Darna is a 2005 drama

Drama

Drama is the specific mode of fiction represented in performance. The term comes from a Greek word meaning "action" , which is derived from "to do","to act" . The enactment of drama in theatre, performed by actors on a stage before an audience, presupposes collaborative modes of production and a...

 fantasy

Fantasy

Fantasy is a genre of fiction that commonly uses magic and other supernatural phenomena as a primary element of plot, theme, or setting. Many works within the genre take place in imaginary worlds where magic is common...

 action television series based on the Mars Ravelo

Mars Ravelo

Mars Ravelo was a Filipino graphic novelist who created the characters Darna, Dyesebel, Captain Barbell, Lastikman, Bondying, Varga, Wanted: Perfect Mother, Hiwaga, Maruja, Mariposa, Roberta, Rita, Buhay Pilipino, Jack and Jill, Flash Bomba, Tiny Tony, and Dragonna among others.-Biography:Mars...

's fictional character of the same name

Darna

Darna is a fictional character and Filipino comics superheroine created by writer Mars Ravelo and artist Nestor Redondo. In her more popular incarnations, she is a deceased warrior from another planet manifesting herself through a girl from Earth, named Narda...

 and a loose adaptation of the 2003 Mars Ravelo's Darna Miniseries by Mango Comics. It aired on Philippine

Philippines

The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...

 television on GMA Network

GMA Network

GMA Network is a major commercial television & radio network in the Philippines. GMA Network is owned by GMA Network, Inc. a publicly listed company...

 and starred top actress Angel Locsin

Angel Locsin

Angel Locsin is a Filipina television and film actress and commercial model. Aside from this, she is also a film producer and fashion designer....

 as the iconic superheroine.

It premiered in Filipino homes on April 11, 2005 and ended on November 25, 2005.

The official title of the series is Mars Ravelo's Darna.

Television ratings

In September 2005, according to Filipino media research firms, AGB and AC Nielsen, Darna earned a percent rating of 38% (Mega Manila area) daily second only to Encantadia

Encantadia

Encantadia is a Filipino fantasy television series produced by GMA Network. The pilot episode was aired on May 2, 2005. Its last episode was aired on December 9 of the same year to give way to its second book, Etheria. This series aired its pilot episode on December 12, and its last episode on...

, which had a daily rating of 40% (Mega Manila area).

Pre-production

In 2004, executives of GMA Network

GMA Network

GMA Network is a major commercial television & radio network in the Philippines. GMA Network is owned by GMA Network, Inc. a publicly listed company...

 and Hugo Yonzon, current license holder of Darna and head of Mango Comics, signed a licensing agreement for the Darna TV Series.

Cast

Filipino

Filipino people

The Filipino people or Filipinos are an Austronesian ethnic group native to the islands of the Philippines. There are about 92 million Filipinos in the Philippines, and about 11 million living outside the Philippines ....

 actress Angel Locsin starred as Darna. Celia Rodriguez, who played Valentina in previous movies of Darna, played as Braguda, the main villain. In this TV series, Valentina, was played by Alessandra de Rossi, who is the cousin of Narda. Ding, one of the most notable relatives of Darna, was played by C.J. Muere. Dennis Trillo played Efren, Darna's main love interest.

Four actresses who have previously played the role of Darna were involved in this series.

• Gina Pareño (Darna and the Planetman, 1969) - played the grandmother of Darna.
• Rio Locsin (Bira, Darna, Bira, 1979) - played the wife of the Dr. Zombie, one of the villains.
• Lorna Tolentino
  Lorna Tolentino
  Victoria Lorna Aluquin-Fernandez, better known as Lorna Tolentino , is a Filipina actress, host, executive producer and widow of actor Rudy Fernandez. Together, they bore two sons named Ralph and Renz.She was born on December 23, 1961 in Concepcion, Tarlac and later moved to Manila...
  
   (Darna TV series, 1977) - played Queen Adran of Marte.
• Regine Velasquez
  Regine Velasquez
  Regina Encarnacion Ansong Velasquez , better known as Asia's Songbird, Regine Velasquez, is a Filipino singer, actress, record producer and TV host...
  
   (Captain Barbell, 2003) - sang the theme song of the series.

Also actor Tonton Gutierrez

May Bukas Pa

May Bukas Pa is a Philippine drama series which started long-airing on February 2, 2009 at ABS-CBN. The show's run was extended multiple times until its end run on February 5, 2010.-Production:...

 who plays Narda's father Mulong and the villain Nosferamus, portrayed Darna's love interest George in the movie Darna (1991).

Plot

Evil Queen Braguda together with her race the Anomalka attacks the planet of Marte. Surprised by the attack, Adran, Queen of the Adranika

Adranika

Adranika is a fictional race introduced in the GMA TV Series- Mars Ravelo's Darna. The TV series is produced by GMA-t in cooperation with the Estate of Mars Ravelo and Mango Comics. The term "Adranika" is based on the term "Adarna Warriors" which was coined in the Mango Comics DARNA comicbook...

