Aso (Pugad Baboy story arc)
Encyclopedia
Story arc
A story arc is an extended or continuing storyline in episodic storytelling media such as television, comic books, comic strips, boardgames, video games, and in some cases, films. On a television program, for example, the story would unfold over many episodes. In television, the use of the story...
of the Philippine comic strip series Pugad Baboy
Pugad Baboy
Pugad Baboy is a comic strip created by Filipino cartoonist Apolonio "Pol" Medina, Jr. The strip is about a Manila community of mostly obese people - "fat as pigs", so to speak ....
, created by Pol Medina Jr. and originally published in the Philippine Daily Inquirer
Philippine Daily Inquirer
The Philippine Daily Inquirer, popularly known as the Inquirer, is the most widely read broadsheet newspaper in the Philippines, with a daily circulation of 260,000 copies. It is one of the Philippines' newspapers of record...
. This particular story arc lasts 88 strips long. In 2003, the story arc was reprinted in Kinse!, the fifteenth book compilation of the comic strip series. Aso is one of the two longest Pugad Baboy story arcs, the other being Maidnappers
Maidnappers
Maidnappers is an adventure story arc of the Philippine comic strip series Pugad Baboy, created by Pol Medina Jr. and originally published in the Philippine Daily Inquirer. This particular story arc lasts 88 strips. It is one of the two longest Pugad Baboy story arcs, the other being Aso...
.
Synopsis
The story arc begins during a briefing at OCB Headquarters with agents Echo (Eliseo) and Delta (Polgas) and their superior in attendance. The topic of discussion is the prevalence of marijuana plantations in BenguetBenguet
Benguet is a landlocked province of the Philippines in the Cordillera Administrative Region in Luzon. Its capital is La Trinidad and borders, clockwise from the south, Pangasinan, La Union, Ilocos Sur, Mountain Province, Ifugao, and Nueva Vizcaya....
province. Polgas, however, is assigned a mission to Mount Arayat
Mount Arayat
Mount Arayat is an extinct stratovolcano on Luzon Island, Philippines, rising to a height of There is no recorded eruption of the volcano, and its last activity probably dates to the Holocene era.The volcano is located in a flat agricultural region at...
in Pampanga
Pampanga
Pampanga is a province of the Philippines located in the Central Luzon region. Its capital is the City of San Fernando, Pampanga. Pampanga is bordered by the provinces of Bataan and Zambales to the west, Tarlac and Nueva Ecija to the north, and Bulacan to the southeast...
, where a suspected dope farm is located.
Polgas' initial investigation
Polgas hops unto his Thunderpuppy, a Harley Davidson V-Rod motorcycle, and heads for Mount Arayat. At the town of Bitas, he queries a local regarding climbing the mountain. The local replies that he shouldn't worry about the NPANew People's Army
The New People's Army is the armed wing of the Communist Party of the Philippines. It was formed on March 29, 1969. The Maoist NPA conducts its armed guerrilla struggle based on the strategical line of 'protracted people's war'.The NPA exacts so called "revolutionary taxes" from business owners...
or Maria Sinukuan, the diwata
Diwata
In Philippine mythology, a Diwata , also known as Encantada, is a mythological figure similar to fairies or nymphs. They are nature spirits and live one with mother earth...
said to reside on the mountain, but that there was a werewolf
Werewolf
A werewolf, also known as a lycanthrope , is a mythological or folkloric human with the ability to shapeshift into a wolf or an anthropomorphic wolf-like creature, either purposely or after being placed under a curse...
lurking there. As Polgas continues promenading around the town, a huramentado (a person who has run amok
Running amok
Running amok, sometimes referred to as simply amok is a term for a killing spree perpetrated by an individual out of rage or resentment over perceived mistreatment....
) attempts to hack him with a bolo knife
Bolo knife
A bolo is a large cutting tool of Filipino origin similar to the machete, used particularly in the jungles of Indonesia, the Philippines, and in the sugar fields of Cuba...
