Mars Ravelo Marcial "Mars" Ravelo (October 9, 1916 – September 12, 1988) was a Filipino comic book cartoonist and graphic novelist who created ''Darna, Dyesebel, Captain Barbell, Lastikman'', '' Bondying'', ''Varga'', ''Wanted: Perfect Mother'', ''Hiwa ...

Nestor Redondo Nestor P. Redondo (May 4, 1928 – December 30, 1995)Nestor P. Redondo
at the

Philippine comics Comics in the Philippines ( fil, Komiks}) have been widespread and popular throughout the country from the 1920s to the present. Komiks were partially inspired by American mainstream comic strips and comic books during the early 20th century. ...

''Pilipino Komiks'' (issue #78, 1950) . One of the most recognizable supervillainess characters in the Philippines, she is the archenemy of

Darna Darna () is a Filipina superheroine created by writer Mars Ravelo and artist Nestor Redondo. The character's first appearance was in ''Pilipino Komiks'' (Ace Publications, Inc.) #77 on May 13, 1950. Darna is a retooling of Ravelo's earlier cha ...

. She was originally a bitter, deformed woman born from ordinary human parents with venomous snakes on her head that appears to be like hair. When she grew up, she killed her parents and was subsequently taken in by a serpent creature named Kobra. Valentina was soon referred to as "goddess of the snakes". Mango Comics acquired the rights of Darna and in 2003 released a miniseries featuring Darna and Valentina. In this version, Valentina is an alien from the planet Tiamat. She came from a race that resembles the

Gorgon A Gorgon ( /ˈɡɔːrɡən/; plural: Gorgons, Ancient Greek: Γοργών/Γοργώ ''Gorgṓn/Gorgṓ'') is a creature in Greek mythology. Gorgons occur in the earliest examples of Greek literature. While descriptions of Gorgons vary, the te ...

s of

Greek mythology A major branch of classical mythology, Greek mythology is the body of myths originally told by the ancient Greeks, and a genre of Ancient Greek folklore. These stories concern the origin and nature of the world, the lives and activities ...

. She got an alter-ego named Amor who is a singer. When

GMA Network GMA Network (Global Media Arts or simply GMA) is a Philippine free-to-air television and radio network. It is the flagship property of publicly traded GMA Network, Inc. Its first broadcast on television was on October 29, 1961. GMA Network (f ...

signed a deal with Mango Comics for adopting their comics into the 2005 TV series ''

Darna Darna () is a Filipina superheroine created by writer Mars Ravelo and artist Nestor Redondo. The character's first appearance was in ''Pilipino Komiks'' (Ace Publications, Inc.) #77 on May 13, 1950. Darna is a retooling of Ravelo's earlier cha ...

'', most of the story from the Mango Comics were incorporated in the TV series including Valentina's backstory. One of the differences from the comics is that Valentina (played by Alessandra de Rossi) and Darna are cousins. Outside comics, Valentina is the most sought-after antagonist in other media including film, television, and theater. Several actresses have taken the role since 1951 when the first ''

Darna Darna () is a Filipina superheroine created by writer Mars Ravelo and artist Nestor Redondo. The character's first appearance was in ''Pilipino Komiks'' (Ace Publications, Inc.) #77 on May 13, 1950. Darna is a retooling of Ravelo's earlier cha ...

'' film was released, in which Cristina Aragon played Valentina.

Celia Rodriguez Cecilia Rodriguez (born June 21, 1938) is a multi-awarded Filipina actress. She appeared in more than 130 movies and television shows. She won four FAMAS Awards in the films ''Kulay Dugo ang Gabi'', ''The Passionate Strangers'', ''Lilet'' and ' ...

's performance as Valentina in the 1973 film ''Lipad, Darna, Lipad'' was considered the best depiction of Valentina. In this film, it was the first that she was given a full name, Dr. Valentina Vrandakapoor. Valentina is not always presented as a villainess. In the 1989 film ''Valentina'' as well as in the television episodes of ''Komiks'' and ''

Wansapanataym ''Wansapanataym'' ( Filipinization of the English phrase "'' once upon a time''") was a Philippine fantasy anthology television series produced and broadcast by ABS-CBN. It airs every Sunday night. The series was aired from June 22, 1997, to Fe ...

