WOLFGANG

Not to be confused with either the 18th century Classical composer or the Filipino heavy metal/grunge rock band, Wolfgang was a team of vampire-slaying superhero werewolves. Created by writer Jeffrey Marcelino Ong and artist Rol Enriquez, this wolf-pack ran in the pages of Aliwan Komiks in 1998.

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This Halloween post is dedicated to my favorite radio station.

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Congratulations on your 23rd anniversary.

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And my deepest condolences on your impending demise.

ATX

ATX Volume 1 #1 was published by Atlas Publishing Co., Inc. on January 2003. It was written by Reginald Ting and illustrated by Jim Jimenez, with character design and colors by Gilbert Monsanto.

WHEN TITANS CRASH

Gregorio Emmanuel "George" Perez IV (get it?) was a brilliant scientist working for RP Robotics, a firm that manufactures high-tech weapons for the military. Driving from work one night, a pickup truck with a drunk driver behind the wheel loses control and smashes into his car, causing it to crash.


It turns out that the pickup's driver, Eddie Valdez, possesses superhuman strength. He pulls George out from the wreckage of his car, saving his life.

Unfortunately, the accident had seriously damaged George's legs, and needed to be amputated. The now-invalid inventor vents his anger on Eddie, holding him responsible (and rightfully so) for the loss of his legs.

Now, conventional comic book logic would dictate that the vengeful scientist transforms himself into a supervillain, and the super-powered young man becomes the hero who will try to stop him. But it is at this point that the story deviates from the norm.

The guilt-ridden Eddie tries to make amends by working as George's house servant. One time, George angrily snaps at Eddie, rebuking him for not using his strength for the betterment of society. Eddie then makes a deal with the bitter handicapped scientist: he will agree to put his powers to good use if George stops feeling sorry for himself and uses his genius to make himself walk again.

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With Eddie's help, George eventually builds himself a pair of robotic legs that enable him to walk. In the process, he comes to realize that everything he had ever invented in the past were all weapons for the government, and that he had never really created anything that would benefit mankind. He decides to make up for this by helping Eddie fulfill his part of the bargain.

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Clad in a special costume of George's design, which enhances his inherent superhuman abilities, Eddie thus becomes the superhero Mr. Atlas (named, of course, for the Titan who carried the entire world on his shoulders), while George assists him under the codename Promiteyo (after Prometheus, the Titan who brought fire to the mortals).
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Created by George Perez?

No, not really.

MR. ATLAS

Art by Gilbert Monsanto

Real Name: Eduardo "Eddie" Valdez

Occupation: Construction worker

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Eddie possesses natural super powers such as superhuman strength and agility, and limited flight. How he came to acquire these abilities is unknown. As Mr. Atlas, he wears a costume made from a special fabric that renders him impervious to most forms of physical harm, and is fire and electrical resistant as well. It is also equipped with infra-red and night vision, optical camera lenses, and two-way satellite communication capabilities.

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PROMITEYO

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Real Name: Gregorio Emmanuel "George" Perez IV

Occupation: Inventor

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Serving as Mr. Atlas' tech support, Promiteyo's main asset is his intelligence, with his advanced knowledge in robotics and his years of experience designing weapons for the government. His cybernetic legs are capable of moving at high speeds and jumping long distances.

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SUPPORTING CAST

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KAREN

Eddie's wife, with whom he has a young son, Jay-Ar. She discovers that her husband is none other than the hero Mr. Atlas.

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DETECTIVE CUESTA

A police officer who dislikes superheroes in general and Mr. Atlas in particular.

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MELANIE NORIEGA

A TV reporter who just can't get a break.









MARIA MAKILING

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Apparently, a modern-day incarnation of the mythical diwata of the same name.

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VILLAINS

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MALINDIG

Art by Lan Medina

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An evil sorceress with a mysterious past, she appears to have some history with Mr. Atlas/Eddie, who recognizes her as an old classmate named Anna. Her alias is derived from Mount Malindig, a volcano in the Philippine island of Marinduque.

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DAMON

Malindig's son, who was conceived stillborn. To save his life, his mother traded his soul to a demon, who bestowed him with mystical rings that would keep him alive. He also wears a stolen agimat that grants him powers such as super strength, invulnerability and flight.

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MALAKAS AND MAGANDA

Named after the Filipino equivalent of Adam and Eve. Malakas (which means "strong" in English) naturally has superhuman strength, while Maganda (meaning "beautiful") has the power of-- uh, beauty, I guess.

"DEMONYO"

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The nameless demon to whom Malindig sold her son's soul, though he appears to be under the sorceress' control.

