V.V. Argost

"Greetings and bienvenue, Doctor Cheveyo. My name is V.V Argost. You may recognize me from my delightful television program, V.V Argost's Weird World, or from the time you and your friends broke into my home and stole a giant wonderful rock from me... Did I mention I would very much like it back?"

- V.V. Argost

Vincent Vladislav Argost, more commonly referred to as V. V. Argost or simply Argost, is the main antagonist in "The Secret Saturdays." He is actually the Yeti of Himalayan legend (as revealed in the second last episode). He created a mask in his mountain home and went out into the human world.

He was voiced by Corey Burton, who also made the voice of Count Dooku in the Star Wars Animated series.

History
He hosts his own show, Weird World, which is about cryptids. Zak Saturday (prior to Kur Rising) was a big fan, even though his parents didn't want him to watch the show. His museum of cryptid relics and trinkets is really an arsenal of magical objects he plans to use to get his hands on the most powerful cryptid of all, Kur.

In the premiere of season 2, episode Kur (Part 1), it is revealed that following his defeat at Antarctica that Argost has disappeared. Despite this, his loyal fans however have been spray painting "Argost Lives" on buildings, cars, and even the Saturday's own Airship (much to Doc's chagrin). When the Saturdays go on the run, Doyle, aided by Zon and later Van Rook, begins a search to find him to find out all he knows about Kur to help the Saturdays.

Van Rook has stated if Argost is alive, he will be licking his wounds in a place where he feels at home. When Doyle mentions they already tried Weird World, Van Rook berates his former apprentice for his lack of imagination saying that Argost has always preferred cryptids to people. In other words, he will be recuperating somewhere isolated and close to one of his "pets."

In the final episode of season 1, Kur Rising his mask is cracked by Zak during the fight. Up until recently it was unknown that Argost's "face" was actually some kind of mask (although it was mentioned in the promo site "Wierd World"), which was revealed in the end of season 1 when Zak cracked it during their fight. This is because he is actually a cryptid, the legendary Yeti. He has powerful claws and muscle power, along with a twisted evil mind.

In his true form Argost is a lot taller than a normal human, which explains his always hunched over position when he is in disguise. He is possibly as tall or taller than the Hibagon and also very strong and agile, able to take on multiple opponents with little effort.

He has a knack of using cryptids in battle in ways that no one thought possible before, such as using the neural parasites to actually control someone when it was originally believed one could only view what the host saw and not manipulate them. Doc has mentioned before that the Secret Scientists probably don't even know a fraction of his capabilities.

It was believed by Doyle in Kur (Part 2) that Argost was actually dead when he and Van Rook track Munya to Scotland and discover he has been faking Weird World promos with a text-to-audio device. Argost turns out to actually be alive and saves Zak from a sneak attack from Rani Naga by tackling her off her cryptid mount, although all Zak and Fiskerton see is a blurry shadow during the incident. He later appears in person after Zak sends all the cryptid attackers home, grabs Zak, taking him up to the top of a building. Fisk follows and the two fight briefly before the cryptid loses his balance and looks like he is about to fall off the building when Argost grabs his arm pulling the cryptid to safety. He tells Zak he hopes that this action is enough proof that all he wants is to talk. He admits he knows Zak's true identity and in the end he will most likely betray him but he is willing to teach Zak to control his power "covertly" through Weird World. Zak agrees despite the risks and later asks Doyle to dig up as much has he can of Argost's past so he can have an edge over Argost if he needs it.

From Baron Finster it is learned that Argost provided the initial design for the criminal's lower body, originally more organic than the mechanical body it would eventually become. Argost gave him the design in exchange for the money to launch Weird World, having nothing but his cape and his mask at that point in his life. It is also learned from Baron Finster that it is unwise for anyone who knows anything about Argost's past to talk about it because such people have a habit of vanishing. Finster himself is kidnapped by Munya for apparently saying too much though he manages to cryptically tell Doyle to "follow the cryptids" before being dragged off by Munya. At the end of 'Legion of Garuda', he took the flute of Gilgamesh (an item said to be able to extract the spirit of Kur). He appeared again in "Return Of Tsul 'Kalu", when Doyle, Zon, and Van Rook tracked Finister's message to a cryptid black market. At first, it looked like he was after the dealer, but in the end, his real target was an orange ape-like cryptid callled the Xing-Xing.

