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Darna

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Darna-comics

Darna in the comic books

Darna (Tagalog pronounciation: [daɾna]) is a Filipino superheroine created by writer Mars Ravelo and artist Nestor Redondo. The character's first appearance was in Pilipino Komiks (Ace Publications, Inc.) #77 on May 13, 1950. Darna is a retooling of Ravelo's earlier character, Varga, whose stories he wrote and illustrated himself. This character first appeared in Bulaklak Magazine, Volume 4, #17 on July 23, 1947. Ravelo left the Bulaklak Magazine publications due to differences with the publication's editors. One of the most popular Filipino superheroes, Darna has appeared in many films and several television series through the decades which have far overshadowed her actual comics tenure. The 2003 Mango Comics miniseries revealed that Darna is a deceased extraterrestrial warrior magically manifesting herself through a woman from Earth named Narda who summons her by shouting her name. As Darna, she stands up for those who cannot fend for themselves. She fights against common criminals as well as greater forces of evil, most famously the snake-haired supervillain Valentina. She is often accompanied by her younger brother, Ding. Several alternate versions of Darna have been characterized over the years. Darna's appearance is distinctive and iconic: she usually wears a red bikini or shorts with a gold star in each brassiere cap; red helmet with ruby encrusted gold winged medallion; gold bracelets; a golden medallion belt with a loincloth in the middle; and red boots. Darna is widely considered as a Filipino cultural icon and the most celebrated superhero character in the Philippines. The character has been adapted extensively and portrayed in other forms of media as well, including films and television series. Several actresses have portrayed Darna in motion pictures and TV series. The term Darna" may refer to the following titles or iterations:

Titles[]

"Darna" titles[]

Titles including "Darna"[]

Iterations[]

History[]

Contrary to what some Filipinos may believe, Darna was not named after the magical Ibong Adarna (Adarna bird), which appears in a Philippine epic of the same name. In Bulaklak Magazine, Narda was already established as Varga's mortal identity. "Darna" was simply an anagram of "Narda". Also, see [1].

Songs About or referencing Darna[]

  • Hindi Ako Si Darna (1990s)
    • Filipino version of "Superwoman" popularized by Karun White
    • Performed by: Jenine Desiderio
  • Narda (2005)
    • Composed and Performed by: Kamikazee (2009 TV series OST)
  • Time In (2007)
    • Performed by: Yeng Constantino
  • Di Na Nag-iisa (Di Na Mag-iisa in other versions)
    • Performed by Regine Velasquez (Love theme from DARNA (2005) TV Series. This song was officially released by Universal Records in Regine Velasquez' Motion Picture Soundtrack, "Till I Met You". A 2nd version of "Di Na Nag-Iisa"(Acoustic version)  appears on this same album.
    • Jonalyn Viray also performed a cover version of the song for her debut studio album, On My Own under the title Di Na Mag-iisa.
  • Patuloy Lang ang Lipad (2022)
    • Performed by BGYO (2022 TV series OST)

Appearances[]

Costume[]

Darna's costume has varied over time, although almost all of her costume incarnations have retained some form of red bikini with a gold star on each brassiere cup, red headdress/helmet with a ruby set on a gold-winged ornament, gold bracelets, gold medallion belt with a loincloth, and near knee-high red boots.

Darna is a character that fused together the concept of a superhero with the traditions of Philippine folklore. The yellow/gold stars come from the Philippine flag, the loincloth (bahag) is a visual inspiration from native clothing, and the agimat come from Filipino folklore and superstition. Filipino folklore has a tradition of presenting humble, pure hearted mortals that are awarded amulets that allow them to (in a way) transform their virtues into superpowers that allow them to battle supernatural evil.

In Darna (1991 film) starring Nanette Medved, her powers include, flight, enhanced speed and strength, and a bit of telepathy.

In Darna: Ang Pagbabalik (1994 film), her powers include enhanced strength, reflexes, speed, heat vision and flight.

In the 2003 retcon comic release, this was explained as due to her psionic background. A form of telekinesis enhances her speed and strength and allows her flight. Her skin has a high level of invulnerability because of her species. Her psionic abilities also allow her to exercise limited psionic influence or telepathy. For weapons, the ruby on her helmet augments her psionic abilities, allowing her to emit a powerful concussion blast and the medallions that make up her belt can be used like throwing stars (shuriken).

In the 2005 TV series, she also has heat vision, lent by the ruby in hear headgear.[1]

In the 2009 TV series, Darna's bracers can produce flames when Darna focuses her energy enough and cause friction by brushing both braces against each other.

On many Darna series and movies, her bracers are one of the most used equipment in her arsenal, usually used as a shield or deflector against bullets, and even energy blasts.

The White Stone[]

The White Stone / The Stone (in Tagalog, "Ang Puting Bato", or simply "Ang Bato" is a pebble-sized meteorite containing unknown and powerful properties that grants numerous abilities to whoever wears or swallows it. Its appearance usually takes form of a small soft white pebble that occasionally glows, usually when it is trying to convey something to its bearer. This can be theorized that the stone is also a sentient material capable of feeling and judgement.