ATLAS SHRUGGED

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ATX was intended to be the first in a new line of comic books, which would have included RAM by Gilbert Monsanto, Belladonna by writer Richie Ramos and artist Rodel Noora, and Alagad Inc., written by Monsanto and drawn by Kriss Israel S. Sison. Unfortunately, the line never materialized.

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Alagad Inc. would eventually see print in 2006 as one-half of Sacred Mountain Publications' Rambol Komiks. Some pages of RAM had been posted online in Monsanto's blog, santomon's name.

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As for ATX, Mr. Atlas just wasn't strong enough to carry his own title, which was cancelled after only its first (and ultimately last) issue.

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The TRUTH About CAPTAIN BARBELL

In commemoration of the late, great Mars Ravelo's birthday (just one day after mine!), I thought I'd talk about one of his many popular creations...

Art by Reno Maniquis, courtesy of CapsuleZone

Most Filipinos assume that Captain Barbell is the Philippine version of Superman. To be more accurate, though, he's actually more influenced by Captain Marvel (the Shazam version). Now, I say "influence" rather than "rip-off" because CB, at least as he was originally envisioned by creator Ravelo, has enough unique elements that make him his own character.

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Let's take his origin, for instance. Most of us know the story of a skinny weakling who met an old hermit that gave him a magical golden barbell, which gave him the power to become a muscle-bound superhero. On the other hand, younger fans might be more familiar with the baby from the future whose time machine crash lands to the present, is raised by a kindly old farmer and his wife, and grows up to discover he possesses superhuman abilities (yeah, I know, WTF?!). But as I've been learning more about the character in recent years, I came to realize--

EVERYTHING WE KNOW IS WRONG!!!

The fact of the matter is, Captain Barbell's true origin story is way different from how we've remembered it. And not only that, but there have actually been more than one person to assume the hero's identity throughout the years.

TENTENG

Art by Jim Fernandez, courtesy of Unang Labas

The first and most well-known of Captain Barbell's alter-egos, Tenteng is the name that we identify with the hero to this very day. However, we've been getting his story wrong all along.

As he appeared in the very first Captain Barbell serial (Pinoy Komiks, 1963-64), written by Ravelo and illustrated by Jim Fernandez, Tenteng was a thin, asthmatic young man who was constantly abused by his 4 thuggish half-brothers. Admiring the bodybuilders in his neighborhood, he longs for nothing more than to be strong and muscular himself so he can stand up for himself against his bullying brothers and impress the girl of his dreams. Naturally, Tenteng's fortunes change dramatically when he finds the magic barbell that transforms him into "Captain Barbell" (spelled with quotation marks back then). But here's where the story differs from the one we've known all this time. Because Tenteng doesn't get the barbell from an old hermit; he gets it from a genie! (spelled in the story as "Genii")

The original stories also established that Captain Barbell's power would remain with its host for as long as he was oppressed and in need of justice. At the end of the first series, CB seperates himself from Tenteng once his personal issues were resolved, and the barbell is sent to the bottom of the sea, where it awaits the next person worthy of wielding its power.

You can read the first chapter of the original Captain Barbell serial onVideo 48.

Read 2 further chapters at Unang Labas:

Chapter 24

The Final Chapter

DARIO

In the second serial Captain Barbell Kontra Captain Bakal (Pinoy Komiks, 1964-65), by Ravelo and Fernandez, we meet Dario, a polio-stricken lad confined by his illness to a makeshift wheelchair (which looks more like a skateboard). Despite his condition, he works as a sweepstakes vendor, getting into various trouble on the mean streets in the process. Somewhere along the line, Dario gets thrown into the ocean, where he makes contact with the lost barbell and becomes the second person to turn into Captain Barbell. He goes on to battle the villain of the title, the robotic Captain Bakal ("Captain Iron" or "Captain Metal").

To see the kind of trouble Dario had to put up with, read the second chapter of the serial on Unang Labas.

GOMER

The third series, Captain Barbell Versus Flash Fifita, began in Liwayway in 1966. Set around the fishing village Baryo Dagundong, the protagonist this time around was Gomer, a crippled fisherman who had to take care of his 5 younger siblings.

You can view this serial's first chapter posted at Unang Labas.