'', Valentina is portrayed as a cursed individual but with a good heart and her love interest falls in love with her despite her appearance. In theater plays which were usually presented as ballet musicals, Valentina, although still a villain, is depicted in a comedic or sympathetic way, veering away from her traditional portrayal as a bitter woman.

Publication history

Early years

Valentina's debut in

Philippine comics Comics in the Philippines ( fil, Komiks}) have been widespread and popular throughout the country from the 1920s to the present. Komiks were partially inspired by American mainstream comic strips and comic books during the early 20th century. ...

is in ''Pilipino Komiks'' #78 (1950),Mars Ravelo Marcial "Mars" Ravelo (October 9, 1916 – September 12, 1988) was a Filipino comic book cartoonist and graphic novelist who created ''Darna, Dyesebel, Captain Barbell, Lastikman'', '' Bondying'', ''Varga'', ''Wanted: Perfect Mother'', ''Hiwa ...

Nestor Redondo Nestor P. Redondo (May 4, 1928 – December 30, 1995)Nestor P. Redondo
at the

archenemy In literature, an archenemy (sometimes spelled as arch-enemy) is the main enemy of someone. In fiction, it is a character who is the protagonist's, commonly a hero A hero (feminine: heroine) is a real person or a main fictional cha ...

of

Darna Darna () is a Filipina superheroine created by writer Mars Ravelo and artist Nestor Redondo. The character's first appearance was in ''Pilipino Komiks'' (Ace Publications, Inc.) #77 on May 13, 1950. Darna is a retooling of Ravelo's earlier cha ...

. In creating Valentina, Ravelo drew inspiration from

Medusa In Greek mythology, Medusa (; Ancient Greek: Μέδουσα "guardian, protectress"), also called Gorgo, was one of the three monstrous Gorgons, generally described as winged human females with living venomous snakes in place of hair. Those ...

, a

Gorgon A Gorgon ( /ˈɡɔːrɡən/; plural: Gorgons, Ancient Greek: Γοργών/Γοργώ ''Gorgṓn/Gorgṓ'') is a creature in Greek mythology. Gorgons occur in the earliest examples of Greek literature. While descriptions of Gorgons vary, the te ...

in

Greek mythology A major branch of classical mythology, Greek mythology is the body of myths originally told by the ancient Greeks, and a genre of Ancient Greek folklore. These stories concern the origin and nature of the world, the lives and activities ...

with living venomous snakes in place of hair. Valentina has venomous snakes in her hair, but she does not turn people into stone upon looking into her eyes unlike Medusa. In her first appearance, Valentina was born from human parents named Miguel and Doray. Too many restrictions from her parents led Valentina to kill them with the help of her pet snake Vibora, beginning her journey onto the pathway of evil. Kobra, a creature with a python's body and hag's head, became Valentina's master. Valentina learns to control snakes to do her bidding, making her "goddess of the snakes". After Darna foiled her plan to turn the Earth into a world dominated by reptiles, Valentina commits suicide by jumping into a cliff where the bodies of her parents can be found.

Later years

In the late 1960s, Pablo S. Gomez created a comic novel entitled ''Valentina'' in Universal Komiks that was published by PSG Publication. The main character of the novel, Valentina, is associated with snakes and inspired by Ravelo's Valentina. Due to this comic novel, Valentina became a household name.

The Mango Comics miniseries

In the early 2000s, Mango Comics acquired the rights of Darna. With inputs from the family of Ravelo, in 2003, Mango Comics released a miniseries featuring Darna with Valentina as the main villainess. In this comics series that was written by Boboy Yonzon and illustrated by Ryan Orosco and Gilbert Monsanto, both Darna and Valentina came from the planet called Tiamat. Darna comes from a warrior race named Adarna that uses artificial wings and the comics clearly link the race's origin from the Adarna bird from early Filipino literature while Valentina comes from a rival race that resembles the Nāgas and Gorgons. In this version, Darna's alter-ego, Narda, is depicted as an ordinary college student. On other hand, Valentina is initially presented as a pop singer named Amor comparing her singing prowess to Britney Spears.