, realizes that Braguda is eager to possess the Adranika's powers. To avoid taking their power, Adran gives a white stone to Aio who is tasked to give it to whoever is worthy to inherit it. Aio escapes to Earth

Earth

Earth is the third planet from the Sun, and the densest and fifth-largest of the eight planets in the Solar System. It is also the largest of the Solar System's four terrestrial planets...

 before Braguda can destroy the planet Marte

Marte

Marte may refer to:*Mars, the Roman god of war*Modeling and Analysis of Real Time and Embedded systems , UML profile*Club Deportivo Marte, a Mexican football club*Atlético Marte, a Salvadoran football club...

. Braguda follows Aio, and when Aio reaches the earth's atmosphere

Earth's atmosphere

The atmosphere of Earth is a layer of gases surrounding the planet Earth that is retained by Earth's gravity. The atmosphere protects life on Earth by absorbing ultraviolet solar radiation, warming the surface through heat retention , and reducing temperature extremes between day and night...

, Braguda disables her spaceship

Starship

A starship or interstellar spacecraft is a theoretical spacecraft designed for traveling between the stars, as opposed to a vehicle designed for orbital spaceflight or interplanetary travel....

 and it crashes while the white stone fall out of the ship where the young Narda discovers it. Aio survives the crash and meets Narda to tell her to keep the stone until the right time comes to receive "the call". After eight years, Aio secretly disguises as an old beggar calls Narda through a telepathic message. The message tells that Narda is the sole inheritor of the power of the Adranika and she will protect the earth from evil

Evil

Evil is the violation of, or intent to violate, some moral code. Evil is usually seen as the dualistic opposite of good. Definitions of evil vary along with analysis of its root motive causes, however general actions commonly considered evil include: conscious and deliberate wrongdoing,...

. After Narda hears the message, the word "Darna" appears in the white stone and she is instructed to swallow it and yell "Darna". Narda follows the instructions and becomes the superheroine Darna. Darna returns to her mortal state when she utters the word Narda and then the white stone comes out from her mouth.

After Braguda discovers that Narda possesses the white stone, she and her minions try to steal the white stone. Braguda's intention is to combine the power of the magic white stone with her magic black stone so that she can transform the Planet Earth into another "Planet Marte" and mutate all human beings into Anomalkans so that they can survive in the new environment and serve Braguda in her quest for galactic domination. Those servants of Braguda who are sent to fight Darna and cause havoc in Metro Manila

Metro Manila

Metropolitan Manila , the National Capital Region , or simply Metro Manila, is the metropolitan region encompassing the City of Manila and its surrounding areas in the Philippines...

 include Mambabarang, Dr. Zombie, Sulfura, Nosforamus (resurrected father of Narda) and Valentina

Valentina

Valentina may refer to:* Valentina , a female given name* Valentina , Valentina Nicholaevna Sanina Schlee, Russian fashion designer* Elizabeth Miklosi aka Valentina, American professional wrestler...

 the half-sister of Narda whom she once thought was her cousin. However, Narda is able to defend the city against her enemies.

Origin of Narda

Once thought of as the daughter of totoy and Ising, Narda is really the biological daughter of Mulong's Half-Sister, Prospera and her true love - Rafael.
When Prospera was pregnant with Narda she discovered a space craft that had crashed on her land one fateful evening. As she approached the craft, a dying alien being (an Anomalkan) emerged and transferred its alien seed into the already pregnant Prospera.

The alien fled to Earth in the hope of escaping the massacre of infants that Braguda had ordered on the Planet Marte. Braguda's rampage was in response to a prophecy that predicted her death one day at the hands of a fellow Anomalkan. To try to avoid her fate, Braguda ordered the killing of all Anomalkan infants that could oppose her one day. But one Anomalkan managed to escape the planet Marte and in doing so crash landed to Earth

To help bring about the fulfillment of the prophecy, the fugitive Anomalkan impregnated the earth female Prospera in the hopes that the blending of their species would create a new breed of Anomalkan strong and reliant enough to survive in Earth's environment.

After being impregnated, Prospera now carried 2 babies, one completely human (a product of her relationship with Rafael) and the other - a monstrous Anomalkan humanoid.

When Prospera gave birth, she discovered her human child to be perfectly normal and horrified at her alien one. Prospera carried her alien child to the spaceship in the hopes of killing it there but when the child suddenly shapeshifted to resemble a normal child, Prospera took it back home.

When she returned, her normal baby had disappeared (who unknown to her was stolen by Mulong when his wife's own baby died in birth). Prospera who planned to name her human child "Valentina" now gave this name to her alien baby.

