Mars Ravelo’s Darna, Captain Barbell, and Lastikman are Philippine Copyright 2015, Mars Ravelo Komiks Characters, Inc. (Illustration by Marco Bermejo)
The best known superheroes in Philippine folklore are Darna and Captain Barbell. Throw in the very popular Lastikman and Ang Panday, and you’d think our cast of superhuman characters is complete. But did you know that we have other colorful characters inhabiting our galaxy of superheroes?
1. In 1964, Fernando Poe, Jr.’s D’Lanor Productions released the first Captain Barbell movie with Bob Soler in the title role. When he was not playing the superhero, Captain Barbell was a thin, frail man bullied by his brothers played by Dolphy. What’s the name of Captain Barbell’s alter-ego?
2. There was Captain Philippines, obviously a rip-off of Captain America, played by Chris Evans in the Marvel blockbuster, The Avengers. Captain Philippines had a sidekick, Boy Pinoy, very much like Batman’s Robin. Who played Captain Philippines and Boy Pinoy in 1965?
3. The Phantom also had a Pinoy version, Alyas Phantom with Bob Soler, again in 1966. The Philippines made the movie first with The Phantom made into a movie in 1996, 30 years after. Who directed Alyas Phantom?
4. Ang Babaing Sputnik starred Nida Blanca in 1963 when Darna movies were already flying high. That same year, Ang Babaing Sputnik was pitted against Darna in Sputnik vs. Darna, The Movie. Darna proved to be more durable and continues to be featured in movies and TV shows to this day. Who played Darna in the 1963 movie Sputnik vs. Darna?
5. In 1973, superstar Nora Aunor tried to compete with Vilma Santos’ Darna by bringing to life another superheroine. Who was this superheroine?
6. Atom Man was the first place winner in a superhero drawing contest in 1986. As part of the prize, the character appeared in an eight-page story in Super Action Pocket Comics #32 (March 26, 1986), written by Edwin Samonte and illustrated by Manny Pantaleon. Who was that first place winner?
7. Even before Optimus Prime and Bumblebee conquered the movie screen, the Philippines already had Transformer Man (Superheroes Pocketkomiks, 1985), a shape-shifting superhero who could turn himself into anything—a car, a plane, a motorcycle, another person, even an animal—all part of his crime-fighting duties, of course! He later changed his name to Magic Man (1985-1988). Who were the creators of this Pinoy superhero?
8. Wonder Dabiana was a fat but adorable superheroine, she fought walking zombies and blood-sucking vampires in a movie, a spin-off from the original character in Hiwaga Komiks, written by Ed Plaza and illustrated by Romy Gamboa. Who played Dabiana in the movie?
9. Older people might associate Kulafu with the alcoholic tonic drink, Vino Kulafu, but much older Filipinos would know Kulafu as one of the earliest comic book heroes in the Philippines (1933-1963). The Kulafu character was inspired by the story of Tarzan and it became very popular as it incorporated Filipino folklore into the story. In 1957, La Tondeña, Inc. (now Ginebra San Miguel, Inc.) bought the Kulafu name and used it as brand for their Chinese medicinal wine. Who created the Kulafu character?
10. The legendary graphic novelist Mars Ravelo, considered as the “King of Philippine Comics,” created the characters Darna, Dyesebel, Captain Barbell, Bondying, and Maruja, among many others. One of the characters he created was the superhero Lastikman, who can stretch, transform, and reshape to whatever form just like the original DC comics superhero, Plastic Man. In what comic book did Lastikman first appear?
As a boy, Chris Malinao was addicted to comics the way kids today are addicted to their iPads and gadgets, ignoring errands from parents. He anxiously awaited weekly issues of Tagalog Klasiks, Pilipino Komiks, Hiwaga Komiks, and the vernacular Bisaya magazine in his Mindanao hometown. Movies, too, were a favorite pastime. Having worked with the media in Manila, Chris has met many of his boyhood idols in person and came to the conclusion that superheroes are best preserved in memory by not meeting them in person. He is, at present, with a nonprofit group of photographers, Federation of Philippine Photographers Foundation, teaching photography in Intramuros, Manila. photoworldmanila.com.
DARNA TRIVIA:
Among Philippine superheroes and heroines, Darna is arguably the best known and most durable. The list of actors who have played Darna is long: Rosa del Rosario, Liza Moreno, Eva Montes, Vilma Santos, Dolphy, Lotis Key, Rio Locsin, Nanette Medved, Anjanette Abayari, Lorna Tolentino, Regine Velasquez,
Sharon Cuneta, Katrina Halili, Angel Locsin, and the latest, Marian Rivera.
In theater, Lisa Macuja and Chin-Chin Gutierrez also played the part. But when she started out in 1947, the superheroine’s name was not Darna. What was the original name of Darna? (Varga, first appeared in Bulaklak Magazine, July 23, 1947. Ravelo relaunched the character as Darna in Pilipino Komiks on May 13, 1950. Another legendary comics artist, Nestor Redondo, illustrated Darna in that series.)
ANSWERS:
1. Tengteng 2. Bob Soler and Lou Salvador Jr. 3. Paquito Toledo 4. Liza Moreno 5. (Super Gee, a black-costumed crime-fighting mama created by writer Zoila Meneses and artist Rudy Villanueva. She didn’t fly much, but was revived in comics in 1987-1988 for another run as Super Gee II.) 6. (Ramon G. Gimena, 14 years old, from Bacolod, Irosin, Sorsogon) 7. (Vic J. Poblete, writer, and Mar T. Santana, artist) 8. (Cecille Iñigo) 9. (Illustrator Francisco Reyes and writer Pedrito Reyes) 10. (Aliwan Komiks, 1964)