Character background

Valentina is a serpent queen with a same likeness to the Gorgon

Medusa In Greek mythology, Medusa (; Ancient Greek: Μέδουσα "guardian, protectress"), also called Gorgo, was one of the three monstrous Gorgons, generally described as winged human females with living venomous snakes in place of hair. Those ...

of the Greek mythology, and with this, she has the ability to control all types of snake as well as communicate with them. One of her defining feature is her venomous snakes on her head that she uses to attack enemies and their bite is lethal just like a

viper The Viperidae (vipers) are a family of snakes found in most parts of the world, except for Antarctica, Australia, Hawaii, Madagascar, and various other isolated islands. They are venomous and have long (relative to non-vipers), hinged fangs tha ...

. As a snake goddess, she has an army of snakes that she uses to execute her plan to destroy humankind. She can also change in different forms. Valentina usually has a pet snake and a mentor who teaches him to control snakes. She is normally depicted as a bitter woman who always seeks revenge. In other depictions, she is jealous with Narda's (Darna's alter ego) love interest and attempts to steal the man that Narda (or Darna) loves.

In other media

Films

1950s to 1970s

Cristina Aragon played the first Valentina role in the film ''Darna'' (1951), the very first film adaptation of ''Darna'' comics series. Twenty-two years later, in 1973, Valentina appeared as a

doctoral degree A doctorate (from Latin ''docere'', "to teach"), doctor's degree (from Latin ''doctor'', "teacher"), or doctoral degree is an academic degree awarded by universities and some other educational institutions, derived from the ancient formalism ''l ...

graduate in Reptilian Zooloogy from University of New Delhi in the film ''Lipad, Darna, Lipad!''. Valentina's full name in this film is Dr. Valentina Vrandakapoor, Ph.D. and she wears a

turban A turban (from Persian دولبند‌, ''dulband''; via Middle French ''turbant'') is a type of headwear based on cloth winding. Featuring many variations, it is worn as customary headwear by people of various cultures. Communities with promin ...

to hide the snakes on her head.

Celia Rodriguez Cecilia Rodriguez (born June 21, 1938) is a multi-awarded Filipina actress. She appeared in more than 130 movies and television shows. She won four FAMAS Awards in the films ''Kulay Dugo ang Gabi'', ''The Passionate Strangers'', ''Lilet'' and ' ...

portrayed Valentina in this film and her depiction of the character, particularly the sequence where twelve real snakes cover her body while in bed, made her one of top actress to play Valentina as well as one of the top villain performers in the Philippines. The snakes on the head of Rodriguez were actually

eels Eels are ray-finned fish belonging to the order Anguilliformes (), which consists of eight suborders, 19 families, 111 genera, and about 800 species. Eels undergo considerable development from the early larval stage to the eventual adult stage ...

(Rodriguez referred to it as water snakes).

1980s to 1990s

In 1989, a film was released by Lea Productions entitled ''Valentina'', where Melissa Perez Rubio played the title role. In this film where Darna did not appear, Valentina is portrayed as a good person who was cursed with snakes on her head and has powers to turn people into stones at will unlike Medusa who makes people into stones through looking at her eyes.

Rey "PJ" Abellana Reynante Hofileña Abellana (; born September 2, 1962), professionally known as Rey "PJ" Abellana, is a Filipino actor who is best known for his portrayal as PJ in the Philippine TV series ''Anna Liza'' in the 1980s. He married Rea Reyes, his co ...

played Ariel, the love interest of Valentina, which was originally intended for

Eric Quizon Enrico "Eric" Smith Quizon (born January 20, 1967) is a Filipino actor, director, producer, writer and comedian. He is the 12th child of the late comedian-actor, Dolphy. He is also a co-owner of Café Famous in Greenbelt, Makati. In late 2022, ...

. In the film 1991 film ''Darna'',

Pilar Pilapil Pilar, Portuguese and Spanish for pillar, may refer to: People * Pilar (given name), a common abbreviation of ''María del Pilar'', including a list of people so named * Pilar (surname), a list of people surnamed Pilar or del Pilar Places Argen ...

portrayed Valentina. The film was criticized as campy and Valentina's look was negatively compared to Jacobim Mugatu of ''

Zoolander ''Zoolander'' is a 2001 American comedy film directed by and starring Ben Stiller. The film contains elements from a pair of short films directed by Russell Bates and written by Drake Sather and Stiller for the '' VH1 Fashion Awards'' television ...