Origin of the Magic White Stone

Braguda revealed to Valentina the origins of the two stones and the prophecy. The Anomalkans originally owned the two stones which came from two powerful planets that were destroyed when they collided. They were created in the wake of that cosmic event. The first Anomalkan Queen obtained these two stones and passed them on to succeeding generations.

The Power and Properties of Darna's Magic White Stone

The White Stone of the Adranika (a.k.a. Darna’s Magic White Stone) - properties as revealed in the latest TV series:

Contained within the magic white stone of the Adranika is the very essence of this noble race’s power. When this mystic talisman is ingested by the Earth girl, Narda - she is able to channel the persona of Darna by yelling this name. But ingesting the stone and yelling the name is not enough in channeling the “spirit of the stone”.

She must have a pure heart with a selfless dedication to protecting the innocent and vanquishing evil. Narda cannot become Darna if her motivations are fueled by hatred and/ or vengeance. The power of Darna cannot be harnessed properly by a person easily allow themselves to be overcome by their emotions and/or selfish desire. Discipline and training is essential. This is why it is forbidden for the host to fall in love or to be selfish. More importantly, the Darna persona (which is the very embodiment of Adranikan power) cannot be channeled by just anyone. Only a person chosen by the magic stone itself can become Darna and that is Narda, also known as “the chosen one”.

The white stone may be the only one of its kind but it does have an opposite- the Black Stone of the Anomalka which is under the possession of Braguda - the Queen of Darkness and ruler of the Anomalkas (Planet Marte's evil underground dwelling race). Braguda has long sought the Adranikan stone because anyone who possesses both the black stone of the Anomalka and the white stone of the Adranika will have the power necessary to conquer and dominate any planet. Although Braguda cannot channel the persona of “Darna” should she manage to acquire it, she can utilize the stone’s energy to boost her own and be a threat to the universe. This is why the magic white stone must never be allowed to fall into the hands of Braguda.

Personality

The series portrays Darna as a more modern version of the original comic icon; prone to overconfidence and heroic jaunty poses (her hands on her hips)

Darna's powers and paraphernalia

• Superhuman strength
• Invulnerability to most conventional weapons - a majority of Darna's foes had been shown to be capable of easily bypassing this
• Power of Flight/ Speed
• Limited force-field casting abilities
• Winged medallion ruby rays
• "Shuriken belt medallions"
• The Magic White Stone (Mahiwagang Puting Bato) - the Adranikan stone that transforms Narda into Darna and back. In the series, it is depicted as somewhat cubic in appearance
• "Mahiwagang Kabibe" (Magic Clamshell) - an amulet guarded by a colony of Mermaids under the leadership of a Mermaid Sorceress/Queen named "Dyangga". Narda enlisted the aid of Dyesebel who accompanied her to retrieve it so that she can use it to take back her magic white stone from the Anomalkans.

The Allies

• Iking - an orphaned boy found by Narda's family from the province back when Narda was younger (around the time when she found the white stone). He was later inadvertently granted the power to shrink at will by Aio but loses these powers at the near end of the series. Played by Francis "Iking" Magdayao

• Daniel - a young man with artistic talents, along with a "lone-wolf" complex prior to first encountering the superheroine, where he witnessed Narda swallow the white stone and transformed into Darna. Determined to once again meet Darna, he staged a hostage situation where he hired some police officers, a few bystanders, and a man with probably a fake gun to act as the "bad guy" with himself (Daniel) as the hostage. And to top it off, he even hired a camera man to ensure that the scene will be broadcasted. The ploy worked, as Darna in her civilian guise saw what was happening on TV, and she quickly arrived on the scene and ordered that the man let go of Daniel. At which point, Daniel, at "gun-point" immediately offered his thanks to his cohorts to call it a day all the men eased up, subsequently confusing Darna. Daniel offered his explanation, much to Darna's chagrin and quickly told the policemen to arrest Daniel to hide her embarrassment, only to learn that they were also in league with the young man. Daniel then proceeded to tel Darna that he only wanted to meet her personally, and this was the only possible means in which he could come up with. Darna decided to teach the lad a lesson by lifting him up and then flying into atmosphere with him in the hoping that he's afraid of heights. Unfortunately, Daniel exhibited fascination than downright fear after being levitated several feet from the ground by the beautiful woman holding a firm grip on his person; so Darna let go of him, and Daniel fell several stories before Darna manages to catch him. Finally Darna was satisfied at Daniel's expression after she saved him from splatting unto the ground. But before she could bid him farewell, Daniel told the superheroine that he knows her secret. Confused, Darna asked what he's talking about, to which Daniel pulled out two pieces of paper; one showing a sketch of Darna, and another showing one of Narda - both of which bore little difference from each other. Realizing what this meant, Darna warned Daniel to leave her alone, but the latter later discovered Darna's civilian identity as Narda and even coerced her into going out on a date with him as Darna, or else he would reveal what he knows to the general public. Blackmailed, Darna later landed on Daniel's place where they engage in an awkward date of sorts in which Darna did most of the talking and Daniel, who was too mesmerized by Darna's beauty, was only registering several words as he beheld the red-and-gold-clad heroine in front of him. He was later ambushed by Valentina with the intention of interrogating him for information regarding Darna's secret identity and died with what he knows undivulged. Played by Cogie Domingo

