Batang-X

Last updated

Batang-X
Tenenenenenentenenenenentenenenenentenen.jpg
Comics inspired threatrical release poster
Directed by
Screenplay by
  • Peque Gallaga
  • Lore Reyes
Story byPeque Gallaga
Produced by Lily Monteverde
Starring
CinematographyJose Tutañes
Edited byDanny Gloria
Music byArchie Castillo
Production
company
Regal Films
Distributed by Regal Films
Release date
  • April 22, 1995 (1995-04-22)(Philippines)
Running time
94 minutes
CountryPhilippines
LanguageFilipino

Batang-X is a 1995 Filipino film written and directed by Peque Gallaga and Lore Reyes from their screenplay, based on a story written by Gallaga.

Contents

Produced and distributed by Regal Films, the film is about 5 children with superhuman abilities who get kidnapped by the alien Dr. Axis to help her steal sources of energy for her spaceship. [1] [2] [3]

Plot

Dr. Kwago introduces himself in an abandoned factory in an unknown location within the Philippines as he narrates the story of the children who saved the world.

Four mutant children were abducted through various means and brought to Dr. Axis' headquarters to be given cybernetic enhancements. Dr. Axis celebrates the success of the operations on the four children and Zygrax went on a mission to find the doctors responsible for the operations on the children, with him successfully finding the information by killing Dr. Drago and stealing the genetic information.

While the four children recovered, another child was in a tank and he was told by Dr. Kwago that he will be the one who will lead the ones who recovered. After talking, his lab trembled. The children are then revealed to have lost their previous memories and they were briefed by Dr. Axis, who lies and introduces herself as their mother.

The children were given different tests to evaluate the powers, often causing trouble to orderlies and doctors alike. Dr. Kwago arrived at Dr. Axis' office and asked her to give the four children to her since he wanted to save the world using them. The two argued and just as Dr. Kwago was forced to leave, the headquarters trembled once more.

Batang-X #5 was brought out of his tank to be operated on by Dr. Kwago, which gave him excruciating pain in the process. Dr. Dinero and his wife were discussing about the results of the children in their own household when they were attacked once more by Zygrax. Zygrax killed the couple and located the address of Dr. Axis' headquarters as well as the children. At the headquarters, G:Boy and A-Gel argued about their own past, which caused Warlalu and Askal to intervene and to be reprimanded by Dr. Axis.

While at Dr. Axis' lab, he introduced Batang-X #5 to his new room and christened him as Control. It is revealed that Zygrax intends to sap all the world's energy by using a crystal to fuel his spaceship. The other children on the other hand, are asked to reach the sanctum by stealing a crystal using their powers, with 3-Na initially objecting to the plan. Warlalu and Askal convinced them that the guards guarding the sanctum are robots. The children were fitted with armor and armed with special guns that also have special abilities.

Dr. Kwago infiltrated the sanctum and the children infiltrated the facility as well. They distracted the guards using their special equipment. The children were able to reach the sanctum but G:Boy and A-Gel argued yet again causing the sanctum to detect their presence. 3-Na saw the horrors she and her fellow Batang-X did to the guards as they succumbed to their injuries. Zydrax also arrived at the facility and there a conflict ensued between him and the children, with Zydrax beating them with ease and leaving them alone. The other guards caught up to the children but they too were distracted. Dr. Kwago entered the sanctum as well to obtain the crystal, and he did it with success.

After Dr. Kwago obtained the crystal, he saw the Batang-X distracted because of the guns they used on each other and brought them out of the facility as well. Zydrax reached the sanctum but was too late as the crystal was already taken. Dr. Kwago brought the Batang-X to his own lab and made them live there. The children realized that they were deceived by Dr. Axis and their past memories started to come back as well. Dr. Kwago disclosed the truth to the children that their past memories were stored in diskettes.

Warlalu and Askal told Dr. Axis that the children escaped from her. It is revealed that Zygrax infiltrated her headquarters and attacked them. G:Boy thought of unplugging Control's power supply because of his perceived cockiness, causing his fellow Batang-X to reprimand him. They realized that 3-Na is missing so they planned to go out of Dr. Kwago's lab to find her. Meanwhile, 3-Na went to Dr. Axis' lab to retrieve her own memories but was caught by Zydrax and she quickly turned invisible. Just as the rest of the Batang-X are about to leave, they noticed Philips being assaulted by thieves, causing the Batang-X to intervene.