'' while her pet snake Vibora was censured as a downgraded

muppet The Muppets are an American ensemble cast of puppet characters known for an surreal humor, absurdist, burlesque, and self-referential humor, self-referential style of Variety show, variety-sketch comedy. Created by Jim Henson in 1955, they are ...

with bright red lips. In another Darna film in the 1990s, ''Darna: Ang Pagbabalik'' (1994),

Pilita Corrales Pilar Garrido Corrales (born August 22, 1937) is a Filipino pop singer, songwriter, actress, comedian and television presenter. She is dubbed as "Asia's Queen of Songs" and is widely known for her rendition of "Kapantay ay Langit" which eventu ...

played Valentina where she has a daughter named Valentine (portrayed by

Cherie Gil Evangeline Rose Gil Eigenmann (; June 21, 1963 – August 5, 2022), known professionally as Cherie Gil, was a Filipino actress. With a career spanning nearly 50 years, she was dubbed the "''La Primera Contravida''" ("The Prime Villain") for he ...

) who also has snakes on her head.

Future

After ABS-CBN got the film rights for Ravelo's characters in 2013, development of another ''Darna'' film has been in the works since 2014 by ABS-CBN's film production company, Star Cinema, with

Angel Locsin Angelica Locsin Colmenares (born April 23, 1985) is a Filipino actress and humanitarian. She is known for her dramatic roles and portrayals of heroines and mythological characters in film and television. She is a recipient of various accolades ...

reprising her role as Darna, although, full cast was not revealed including the actress who would portray Valentina.

Erik Matti Erik Matti (born December 21, 1970) is a Filipino filmmaker. He is known for directing '' On the Job'' (2013), ''Honor Thy Father'' (2015), '' Seklusyon'' (2016), '' BuyBust'' (2018), and '' On the Job: The Missing 8'' (2021). Matti co-found ...

was the director of the film whose production company

Reality Entertainment Reality Entertainment is a Philippine production company founded and managed by the Filipino filmmaker Erik Matti and his producing partner Dondon Monteverde (son of the film producer Lily Monteverde Lily Yu Monteverde, nicknamed Mother Lil ...

was co-producing the film. In 2015, Angel Locsin left the project due to health reasons. Matti continued working on the project without revealing any details about the cast.

Liza Soberano Hope Elizabeth Soberano( , ; born January 4, 1998), professionally known as Liza Soberano, is a Filipino actress, model and singer. She started in a range of television series and films, including ''Wansapanataym'' (2011), ''Kung Ako'y Iiwan Mo ...

was announced to play Darna in 2017 and no other cast information was given. There were rumors circulating that

Anne Curtis Anne Curtis-Smith(; born 17 February 1985) is a Filipino-Australian actress, model, television host, entrepreneur and recording artist. She is dubbed as the "''Multimedia Superstar''" for her talent and influence. Curtis has received numerou ...

would portray Valentina in Soberano-led ''Darna'' film but she neither confirm or deny it. Other prospects of actresses who would be Valentina emerged including

Venus Raj Maria Venus Bayonito Raj (; ; born July 7, 1988) is an Filipino-Indian actress, model and beauty pageant titleholder who was crowned Binibining Pilipinas Universe 2010. She represented the Philippines at the Miss Universe 2010 pageant and pla ...

,

Iza Calzado Maria Izadora Ussher Calzado-Wintle (born August 12, 1982), known professionally as Iza Calzado (), is a Filipino actress, television host, dancer and model. She is dubbed as the "''Goddess of Horror Films''" by local media for her acting prowe ...

and

Jessy Mendiola Jessy Mendiola-Manzano (born Jessica Mendiola Tawile, ; December 3, 1992) is a Filipino actress. Early life Mendiola was born in Dubai, where her father used to work. She is the second of three siblings of a Filipino mother and a Lebanese f ...

