Amazing pantasya: Dissecting the 'Pinoy Superhero'

The citizens of the metropolis stared in awe from the ground below, asking themselves whether the red streak they just caught a glimpse of was a bird or a plane. Of course, they quickly realized that they were wrong on both counts, as the mysterious figure descended from the heavens to reveal a familiar, friendly face.

Honestly, is there anyone in the Philippines who doesn’t recognize Darna?

“Kasi, lahat naman tayo, diyan lumaki e (That’s who we all grew up with),” says Charles, a self-professed Darna and Captain Barbell fan. “I like the idea [of superheroes in a] Philippine setting. It’s easier for you to relate to them.”

An infinite universe of legends and classics

Charles is a huge superhero buff. He is a fan of the X-Men and Superman (the character who inspired a young Mars Ravelo to conceptualize the heroine who would eventually become Darna), and has even seen all the movies in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Marvel Studios’ immensely successful multi-billion-dollar attempt at playing with all the toys in its proverbial sandbox.

“You never would have thought that could have happened, the whole connected universe thing,” says Prof. Emil Flores, a comics writer, expert, and enthusiast who teaches in UP Diliman. As Prof. Flores explains, the Marvel Cinematic Universe was the first major effort to make a unified cross-movie continuity among a set of characters licensed or owned by one studio, and “The Avengers” was the first movie to successfully unite individual super-powered movie stars to fight a box-office war that no solo hero could fight alone.

The spectacular levels of success attained by movies such as “The Avengers,” Christopher Nolan’s “Batman” trilogy, and Sony’s “Spider-Man” franchise, as well as the popularity of television shows like “Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.” and “Arrow,” make one thing absolutely clear: We certainly love our superheroes, whether on the printed four-color page, television, or the silver screen.

What’s their secret, though (aside from their civilian identities)? Why are they such big hits?

A continuing fascination with the supernatural

“Why not?” remarks komiks creator Budjette Tan. “We’re always fascinated by the ‘new,’ aren’t we? Whether we like it or not.”

According to Tan, who co-created the supernatural komiks series “Trese” with artist Kajo Baldisimo, people are likely to pay attention to a show that they perceive as “new and interesting.”

After some time, the show would gain momentum and a following, and then grow big enough to be sustainable.

“If [the show weren’t] interesting, it would flop.” The same reasoning could be applied to superhero books and movies – it’s the elements of the amazing, the uncanny, and the incredible that keep people interested and, perhaps more importantly, coming back.

For Prof. Emil Flores, the secret to superheroes’ popularity lies in their “inspirational” quality. “[They’re] something that would give you hope. You’re looking for heroes that are larger than life.”

Prof. Flores tells the story of how superhero films gained a solid footing in modern times after the events of September 11, 2001.

When the first Spider-Man movie rolled in, the topic was still so fresh and sensitive that the filmmakers had to pull out the first teaser for the film: a sequence prominently featuring the Twin Towers that wasn’t even in the film's final cut. However, America was in need of heroes at the time, and the so-called “Friendly Neighborhood Webslinger” was a friendly face who was certainly welcome in the post-9/11 neighborhood.

“Current events really do affect [superheroes and] pop culture,” observes Prof. Flores.

Secret identities and national identity

While Prof. Flores calls the superhero “an American invention,” he is also quick to add that the idea of super-powered, musclebound champions in colorful costumes is certainly not exclusive to just American characters only. “If you want to contextualize it, superheroes are cultural exports, and you can connect them to national identity. [The Philippines even has its] own superheroes, and we’re not even the only ones doing that.”

 “Fictional characters resonate with their country and culture. Characters that have that [quality] last. Other characters [who don’t,] do become popular… but then they die out.”

Take Superman, for example – arguably America’s greatest superhero, who happens to be an all-powerful stranger from another planet. “George Engel writes that Superman is the ultimate immigrant,” Prof. Emil shares. “Because the US is an immigrant nation, the most popular superhero is an immigrant.” A further analysis of superhero characters in other countries would most likely reveal a similar link between the characters and their country's culture, whether it's India’s Krish, Malaysia’s Lizard-Man, or Thailand’s Mercury Man.

If superheroes are a reflection of a country’s culture, then what defines the Pinoy superhero?

