Narda Custodio (Narda) | |
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Ravelo Komiks Universe character | |
First appearance | Darna (2022 TV series) |
Based on | |
Portrayed by | |
In-universe information | |
Alias |
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Title | Narda Custodio [b] |
Occupation | Emergency Medical Technician, Cashier, Part-time online seller, Vigilante |
Weapon | Gold Cuffs, Earpiece |
Family |
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Origin | Philippines, Marte |
Nationality | Filipino/Martean |
Abilities |
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Narda Custodio, commonly known as "Narda" (also known as her alter-ego " Darna "), is a fictional character primarily portrayed by Jane de Leon in ABS-CBN's modern take of Darna , a concept created by Mars Ravelo. [1] The character "Narda" first appeared on Pilipino Komiks (Ace Publications, Inc.) No. 77 on May 13, 1950. [2] Narda is depicted as a Filipina who is being prepared to be the successor of the Prime Darna, her mother Leonor Custodio/Zora played by Iza Calzado, as the next defender of the white mythical stone. [3]
Narda was born and raised in Nueva Esperanza by Leonor/Zora and Lola Berta (portrayed by Rio Locsin), together with her younger brother Ding (portrayed by Zaijian Jaranilla). She was physically trained by her mother at a young age to prepare her against the extraterrestrial threats whose after the magical stone to seize power and rule over the entire galaxy. Narda is a master of Kali Martial Arts, possessing cat-like reflexes and speed due to her Martean blood. [4]
Narda is the first born of Leonor (Zora), a prime warrior from Planet Marte and Danilo Custodio. At a young age, she was already trained by Leonor to become her successor. Despite doubts of her responsibility, she eventually accepted her fate as the protector of the mythical stone, four years after her mother's death. [5] [c]
After getting fired as a clerk at a convenience store, Narda had a hard time finding a job to support her family. Eventually, she landed a job as an Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) owned by Regina Vanguardia. [6] At the same time, she fulfills her role as Darna, facing threats from extraterrestrial beings and taking accountability of the people affected by the green fragments from the Cyborg that her mother once fought. These people with special abilities are called "Extras". [7]
Darna has consistently served as a standard-bearer for bravery. After numerous film and television adaptations, commercials, theater shows, and television runs, The Mighty Warrior from Planet Marte has won the hearts of Filipinos for more than seventy years. [2] Darna made a comeback on television over 12 years after the last adaptation aired, with Jane de Leon taking over the role this time.
On May 13, 1950, the renowned Mars Ravelo and the brilliant Nestor Redondo released Darna for the first time (who would later illustrate for DC and Marvel Comics). Darna's debut appeared in "Pilipino Komiks" No. 77, a key installment of the top-selling comic book publication published by Ace Publications at the time. [2] Ravelo was repeatedly rejected by publishing companies from the Philippines and the United States throughout the '40s due to the belief that female superheroes don't sell, even though in reality, Ravelo already had the idea for Darna before World War II; the original name for the heroine was "Varga." [8]
Superman served as the initial inspiration for Varga. Ravelo was inspired to develop Superman's female opposite for a historically feminized nation by his adoration of Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster's Superman from Action Comics. [9] For the original approach that Narda cries out a magical word and transforms into an adult hero, Ravelo also looked to Captain Marvel for inspiration. [10]
Jane de Leon revealed that she almost declined to audition for the iconic role, and that her manager had to convince her to do it. There were several callbacks, each separated by months. She was so frustrated with the waiting that she almost gave up. [11] They were then immediately given a three-page script. She was compelled to go to a formal showbiz event that was attended by prominent celebs. She was seated at a table with the ABS-CBN executives, which made her surprise. [12] She was invited to a meeting with the Kapamilya executives led by ABS-CBN managing director Olivia Lamasan and the network's CEO and president Carlo Katigbak, a few days later and confirmed that she was chosen to revive the titular role. [13]
It was revealed that Jane de Leon stood out among the other 200 actresses that auditioned for the role. [14] A list of potential ladies suited for the role was shortened to 7, according to director Jerrold Tarog. [12] Some of the confirmed actresses who auditioned for the role includes: Maris Racal, [15] Julia Barretto, [16] Ana Luna and reportedly Bianca Umali. [17]
Darna's story, which is based on core values such as bravery, family values, and love, will be carried over from Mars Ravelo's original work. This modern version of Darna also honors everyday Filipino heroes like frontline healthcare workers. In keeping with this, the event debuted a mural painting called "Ikaw, Ako, Tayong Lahat si Darna" that featured Darna in her well-known outfit with regular Filipinos including a police officer, soldier, teacher, and jeepney driver. [13] Darna is originally described to have "the charm of Venus, the Roman goddess of beauty and love; the fortitude of Apollo, the Greek god of eloquence and of the Sun; and the strength of Samson, the Biblical hero of great strength." [18]