. Polgas throws the man using an Aikido
Aikido
is a Japanese martial art developed by Morihei Ueshiba as a synthesis of his martial studies, philosophy, and religious beliefs. Aikido is often translated as "the Way of unifying life energy" or as "the Way of harmonious spirit." Ueshiba's goal was to create an art that practitioners could use to...
move. Upon investigating the contents of his disarmed opponent's pockets, Polgas finds what appear to be dried wood of a bluish tint. He sniffs the suspicious cache and his sensitive nose is overwhelmed by what he smells; the unknown substance is actually dried psychedelic mushroom
Psychedelic mushroom
Psilocybin mushrooms are fungi that contain the psychoactive compounds psilocybin and psilocin. There are multiple colloquial terms for psilocybin mushrooms, the most common being shrooms or magic mushrooms....
s. Polgas faints from an intense cluster headache
Cluster headache
Cluster headache, nicknamed "suicide headache", is a neurological disease that involves, as its most prominent feature, an immense degree of pain in the head. Cluster headaches occur periodically: spontaneous remissions interrupt active periods of pain. The cause of the disease is currently unknown...
. Upon waking up, he discovers that he is in Dr. Dado Galang's clinic. The doctor tells him that aside from the increasing number of cases of people running amok, the number of rabies
Rabies
Rabies is a viral disease that causes acute encephalitis in warm-blooded animals. It is zoonotic , most commonly by a bite from an infected animal. For a human, rabies is almost invariably fatal if post-exposure prophylaxis is not administered prior to the onset of severe symptoms...
cases is up as well. All these could be attributed to the reports of a werewolf or impaktong aso roaming the mountain fastness.
Polgas hikes up the mountain
Upon recovering from his headache, Polgas decides to explore Mount Arayat. He first calls the Thunderdog and instructs the computerized Porsche 959Porsche 959
The Porsche 959 is a sports car manufactured by Porsche from 1986 to 1989, first as a Group B rally car and later as a legal production car designed to satisfy FIA homologation regulations requiring that a minimum number of 200 street legal units be built....
to synthesize an antidote
Antidote
An antidote is a substance which can counteract a form of poisoning. The term ultimately derives from the Greek αντιδιδοναι antididonai, "given against"....
for counteracting the effects of the magic mushrooms. As he went on his way, he became aware of three persons who were following him. Deploying Gary, his fleabot, Polgas intentionally falls into their trap in order to maintain his cover as an innocent hiker. It turns out that the three guys who set the trap were out to catch the werewolf for the bounty. Polgas escapes and climbs a tree to evade the werewolf bounty hunters. Polgas decides that in order to locate the mushroom farm, he had to go towards the south-south east side of the mountain where there was little sunlight and a plentiful source of compost and fertilizer.
The mushroom farm
As Polgas headed toward that part of the mountain, Gary began to note that the punji stickPunji stick
The Punji stick or Punji stake is a type of booby trapped stake. It is a simple spike, made out of wood or bamboo, generally placed upright in the ground. Punji sticks are usually deployed in substantial numbers....
traps along the way were becoming deadlier. All of a sudden, Polgas smelled something familiar; he shines his flashlight on the source of the scent and the malevolent eyes of the werewolf shone back at him. Armed with his ballistic arnis
Arnis
Arnis may refer to:*A Filipino martial art, see Eskrima**a modern version of the traditional martial art, see Modern Arnis*Arnis, Germany, a small town in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany...
, Polgas runs toward the werewolf, which scampers away. As Polgas took up the chase, a trapdoor suddenly opens up in his path. He collides with the woman who emerged from the tunnel and both tumble down into the cave beneath. Both landed on a stetson
Stetson
Stetsons are the brand of hat manufactured by the John B. Stetson Company of St. Joseph, Missouri.Stetson eventually became the world’s largest hat maker, producing over 3.3 million hats a year in a factory spread over . Today Stetson remains a family-owned concern...
-wearing villain. A third goon came down the trapdoor, closing it behind him. All three covered Polgas with their weapons and Carlita, the woman Polgas collided with takes his arnis.
