ARGENT

Real Name: Laurent Bavota

Identity/Class: Human mutant (Canadian)

Occupation: Refugee

Group Membership: None

Affiliations: Alpha Flight (Aurora/Jeanne-Marie Beaubier, Fang/Akihiro, Guardian/James Hudson, Nemesis/Heather Hudson, Northstar/Jean-Paul Beaubier, Puck/Eugene Judd, Shaman/Michael Twoyoungmen, Snowbird/Narya), Kyle Beaubier-Jinadu, Bubs, Madame Bavota, Spencer, Tasha

Enemies: Box Sentinels, Department H (Roger Bochs, Jr., Director Erika Doiron, others)

Known Relatives: Madame Bavota (mother), unidentified grandfather

Aliases: None

Base of Operations: Krakoa North, Manitoba, Canada;
    formerly Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada; Gatineau, Quebec, Canada

First Appearance: Alpha Flight V#1 (October, 2023)

Powers/Abilities: Argent had the mutant ability to manipulate and control of silvery liquid metal. He often formed the metal around his body for added protection from physical harm and he could also extend the metal outward as an extension of his body, allowing him to reach further distances. He could also form the metal into crude shapes such as axes and keys.

    Hailing from Quebec, Argent was fluent in French.

Height: Unrevealed (approximately 5'9")
Weight: Unrevealed (approximately 150 lbs.)
Eyes: Silver
Hair: Silver

History:
(Alpha Flight V#3 (fb) - BTS) - In his younger days, mutant Laurent Bavota had a grandfather who had a certain saying about the value of hope.

(Alpha Flight V#2 (fb) - BTS) - Lauren Bavota eventually sought to emulate the heroic Canadian heroes of Alpha Flight to the point of referring to himself as Argent due to his mutant powers.

(Alpha Flight V#3 (fb) - BTS) - As Argent, Laurent thought he was going to change the world.

(Alpha Flight V#2 (fb) - BTS) - He soon found that he could not stomach the violence that came with being a hero, however, and instead sought to simply live a normal life.

(Alpha Flight V#1 (fb) - BTS) - When mutants were ordered out of Canada by the government's Department H, Laurent was spotted in Gatineau.

(Alpha Flight V#2 (fb) - BTS) - Laurent decided to leave his mother's home in Gatineau, Quebec in hopes of making it to the Krakoan gate in Ottawa. He successfully made it to Ottawa but found the Krakoan there to be closed, prompting him to venture to Toronto's Krakoan gate instead.

(Alpha Flight V#2 (fb) - BTS) - Upon arriving in Toronto, Laurent discovered that all of the gates there were also closed.

(Alpha Flight V#1 (fb) - BTS) - Laurent continued traveling across Canada, hoping to find Krakoan gate that was not closed or otherwise blocked from usage, but every one he came across was closed.

(Alpha Flight V#2 (fb) - BTS) - In every city he traveled to, Laurent found other mutants attempting to flee through the closed Krakoan gates and most of those mutants were arrested for still being in the country. Fortunately for Laurent, he was able to escape arrest.

(Alpha Flight V#1 (fb) - BTS) - Feeling trapped in his own country, Laurent continued to trek towards a gate that might allow him to get out of the country and he eventually made his way west to Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, where he was attacked by officers. Defending himself, Laurent (referred to as Argent by the media) unintentionally sent a half dozen of the officers to the hospital while fighting back.

(Alpha Flight V#1) - Argent's actions drew the attention of Alpha Flight, who were sent to apprehend the boy. When Shaman warned Argent that he was outnumbered, Argent lashed out, extending his liquid metal armor outward into the form of axe to bar Shaman's further approach. Demanding to be left alone, Argent insisted he had not intended to hurt anyone and had only defended himself from their attacks. Transforming into a giant owl, Alpha Flight's Snowbird requested that Argent give himself up to prevent further civilian injury but Argent replied by repeating his demand to be left alone. Before Snowbird could attack, she was intercepted by the flying Aurora, who proclaimed Argent to be under the protection of her own team. Argent took advantage of the confusion to make a run for it but Alpha Flight's Puck pursued, only to be intercepted by Fang. Fang's teammate Northstar soon snatched up the fleeing Argent, explaining that he was there to rescue Argent, but Northstar was soon hit by a blast fired by Alpha Flight's Guardian. When Guardian and Northstar got into an argument over each other's scruples, Argent interrupted and insisted he would go wherever they told him to go, as he had previously attempted to flee, only to find the Krakoan gates closed. Before any further actions could be made, Northstar's teammate Nemesis appeared and teleported Argent and Northstar away, promising that Argent would be safe.

