Origin

Angela Roth grew up in a restrictive home with a fanatically religious father. Growing tired of abuse, both physical and mental, Angela fled her Gotham home at the age of seventeen. Her parents either didn't notice or didn't care.

Angela stumbled upon a Church, where she felt welcome for the first time in her life. But this 'church' was actually a demonic cult with a most sinister agenda. Unbeknownst to Angela, she was a member of a cult trying to bring the devil to Earth. Instead, the cult brought Trigon in the guise of a handsome man with gold-flecked eyes. Angela was whisked away to his dimension, became his wife and carried Trigon's seed, which was to be Raven. After the conception, Trigon showed her his true form and cast her back to Earth.

This despairing, weak-willed woman was about to commit suicide when she was stopped by a messenger who brought her to Azarath, where she began a new life. It was here that she was given the name Arella, which means "The Messenger Angel."

Through the birth of Raven, Trigon's evil came to Azarath. Azar, the teacher and guide of the Azarathians, took Raven under her tutelage, while Arella was reassigned to temple duties. When Azar died, Arella resumed raising Raven and was alarmed at her daughter's distant manner. When Raven turned eighteen, she sensed Trigon's power returning and fled to Earth.

Trigon

Arella remained on Azarath, and during the Titans' first encounter with Trigon, she eventually rescued Raven from him. After the Titans combined their powers and banished Trigon into the Netherverse, Arella assumed the duties of guarding the doorway against any attempt by Trigon to return.

Trigon did indeed return when his influence over Raven reached a powerful level. In the ensuing battle, Arella and the Titans were pitted against Trigon and a possessed Raven. When Trigon was destroyed and Raven's body disappeared, Arella embarked on a quest to find her daughter. Arella found Raven, as did the forces of Brother Blood, who captured both mother and daughter. The two were rescued by Robotman, Azrael and the New Teen Titans after Raven shattered Brother Blood's mind. Arella was injured in the battle, but recovered.

Arella then established a ranch in Jackson Hole, Wyoming. It was designed to be a haven for young women that had lost their way in life, much like Arella had years ago.

Titans Hunt

Shortly after this, current and former members of the Titans (including Raven) were hunted and captured by the Wildebeest Society, for unknown reasons. During the Titans Hunt, a vicious version of a soul self savagely attacked Arella's ranch, killing all inhabitants except Arella. Devastated and alone, Arella vowed to join the Titans Hunt and find her daughter.

Deathstroke, Nightwing, Troia, Pantha, Phantasm, Arella and Red Star joined forces to track the Titans down. Upon locating the captured Titans, the heroes were shocked to learn the identity of the leader of the Wildebeests was their own teammate, Jericho.

It seems the tainted souls of Azarath regained their strength and merged with Jericho shortly after Trigon's second defeat. The souls now needed powerful vessels for each of them to survive. Now possessed by this force, Jericho sought to acquire superhuman beings as vessels for the souls of Azarath. He used the Wildebeest Society as a front to kidnap the Titans to house the tainted souls of Azarath. Now tainted by this evil force, Jericho also acquired new abilities to help in his mission: a savage and powerful soul self that took the form of a lion and a healing ability that repaired his throat and enabled him to speak. Arella realized it was Jericho that destroyed her ranch.

Phantasm

A battle in the remains of Azarath concluded with the destruction of the Wildebeest society and the death of Jericho himself. But the Azarathians were still defeated. In a final effort to end this threat forever, Raven, former Phantasm Danny Chase, and Raven's mother, Arella, attacked the Azarathian energy. Their own energies combined with the force from Azarath and drove away the evil. In an explosion that saw the dissipation of one energy wave, the other energies somehow combined. This new force inhabited the garb once worn by Danny Chase and took on the identity of the new Phantasm.

Danny and Arella died that day; Their essences merged with the cleansed souls of Azarath to create a new entity known as Phantasm.

Powers and Abilities

Arella possessed various sensory/mystical abilities she learned while living in Azarath.

Titans Animated
Arella is Raven's mother and still resides in the dimension of Azarath. She is a very loving, motherly woman, but also very fatalistic. When her daughter came to her seeking help in stopping her destiny from coming true, she had to refuse, knowing there was nothing that could be done.

Nothing is known of her before we meet her in "The Prophecy," and not much is known of what became of her after Azarath was destroyed.