BATHALA - Salot

FINALLY, after a wait of THREE YEARS (if I waited til next year, these Bathala articles would be coming out like the Olympics), let us take a look the villains of the Kidlat Superheroes Komiks series Bathala, the terrorist demigods known as...

SALOT ("PLAGUE")

 

BALANG

Real Name: Victor Coronel

The Salot leader Balang has the ability to shapeshift into a humanoid horse creature similar to the mythical tikbalang from which his name was derived.  He is also a martial arts expert and computer genius, and also happens to be the half-brother of Raja Team One leader Lam-ang.

 

KABAG

Real Name: Ivan Rutger

Named after the Kapampangan word for a bat (and not to be confused for the Tagalog word for gas pain) Kabag is literally as blind as one, but also possesses its hypersensitive hearing, as well as a sixth sense.  He doesn't actually have the power to fly, but can glide through the air using his bat wing-shaped cape, and has retractable razor claws that can slice even through metal.  

KAPRE

Yeah, this is the only other picture I can find of him.  You can also see him getting beaten to a bloody pulp by Carpio in the Raja Team One article.

Obviously named after the tree giant of Philippine folklore, this Kapre is the team's muscle, possessing superhuman strength, as well as his mythical namesake's smoking habit.

 

NUNO

Named after the nuno sa punso, small-but-terrible Nuno is the resident tech and weapons specialist.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

K'WA

The older sister of Raja Team member Adarna (sibling rivalries for everybody!), K'wa likewise has bird-like abilities and is trained in martial arts. Her name is possibly short for kuwago or owl, which would also explain her owl-shaped headgear (or is that her actual hair?).

 

ARGAN

I'm not sure what mythical creature she's supposed to be based on (a santelmo, maybe?), but Argan is a literally hot babe with fire-based powers.

COVER GALLERY 2

 

BATHALA - Raja Team One

Hey, it's been a while.  Let's see if we can get back in the groove.

Way back in 2015, we did a brief feature on the Kidlat Superheroes Komiks serial Bathala.  Four years later, here's that looooooong overdue follow-up, spotlighting the series' protagonists...

RAJA TEAM ONE

LAM-ANG

Real Name: Geonell Salvador

Named after the Ilocano epic hero, Lam-ang has the ability to absorb and store any type of energy into his body and release it in the form of devastating bio-kinetic blasts or as a protective force field.

MAKILING

Real Name: Angelina Sagala

Named after the mythical guardian spirit of Mount Makiling, she can influence the temperature of her surroundings, notably giving her ice-based powers.  Makiling can also direct energy to her feet, enabling her to fly.

CARPIO

Real Name: Jay Jorge Beltran

Named after the mythological strongman Bernardo Carpio, he is the team's resident powerhouse.  Needless to say, Carpio possesses superhuman strength, but besides that he also has superhuman endurance that enables him to withstand extreme temperatures and hold his breath for an extended period of time.  He carries a protomagnetic shield that grants him the power of flight.

DWEN

Real Name: June Bautista

His name is taken from the word duwende, the Philippine term for dwarves, elves or goblins.  The youngest team member, Dwen has psionic powers that enable him to scan the minds of others or fire powerful psi-blasts at his opponents.  He is also capable of teleportation, but the range of this ability is limited to only 30 kilometers.

ADARNA

Real Name: Fritzie Aguilar

Named after the eponymous bird from the 16th century epic poem, Adarna has a powerful high-pitched voice that can shatter anything, including metal.  Aside from this, she is also a skilled martial artist, a pair of katana blades being her weapons of choice.  Her sister, K'wa, is a member of the opposing team, the evil Salot.

LAWIN

Unfortunately, I don't have the profile page for this guy.  Anyway, Lawin ("Hawk") possesses razor-sharp claws, super-sharp senses, and a winged cape that enables him to glide through the air.

From his appearance, one would assume Lawin to be the silent, brooding mystery-man of the group, but that couldn't be further from the truth.  Underneath that cool-looking mask is a brash and vain pretty boy who considers himself the star player of the team.