ENTENG

Art by Clem Rivera

There had been a few more Captain Barbell serials that followed, the last one running in the pages of Pilipino Komiks from 1985-86. Still written by Ravelo with art by Clem Rivera, this was my first introduction to the character, and it formed much of what the public knows about the character today. First of all, this version originated the familiar yellow costume that would be associated with CB for years to come. And then there's the title logo, whose basic design has been prominently used in filmed incarnations and merchandising up to now (except maybe for Panday, who used pretty much the same logo in his komiks serial and first few movies, I can't recall any other classic Pinoy character who has had a more lasting logo design). And of course, it was here where the origin that everyone has come to know actually came from. We are introduced to a Tenteng analogue named Enteng, who receives the mystic barbell from a mysterious old man (I'd like to think it was one of the previous CB's. Tenteng perhaps?).

DIGMAAN

Art by Gilbert Monsanto, courtesy of santomon's name

Captain Barbell has since been absent from the komiks pages-- or at least, from the printed komiks pages. But from 2005, CB reappeared in Gilbert Monsanto's online fan-comic Digmaan ("War"), which featured him fighting alongside several classic and modern Pinoy comic book characters.

CB w/ Jim Fernandez creations Zarbot and Dino (Son of Zuma)

This interpretation is much closer in design to the original 1960's incarnation, but writer/artist Monsanto adds a new and unexpected twist to the character. I don't want to spoil it here, but you're not going to believe who Captain Barbell's new alter-ego turns out to be.



To find out the new CB's secret, read Digmaan at Gilbert Monsanto's blog, santomon's name.

THE MOVIES

The first few Captain Barbell movies were faithful to the original comics. Captain Barbell was adapted to film in 1964, starring Dolphy as Tenteng and Bob Soler as CB. Captain Barbell Kontra Captain Bakal was filmed in 1965, this time with Willie Sotelo as the Captain and Carlos Padilla, Jr. as Dario. Even the first colored remake in 1973, Captain Barbell Boom! (with Dolphy playing both Tenteng AND CB), used the "genie" origin from the first serial (this version was also made into an animated TV show during the late 1980's).
The 1986 Captain Barbell movie (starring Edu Manzano in the title role) wasn't a direct adaptation of the series then-running in Pilipino Komiks, but it did incorporate the costume and the "old hermit" version of the origin established in those issues. CB's alter-ego in this film, however, was named Tenteng (played by Herbert Bautista) after the original. A fondly-remembered film up to now, this is most probably where the popular misconceptions about the character's origin story began.

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Captain Barbell returned to the big screen in the person of Ramon "Bong" Revilla, Jr. in 2003. His alter-ego this time around was given the name Enteng (portrayed by Ogie Alcasid), but his origin story is completely new. Basically, Enteng finds the magic barbell in the most appropriate of places; in a gym, where he works as a janitor.

No explanation is given as to how it got there in the first place, but the barbell itself is said to have been forged from a magic stone that fell from space and embedded itself deep into the earth. During times of great crisis, the barbell is expelled to the surface to seek out one who would use its powers for good. Though not actually stated, the way the barbell's origin is explained seems to imply that this has all happened before, and that Enteng is only the latest person to become Captain Barbell (I'd like to think of it this way. It gives it a sense of continuity with past versions). Indeed, prior to Enteng finding the barbell, CB is already established in the film as a well-known comic book character.

THAT DAMN TV SHOW

Sigh. Yes, we have to talk about this.

Okay, following the success of the 2005 Darna television series, GMA 7 produced their own adaptation of Captain Barbell. Starring Richard Gutierrez as both Captain Barbell and his alter-ego (named here as simply Teng), it was broadcast 5 days a week from May 29, 2006 to January 12, 2007.

Now, let me be brutally frank about this: I hate this show. I LOATHE THIS SHOW WITH A PASSION. Beyond the wanton disregard for the source material (Mars Ravelo must be suffering from vertigo right now), there were simply a million things wrong with it. It's badly written, the action sucked, characters were stupid (and I'm talking intellectual capacity here), the plots were illogical, and the concepts, I kid you not, WERE STOLEN FROM EVERY MAJOR SUPERHERO MOVIE AND TV SHOW MADE IN THE LAST 4 DECADES. (I should know, I've seen 'em all. I could enumerate every single thing they ripped-off, but maybe some other time). This is very evident in the revised origin, which takes its cues from Superman/Smallville (strange alien from another world/timeline, adopted by a farmer and his wife, saves his future arch-foe from a car crash, fights meteor freaks), Spider-Man (adopted father gets murdered, learns that with great power-- you know the rest...), and frickin' Wolverine (he's got a metal skeleton?!)!

Oh, and the barbell? The excuse is that Teng can only use his natural powers for a short period of time before he gets exhausted (sissy). The "barbell" is actually a power battery that grants him unlimited strength, the ability to fly, and that big yellow muscle suit he wears. On the positive side, I did like the new costume design. It's just too bad he could hardly move in it.