. In August 2018, Matti said that he already had actors for Ding and Valentina but he did not reveal who were them. In the same month he said this, Soberano had a fractured finger and in April 2019 she announced that she is quitting the project because of the injury. ABS-CBN announced in October 2018 that Matti withdrew as director for the ''Darna'' film because of creative differences. A day after the announcement, it was revealed that

Jerrold Tarog Jerrold Viacrucis Tarog (; born May 30, 1977) is a Filipino film director, screenwriter, producer, editor, and composer. He is best known for directing ''Heneral Luna'' (2015), ''Bliss'' (2017), '' Goyo: The Boy General'' (2018), and the upcomin ...

replaced Matti as the new director for the ''Darna'' film. With the departure of Soberano, Jane De Leon was unanimously picked as Darna among the 300 actresses who auditioned for the role. On the other hand, the coveted Valentina role has yet to be disclosed and several actresses expressed their desire to fulfill the role, most notably

Denise Laurel Denise María Sanz Laurel (born September 30, 1987), better known as Denise Laurel, is a Filipino actress and singer. She is half-Spanish and half-Filipino. She is a granddaughter of former vice president Salvador Laurel and great-granddaughte ...

. In addition to the other actresses who were rumored to be Valentina, it was speculated that the following actresses would be Valentina:

Sarah Lahbati Sarah Lahbati (born 9 October 1993) is a Swiss-born Filipino actress and reality star. She gained media attention as a finalist on the 5th season of reality show '' StarStruck'', a Philippine overall talent show broadcast on GMA Network. La ...

,

Dimples Romana Dianne Marie Bonifacio Romana-Ahmee (born November 13, 1976) or better known as Dimples Romana is a Filipino actress. Career Romana finished at International Hospitality Management Major in Culinary Arts at Enderun College after she finished h ...

and

Maricar Reyes Maricar Reyes-Poon (born Maricar Concepcion Pozon Reyes; June 20, 1981), is a Filipino actress. Early life Reyes was born in Cagayan de Oro City, Philippines. She graduated high school from St. Bridget's School in Quezon City. She finished he ...

.

Television shows

''Darna'' (2005 TV series)

The very first appearance of Valentina in television is in the 2005 television series ''Darna'' by

GMA Network GMA Network (Global Media Arts or simply GMA) is a Philippine free-to-air television and radio network. It is the flagship property of publicly traded GMA Network, Inc. Its first broadcast on television was on October 29, 1961. GMA Network (f ...

where Alessandra de Rossi played Valentina while

Angel Locsin Angelica Locsin Colmenares (born April 23, 1985) is a Filipino actress and humanitarian. She is known for her dramatic roles and portrayals of heroines and mythological characters in film and television. She is a recipient of various accolades ...

portrayed Darna, which was first offered to

Iza Calzado Maria Izadora Ussher Calzado-Wintle (born August 12, 1982), known professionally as Iza Calzado (), is a Filipino actress, television host, dancer and model. She is dubbed as the "''Goddess of Horror Films''" by local media for her acting prowe ...

. About more than a decade later, Calzado was also considered to play Valentina in another Darna film. On the other hand, de Rossi had qualms in accepting the Valentina due to her

fear of snakes Ophidiophobia (or ophiophobia) is a particular type of specific phobia, the irrational fear of snakes. It is sometimes called by a more general term, herpetophobia, fear of reptiles. The word comes from the Greek words "ophis" (), snake, and "phobi ...

but she was persuaded by the production team to take the role. She initially does not have snakes on her head but eventually had them on her final form. The series pilot which was aired on April 11, 2005, posted a 47.1% rating according to AGB Nielsen and the pilot episode was one of the highest rated in Philippine television. Most of the plot and story elements of the 2005 ''Darna'' television series were lifted from the 2003 ''Darna'' comics miniseries published by Mango Comics since GMA Network inked a licensing deal with Mango Comics to adapt their comics version into television. In this adaptation, Narda and Valentina are cousins, but in the latter, they found out that they are twins. Efren (played by

Dennis Trillo Abelardo Dennis Florencio Ho (born 12 May 1981), known professionally as Dennis Trillo (), is a Filipino actor, model and recording artist. He is currently a contract star of GMA Network. He was known for his role as Eric del Mundo in the firs ...

) is both the love interest of Valentina and Narda; Valentina will do anything to get him. Valentina changed to Ava (played by

Nadine Samonte Nadine Burgos Eidloth-Chua (born March 2, 1988), known by her stage name Nadine Samonte, is a Filipino-German actress and model. She participated as an Avenger of the first season of '' StarStruck''. Career Samonte first ventured into show bu ...

