Arella

Angela Roth, commonly called Arella, is a fictional character from DC Comics. She is the pacifist mother of the superheroine Raven in the Teen Titans comics and animated series. She is the reluctant lover and wife of the all-powerful interdimensional demon Trigon, who had cunningly seduced her, in human form, to have someone to rule beside him and bear a half-human, half-demon daughter who becomes Raven.

Arella
Arella as depicted in Justice League vs. Teen Titans.
Publication information
Publisher	DC Comics
First appearance	New Teen Titans #3 (February 1981)
Created by	Marv Wolfman George Pérez
Voiced by	Virginia Madsen (Teen Titans animated series) Laura Bailey (Justice League vs. Teen Titans)
In-story information
Alter ego	Angela Roth
Species	Human
Place of origin	Gotham City, Earth
Team affiliations	Monks and Nuns of the mystical world of Azarath
Notable aliases	Arella

Fictional character biography

Born in Gotham City, Angela Roth was a depressed, aimless teenager who fell in with Cultists after running away from home. The members of the cult promised to keep her fed and well-rested in exchange for taking part in a secret ritual to appeal to Trigon, who was to manifest on Earth. Although she knew Trigon was a demon by origin, she thought his handsome human form was authentic when he first appeared to her. After she married him, she left Earth, and saw his true form while making love with him. He sent her back to Earth, pregnant. Angela attempted to kill herself with sleeping pills in an abandoned alleyway. Instead of dying, however, she was taken to the Temple Azarath, located between all dimensions. It was there that she was taught pacifism and had her name changed to Arella (which meant Messenger Angel to the Azarathians).

Soon after giving birth to Raven, her and Trigon’s daughter, she gave up her maternal care to Azar, the high priestess. She rarely saw Raven for quite some time, but took over guardianship of Raven upon Azar's death when Raven was about ten years old.

When Raven was 18 years of age, she fled Azarath to seek help from Earth's superheroes to stop Trigon's invasion. This resulted in the New Teen Titans. Raven briefly returned to Azarath, asking her mother for help. Arella refused and sent her back to Earth. When Raven was being held as a prisoner by Trigon, Arella decided to leave Azarath to help her teammates rescue her. Soon after, Trigon was sealed away in another dimension. Arella agreed to go along with him in an attempt to block him from returning through the portal.

Some time later, Raven finally gave in to her father's control. Arella was transported to Azarath, which was promptly destroyed by Trigon's minions. She was among the few survivors. Arella followed the Teen Titans to Earth in order to help them in their fight against Trigon and release her daughter. She watched as Raven was used to destroy her father and then vanish.

Arella traveled the world, trying to find her daughter. When she finally found her, they were both taken prisoner by cultists, under the control of Brother Blood. After spending some time with her daughter in Blood's fortress, they were freed by the Teen Titans.

After this event, Arella established a ranch that would serve as a sanctuary to troubled women. She intended to make the place like a new Azarath. However, the Wildebeest Society killed all of the women and the workers, leaving only Arella alive. She was rescued by Deathstroke. She, Deathstroke, and Steve Dayton worked on to free the kidnapped Titans from Jericho's Wildebeest Society. But when Deathstroke was forced to kill his son Jericho, the corrupted souls of Azarath left him and possessed Raven, turning her evil once more. Arella and Danny Chase sacrificed themselves, merging with the souls of Azarath into Phantasm.

In other media

• Arella appears in the Teen Titans episode "The Prophecy", voiced by Virginia Madsen. This version was killed when Trigon destroyed Azarath, and appears to Raven in an illusion.
• A revived Arella appears in Teen Titans Go! #44, advising Raven in dealing with her negative emotions, which have manifested as the villain Red Raven.
• Arella appears in a flashback in Justice League vs. Teen Titans. This version was killed when Trigon destroyed Azarath, after young Raven unwittingly summoned him in an attempt to learn more about him and herself.
• The live-action series Titans splits Arella into two characters: Melissa Roth (portrayed by Sherilyn Fenn) and Angela Azarath (portrayed by Rachel Nichols). Melissa is depicted as the adoptive mother of Trigon's daughter, whom she names Rachel, and poses as her biological mother despite her growing fear of what her "daughter" is capable of. She is finally forced to reveal the truth when a man seeking to kill Rachel breaks in and murders her. Rachel's true biological mother Angela is later discovered by Rachel as having been held captive for years in Agnews Asylum, an abandoned mental hospital. After she is rescued from Agnews by Rachel, Dick Grayson, Kory Anders, and Gar Logan, it is revealed that Angela is still in league with Trigon as his lover. Through poisoning Gar, Angela manipulates Rachel into summoning Trigon to save Gar's life. Having fulfilled her purpose, Trigon kills her when he reaches his full power, admitting that he is incapable of feeling love.