Hoping to keep his cover, Polgas declares that he had arrived to purchase magic mushrooms. The stetson-wearing goon takes his pack, telling the others to shoot Polgas if the pack didn't contain bundles of bills. Polgas waits for the opportunity to activate the tiny switches on his left glove. The switches activate both the ballistic arnis held by Carlita, which hits the third goon in the head, and the backpack, which sends a spurt of flame towards the other goon's face. The distraction affords Polgas the opportunity to run deeper into the cave, where he discovers the mushroom farm itself. As Polgas barrels through the workers trying to bar his way, the Psilocybin mushrooms' spores scatter and he soon begins to feel the effects of the pscho-active substance. As Polgas begins to hallucinate
Hallucination
A hallucination, in the broadest sense of the word, is a perception in the absence of a stimulus. In a stricter sense, hallucinations are defined as perceptions in a conscious and awake state in the absence of external stimuli which have qualities of real perception, in that they are vivid,...
, he tries to locate an exit in vain. In desperation he asks one of the workers where the exit is. Surprisingly, the worker directs him to the nearest exit. Polgas soon exited the cave, but he wasn't out of danger just yet - at the mouth of the cave were scores of rabid dogs and a suspicious character injecting the dogs with an unknown substance. Upon seeing Polgas, he pressed a button on a portable stereo. Immediately, the rabid dogs went mad and attacked Polgas, who climbed a tree to evade the rabid canines. He recognized the suspicious-looking man, who had climbed the same tree he had - it was the huramentado from the town of Bitas. The goon threw a fistfull of magic mushroom spores at Polgas. Dizzy, Polgas fell from the tree. Before losing consciousness, he felt a bite on his leg. Forcing his eyes open, he saw that it was the werewolf that had bitten him.
The werewolf's true identity
The next morning, Polgas wakes up and discovers that he was at the place where he began to climb the mountain. He thinks that the previous day's events are just a dream, but the painful bite mark on his leg tells him otherwise. The next day, Polgas confronts Dr. Galang at his clinic. He tells him that a canine odor seems to follow the good doctor around, and that he had discovered research material regarding psilocybin mushrooms in the clinic. Dr. Galang's patient profiles also match the behavior of persons who have run amok. Polgas also observed that Dr. Galang does not seem to sweat - just like a canine. To prove his point, Polgas shoots Dr. Galang with his garapata gun. The doctor isn't affected by the garapata sweat, since true canines are immune to its effects. Polgas is quite sure that Dr. Galang is the werewolf. As he is about to arrest the doctor, after giving him a Miranda warningMiranda warning
The Miranda warning is a warning given by police in the United States to criminal suspects in police custody before they are interrogated to preserve the admissibility of their statements against them in criminal proceedings. In Miranda v...
, the doctor jumps out an open window and escapes.
Polgas gives chase. Mounting the Thunderpuppy, he heads for the dark side of Mount Arayat. From high above the forest canopy, the doctor-turned-werewolf seemingly ambushes Polgas, unseating him from the motorcycle. Polgas is still able to land on his feet, but is unable to locate Dado. As his back is turned, he is shot from behind with a double-barreled
Double-barreled shotgun
A double-barreled shotgun is a shotgun or combination gun with two parallel barrels, allowing two shots to be fired in quick succession.-Construction:...
sawed-off shotgun
Sawed-off shotgun
A sawed-off shotgun also called a sawn-off shotgun and a short-barreled shotgun , is a type of shotgun with a shorter gun barrel and often a shorter or absent stock....
. His bulletproof suit saves him, but he loses consciousness and upon coming to, he discovers that he had been tied upsidedown by the ankles and heels. He overhears some of the goons talking about capturing another aside from him, and he sees Dado tied up in the same manner as he is a short distance away. Polgas signals Gary, the flea-bot, which had been waiting in the same place it was deployed since the day before, and it begins to hop towards Polgas.
Dado's story
While both captives waited, they began to talk in low tones. With sharp canine hearing both had no trouble engaging in a conversation, even if they were separated by quite some distance. Dado revealed that his mother had a maternal craving for dog meat while pregnant with him - thus was the reason for his present condition. He sought various cures; to counteract his natural tendency to not sweat, he experimented with psilocybin mushrooms. He experienced undesirable side effects and abandoned the idea. His uncle Henry (the stetson-wearing goon), however, discovered the mushrooms' psychedelic effects and decided that it would be a good substitute for marijuana and he set up a test market in that same area. Dado had ever since been trying to scare buyers away as the himpaktung asu. In order to counter this threat, Henry brought in stray dogs and injected them with the rabies virus. He also set up punji traps around the perimeter of the cave. Polgas then sees his motorcycle impaled upon the punji sticks of a trap; Dado had in fact saved his life when he pounced upon Polgas on his bike earlier.The tide turns
Henry decides to execute both "werewolves" using silver bullets fired from an air rifleAir gun
An air gun is a rifle , pistol , or shotgun that fires projectiles by means of compressed air or other gas, in contrast to a firearm, which burns a propellant. Most air guns use metallic projectiles as ammunition. Air guns that only use plastic projectiles are classified as airsoft...