) in order for her to get Efren. Valentina was the Anomalkan who will kill the Queen of Anomalka, Braguda, according to the prophecy.

''Darna'' (2009 TV series)

GMA Network rebooted the ''Darna'' series once again in 2009 with

Marian Rivera Marian Rivera Gracia-Dantes (; born 12 August 1984) is a Filipino recording artist, actress, and commercial model. She gained prominence as a widely-acclaimed actress for her roles in '' MariMar'', ''Dyesebel'', '' Amaya'', '' Darna'' and '' T ...

as Darna/Narda and

Iwa Moto Aileen Quimado Iwamoto (born August 29, 1988), known by her stage name , is a Japanese–Filipino actress, model and reality television personality. She is the first runner up in the third season of '' StarStruck'', a reality-based talent se ...

as Valentina. Moto was initially set to play the villain Babaeng Linta but it was changed and she got the role of Valentina.

Katrina Halili Maria Katrina Iren Pe Halili (born January 4, 1986) is a Filipino actress and commercial model of Chinese descent. She made her screen debut through the reality talent search '' StarStruck'' in 2003, and became more popular playing several rol ...

was considered to play Valentina but she ended up with another villain, Serpina, the half-sister of Valentina. Although, it turned out that Serpina is actually Valentina. Halili also played a villain in the first ''Darna'' TV series in 2005 as the

Black Darna Black Darna is one of Darna's archenemies in the Darna (2005 TV Series). Katrina Halili played the role. Her costume was similar to Darna's trademark red and gold but in all black and gold. Halili played another Darna villain, Serpina ( Valentina ...

. Moto's Valentina used to be the childhood friend of Narda and Eduardo (the love interest of Narda played by

Mark Anthony Fernandez Mark Anthony Lacsamana Fernandez (born January 18, 1979) is a Filipino actor. He is the son of actor Rudy Fernandez and actress-politician Alma Moreno. Career He first rose to prominence when he was once a former member of one of the famous ...

) until she becomes evil and the enemy of Darna; because of the serpents on her hair, she grew up as an outcast longing for love from her mother as well as Eduardo. Iwa Moto at Estrella's Home Clinic, April 2010

Iwa Moto at Estrella's Home Clinic, April 2010

Valentina's powers in the 2009 ''Darna'' TV series played by Moto are superhuman strength, stamina, reflexes and the usual power in the comics, which is the control of snakes through a psychic bond. In addition, she has the ability to heal herself and can heal people who are sick as well as get rid of poisons or toxins from any person. Although, when her heart is injured, she cannot heal it. Valentina can also telepathically link herself to her half-sister, Serpina. Her superhuman strength can uproot trees and can match Darna's strength. In this series, Kobra (played by

Paolo Contis Paolo Enrico Tusi Contis (born March 14, 1984) is a Filipino actor host singer and comedian of Italian descent. Contis debuted as a child actor in the ABS-CBN show '' Ang TV'' during the 1990s. A GMA Network artist for 17 years, he has won s ...

) who is originally a female character in the comics is Valentina's father while her mother is an ordinary human named Consuelo (played by Janice de Belen).

''Darna'' (2022 TV series)

Janella Salvador Janella Maxine Desiderio Salvador (; born March 30, 1998) is a Filipino actress and singer. Debuting in the hit morning drama ''Be Careful with My Heart'' (2012–2014), she followed with leading roles in ''Oh My G!'' (2015), Jun Lana's '' Haun ...

starred as Regina Vanguardia/Valentina in ABS-CBN'S take on Mars Ravelo's Darna. Regina is depicted as a prolific lawyer and

influencer An Internet celebrity (also known as a social media influencer, social media personality, internet personality, or simply influencer) is a celebrity who has acquired or developed their fame and notability through the Internet. The rise of social m ...

with a soft spot for the underprivileged and the downtrodden but a monster hidden behind her strong façade. Her superpowers as the ''Serpent Queen'', given to her by a green, crystal-like extra-terrestrial mineral called "Chrysalis", includes: enhanced regenerative healing factor (enabling her to recuperate, even from harm inflicted by Darna, rapidly overnight), flexibility and night vision. She also has five specific snakes among others that grows and extends to great sizes, which she uses for multiple purposes ranging from snaring her prey to reaching or traveling across fair distances. They are named Varda, Corra, Berlie, Mhokie and Shontong.