    Taken to the Krakoa North facility in Manitoba, Canada, Argent was questioned by Northstar and Argent admitted he had never been so scared in his entire life. He then asked Northstar if Mars had truly been turned into a haven for mutants and asked if Northstar could take him there. Northstar explained was not safe but they were gathering lost mutants to take to the planet Chandilar in the meantime and when Argent questioned how soon they would leave, Northstar admitted he didn't know but Alpha Flight soon entered, revealing that they were secretly working with Northstar and his allies and noting that they would need to move soon since Department H was preparing to employ robotic Box Sentinels against mutants in Canada.

(Alpha Flight V#2) - As Alpha Flight discussed the number of mutants in their Krakoa North facility with Kyle Beaubier-Jinadu, learning that Argent made twenty-three, Argent himself was being checked out by physician Shaman, who apologized for being a bit too rough on him earlier while playing up the facade of working with Department H. When Argent admitted he had been terrified, Shaman commended Argent on the fight he had put up against Alpha Flight and Argent replied by reminding Shaman that his name was Laurent and he had only used the name Argent as a youngster fantasizing about being a hero. Laurent then commented that he just wanted to live a normal life and nothing more, prompting Shaman to empathize with Laurent and assure Laurent that he would be safe in Krakoa North until they could get him back home. Shortly after, Laurent wrote a letter to his mother, unsure if it would ever actually make it to her since there was no mailbox or internet in Krakoa North, in which he assured her that he was okay. He explained how Alpha Flight was planning to get the mutants there safely to another planet and ended the letter promising to write again. 

(Alpha Flight V#3) - Laurent met with Kyle Beaubier-Jinadu to ask if there was a closer location he and the other mutants in Krakoa North could be sent to, somewhere on Earth, but Kyle expressed wishes that the situation were that simple and further explained how they weren't sure how much longer the mutants would be safe in Krakoa North. Laurent ultimately expressed a desire to leave Krakoa North and go home, admitting that he felt slightly like he was being held captive at Krakoa North. Kyle explained that with a majority of the world siding with the anti-mutant Orchis organization, there was no safe place for Laurent or other mutants. When Kyle mentioned discussing the idea of Laurent not accompanying the other mutants to the Shi'ar planet Chandilar with Alpha Flight upon their return to Krakoa North, an angry Laurent exclaimed that he didn't want to discuss the issue, reminding Kyle again that he just wanted to go home before storming off. Kyle subsequently emailed his husband Northstar to inform him about Laurent's restlessness and to express concern that the angry Laurent might rile the other mutants at Krakoa North.

(Alpha Flight V#4 (fb) - BTS) - Laurent wrote another letter for his mother revealing his decision to leave Krakoa North and his misgivings about Alpha Flight's decision to send the mutants at Krakoa North to the planet Chandilar. In the letter, he also expressed hope of mailing the two letters he had written at the first city he came across using his grandfather's name rather than his own.

(Alpha Flight V#4) - Laurent began packing his belongings into a backpack and when he went to Krakoa North's kitchen to grab food, he was confronted by Kyle Beaubier-Jinadu, who asked if everything was okay. Claiming he just needed a snack, Laurent grabbed an apple and continued on his way, passing three mutant children, Bubs, Spencer and Tasha on his way. When he came to the door, he used his powers to shape liquid metal into the form of a key that he used to exit Krakoa North, leaving the door open for anyone else who wanted to leave. Bubs, Spencer and Tasha followed but were quickly rounded by Kyle Jinadu, who reported back to Northstar that Argent was missing. Unaware that his venturing outside of the protection provided by Krakoa North had drawn the attention of Department H and their Box Sentinels, Laurent continued on his way through the woods until he heard an explosion. Turning to see Krakoa North on fire, a guilt-stricken Laurent asked aloud what he had done.