. He attempts to shoot Polgas from point-blank range but Polgas prompts Gary to cut the bonds on his wrists; Polgas grabs the rifle and wallops Henry with it. He then retrieves his ballistic arnis and dispatches a goon aiming a sawed-off shotgun at him. Polgas cuts the rope from which he was hanging and frees Dado. Dado returns the favor by dispatching Carlita/Helga, who was aiming to shoot Polgas with a sawed-off shotgun. Meanwhile, the former huramentado again throws a fistfull of magic mushroom spores at Polgas, thinking to disable him again. However, the effect on Polgas was the reverse; he became noticeably more hirsute and aggressive. Dado explains that when he bit Polgas the previous day, he had effectively transfused his acquired immunity to the effects of psychedelic mushrooms to Polgas. Dado went underground after Helga, while Polgas took on the two remaining goons.
Helga, however, managed to escape by riding a motorcycle with Dado clinging to her back. Meanwhile, Polgas orders the erstwhile huramentado to take down the Thunderpuppy and tie up the subdued goons upsidedown; Polgas leaves him at the tender mercies of the rabid dogs. Hearing Helga's motorcycle, Polgas gives chase on the Thunderpuppy after retrieving Gary, but notes that the gas tank had been pierced by the punji sticks. Gary soon sees that Helga is aiming for a cliff and warns Polgas. Polgas uses his wrist spitter to shoot a line into the trees' branches above and snags Dado off Helga's back. Helga's motorcycle went over the cliff, leaving Dado clutching her torn-off latex
Latex
Latex is the stable dispersion of polymer microparticles in an aqueous medium. Latexes may be natural or synthetic.Latex as found in nature is a milky fluid found in 10% of all flowering plants . It is a complex emulsion consisting of proteins, alkaloids, starches, sugars, oils, tannins, resins,...
full-body disguise and parachute
Parachute
A parachute is a device used to slow the motion of an object through an atmosphere by creating drag, or in the case of ram-air parachutes, aerodynamic lift. Parachutes are usually made out of light, strong cloth, originally silk, now most commonly nylon...
.
Helga's true identity
Polgas recognizes the scent in the disguise and advises Dado that they need to retrieve the villain at the bottom of the cliff. With Dado using Helga's parachute and Polgas using his suit's built-in mini-wings, they went over the cliff after the dope farm's intelligence officer. At the bottom of the cliff, they see what Polgas already knows: Helga is agent Eliseo of the OCB. They bundle him off in a makeshift stretcher. Back at the dope farm, Polgas discovers that Eliseo's boot heels smell like semtexSemtex
Semtex is a general-purpose plastic explosive containing RDX and PETN. It is used in commercial blasting, demolition, and in certain military applications. Semtex became notoriously popular with terrorists because it was, until recently, extremely difficult to detect, as in the case of Pan Am...
and that his suit also has tiny-tech switches. Dado places the plastic explosive
Plastic explosive
Plastic explosive is a specialised form of explosive material. It is a soft and hand moldable solid material. Plastic explosives are properly known as putty explosives within the field of explosives engineering....
in certain strategic areas of the mushroom farm, after which Polgas detonated the charges using Eliseo's switches. The mushroom farm is destroyed.
As Polgas treats Dado's wounds from Henry's shotgun blast, the doctor confides that even his life span is numbered in dog years; with his accelerated life span he could be dead in a few years. This explains why his uncle Henry didn't recognize him; he appeared more mature to Henry. Polgas suggests that they try transfusing Dado with his blood to counteract this condition; Dado agrees. As they banter, the courier for the mushrooms arrives. It's no other than Renate Domingo, alias Atong Damuho, Polgas' mortal enemy. Polgas arrests him. After Atong Damuho is taken into custody, the doctor takes blood from Polgas and transfuses himself with it. It is not revealed explicitly in the story arc, however, if the procedure is successful; the arc only ended with Dr. Galang convincing Polgas to help him convince the populace that there are no more psychedelic mushrooms threatening the populace as, again, the himpaktung asu. His cameo appearance five books later, in a minor story arc in Pugad Baboy XX, and then again in the story arc Bodyguard in Pugad Baboy 21, on the other hand, reveals that the process was indeed successful.