Other television shows

Jodi Sta. Maria starred as Valentina in an episode of ABS-CBN's ''Komiks'' television series in 2006 entitled "Komiks Presents: Valentina." The episode is an origin story and Valentina is presented as a good person like in the 1989 film ''Valentina''. Another ABS-CBN television series, ''

Wansapanataym ''Wansapanataym'' ( Filipinization of the English phrase "'' once upon a time''") was a Philippine fantasy anthology television series produced and broadcast by ABS-CBN. It airs every Sunday night. The series was aired from June 22, 1997, to Fe ...

'', features Valentina again in one of its episode in 2010.

Melissa Ricks Melissa Marie Ricks-Macatangay (born January 9, 1990) is a Filipino actress of American descent. She was a runner-up in the reality talent search ''Star Circle Quest'' on ABS-CBN. Background Career In 2004, Ricks joined the reality talent sear ...

got the role to play Valentina in this ''Wansapanataym'' episode and the story is also similar to the ''Komiks'' episode and the ''Valentina'' film where Valentina is presented as a cursed individual but with a good heart.

Theater

''Pilipino Komiks''

Before the ''Darna'' comics characters were adapted into the television medium, they had already appeared first in theater in 1993 where ballerina Lisa Macuja played Darna and Melanie Motus played Valentina in the musical stage play entitled ''Pilipino Komiks''. This ballet stage production was presented by Philippine Ballet Theatre and featured characters made by Mars Ravelo in a comedic way. Almost a quarter a century later in 2017, this play that was first choreographed by Gener Caringal was re-staged again by Philippine Ballet Theatre and co-presented by Filipino Heritage Festival,

National Commission for Culture and the Arts The National Commission for Culture and the Arts of the Philippines ( fil, Pambansang Komisyon para sa Kultura at mga Sining, ceb, Nasodnong Komisyon alang sa Budaya ug mga Arte) is the official government agency for culture in the Philippines. ...

, AB Leisure and

Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR, ) is a government-owned and controlled corporation established through the ''Presidential Decree 1869''. PAGCOR is the Philippines' largest contributor of revenue to the government after the ...

. In this re-staging of ''Pilipino Komiks'', Regine Magbitang played Darna while Loby Pimentel played Valentina. Both plays were performed in the

Cultural Center of the Philippines The Cultural Center of the Philippines ( fil, Sentrong Pangkultura ng Pilipinas, or CCP) is a government-owned and controlled corporation established to preserve, develop and promote arts and culture in the Philippines.Presidential Decree No. ...

; the second play additionally performed in

Negros Negros is the fourth largest and third most populous island in the Philippines, with a total land area of . Negros is one of the many islands of the Visayas, in the central part of the country. The predominant inhabitants of the island region a ...

, Philippines.

Other stage plays

Another ballet stage play was produced in August 2003 by

Ballet Philippines Ballet Philippines (BP) is a ballet company in the Philippines founded in 1969 by Alice Reyes with the support of Eddie Elejar and the Cultural Center of the Philippines. Proficient in both ballet and modern dance,Jacinto, J. 2007. The Ballet Com ...

and presented at the Cultural Center of the Philippines. In this theater version, entitled ''Darna'', Christine Crame and Kris-Belle Paclibar alternately danced and played the part of Darna while Valentina who sings was portrayed by

Chin-Chin Gutierrez Carminia Lourdes Cynthia Arnaldo Gutierrez (born November 22, 1969), better known as Chin-Chin Gutierrez, is a Filipina actress and environmentalist. Gutierrez starred in a number of films during the 1990s, among them are '' Maalaala Mo Kaya: ...

and Tex Ordoñez alternating between the schedule of the stage plays. This production is equally focused on both Darna and Valentina. With choreographic influences from American films such ''

The Matrix ''The Matrix'' is a 1999 science fiction action film written and directed by the Wachowskis. It is the first installment in ''The Matrix'' film series, starring Keanu Reeves, Laurence Fishburne, Carrie-Anne Moss, Hugo Weaving, and Joe Pantolia ...