(Alpha Flight V#5) - Returning to Krakoa North, Argent savagely attacked the Box Sentinels, demanding they leave the people there alone and slicing one of the Box Sentinels completely in half. Ordered to respond by Department H Director Erika Doiron, Roger Bochs, Jr. directed another Box Sentinel to fire back, hitting Argent in the chest and killing him. Witnessing Argent's smoking corpse hit the ground as he arrived on the scene, Alpha Flight's Northstar accused the Box Sentinels of murder and he flew completely through one of the Box Sentinels as Nemesis freed some of the prisoners. Seeing Argent's corpse via the Box Sentinels' internal cameras, Roger Bochs, Jr. felt horrified at what he had done but Director Doiron ordered Bochs to get his head in the game. The rest of Alpha Flight arrived shortly after and Northstar informed Guardian that the Box Sentinels had killed Argent. When Nemesis prepared to teleport the mutants to a ship that would take them to Chandilar, Director Doiron ordered Bochs to have the Box Sentinels take out Nemesis and Bochs briefly paused, still haunted by his role in Argent's death. Bochs ultimately followed Doiron's orders but Nemesis was nonetheless able to transport the mutants to the ship before being taken into custody and Argent's backpack was found by one of the Krakoa North survivors. After the backpack was turned over to him, Northstar later wrote a letter to Madame Bavota, Argent's mother, assuring her that Laurent had died a hero, protecting those unable to protect themselves. He also apologized for not being able to do enough to save Argent's life and informed her of the letters Laurent had written to her that were still in his backpack, expressing hope that the letters might bring Madame Bavota some sort of comfort.

Comments: Created by Ed Brisson and Scott Godlewski.

Profile by Proto-Man.

CLARIFICATIONS:
Argent should be distinguished from:

Madame Bavota

Madame Bavota was Argent's mother, whom he lived with for some time in Gatineau, Quebec. When the Canadian government outlawed mutants and ordered them to leave the country, Argent left his mother's home towards the Krakoan gate in Ottawa. Argent ultimately found all of the Krakoan gates he visited had been closed and he was eventually located in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan by Alpha Flight, who secretly brought him to their base, Krakoa North. While staying at Krakoa North, Argent wrote a letter to his mother assuring her he was safe but was unable to mail it since Krakoa North did not have a mailbox or internet. He later decided to leave Krakoa North and wrote his mother a second letter explaining his decision to leave due to misgivings he had about being sent to the planet Chandilar with the other mutants at Krakoa North. Following Argent's death, Northstar was given Argent's backpack containing the unsent letters to his mother and he sent the letters to Madame Bavota alongside a letter from himself assuring Madame Bavota that her son had died a hero, protecting others who could not protect themselves.

--Alpha Flight V#2 (fb) - BTS (#2 - BTS, #4 - BTS, #5- BTS,
images: (without ads)
Alpha Flight V#1, p11, pan2 (Argent in metal form, main image)
Alpha Flight V#1, p19, pan3 (Argent, non-metallic form headshot)
Alpha Flight V#1, p11, pan3 (Argent transforming arm into axe)
Alpha Flight V#3, p11, pan7 (full body image of Argent in normal form)
Alpha Flight V#5, p6, splash page (Argent's death)

Appearances:
Alpha Flight V#1 (October, 2023) - Ed Brisson (writer), Scott Godlewski (art), Mark Basso (editor)
Alpha Flight V#2 (November, 2023) - Ed Brisson (writer), Scott Godlewski (art), Mark Basso (editor)
Alpha Flight V#3 (December, 2023) - Ed Brisson (writer), Scott Godlewski (art), Mark Basso (editor)
Alpha Flight V#4 (January, 2024) - Ed Brisson (writer), Scott Godlewski (art), Mark Basso (editor)
Alpha Flight V#5 (February, 2024) - Ed Brisson (writer), Scott Godlewski, David Cutler (art), Mark Basso (editor)

First posted: 08/22/2024
Last updated: 08/22/2024

Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.

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