on a mission to stop drug runners. It was during this mission that Argent discovered her father was involved in the drug ring as well. Not knowing how to handle it, she kept the information to herself for the time being.
Deciding to band together once more, Argent was instrumental in initiating a membership drive to keep the Teen Titans together. The team stayed together for a time with new members Fringe and Captain Marvel Jr. joining as well. After another altercation with the H’San Natall and The Veil, The team discovered that Joto was indeed alive. They rescued him, but Prysm and Fringe elected to remain in space. The rest of the team decided to go their separate ways and disbanded.
Titans
Argent aided the Titans again during the Technis Imperative conflict, which involved the Justice League as well as all Titans, past and present. The two teams eventually worked together to save the earth and former Titan teammate, Victor Stone. The original five Titans then decided to reform the team.
Argent was asked to join, and she enthusiastically accepted. The Titans were involved in a case involving the highly addictive speed drug, Velocity 9. As the Titans investigated the case, it became apparent that Argent’s father was involved with the distribution of the deadly drug. Now forced to make a choice, Argent allowed the Titans to arrest her father. Argent tearfully told her father she loved him, but had now also found a new family with the Titans.
The Titans’ lives were soon turned upside down with the arrival of a mysterious super-powered youth known as Epsilon. Hired by a Argent’s father, Epsilon worked in conjunction with his lover, Theta, to infiltrate the Titans and bring them down from within. But Epsilon’s plans were sidelined when he was possessed by fourteen-year-old D.E.O. charge Kevin Tanaka, who used Epsilon to secure safe haven for his fellow D.E.O. orphans at Titans Tower. Under this guise, Kevin unwittingly began a romance with Argent, who was smitten with Epsilon’s rugged good looks. But that romance was shattered when the real psychotic Epsilon regained control, exposing Kevin’s ruse and breaking Argent’s heart in the process. In the process, Epsilon destroyed Titans Tower and escaped. When he went to seek revenge on Kevin, the Titans intervened. Argent participated, but was knocked out. In the end, Kevin used his powers to possess Argent and defeat Epsilon, seemingly killing him. In the aftermath, Kevin tried to apologize to her, but she was too heartbroken to forgive him. Later, she tells fellow Titan Jesse Quick that she wishes he was dead, only to find out he actually passed away. Rather than feel remorseful, she expresses satisfaction at the boy’s death.
Shortly afterward, a mysterious android from the future known as Indigo attacked the Titans and Young Justice, resulting in the apparent deaths of Troia and Omen. At Troia’s funeral, Nightwing disbanded this version of the Titans.
While Argent resumed her life, a new Teen Titans formed with the former members of Young Justice at the core. After Superboy’s tragic death during the Infinite Crisis, the Teen Titans faced a year of heartache and turmoil. Argent joined the team for a short time and briefly dated the super-shrinking Titan known as Molecule. But after that ill-fated romance ended in an awful break-up, Argent left the group.
Recent Events
In Terror Titans, she was brainwashed into joining the Martyr Militia at the Dark Side Club. After being saved, she was later brought to Titans Tower by Miss Martian for shelter. She was offered another membership, but just wanted to return home.
Toni is seen some Teen Titans issues and in Justice League: Cry for Justice with a new costume but in JSA All-stars #7, Argent is seen in Damage’s funeral with her old costume. So far she hasn’t been seen in the New 52.
Personal Characteristics
- First Appearance: Teen Titans (2nd series) #1 (October 1996)
- Status: Hero
- Real Name: Toni Moreti
- Occupation: Adventurer
- Base: New Jersey
- Height: 5ft 8in
- Weight: 125 lbs
- Eyes: Blue
- Hair: Black
Powers and Special Abilities
Argent can generate solid energy constructs out of silver plasma. It can be used in simple forms such as protective shields, daggers, and battering rams, as well as more complex forms that she develops the ability to create through her career. While she initially could not fly, she could create slides and flying platforms to carry herself and others through the air. Her silver plasma energy is said to be of a similar wavelength to the green plasma energies of a Green Lantern’s ring. During her tenure as a Titan, Argent took pills, later revealed to be produced by an alien criminal, to greatly augment her powers. However, after Nightwing confronted her about it, she apparently stopped using them. In JLA: Rock of Ages, Argent’s powers in the future had evolved to become almost identical to a Green Lantern’s, as she was able to fly and could create more complex energy constructs, such as an entire army of silver plasma “superheroes”.
In Other Media
Animated
Teen Titans
Argent appeared in Season 5 of the Teen Titans animated series in the episode Calling All Titans in which she meets Starfire and becomes a honorary Titan, but she is soon captured by General Immortus of the Brotherhood of Evil. Argent can fire crimson energy beams, and can use that energy to form objects. Argent has also been shown to have an interest in fashion, asking, “Does this come in black?” when the yellow communicator clashed with her dark clothes. She also has a cameo appearance as one of the combatants on the Titans’ side in the episode Titans Together. Later, she is seen in Titans Tower and before the “battle” against Dr. Light. Argent is played by Hynden Walch, who also voiced Starfire.
She also has appeared in the Teen Titans Go! comics, in issues #34, #36, #39, #41, and #50.