• Lenlen - a mysterious girl with latent mind powers bordering on telekinesis and telepathy. Like Iking, she was orphaned when she, as an infant, accidentally used her powers to cause a tragedy that killed her parents, forcing her to live with her grandfather. Lenlen was later killed after getting a bulk of acid (courtesy of Sulfura) thrown at her direction. Played by Ella Guevara

The Villains

• Valentina
  Valentina (Darna)
  In the Filipino comic book Darna, Valentina is Darna's arch-enemy. She is a snake goddess. In the Darna 2005 TV series, Valentina is Braguda's lady-in-waiting and is played by actress Alessandra de Rossi. Narda and Valentina are also cousins, but in the latter they found out that they are twins....
  
   - Valentina is the arch-enemy of Darna in the movies and comics. She envied Narda and never appreciated what was her own, so she tormented Narda from childhood and became the cause of her misfortunes. When she was eaten by the giant snake sent by Braguda for Aio, she and the snake merged turning her to a mutant that could control all kinds of snakes. Unlike Previous versions (and the current in the 2009 version), She does not have snakes on her head, but rather uses them as whips. She died in the final battle after Darna stabbed her, still hating her to the very end. She is played by Alessandra de Rossi
  Alessandra de Rossi
  Alessandra Tiotangco Schiavone , better known by her stage name Alessandra De Rossi or Alex de Rossi , is an Italian-Filipina actress...
  
  .

• Braguda - Braguda is the main villain of the TV series. She is the queen of the Anomalkan race of the Planet Marte
  Marte
  Marte may refer to:*Mars, the Roman god of war*Modeling and Analysis of Real Time and Embedded systems , UML profile*Club Deportivo Marte, a Mexican football club*Atlético Marte, a Salvadoran football club...
  
  . She dreamt of the whole galaxy bowing down to her but for that to happen, she must get Darna's white stone and merge it with her black stone. She was killed by Valentina in order to get her powers and to become a giant. Braguda is played by Celia Rodriguez.

• Nosferamus - Nosferamus is the right hand man of Braguda. He is the transformed form of Narda's father who she thought is dead. Nosferamus is also known as the grim reaper; his powers include being able to dissolve into a black mist, summon blasts of dark-red energy, and conjure a lump of molten metal which he flung at Darna's eyes, blinding the superheroine. He died when he sacrificed his life for his daughter. He is played by Tonton Gutierrez
  May Bukas Pa
  May Bukas Pa is a Philippine drama series which started long-airing on February 2, 2009 at ABS-CBN. The show's run was extended multiple times until its end run on February 5, 2010.-Production:...
  
  .

• Mambabarang - Being a dirty beggar, his only friends are his insects. After he died of starvation, Braguda resurrected him as Mambabarang and takes revenge on society by his insects and pests. The creatures that he rule are supernatural in their own way, actually able to pierce through Darna's skin - something that most conventional weapons are incapable of. He fell down on a giant tub of "Forever Gone" insecticide, killing him. Mambabarang is played by Eddie Garcia
  Eddie García
  Eddie Garcia popularly known as Manoy is a Filipino film actor and film director.- Biography :...
  
  .

• Manananggal
  Manananggal
  The manananggal is a mythical creature of the Philippines. It resembles a Western vampire, in being an evil, man-eating monster or witch. The myth of the manananggal is popular in the Visayan region of the Philippines, especially in the western provinces of Capiz, Iloilo, and Antique...
  
   - She was known as Ms. Luna. She has all the known powers of a regular manananggal. She and Darna engaged in a stunning aerial battle where she, due to her lack of legs at the time, was forced to combat against her foe by flapping her wings fast and swung her fists at Darna to knock her into submission, belting at least two on-screen punches at Darna's face (both directly at her cheeks) - she is apparently the first villain shown in the series to ever do so. Having had enough of getting sucker punched time and time again (with her face getting turned into mush), Darna retaliated and Manananggal met her end when the heroine threw a necklace of garlic which caught her in the neck. Manananggal is played by Maggie Wilson.