Dr. Kwago told the Batang-X that Control also has superpowers in spite of his medical condition. 3-Na returned to Dr. Kwago's lab to show them their memories. The A-Gel and Kidlat were then hooked up to a machine with Control and their memories were then restored. Dr. Kwago asked 3-Na and G:Boy if they wanted to see their memories to which they declined the offer.

A-Gel and Kidlat returned to their family, albeit their own parents were not aware they returned as they were both asleep. They then departed quickly, leaving traces that they returned. G:Boy slowly befriended Control and Dr. Kwago brought the Batang-X to a local McDonald's chain and he explained to them that Control can link their already existing powers, which they did by fist bumping.

The Batang-X went to Dr. Axis' lab, with Control coordinating the efforts of the four. G:Boy went astray from the group to free Dr. Axis from a crystal holding her. He gave Dr. Axis the crystal that would sap all the energy in Earth but he realized that Dr. Axis is an alien. The rest of the Batang-X found the two and tried to convince G:Boy to not join Dr. Axis, with G:Boy finally deciding to side with them. Zygrax suddenly appeared and it was revealed that Zygrax is also an alien like Dr. Axis. Zygrax fought the Batang-X, with the children having a hard time beating him. Dr. Kwago also entered the headquarters and saw the fight. The Batang-X reorganized and was able to defeat Zygrax.

Dr. Axis bade farewell to the Batang-X as well as Dr. Kwago as the headquarters was about to explode. The Batang-X quickly left the exploding building, ending the film.

Cast

Franchise

Television

The movie's success generated a TV series Batang X sa TV on ABC 5, directed by Lore Reyes. The show was developed by MPB Primedia. It ran 45 minutes long per episode.

In 2008, another TV series was commissioned by Unitel Productions, Batang X: The Next Generation, broadcast every Saturday on TV5 (formerly ABC 5). The show's special digital effects were executed by Optima, Inc. and Digitrax, Inc.

Comics

A comic book series of Batang X was published by Sonic Publishing and was sponsored, as with the movie, by McDonald's.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Professor X</span> Comic book character

Professor X is a character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Stan Lee and artist/co-writer Jack Kirby, the character first appeared in The X-Men #1. The character is depicted as the founder and occasional leader of the X-Men.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Magneto (Marvel Comics)</span> Fictional character appearing in Marvel Comics publications and related media

Magneto is a character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics, commonly in association with the X-Men. Created by writer Stan Lee and artist/co-writer Jack Kirby, the character first appeared in The X-Men #1 as an adversary of the X-Men.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Havok (character)</span> Fictional character in Marvel Comics

Havok is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics, commonly in association with the X-Men. He first appears in The X-Men #54, and was created by writer Arnold Drake and penciller Don Heck. Havok generates powerful "plasma blasts", an ability he has had difficulty controlling.

<i>Species II</i> 1998 American film

Species II is a 1998 American science fiction horror thriller film directed by Peter Medak. The film is a sequel to Species (1995) and the second installment in the Species series. The film stars Michael Madsen, Natasha Henstridge, Marg Helgenberger, Mykelti Williamson, George Dzundza, James Cromwell and Justin Lazard. In addition to Madsen and Helgenberger reprising their roles, Henstridge also returned for the sequel as a new character. The plot has Patrick Ross, the astronaut son of a senator, being infected by an extraterrestrial organism during a mission to Mars and causing the deaths of many women upon his return. To stop him, the scientists who created the human-extraterrestrial hybrid Sil in the original Species try using a more docile clone of hers, Eve.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">X-Force</span> Group of fictional characters

The X-Force is a team of superheroes appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics, most commonly in association with the X-Men. Conceived by writer/illustrator Rob Liefeld, the team first appeared in New Mutants #100 and soon afterwards was featured in its own series called X-Force. The group was originally a revamped version of the 1980s team, the New Mutants.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fortress of Solitude</span> Location featured in Superman comics

The Fortress of Solitude is a fictional fortress appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics, commonly in association with Superman. It is the place where Superman first learned about his true identity, heritage, and purpose on Earth. The fortress functions as a place of solace/occasional headquarters for Superman and is typically depicted as being in frozen tundra, away from civilization. Its predecessor, Superman's "Secret Citadel", first appeared in Superman #17, where it was said to be built into a mountain on the outskirts of Metropolis. By issue #58 it is referred to as the Fortress of Solitude, seems at a glance to be a freestanding castle, and is said to be located in a "polar waste". When the Fortress reappears in 1958 and for the first time takes center stage in a story, it is again an underground complex in a mountainous cliffside.