Personally, since the character was originally conceived as an everyman who becomes a hero, I think making him special from the start robs him of his appeal. Anyway, a second Captain Barbell TV series is currently in production, still under GMA and once again to star Richard Gutierrez. And as disastrous as their first effort may have been, believe it or not--

I'm actually looking forward to it.

As a fan, I'm always excited whenever a new Pinoy superhero movie or show is being made. And I rarely pass judgment on anything without seeing it first. Maybe they've learned from their mistakes and they'll actually deliver something good. Maybe they'll respect Mars Ravelo's legacy this time and really do justice to the character. I guess we'll have to wait and see. Until then, I remain optimistic.

But if they do screw this up again, you can bet I'll be bitching like hell about it.



So there you have it; the many names, faces and origins of Captain Barbell. As I've mentioned above, the character, when done right, should be able to retain that everyman appeal. And as Mars Ravelo himself originally wrote him, he quite literally was every man.

Fan Art by Aris B. Panganiban

NINJA KIDS-- in SPANISH!

While this site is mainly about Pinoy comic book heroes, there will be a few exceptions, like this one. Today happens to be the birthday of the late Master Rapper Francis Magalona, so I thought I'd share this curiosity I found on YouTube.

In 1986, the man who would be Francism co-starred in the classic action-fantasy-comedy Ninja Kids. What not many Filipino fans realize is that the film was also released outside the country, and has developed quite a following overseas as well.

And they say the local film industry hasn't had luck penetrating the international market. Frankly, I'd rather the Philippines be known by the rest of the world for making a cool action movie than some pretentious artsy-fartsy picture or a quote-unquote "pang-award" drama flick. But that's just me.

Anyway, here are some clips from the Spanish version of Ninja Kids.

SUPERKAT

Created by cartoonist Leandro S. "L.S." Martinez, Superkat was a popular series that ran in Pilipino Funny Komiks (published by Islas Filipinas Publishing Co., Inc.) from 1978 to 1983.


[Edit: I just realized October 4 is World Animal Day. Interesting how things work out.]

Receiving super powers from a diwata, a mild-mannered kitten named Ming shouts the magic word "Katsum" and transforms into the heroic high-flying fighting feline Superkat.


The cool thing about the strip is that although it typically falls under the classification of "funny animal comic," it's pretty action-packed. Superkat himself took fighting evil rather seriously. Make no mistake; if you're a bad guy, HE WILL BEAT THE KITTY LITTER OUT OF YOU!


Needless to say, Superkat possessed your basic superhero powers; namely, super strength, speed, flight and invulnerability.

FRIENDS

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BIK AND ALI PATO

Ming's mischievous buddies who always manage to get themselves into trouble.

AMPY

Ming's butterfly pal and the only other person (so to speak) who knows Superkat's secret.
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RAT PROBLEM

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In western cartoons, the audience usually roots for the cute little mouse who's always getting chased around by the mean old puddy tat. In this series, however, the roles are reversed, with the not-too-small rodents portrayed as the vermin that they are in real life. In fact, it seemed as though the cats and rats in this comic had practically declared jihad on each other.

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Superkat often defended the town of Mapusa from the devious machinations of the dirty, dastardly rats. They are led by the mad scientist Propesor Kirat, who is assisted by his loyal, uh, assistant (I don't know if he has a name).

ROBOT FIGHTER

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In their ongoing bid to dominate cat-kind, the rats would unleash one giant robot after another to battle their nemesis Superkat. Here are a few of them:
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This last one is really a rat in a suit of armor, not a robot, but I'm including him here anyway.

BAD DOG!

Canines occasionally appeared in the strip, but they usually showed up in the roles of petty criminals, kidnappers and such.

CLOSE ENCOUNTERS

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Naturally, Superkat has also faced his share of alien invaders.

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THE FIGHTING EAGLES

NONGNAMBER

KING UGGAM AND THE UGGAMYANS

(Though these guys weren't so bad)

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XPT AND XZT

MONSTER SLAYER

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And as if rat infestation, killer robots and alien attacks weren't enough, the town always seemed to be on the path of some rampaging monster every so often. Fortunately, Superkat would always be on hand to put them down for the count.

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Smart move, buddy.

The only surviving Superkat cover in my collection!

(Art by Roni Escauriaga)

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L.S. Martinez migrated to Los Angeles in 1981, but he continued to work on the strip (sending his work from the States) until 1983. When Superkat ended its run, its slot in Funny Komiks was taken over by a new anthropomorphic hero, Superdog. But that's a story for another time.