• Sulfura - Sulfura was once a selfish super model who mentored Valentina in the modeling business. Due to Valentina now hating her, Valentina's mother put acid on her bath burning her. Braguda then used this and turned her into a villain by putting her into a volcano giving her back her beauty (in a mutant way). As her villain name states, she has the power to fly, spew fire, rock and acid to melt her enemies. Darna used ice and water on her putting her to permanent sleep. Sulfura is played by Carmina Villaroel
  Carmina Villaroel
  Maria Carmina Muñiz Villaroel, also known as Carmina Villaroel is a Filipino actress, television host, and model....
  
  .

• Dr. Zombie - Dr. Ted's prominent life took a twisted turn after the death of his beloved wife. A genius in his own right, he invented a concoction to cure his wife from end stage cancer but was too late. Surprisingly this concoction had the power to reanimate the dead - into zombies. He also wielded an assortment of weaponry unique only to himself, as he is apparently the only non-superpowered major foe in the series. Sulfura disguised herself as Darna, brainwashing him to take revenge on Darna. Darna took away his arsenal and he ended up in a mental institution. He is played by Christopher de Leon
  Christopher De Leon
  -2007 Elections:In 2007, he decided to run as Vice Governor of Batangas. This claims that if her former on screen partner, Vilma Santos won the governorship, then he might win as Vice Governor. He became the running mate of former police officer Nestor Sanares...
  
  .

• Molecula- A smart woman who looks like a nerd. She was a rape victim whose body was thrown to a river infected with Braguda's alien parasitic worms. She lived but became a mutant. The people thought she was some kind of new super hero (actually arriving several minutes at the scene before Darna) but received Braguda when people saw her kill her abductors before. Molecula can break herself apart to practically a molecular level, splitting herself to countless, minute molecular parts to gain more mobility and versatility; she could also fling these said particles at targets and trigger a dissolving effect similar to corrosive acid (she killed two innocent civilians immediately using this method when they discovered her secret), or coagulate instantly (apparently, the coagulation was so adamant that even Darna, with her superior strength, was unable to break free after Molecula fired two of these at her arms, pinning them to a gate behind her and binding her in place). She tried to kill Darna by breaking up and infesting Darna's internal systems, causing her massive internal bleeding and vomiting of blood. Darna managed to defeat her by re-urgitating Molecula's particles from her mouth, greatly weakening both adversaries. Darna then cajoled her adversary to a "mana-mana" (woman-to-woman fist fight) match, where the heroine was finally able to land physical blows unto Molecula while in her weakened state; and with the help of Lenlen's telekinetic powers, Molecula was ultimately disabled by Darna temporarily by putting her particles into separate containers (retrieved by Iking) then using her optic laser blasts. She is played by Cristine Reyes
  Cristine Reyes
  Ara Maria Cristine Reyes , better known as Cristine Reyes, is a Filipina Actress. She became a contestant of GMA-7's reality TV program, StarStruck. She is presently managed by Viva Artists Agency and a contract artist of ABS-CBN...
  
  .

• Divas Impaktitas - The Divas Impaktitas are the three right hand she-vampires of Valentina. They were created by the black stone, granting them immunity to the sun as well as crosses and crucifixes, though they could still be slain if something sharp was driven through their hearts. The Divas Impaktitas are played by Ryza Cenon
  Ryza Cenon
  Rhiza Ann Cenon Simbulan , better known by her screen name Ryza Cenon, is a Filipina actress.-Television shows:-Movies:-References:...
  
  , Krizzy Jareno, and Aileen Luna. One of them was actually Louella, the younger sister of Molecula, who was determined to exact vengeance upon Darna after she what she did to her sister

• Toy Master - Toy Master had the power to control toys as well as other abilities that border on the realm of magic, allowing him to defy the fabric of reality by summoning corporeal objects out of nothing or generating an irritating sound beating his drum, powerful enough to disorient even Darna. He stole his powers from a gnome. He is played by Bearwin Meily
  Bearwin Meily
  Bearwin Meily is a Filipino Actor. He started his career as an extra Palibhasa Lalake in ABS-CBN and eventually became regular. But later on he moved to ABS-CBN's rival network GMA 7. When his showbiz career eventually slowed down, Bearwin turned his attention to magic and is now a professional...
  
  .

• Divina Demonica - Divina Demonica has the power to scream supersonic screams, screams that could give severe trauma to those within her vicinity. In Darna's case, her own extra-sensitive hearing caused her to become severely disoriented and vulnerable whenever Divina blasted her with her powers, which is how Divina nearly bested the heroine in hand-to-hand combat. Divina Demonica was originally an elderly woman who was a pop sensation during her time as a sensational singer; Anomalkan power gained her the potential to revert her back to her youthful self, but compels her to constantly "extract" voices from other people and absorbing them to keep young. She stores her "spare" voices in bottles until time has come for them. Darna, while in her civilian guise as Narda, was ambushed by Divina and her voice subsequently removed. This not only made her incapable of speaking but also temporarily stalled her ability to become Darna until she finally got back her voice. Divina also demonstrates the ability to manipulate bats, possibly by synchronizing with them using her powers to override their minds. When she is really angry, she becomes Demonica. She is played by K Brosas
  K Brosas
  K Brosas , sometimes credited as Kaye Brosas, is a Filipina actress, comedienne, singer and television host. She was a band member of 'Gladys and The Boxers' and was lead singer when the group performed as 'K and The Boxers'...
  