The marginalized Pinoy superhero

Prof. Flores sums up the Pinoy superhero in one word: “marginalized.” “Narda is a lame barrio lass, Enteng/Teng is a dyaryo-bote kid, Flavio is a blacksmith… They all come from humble beginnings, but because of the purity of their hearts, they’re gifted with powers. Do you see the difference? Here in the Philippines, it’s about the downtrodden. But because you’re still good-hearted, you get rewarded. In a way, it’s passive.”

“It’s funny that we don’t even have [what they have in America]: the stranger that comes from the outside, solves the problem, then has to leave because he’s an outsider,” Tan points out. “Our [superhero] archetype is the underdog that survives.”

Another aspect of our superheroes that is deeply embedded in Philippine culture is our inclination towards the mystical and religious. Tan notes that the magical stone that gives Darna her powers can be compared to an “agimat,” while Prof. Flores recalls how, in the Darna movie that starred Nanette Medved, an angel gave her the magical stone. The same movie saw Medved’s Darna facing off against Edu Manzano dressed up as a demonic figure, complete with a pitchfork.

As Prof. Flores once wrote: “We don’t have a lot of spandex-clad heroes, but we have a lot of agimat-based heroes.”

Fighting for truth, justice… and the status quo?

Unfortunately, for all their powers and abilities, the one problem that Pinoy superheroes can’t seem to solve is one of this country’s biggest.

“Pinoy superheroes aren’t political,” comments Prof. Emil. “They have the power to change society, but they don’t, because they’ll become fascists. Once [superheroes] become empowered, they can actually make changes. But they don’t go against corrupt officials, because they can. And what would happen? They would circumvent the law. And what happens? They become fascists. And then they’re not heroes anymore. They fight monsters, aswang, zombies, aliens… but they don’t fight [politicians]. To remain a hero, you have to submit to the rule of law.”

Admittedly, this isn’t exactly something uniquely Pinoy. The subject has been tackled by American superheroes (most notably in Marvel’s “Civil War” and DC’s “The Dark Knight Returns” and “Injustice”), often painting government-siding superheroes in a rather dubious (or even downright sinister) light.

“If a [Pinoy] superhero does that – prosecute, go against everyone who is corrupt – then you’ll end up with [only] a handful of people who are not. How will you run a government that way? Then the superhero has to take over, and what happens? You become the person in power.”

“And how do Pinoy viewers look at that? You’re now the establishment.”

Who is the Pinoy superhero today?

Who, then, is today’s “Pinoy superhero?” The mild-mannered boxer from Saranggani who went from rags to riches and punched his way to international fame, perhaps.

“If there’s something that transcends culture, it’s action. That’s why [Manny] Pacquiao is so popular,” says Prof. Flores. “People may laugh at his English, but he’s the most popular Filipino in the world.”

 “Pacquiao is the Pinoy superhero, unfortunately,” quips Tan. In a society that continues to worship celebrities and prioritize star power above everything else, perhaps that’s not so surprising.

“It’s the star factor that’s more important and not the character. Every time a show is created, it’s designed as a vehicle for a new star they want to promote and not a story they want to tell.”

And who is the Pinoy geek?

“[A friend of mine] once mentioned that there’s no such thing as a Pinoy geek, meaning Filipinos who go geeky for Filipino characters,” recounts Prof. Flores. “I tried to refute him, so I was really thinking and thinking, but he’s right, I think.”

Prof. Flores thinks that the case of Charles, who idolizes Pinoy superheroes as much as foreign characters, is an exception. Prof. Flores is still waiting to see “a community that fanboys or fangirls over a Filipino [superhero] property.”

“Or wears a Captain Barbell shirt without being ironic.”

It’s not too late for Pinoy superheroes to claim the spotlight, though. Perhaps, all it takes is a little bit of innovation and a certain degree of updating. Or perhaps, these heroes would see greater success if they tried to break away from the pre-established norms of what makes a superhero Pinoy, without completely forgetting their Pinoy roots. Maybe it’s about time that we saw a capable and headstrong Narda, for example, or a Captain Barbell who faces realistic evils and modern societal ills.

After all, it is possible to be fantastic without being limited to just fantasy.

“The mere fact that characters like Darna and Captain Barbell are still in the consciousness of people [means that] there’s something iconic and classic about them,” ponders Tan. “I just think they need to  be updated better[…] They need to be updated to be relevant.”

“Darna and Captain Barbell and Dyesebel will always be part of Philippine mythos. I’m not so sure if you can say the same about Enteng Kabisote.” — TJD/VC, GMA News