Last Stand
In And Your Enemies Closer, Argost made his final move, secretly shows up to help Zak remove a dangerous cryptid from Dr. Beeman's lab, which later turns out to be Argost's final trap that puts Zak's life in danger. He then captured Zak and took him to a secret island where he revealed he had obtained the Monday's smoke mirror from the Louvre, having learned about the existence of the Mondays when he hacked into the Saturday's database. Using Zak's presence in the mirror, Argost freed Zak Monday, only to use the Flute Of Gilgamesh to steal the evil doppleganger's powers. At the same time, Doyle and Drew discover that their parents were lost because they were attacked by a Himalayan monster called the Yeti. Upon inspecting the beast's abandoned lair, they discover a mold for Argost's mask, who at the same time, rips his mask off, revealing his true identity as a cryptid.

Defeat
In War of the Cryptids, Argost's complete back story is explained at first. Having obtained a television as a 'souvenir' from one of mountain camps, he and the Xing-Xing cryptid he captured learned how to speak English. After coming back from his attack on the Blackwell's camp, the Xing-Xing warned Argost that the humans would come after him. Argost wasn't worried however, as he donned the mask he had made to walk among humans. In the present, Argost used his stolen Anti-Kur powers to raise an army of the most vicious cryptids to live and had them attack capital cities all over the world. Eventually, he is approached by the Nagas who see him as the true Kur and convince him to eliminate humanity instead of enslaving it. When the Saturdays stormed Weird World and prepared to fight the Nagas, Argost offered to let everyone go free if Zak went with him. At first, Zak didn't agree until during the fight, Rani Nagi launched a fatal blast, meant for Drew, at Van Rook. Argost then revealed that since his plan to drain Zak Monday's power worked so well, he decided to do the same to Zak. However, he didn't hear Zak's warning that matter and anti-matter cannot exist in the same universe and just as he was feeling a moment of ultimate victory, the combination of the matter/anti-matter Kur powers makes an intense vortex open and he is then sucked into it while screaming. Argost then vanishes into the vortex, apparently destroyed and ending his threat (as well as the threat of Kur) once and for all.

Ben 10 Crossover
However it is revealed that in the crossover episode "T.G.I.S" of Ben 10 Omniverse that Argost was actually thrown into a state of anti-matter flux and had in place a back-up plan with Dr. Animo to revive him through the use of cryptid and alien DNA. He is indeed returned to life by the mad doctor although after three years instead of the agreed upon month and in a chimeric amalgamation of various cryptids that he at first finds less than pleasing. However he quickly finds his new body is to his advantage when he seeks revenge on Zak and is thrilled to learn that he still has the powers of the anti-matter Kur which allows him to control an entire army of mutant cryptids with a single thought. Ultimately he is defeated once again through the teamwork of Zak and Ben Tennyson, the later of whom manages to drain Argost's powers; effectively trapping him within his own body in a coma-like state.

Personality
Argost peppers his speech with French words and phrases, and his most common greeting to others is "Greetings and bienvenue." He commonly uses cryptid animals and plants as weapons against the Saturdays and wears a cape made from Megatooth shark skin which can shield him from attacks.

Argost also seems to have a natural affinity with certain cryptids, maybe because he is a cryptid himself. Though not the same as Zak's Kur powers, it has been seen that certain cryptids naturally obey him, like in Once More the Nightmare Factory when he is fighting with Doc and releases a horde of insects that normally attack anyone. The creatures don't attack him but instead go straight for Doc. Even the Bunyips, who are notorious for trouble making, appear to "behave" when they are around him.

Powers and Abilities
In the game Code of the Cryptids, he has the ability to control lightning and his megatooth shark skin gives him the ability to glide.

Argost also showed a high level of agility in The Atlas Pin during the dogfight between the Saturdays and his own ship. Annoyed the fight was not finished quickly he left the ship and leapt from his own ship onto the Saturdays' ship from a considerable distance, making the landing with little effort before proceeding to hit the ship with acid pellets. Also in Kur (Part 2) he is shown to be able to scale the side of a building, his hands and "claws" were literally digging into the stonework. In Life in the Underground his claws are shown to leave marks in solid steel. This happens when he is talking to Zak in the clocktower and casually traces his claws over a metal beam, leaving an obvious indent behind.