  .

• Black Darna - Black Darna is the result of Darna's cooped up emotions. Before she became Black Darna, she was Carol, Narda's boss at work who is also jealous of her. After merging unintentionally with the darker side of the original Darna's essence, Carol later became engulfed in a bizarre cocoon in the middle of the city causing a massive traffic jam. The real Darna encountered the cocoon beforehand and tried to destroy it, but it proved too indestructible even for her strength, forcing her to just let it be as it was not harming anyone in anyway at that time, and instead proceeded to thwart a nearby occurring hostile takeover. Black Darna was conceived from the said cocoon shortly afterwards. Having all of the original Darna's strengths and abilities, Black Darna was undeniably one of the most formidable adversaries the heroine had to faced; she was also noticeably faster than Darna. Her only weakness is that like Darna herself, draws her powers from the white stone, which was how Darna stopped her by reverting back to Narda. She is played by Katrina Halili
  Katrina Halili
  Katrina Halili is a Filipina actress, commercial model and music producer. She made her screen debut via StarStruck, but did not gain popularity until playing the antagonist roles in Darna, Majika and MariMar and becoming the protagonist in One Night Only, Gagambino and Magdusa...
  
  .

• Babaeng Tuod, Babaeng Impakta and Babaeng Lobo - All of these are different forms of Alice, Narda's best friend. They are played by Karen delos Reyes.

Cast

Main Cast

• Angel Locsin
  Angel Locsin
  Angel Locsin is a Filipina television and film actress and commercial model. Aside from this, she is also a film producer and fashion designer....
  
   as Darna
  Darna
  Darna is a fictional character and Filipino comics superheroine created by writer Mars Ravelo and artist Nestor Redondo. In her more popular incarnations, she is a deceased warrior from another planet manifesting herself through a girl from Earth, named Narda...
  
   / Narda
• Alessandra de Rossi
  Alessandra de Rossi
  Alessandra Tiotangco Schiavone , better known by her stage name Alessandra De Rossi or Alex de Rossi , is an Italian-Filipina actress...
  
   as Valentina
• Dennis Trillo
  Dennis Trillo
  Abelardo Dennis Florencio Trillo Ho , more widely known as Dennis Trillo, is a Filipino award-winning actor, singer and fashion model. His film debut was in Aishite Imasu 1941. He is currently an artist of GMA Network...
  
   as Efren / Lalaking Ahas
• Gina Pareno
  Gina Pareno
  Gina Pareño is an actress in the Philippines born to a Filipina mother and German- American father. She first worked as an extra in some films and then later on became one of the artists of Sampaguita Films. She has worked in television and film in the Philippines since the 1960s...
  
   as Lola
• Francis Magdayao as Iking
• Celia Rodriguez as Braguda
• Sandy Andolong as Prospera
• Katrina Halili
  Katrina Halili
  Katrina Halili is a Filipina actress, commercial model and music producer. She made her screen debut via StarStruck, but did not gain popularity until playing the antagonist roles in Darna, Majika and MariMar and becoming the protagonist in One Night Only, Gagambino and Magdusa...
  
   as Carol / Black Darna
• Caridad Sanchez as Old Aio
• Karen delos Reyes as Alice / Babaeng Tuod / Babaeng Impakta / Babaeng Lobo
• Maggie Wilson as Manananggal
  Manananggal
  The manananggal is a mythical creature of the Philippines. It resembles a Western vampire, in being an evil, man-eating monster or witch. The myth of the manananggal is popular in the Visayan region of the Philippines, especially in the western provinces of Capiz, Iloilo, and Antique...
  
  
• Eddie Garcia
  Eddie García
  Eddie Garcia popularly known as Manoy is a Filipino film actor and film director.- Biography :...
  
   as Mambabarang
• Christopher de Leon
  Christopher De Leon
  -2007 Elections:In 2007, he decided to run as Vice Governor of Batangas. This claims that if her former on screen partner, Vilma Santos won the governorship, then he might win as Vice Governor. He became the running mate of former police officer Nestor Sanares...
  
   as Dr. Ted / Dr. Zombie
• Carmina Villaroel
  Carmina Villaroel
  Maria Carmina Muñiz Villaroel, also known as Carmina Villaroel is a Filipino actress, television host, and model....
  
   as Sulfura
• Cristine Reyes
  Cristine Reyes
  Ara Maria Cristine Reyes , better known as Cristine Reyes, is a Filipina Actress. She became a contestant of GMA-7's reality TV program, StarStruck. She is presently managed by Viva Artists Agency and a contract artist of ABS-CBN...
  