<i>Ultimate Fantastic Four</i> Comic book series

Ultimate Fantastic Four is a superhero comic book series published by Marvel Comics. The series is a modernized re-imagining of Marvel's long-running Fantastic Four comic book franchise as part of the Ultimate Marvel imprint. The Ultimate Fantastic Four team exists alongside other revamped Marvel characters in Ultimate Marvel titles including Ultimate Spider-Man, Ultimate X-Men, and The Ultimates.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Power Pack</span> Fictional superhero team appearing in Marvel Comics

Power Pack is a superhero team consisting of four young siblings appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Louise Simonson and artist June Brigman, they first appeared in their own series in 1984, which lasted 62 issues, and have since appeared in other books. Power Pack is the first team of pre-teen superheroes in the Marvel Universe and the first team of heroes in comics to feature characters of that age operating without adult supervision. In 2005, the title was relaunched as a series aimed at younger readers—though this was eventually declared a separate continuity from that of the original series and the mainstream Marvel Universe.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Astro Boy (character)</span> Japanese comic book hero

Astro Boy, known in Japan and Pluto as Atom, is a superhero and the protagonist of the eponymous franchise. Created by Osamu Tezuka, the character was introduced in the 1951 Captain Atom manga. Astro Boy has appeared in animated television shows and in the animated feature film adaptations of its eponymous manga, as well as a live-action TV series, other works by Tezuka, and video games.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Thunder and Lightning (comics)</span> Comic book characters

Thunder and Lightning are a duo of superpowered brothers published by DC Comics that had encounters with the Teen Titans.

<i>Cubix</i> South Korean animated television series

Cubix is a South Korean animated television series created by Cinepix. Set in 2044, it follows Connor, a boy fascinated with robots, who lives with his father, Graham, in Bubble Town, a robot-abundant city that is a center for robotics corporation RobixCorp.

The comic book stories published by Marvel Comics since the 1940s have featured several noteworthy concepts besides its fictional characters, such as unique places and artifacts. There follows a list of those features.

<i>Genome</i> (novel) 1999 novel by Sergei Lukyanenko

Genome is a science fiction/detective novel by the popular Russian sci-fi writer Sergei Lukyanenko. The novel began a series also called Genome, consisting of Dances on the Snow and Cripples. The novel explores the problems of the widespread use of human genetic engineering, which alters not only human physiology but also psychology.

<i>Star Crystal</i> 1986 American film

Star Crystal is a 1986 American horror science fiction film directed by Lance Lindsay. The film stars C. Juston Campbell and Faye Bolt as a pair of astronauts who must survive against a mysterious alien lifeform seeking to kill them, while also facing dwindling supplies aboard their damaged shuttlecraft.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Scarlet Witch</span> Marvel Comics fictional character

The Scarlet Witch or Wanda Maximoff is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Stan Lee and artist Jack Kirby, the character first appeared in The X-Men #4 in the Silver Age of Comic Books. Originally said to have the ability to alter probability, the Scarlet Witch has been depicted as a powerful sorceress since the 1980s and on occasion has become powerful enough to alter reality by tapping into greater energy sources.

<i>Space Dandy</i> 2014 Japanese anime series

Space Dandy, stylized as Space☆Dandy, is a 2014 Japanese comic science fiction anime television series produced by Bones. The series follows the misadventures of Dandy, an alien hunter who is "a dandy guy in space", in search for undiscovered and rare aliens with his robot assistant QT and his feline-like friend named Meow.

<i>Teen Titans: Earth One</i> Series of graphic novels

Teen Titans: Earth One is a series of graphic novels written by Jeff Lemire, penciled by Terry Dodson and inked by Rachel Dodson and Cam Smith. The novel is a modernized re-imagining of DC Comics' long-running Teen Titans comic book series as part of the company's Earth One imprint. Earth One's Teen Titans exists alongside other revamped DC characters in Earth One titles, including Superman: Earth One and Batman: Earth One, as well as other graphic novels.

References

  1. "Then And Now: The Cast of "Batang X"". FilipiKnow. May 26, 2019. Retrieved November 21, 2019.
  2. "#Throwback: What happened to the 'Batang-X' stars?". GMA Entertainment. October 27, 2016. Retrieved November 21, 2019.
  3. Awit, Jujemay G. (August 27, 2017). "Pinoy superheroes". Sun.Star Cebu . Retrieved November 21, 2019.