 

 

COVER GALLERY

 

That's all for now.  Watch out for our feature on the Rajas' villainous counterparts, the Salot, coming out--sometime in the future. (^_^)

BOTAK Meets "PALOS"

Created by writer Carl E. Bayonito and artist Lando Inolino, Botak (an inversion of the Tagalog word takbo which means "run") had a brief, er, run in the early issues of Kidlat Super Heroes Komiks.

The godson of Mercury himself, Nonong derives superhuman speed from the winged sandals of his Olympian Godfather.  In this tale from KSH#2 (June 28, 1993), Botak chases after a Palos wannabe.

BATHALA: Gods vs Monsters

Written and illustrated by Joseph Caesar Sto. Domingo, Bathala debuted in Kidlat Superheroes Komiks #1 (June 21, 1993), published by Sonic Triangle Publishing, Inc.

The series deals with a super-powered alien race which crash-landed on Earth centuries ago, forming the basis for the gods and monsters of ancient mythology.  In modern times, their descendants have split into 2 factions: the heroic Raja Team One and the evil Salot ("Plague").

Here's the second chapter from KSH #2 (June 28, 1993).

One-Shot Wonders: BOLT

From Kidlat Super Heroes Komiks #13 (September 13, 1993), superhero Bolt strikes at the insidious Dr. Snake in this short written by Dennis Roque III and drawn by Luisito G. Antonio.

Kung Tawagin Siya'y KIDLAT

Over the years, there have been several Filipino superheroes who have gone by the name Kidlat ("Lightning").  The first and most notable, of course, would be Kapitan Kidlat ("Captain Lightning"), originally a 1950's radio show which had since been adapted into a number of films.  There was also a 1960's comic book hero named simply Kidlat, as well as a 1980's television series which starred actor Ricky Davao.  And this 2013,  the TV5 network had just premiered their own TV series starring Derek Ramsay in the title role.

During the early 1990's, Sonic Triangle Publishing, Inc. came up with their own variation on the theme, appropriately enough in the pages of Kidlat Super Heroes Komiks. Debuting in the magazine's first issue on June 21, 1993,  Kung Tawagin Siya'y Kidlat ("They Call Him Lightning") was written by Mon Torres and illustrated by Vhic Arienda.

ORIGIN

A boastful lightning elemental, Kidlat accidentally causes the death of an innocent boy, Obet.  To atone for his wrongdoing, he agrees to trade his life for the boy's, inhabiting his body to live on Earth as a mortal.  However, he is given the chance to regain his immortality by using his powers to save 20 lives.

But even after completing his required 20 good deeds, Kidlat decides to stay on Earth to continue helping those in need.  At this point, the series skips ahead a few years into the future, with a now grown-up Obet Santos as a college student and part-time newspaper reporter, while serving as the superhero Kidlat.

POWERS AND ABILITIES

Initially, Obet would change into Kidlat through the use of a small magic stone, which triggered his transformation when he struck it against any surface.  Later, he could transform by simply shouting the name Kidlat.  In his hero form, he had the power of lightning at his command, as well as super strength, super speed, flight and invulnerability.

SUPPORTING CHARACTERS

LOLO

Obet's garndfather.









LANI

Obet's girlfriend.

ALLIES

KULOG ("THUNDER")

Kidlat's friend and fellow elemental.








DIWA ("SPIRIT")
 
A fairy-like being who counsels Kidlat in his dreams.

 ENEMIES

 HARI NG KADILIMAN ("KING OF DARKNESS")
 
The ruler of an underground race of demons.

TAONG APOY ("FIRE PEOPLE")

Destructive creatures of living flame.








THE MAN OF YOUR DREAMS*
(*No, that's not really his name, he doesn't really have one.)

An agent of the King of Darkness, a serial killer who murders people in their dreams.  Any similarites to any other nightmare-inducing killers is purely coincidental.

KIDLAT'S EVIL TWIN

Because every hero just has to have one, an evil clone created by the King of Darkness.

COVERS