   as Molecula
• Tonton Gutierrez as Mulong / Nosferamus
• Ella Guevara
  Ella Guevara
  Janella Denise Yuson Guevara is a Filipina child actress. She rose to fame through her appearance on a talent search on television called StarStruck Kids that aired on the Filipino television channel GMA 7...
  
   as Lenlen
• Jeremy Marquez as Jun
• C. J. Muere as Ding
• Ryza Cenon
  Ryza Cenon
  Rhiza Ann Cenon Simbulan , better known by her screen name Ryza Cenon, is a Filipina actress.-Television shows:-Movies:-References:...
  
   as Louella / Divas Impakitias
• Nadine Samonte
  Nadine Samonte
  Nadine Samonte is a Filipina actress and commercial model. She played an Avenger from the first season of StarStruck....
  
   as the other body of Valentina / Ava
• K Brosas
  K Brosas
  K Brosas , sometimes credited as Kaye Brosas, is a Filipina actress, comedienne, singer and television host. She was a band member of 'Gladys and The Boxers' and was lead singer when the group performed as 'K and The Boxers'...
  
   as Divina Demonica
• Bearwin Meily as Toy Master
• Maureen Larazabal as Aio
• Cogie Domingo
  Cogie Domingo
  Redmond Christopher Fernandez Domingo , better known simply as Cogie Domingo, is a Filipino actor and model. At age 10, he joined the cast of ABS-CBN's Cyberkada. This was followed by Regal Films' horror flick, Sa Piling ng mga Aswang , in which he starred opposite Maricel Soriano...
  
   as Daniel
• Wendell Ramos
  Wendell Ramos
  Wendell Xavier Ramos, known as Wendell Ramos is a Filipino actor and model who is currently signed to Associated Broadcasting Company.-Biography and career:...
  
   as Jeric

Guest Cast

• Lorna Tolentino
  Lorna Tolentino
  Victoria Lorna Aluquin-Fernandez, better known as Lorna Tolentino , is a Filipina actress, host, executive producer and widow of actor Rudy Fernandez. Together, they bore two sons named Ralph and Renz.She was born on December 23, 1961 in Concepcion, Tarlac and later moved to Manila...
  
   as Queen Adran
• Lani Mercado
  Lani Mercado
  Lani Mercado-Revilla is a member of the Philippine House of Representatives for the 2nd District of Cavite, which comprise of only the municipality of Bacoor. She is also an actress. She is married to actor and Senator Bong Revilla.-Television:-Movies:* Yes Darling: Walang matigas na pulis 2 ......
  
   as Nanay Ising
• Ara Mina
  Ara Mina
  Hazel Pascual Reyes , better known by her screen name, Ara Mina, is a Filipina actress, fashion model and singer. She won the Golden Screen Award in 2004 for Best Actress in a drama in the Philippines....
  
   as Dyesebel
  Dyesebel
  Dyesebel is a popular mermaid character in the Philippines. The comic book character was originally conceived by the Filipino comic book illustrator, Mars Ravelo. Dyesebel is a prominent character in Philippine cinema and television.-1953: Dyesebel:...
  
  
• Alice Dixson
  Alice Dixson
  Jessie Alice Dixson or Alice Dixson, often misspelled Alice Dixon , is a Filipino-American actress, commercial model, and former beauty queen...
  
   as Dyangga
• Rochelle Pangilinan
  Rochelle Pangilinan
  Rochelle Pangilinan is a Filipina dancer, singer, and actress. She was one of the founding members of the popular group SexBomb Girls. In 2007, she repackaged herself as a rap and hip-hop artist with the name RoC.- Personal background :Rochelle was born in Malabon, Philippines, one of three siblings...
  
   as Corella

Series' milestones

• Being the first primetime series to reach a 47.1% rating (according to AGB and AC-Nielsen) in its pilot episode, the highest rating for a pilot episode in the Philippine television
  Television
  Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
  
   history, beating Pangako Sa'yo with its 46.5%. Similarly, Darna: Ang Muling Paglilipad (The Making of Darna), shown on March 31, 2005, remains the first soap primer to reach the highest rating of 43.8% (Thursday) on its first part and 41.2% (Friday)on its second part.

• It gained a 52.1% rating on its 4th episode. It is because of the first appearance of Darna from Narda. It was the highest rating achieved by a show on GMA-7.

• Its pilot week average is 50.08%.

47.1 (Monday)

50.3 (Tuesday)

49.4 (Wednesday)

52.1 (Thursday)

51.5 (Friday)

• Its highest rating was 52.1% while the lowest was 33.3%. The overall ratings was 39.9%

• The death of Ding, Narda's brother. In most Darna movies, Ding plays as Darna's sidekick but in the TV adaptation, Ding died.