'' and ''Crouching Tiger,'' ''Hidden Dragon'', the theater play was directed by Chris Millado and choreographed by Denisa Reyes and Alden Lugnasin. In May 2018, ''Ding, Ang Bato!'' that was presented by the Arts and Culture Cluster and the Dance Program of the School of Design and Arts of the

De La Salle–College of Saint Benilde De La Salle–College of Saint Benilde (Filipino: ''Dalubhasaan ng De La Salle San Benildo;'' French:'' Collège De La Salle de Sainte Benilde''), also known as Benilde and abbreviated DLS–CSB or simply CSB, is a private, Catholic research c ...

was a dance musical theatre that once more featured Darna and Valentina. Staged at School of Design and Arts Theater at De La Salle College of St. Benilde and directed also by Chris Millardo, the story is presented at the point-of-view of Ding (played alternately by Carlos Serrano, Juner Quiambao and John Peñaranda), the younger brother of Narda, who is born deaf in this version. Christine Crame reprised her role as Darna while role of Valentina went to Natasha Cabrera. In this version, Valentina is a sympathetic character and has an alter-ego named Tina that was played by Lea Roque.

Powers and abilities

* Superhuman Strength — Valentina is capable of lifting from massive

debris Debris (, ) is rubble, wreckage, ruins, litter and discarded garbage/refuse/trash, scattered remains of something destroyed, or, as in geology, large rock fragments left by a melting glacier, etc. Depending on context, ''debris'' can refer to ...

, land

vehicles A vehicle (from la, vehiculum) is a machine that transports people or cargo. Vehicles include wagons, bicycles, motor vehicles (motorcycles, cars, trucks, buses, mobility scooters for disabled people), railed vehicles (trains, trams), ...

and is able to lift massive

boulders In geology, a boulder (or rarely bowlder) is a rock fragment with size greater than in diameter. Smaller pieces are called cobbles and pebbles. While a boulder may be small enough to move or roll manually, others are extremely massive. In c ...

, allowing her to overpower opponents with peak human strength; she is seen capable of becoming stronger over time, able to land blows that could stagger the mighty Darna, who at one point visibly struggled just to keep Valentina pinned down. * Enhanced Flexibility/Agility — Valentina can also bend and twist her body at will, far beyond the natural limits of a human being. * Night Vision — Valentina is capable of seeing well in utter darkness; unsurprising, since many species of snakes are nocturnal predators. * Life-force Absorption — Valentina can absorb vitality and health to further enhance her powers and abilities, resulting her opponent/victim to experience extended drain and in worst cases, death. * Invulnerability — Valentina is nearly immune to all man-made weapons. She also has a high level of survivability during intense battle even against the likes of Darna. * Shapeshifting — In some versions, Valentina has the ability to copy the physical attributes of anyone at will, or shift from her human form to that of Valentina, and then back, at will. She uses this to trick her enemy. * Enhanced Regenerative Healing Factor — Valentina can rapidly heal and get restored to her optimal state at an extremely fast rate. This also allows her to withstand explosions and physical attacks from her enemies. * Snake Psychic Bond — Valentina also has the ability to control, talk and command different kinds of snakes. * Snake Trendrils — Valentina also has large snakes that grows into great sizes that smother her victims to death or swallow them whole. She also uses these snakes to climb walls and move from one place to another.

Actresses who played Valentina

The following table lists all the actresses who portrayed Valentina as the main character as well as her alter-ego. It does not include actresses who portrayed Valentina as a result of possession or reincarnation. That information is available in the "Notes" section. Jodi Sta

Collected editions

References

{{Authority control Comics characters introduced in 1947 Comics characters with accelerated healing Comics characters with superhuman strength Comics supervillains Darna Extraterrestrial supervillains Female supervillains Fictional characters with healing abilities Fictional Filipino people Fictional goddesses Fictional mass murderers

Publication history

Early years

Later years

The Mango Comics miniseries

Character background

In other media

Films

1950s to 1970s

1980s to 1990s

Future

Television shows

''Darna'' (2005 TV series)

''Darna'' (2009 TV series)

''Darna'' (2022 TV series)

Other television shows

Theater

''Pilipino Komiks''

Other stage plays

Powers and abilities

Actresses who played Valentina

Collected editions

See also

References