Narda transforms into Darna, and vice versa, by shouting out their respective names ("Darna" to become Darna, "Narda" to become Narda). First, however, Narda has to swallow the white stone, which conveniently comes out of her mouth every time Darna changes back to Narda. However, it was not so in her comic incarnations; it started in the 1973 film Lipad, Darna, Lipad! ("Fly, Darna, Fly").

Although the original comic book lore as written by Mars Ravelo himself does not go into detail about the origins of the magic white stone itself (other than the Darna entity contained within came from the planet Marte), other iterations of Darna made their own explanation of how the magic white stone came to be. In the 1991 film version, there is no said origin of the stone, but it was shown that it could restore any serpentine-humaniod to its youth. The 1994 film version showed it came from heaven and it was given by an angel to Narda, because she will be the one who can stop the emissary of the Devil who will soon come to their world. In the 2022 TV Series, The Stone came from the Planet Marte, as a gift to the most qualified individual, this was given to Leonor (the first Darna) then was passed on to her daughter, Narda.

The White Stone were subjected to be one of the coveted objects in the franchise, in movies and series, the White Stone were fought upon for its possession, mostly by the enemies, to use its power for world domination. In the 1991 movie, the Devil wants the stone instead of Darna presumably to use its power to increase its own. In the 1994 movie, the stone was stolen from Narda to use its power to restore Valentina to her youth. In the 2005 version, the White Stone in conjunction with the Black Stone are needed to access much devastating power. In the 2009 version, the enemies of the first Darna sought the stone to absorbed its powers, which they were successfully able to do temporarily, the abilities and powers were able to be regained by the new Darna after defeating them in their respective battles.

To add, a new theme in the series of both 2009 and 2022 were added, especially the story where a new chosen individual will inherit the White Stone from the original Darna, basically becoming a tradition that when the world will need Darna, a new one will be chosen by the Stone to don its name. In the 2009 version, Narda (Marian Rivera) were chosen by the stone to replace an unnamed mortal(goes by the name Gabay(in English: Guide)) who was the first Darna that appeared in the 1940s. In the 2022 version, the enemies of planet Marte sought the stone for its power, Leonor fought the enemies but was too overwhelming, so she accidentally land on Earth and escaped temporarily. The Stone eventually chooses her daughter to become the next Darna so Leonor had no choice but to train her daughter in the art of combat so that she will be ready.

In the 2009 version, little is known about Darna's origin, but the stone came from heaven like a meteorite until it is immediately found by a little girl named Narda, this storyline is actually similar to the 1991 version of the stone's origin, minus the vision of the Angel.

In the 2009 version, whoever inherits the stone and don the mantle of Darna will inherit the following abilities:

  • Superhuman strength - The ability to enhance the physical strength of its bearer to unimaginable scales. This ability can be used to jump in unusual high distances and can be used to lift extremely heavy objects etc. This is the original ability Darna that was retained after the four original antagonist tried to absorbed the power of the stone.
  • Superhuman senses - The ability to enhance one's own senses. With this, Darna can hear voices, even whispers from many feet away, her sense of smell, sight and feeling can also be heighten so she can detect most movements than an average human cannot.
  • Shield / Superhuman invulnerability - The White stone grants its bearer a strong defense barrier that can able to withstand strong attacks and blows. When Narda was a child(not taking Darna's form), the stone summoned a barrier that protected her from a bullet. Then another one is when Babaeng Tuod absorbed this ability, her external skin became near-invulnerable, strong similar to that of an iron steel. This ability were later regain by Darna. Overall, this ability is what helps Darna absorb and withstand heavy blows even explosions.
  • Ability absorption - The White Stone grants the ability to its bearer to copy the most recent ability used by an enemy. This ability was used by the Babaeng Linta to fight Darna.
  • Flight - The White stone grants the bearer the power to fly. This was later stolen by Babaeng Impakta but were later regain by Darna
  • Superhuman speed - The White stone grants the power of augment speed and agility to unimaginable scales. This was later absorbed by Babaeng Lawin but were later regain by Darna
  • Magic glamouring - Whoever swallows the stone and transformed into Darna, the human will retain her original body features such as facial and body built, but a magic aura will conceal the true form of the bearer, making it seemed like Darna is not sharing the same face as its bearer. Therefore, nobody can recognize Darna and the bearer as the same person.


Personality[]

Valentina is a vain, sadistic villain who will do everything for the downfall of Darna she is usually portrayed as fierce, sarcastic and full of hatred.

Notes[]

  • Both appearances of Darna in GMA TV series have been closely followed by one off episodes featuring Valentina in rival network ABS-CBN anthology shows, with the 2005 Darna series being followed by a Valentina-centric episode in "Komiks Presents", and the 2009 series being followed by a Valentina-centric episode in "Wansapanataym"




External links[]

  1. ↑ Template:Cite web
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