• The TV series is the first live-action Darna that utilizes the original Mars Ravelo concept of Darna being from the planet Marte. Previous features had always injected a religious touch by having Darna's power come from God or through an angel. The TV show is faithful to the comicbooks (both the original Ravelo comic strip from the 1950s as well as the 3-issue "Modern Age" comics mini-series produced by Mango Comics).

• The introduction of the Wonderkids, Darna's sidekicks, composed of her stepbrother Iking and an extraordinary girl named Lenlen. They help Darna in maintaining peace through the land. However, in the middle of the series, Lenlen died.

• The introduction of the polar opposite of Darna. Never before in comics, movie or television has there been a "Black Darna" (in the same sense as black magic) making it a major development in the series. Katrina Halili
  Katrina Halili
  Katrina Halili is a Filipina actress, commercial model and music producer. She made her screen debut via StarStruck, but did not gain popularity until playing the antagonist roles in Darna, Majika and MariMar and becoming the protagonist in One Night Only, Gagambino and Magdusa...
  
   is the first-ever to portray such a role.

• Another of Mars Ravelo's creations, Dyesebel
  Dyesebel
  Dyesebel is a popular mermaid character in the Philippines. The comic book character was originally conceived by the Filipino comic book illustrator, Mars Ravelo. Dyesebel is a prominent character in Philippine cinema and television.-1953: Dyesebel:...
  
   the mermaid, made a guest appearance in the series for the very first time. She played an important role in helping Narda continue her battle against evil forces. Ara Mina
  Ara Mina
  Hazel Pascual Reyes , better known by her screen name, Ara Mina, is a Filipina actress, fashion model and singer. She won the Golden Screen Award in 2004 for Best Actress in a drama in the Philippines....
  
   played Dyesebel
  Dyesebel
  Dyesebel is a popular mermaid character in the Philippines. The comic book character was originally conceived by the Filipino comic book illustrator, Mars Ravelo. Dyesebel is a prominent character in Philippine cinema and television.-1953: Dyesebel:...
  
  . Alice Dixson
  Alice Dixson
  Jessie Alice Dixson or Alice Dixson, often misspelled Alice Dixon , is a Filipino-American actress, commercial model, and former beauty queen...
  
   (who has played Dyesebel in film) played the mermaids' leader Dyangga (later ironically in 2008, as a villain of Dyesebel played by Mylene Dizon in its series
  Dyesebel (TV series)
  Mars Ravelo's Dyesebel is a fantasy Philippine drama that aired on GMA Network. It is an adaptation of a famous graphic novel about a mermaid created by Mars Ravelo....
  
  ). Rochelle Pangilinan
  Rochelle Pangilinan
  Rochelle Pangilinan is a Filipina dancer, singer, and actress. She was one of the founding members of the popular group SexBomb Girls. In 2007, she repackaged herself as a rap and hip-hop artist with the name RoC.- Personal background :Rochelle was born in Malabon, Philippines, one of three siblings...
  
   also plays a mermaid Corella, Dyesebel's best friend.

• Captain Barbell
  Captain Barbell
  Captain Barbell is a fictional Filipino superhero created by writer Mars Ravelo and artist Jim Fernandez. He first appeared in Pinoy Komiks #5 .-Character history:...
  
  , another Mars Ravelo
  Mars Ravelo
  Mars Ravelo was a Filipino graphic novelist who created the characters Darna, Dyesebel, Captain Barbell, Lastikman, Bondying, Varga, Wanted: Perfect Mother, Hiwaga, Maruja, Mariposa, Roberta, Rita, Buhay Pilipino, Jack and Jill, Flash Bomba, Tiny Tony, and Dragonna among others.-Biography:Mars...
  
   creation, appeared in the final episode but his face was not shown, probably to excite viewers since Captain Barbell is said to be GMA Network
  GMA Network
  GMA Network is a major commercial television & radio network in the Philippines. GMA Network is owned by GMA Network, Inc. a publicly listed company...
  
  's next project.

Locations

• Planet Marte (Also known as "Nibiru" in Mango Comics "Darna # 3") - The doomed Planet Marte was once the home of the Adranikan race which represented good and the underground dwelling Anomalkans.

• "Kanlungang Adran" (Adran's Cradle) - A mystic pocket dimension that serves as a sanctum sanctorum and healing place known only to the Adranika race. The "stonebearer" AIO, resides her and also served as a place of healing for Darna when she is severely wounded.

• Manila, the Philippines - Capital of the Philippine republic, Narda and her small family resides here.

• Laguna - a province in the Philippines where Narda and Efren grew up and where the magic white stone fell from the sky and was discovered by Narda.

External links

• Official Mars Ravelo's Darna web site
• Mars Ravelo Superheroes web site
• Darna at Telebisyon.net