Trivia
- Agent Echo's wrinkled skin indicates that he is either a Shar peiShar PeiThe Shar Pei, or Chinese Shar-Pei, is a breed of dog known for its distinctive features of deep wrinkles and a blue-black tongue. The breed comes from China. The name translates to "sand skin" and refers to the texture of its short, rough coat...
or a BloodhoundBloodhoundThe Bloodhound is a large breed of dog which, while originally bred to hunt deer and wild boar, was later bred specifically to track human beings. It is a scenthound, tracking by smell, as opposed to a sighthound, which tracks using vision. It is famed for its ability to discern human odors even...
. - The full-body disguise used by the traitorous agent is the likeness of Tiny, Dagul's daughter.
- Wolves are not endemic to the Philippines and the FilipinoFilipino languageThis move has drawn much criticism from other regional groups.In 1987, a new constitution introduced many provisions for the language.Article XIV, Section 6, omits any mention of Tagalog as the basis for Filipino, and states that:...
term used to indicate "werewolf", impaktong aso, literally means "supernatural dog". The actual phrase used in the arc is "himpaktung asu," a supposed Pampangueño pronunciation stemming from the Pampango stereotype of pronouncing vowel sounds with an "h" and omitting the same sound from those with the letter. This stereotype comes from the fact that the /h/ sound is entirely absent in the Kapampangan languageKapampangan languageThe Pampangan language, or Kapampangan , is one of the major languages of the Philippines. It is the language spoken in the province of Pampanga, the southern half of the province of Tarlac and the northern portion of the province of Bataan. Kapampangan is also understood in some barangays of...
. - This particular story arc is riddled with references to popular culturePopular culturePopular culture is the totality of ideas, perspectives, attitudes, memes, images and other phenomena that are deemed preferred per an informal consensus within the mainstream of a given culture, especially Western culture of the early to mid 20th century and the emerging global mainstream of the...
; Mission: Impossible IIMission: Impossible IIMission: Impossible II is a 2000 action film directed by John Woo, and starring Tom Cruise, who also served as the film's producer...
, Tom CruiseTom CruiseThomas Cruise Mapother IV , better known as Tom Cruise, is an American film actor and producer. He has been nominated for three Academy Awards and he has won three Golden Globe Awards....
, PopeyePopeyePopeye the Sailor is a cartoon fictional character created by Elzie Crisler Segar, who has appeared in comic strips and animated cartoons in the cinema as well as on television. He first appeared in the daily King Features comic strip Thimble Theatre on January 17, 1929...
, Spider-ManSpider-ManSpider-Man is a fictional Marvel Comics superhero. The character was created by writer-editor Stan Lee and writer-artist Steve Ditko. He first appeared in Amazing Fantasy #15...
, Patrick DuffyPatrick DuffyPatrick George Duffy is an American character actor of stage and film. He is best known for his role on the CBS television drama Dallas, where he played Bobby Ewing from 1978 to 1985 and from 1986 to 1991, Duffy returns to reprise his role as Bobby in a new up-to-date Dallas currently scheduled to...
, DallasDallas (TV series)Dallas is an American serial drama/prime time soap opera that revolves around the Ewings, a wealthy Texas family in the oil and cattle-ranching industries. Throughout the series, Larry Hagman stars as greedy, scheming oil baron J. R. Ewing...
, Steven SeagalSteven SeagalSteven Frederic Seagal is an American action film star, producer, writer, martial artist, guitarist and reserve deputy sheriff. A 7th-dan black belt in Aikido, Seagal began his adult life as an Aikido instructor in Japan...
, Elvis PresleyElvis PresleyElvis Aaron Presley was one of the most popular American singers of the 20th century. A cultural icon, he is widely known by the single name Elvis. He is often referred to as the "King of Rock and Roll" or simply "the King"....