Filipino comics artist and illustrator Nestor Redondo originally conceptualised a distinct appearance for the superheroine: red bandeau with a gold star on each cap, red helmet with ruby encrusted gold winged accent, gold arm bracred shorts with elets, golden medallion belt with a loincloth at the center and red boots. [19]
In ABS-CBN's reimagined take on the iconic costume, three common elements remains the same: the winged headpiece, the stars on the bra and the loincloth on the middle. [19] However, changes were also made including the addition of a red platform in each side of her hips. According to the costume designer Regi Cruz, he considered Jane de Leon's body frame and made sure she's comfortable in moving when doing stunts. Make-up artist Joel Atienza said that a "fresh and young" look would fit her. [20]
In an exclusive interview with Preview, Christian Mark Rodil revealed that it took around 8 months for the iconic costume to be finished. Its defining materials includes: durable and light materials like EVA rubber sheets, fiber glass resin, and leather. Mark also said he created five different prototypes to choose the final look. [21]
External videos | |
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Darna faces Master Klaudio | |
Darna and Lunas's face off | |
Darna faces the El Diablo gang |
Everytime Narda Custodio swallows the mythical stone, she transforms into the mighty warrior Darna, which possesses supernatural abilities including enhanced strength & speed, flight, can swiftly dodge bullets and is immune to all kinds of man-made weapons. [22] [18]
In the last two episodes of the series, Darna unleashed "Hiraya" which is said to be her reaching the full potential of her powers. Hiraya consists of performing seven combat stances of Marte in a particular order. These stances are courage, integrity, self-confidence, hardwork and determination, discipline, patience, and kindness. [25]
Despite receiving criticisms initially after being announced as this generation's Darna, Jane de Leon's performance as the titular role was met with praises from both critics and viewers. The pilot episode became the number-one trending topic worldwide on Twitter. [28] Ryan Oquiza from Rappler called her portrayal as "sincere and genuine". [29] Chito S. Roño (the one who directed the first two weeks of the series) said that he was heavily impressed by Jane de Leon's performance saying "she has done very well." [30]
This section documents all awards, nominations and recognition given to Jane de Leon for her portrayal as Darna.
Year | Awards ceremony | Title | Result | Ref. |
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2022 | Inding-Indie Excellence Awards | Huwarang Artista ng Mga Kabataan | Won | [31] [32] |
2022 | Asia's Pinnacle Awards | Most Outstanding Female Actress of the Year | Won | [33] |
2022 | 6th Outstanding Men and Women of the Philippines | Special Award | Won | [34] [35] |
2022 | TC Candler | 100 Most Beautiful Faces in the World of 2022 | Nominated | [36] |
2022 | 3rd Annual Tag Awards Chicago | Best Actress | Pending | [37] |
2022 | Rawr Awards 2022 | Favorite Bida | Nominated | [38] |
As the ultimate hero of Nueva Esperanza and the protector of the mythical stone, Darna has fought against many powerful entities:
Darna is a superhero appearing in Filipino comic books created by writer Mars Ravelo and artist Nestor Redondo. The character was introduced during the Golden Age of Comic Books, debuting in Pilipino Komiks #77 on May 13, 1950. Darna is a retooling of Ravelo's earlier character, Varga, who first appeared in 1947. With her continued presence in literature and art, Darna has been described as a Filipino cultural icon. Throughout the years, she has been adapted to a number of media platforms, such as film, television, plays and video games.
Valentina is a supervillain appearing in Philippine comic books, created by Mars Ravelo and Nestor Redondo. Based upon the eponymous Greek mythological figure, she first appeared in Pilipino Komiks and was the first adversary of the superhero Darna. Referred to as the "Goddess of Snakes", she has command over all kinds of serpents and has venomous snakes in her head instead of hair. She has been featured significantly as Darna's archenemy in many adaptations of her stories in other media.
Darna is a 2005 Philippine television drama fantasy action series broadcast by GMA Network. The series is based on Mars Ravelo's Philippine fictional character of the same name and its 2003's comic book miniseries published by Mango Comics. Directed by Dominic Zapata and Eric Quizon, it stars Angel Locsin in the title role. It premiered on April 4, 2005 on the network's Telebabad line up. The series concluded on November 25, 2005 with a total of 170 episodes.
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Darna, Kuno...? is a 1979 Filipino film directed by Luciano B. Carlos and co-written by Toto Belano. Produced under the action comedy and fantasy genres, it is a parody of Mars Ravelo's comic book character and female superhero Darna. The role of Darna Kuno is played by Filipino actor, Dolphy. The film was released on March 30, 1979. Darna was first published on May 13, 1950, written by Mars Ravelo and illustrated by Nestor Redondo, who illustrated for DC and Marvel Comics.
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