Ben was not born special; he was born different. Or so his father told him. From birth his silver irises and silver blood marked him as different from a “normal” person. His father was terrified that this dark secret would come out. He never physically abused Ben, but subjected him to frequent emotional abuse. He made it clear that Ben had a dark secret that no one could ever know. Ben grew up hiding what he was and who he was from the world, even from himself.

One day he was poking around the back of his school building when he stumbled upon one of the teachers taking drugs. He quickly hid and snuck away, but the moment was an epiphany for him. He realized that everyone had secrets. Fascinated by that simple fact, he found his life’s calling. He immediately began working to become a private detective.

As a young adult, Ben spent his time finding out other people’s secrets. He became very skilled at ferreting out what others didn’t want him to know, either by investigation or interrogation. His life would have remained this simple except for Jim Murdock.

Jim Murdock was a small time crook with big time aspirations. He spent his time robbing convenience stores, but always dreamed of something bigger. Finally he heard about a shipment of prime merchandise coming into town. With his gang of crooks he planned a robbery that went off with only a small hitch, a hitch named Ben Sylvera.

Ben had heard that something big was in the works and had followed Murdock hoping to find out what he was planning. They were at a warehouse guarded by a crooked security guard who “took a break” at an opportune time. Inside, Murdock and his gang were searching the crates looking for loot. Ben snuck closer, hoping to get a picture or two to use as evidence. He shifted for a better view and bumped a crate, knocking it over.

Murdock’s reaction was immediate. He spun and peppered the area with rounds from his Mac 10. In the millisecond between seeing the muzzle flash and feeling the impact of the bullets, Ben realized he was dead. Fortunately for Ben, he was wrong. The threat of danger activated his powers; which he had subconsciously suppressed. A glowing silver force field snapped up around him. The bullets knocked him backward, but didn’t hurt him. He stood back up, amazed and stared at his glowing silver body, trying to understand what was happening.

More bullets slamming into him brought him back to the situation. The rest of the gang had fled, but Murdock stood, emptying a clip into Ben. In response, Ben instinctually released a burst of energy at Murdock. In the blink of an eye, a silver bolt of energy flew from Ben and slammed into Murdock. It drove Murdock back through a crate behind him, dousing him in the chemicals inside the crate. Exposure to the air caused the chemicals to burst into fire and Murdock was consumed

Ben stood, trying to understand what was happening. Suddenly Murdock emerged from the crate, still burning. With a scream of rage he unleashed a burst of fire at Ben and the battle was on. The two of them blasted each other back and forth around the warehouse, then both took to the sky in a dramatic battle. Finally, Ben hit Murdock with a blast that stunned him, then followed up with a flying smash that knocked him through a solid wall. Murdock was down for the count and his flames went out. Confused and uncertain about his future, Ben left him and flew away.

After years of subconsciously suppressing his powers, Ben has started working to use them. He is not certain what his final course will be, but he is unwilling to let criminals put others in danger when he is able to stop them. Thus he uses his powers and skills to find criminals and bring them to justice.

Ben almost has two personalities. When in his secret ID he is cynical, sarcastic and driven. Unwilling to let anyone see his real self, he is guarded. He throws himself into his work, searching out and finding secrets and tracking criminals down. However when he is Argent, he is much more secure and lets his real self out more. He becomes flamboyant and outgoing. He enjoys using his powers to help others and to stop criminals

"Startled and suddenly remorseful: just the way I like my super-criminal prey."

Argent taps into an unknown source of pure silver energy. He can erect a field of protective energy around himself and project bolts of energy from his body. By projecting the energy behind him, he can fly with great speed. The same silver energy fills his cells, making his blood and irises silver. This protects him from diseases and toxins by destroying them when they try and enter his cells. The same energy gives him strength far beyond that of a normal man. He is working to control the energy better, and will be able to do more with it as he learns.

Out of costume, Ben is a tall, muscular man with broad shoulders and a slender waist. His eyes have silver irises although he usually wears blue contacts to disguise the color. His red hair is kept short and neat, with a clean-shaven face. He has the typical pale complexion of a red head with freckles that multiply when he spends time in the sun. When he bleeds, his blood has silver sparks and swirls in it.

His costume is a body suit of silver cloth that covers his entire body. Even his eyes are covered by a one-way material that allows him to see out, but doesn’t allow anyone to see in. Out of costume he wears comfortable clothes that allow him to blend in with a crowd. He also wears numerous disguises when necessary.