, Bruce LeeBruce LeeBruce Lee was a Chinese American, Hong Kong actor, martial arts instructor, philosopher, film director, film producer, screenwriter, and founder of the Jeet Kune Do martial arts movement...
and Boris YeltsinBoris YeltsinBoris Nikolayevich Yeltsin was the first President of the Russian Federation, serving from 1991 to 1999.Originally a supporter of Mikhail Gorbachev, Yeltsin emerged under the perestroika reforms as one of Gorbachev's most powerful political opponents. On 29 May 1990 he was elected the chairman of...
are all mentioned. - Polgas refers to the plastic explosivePlastic explosivePlastic explosive is a specialised form of explosive material. It is a soft and hand moldable solid material. Plastic explosives are properly known as putty explosives within the field of explosives engineering....
he found on Agent Eliseo as semtexSemtexSemtex is a general-purpose plastic explosive containing RDX and PETN. It is used in commercial blasting, demolition, and in certain military applications. Semtex became notoriously popular with terrorists because it was, until recently, extremely difficult to detect, as in the case of Pan Am...
, but Dr. Galang referred to it as C-4C-4 (explosive)C4 or Composition C4 is a common variety of the plastic explosive known as Composition C.-Composition and manufacture:C4 is made up of explosives, plastic binder, plasticizer and usually marker or odorizing taggant chemicals such as 2,3-dimethyl-2,3-dinitrobutane to help detect the explosive and...
, perhaps thinking that both types were one and the same. - When Dado and Polgas become hirsute, they then dance to Hound DogHound Dog (song)"Hound Dog" is a twelve-bar blues written by Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller and originally recorded by Willie Mae "Big Mama" Thornton in 1952. Other early versions illustrate the differences among blues, country, and rock and roll in the mid-1950s. The 1956 remake by Elvis Presley is the best-known...
. Furthermore, their hairstyle resembles that of WolverineWolverine (comics)Wolverine is a fictional character, a superhero that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. Born as James Howlett and commonly known as Logan, Wolverine is a mutant, possessing animal-keen senses, enhanced physical capabilities, three retracting bone claws on each hand and a healing...
, as played by Hugh JackmanHugh JackmanHugh Michael Jackman is an Australian actor and producer who is involved in film, musical theatre, and television.Jackman has won international recognition for his roles in major films, notably as action/superhero, period and romance characters...
in the live action film X-MenX-Men (film)X-Men is a 2000 superhero film based on the fictional Marvel Comics characters of the same name. Directed by Bryan Singer, the film stars Patrick Stewart, Hugh Jackman, Ian McKellen, Anna Paquin, Famke Janssen, Bruce Davison, James Marsden, Halle Berry, Rebecca Romijn, Ray Park and Tyler Mane...
. - Polgas' hirsute state makes reappearances in various strips in the series following the story arc.
- When Polgas contacts the Thunderdog, which is back at the Dogcave underneath the Sungcal house, to create the magic mushroom antidote, the Porsche then berates its owner for not bringing it along, as it would've saved Polgas the trouble of his encounter with the huramentado. This is the first time the Thunderdog actually speaks in the series beyond the computer voice (and unexpected high) the Porsche had back in The Baguio Connection, and means it is as sentinent as Gary.
- As stated, Dado makes a cameo appearance in a minor arc in Pugad Baboy XX, which parodies the Saw horror filmsSaw (film series)Saw is a horror franchise distributed by Lions Gate Entertainment and produced by Twisted Pictures that consists of seven films and two video games, published by Konami. The franchise began with the 2003 short film which was created by Australian director James Wan and screenwriter Leigh Whannell...
, with Dado as the Jigsaw KillerJigsaw KillerJohn Kramer is a fictional character and the central character of the Saw franchise. Jigsaw made his debut as the primary antagonist in the first film of the series, Saw, and he's later portrayed as an antihero in Saw II, III, IV, V, VI and 3D...
-like "Pigsaw", terrorizing Utoy, Tiny, Igno, Madame Cabalfin and Polgas in the same way albeit in a rather comical manner. Polgas unmasks Dado, after the latter somewhat gives himself away by saying that like the former, he "was given a second chance at life", implying that the blood transfusion was indeed a success. His next proper appearance is in the story arc Bodyguard.