Valentina is a

supervillain A supervillain, supervillainess or supercriminal is a major antagonist and variant of the villainous stock character who possesses Superpower (ability), superpowers. The character type is sometimes found in comic books and is often the primary ...

appearing in Philippine comic books, created by

Mars Ravelo Marcial "Mars" Custodio Ravelo (October 9, 1916 – September 12, 1988) was a Filipino people, Filipino comic book cartoonist and graphic novelist. Dubbed as the "''King of Pinoy Komiks''", he is notable for creating ''Darna, Dyesebel, Captain ...

and

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

eponymous Greek mythological figure, she first appeared in Pilipino Komiks (issue #78, 1950) and was the first adversary of the superhero

Darna Darna () is a superhero appearing in Philippine comics, Filipino comic books created by writer Mars Ravelo and artist Nestor Redondo. The character was introduced during the Golden Age of Comic Books, debuting in ''Pilipino Komiks'' #77 on May ...

. Referred to as the "Goddess of Snakes", she has command over all kinds of serpents and has venomous snakes in her head instead of hair. She has been featured significantly as Darna's

archenemy In literature, an archenemy, (sometimes spelled as arch-enemy) or nemesis is the main enemy of the protagonist — or sometimes, one of the other main characters — appearing as the most prominent and most-known enemy of the hero. Etymolog ...

in many adaptations of her stories in other media. Born in a rural scene, Valentina's origin story relates that she is the daughter of mortals Miguel and Doray. She was feared and hated by the town folks and the only man she ever loved, Edwardo, for her appearance. With the influence of the serpent creature Kobra, this drove her to become evil, murdered her parents and soon planned to destroy humankind by turning the world into a haven of reptiles. The character has changed in depiction over the decades. In Mango Comics' 2003 three-part issue, she was depicted as an extraterrestrial from the planet Tiamat disguised as her mortal alter-ego Amor. A

pop culture icon A pop icon is a celebrity, character, or object whose exposure in popular culture is regarded as constituting a defining characteristic of a given society or era. The usage of the term is largely subjective since there are no definitively object ...

, Valentina is often described as the most recognizable female supervillain in the Philippines.

Publication history

Early years

Valentina's debut in

Philippine comics Philippine Comics () have been popular throughout Philippines, the nation from the 1920s to the present. Comics studies, Comics scholar John A. Lent posited that the Philippine comics tradition has "the strongest audience appeal, best-known ca ...

is in ''Pilipino Komiks'' #78 (1950), which is the second episode of the comics serial ''Darna'' by

and

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

. In creating Valentina, Ravelo drew inspiration from

Medusa In Greek mythology, Medusa (; ), also called Gorgo () or the Gorgon, was one of the three Gorgons. Medusa is generally described as a woman with living snakes in place of hair; her appearance was so hideous that anyone who looked upon her wa ...

, a

Gorgon The Gorgons ( ; ), in Greek mythology, are three monstrous sisters, Stheno, Euryale, and Medusa, said to be the daughters of Phorcys and Ceto. They lived near their sisters the Graeae, and were able to turn anyone who looked at them to sto ...

Greek mythology Greek mythology is the body of myths originally told by the Ancient Greece, ancient Greeks, and a genre of ancient Greek folklore, today absorbed alongside Roman mythology into the broader designation of classical mythology. These stories conc ...

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 Pablo S. Gomez (January 25, 1929 – December 26, 2010), was one of the top Philippine comics, komiks writers in the Philippines. He was also a screenwriter and director. His most popular works include Kurdapya and Petrang Kabayo among others. Ea ...

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 ''Ibong Adarna'', also known as ''The Adarna Bird'', is an early 19th century Filipino epic poem that centers around a magical bird of the same name. During the Spanish era, the longer form of the story's title was '' ("Corrido and Life Lived by ...

from early

Filipino literature Philippine literature is literature associated with the Philippines from prehistory, through its colonial legacies, and on to the present. Characteristics According to journalist Nena Jimenez, the most common and consistent element of Philipp ...

while Valentina comes from a rival race that resembles the

Nāga In various Asian religious traditions, the Nāgas () are a divine, or semi-divine, race of half-human, half-serpent beings that reside in the netherworld (Patala), and can occasionally take human or part-human form, or are so depicted in art. ...

s 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 Britney Jean Spears (born December 2, 1981) is an American singer. Often referred to as the "Princess of Pop", she has sold over 150 million records worldwide, making her one of the world's best-selling music artists. Cultural impact of Brit ...

Character background

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

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 Vipers are snakes in the family Viperidae, found in most parts of the world, except for Antarctica, Australia, Hawaii, Madagascar, New Zealand, Ireland, and various other isolated islands. They are venomous and have long (relative to non-vipe ...

. 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 ''doctor'', meaning "teacher") or doctoral degree is a postgraduate academic degree awarded by universities and some other educational institutions, derived from the ancient formalism '' licentia docendi'' ("licence to teach ...

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 language, Persian دولبند‌, ''dolband''; 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. Commun ...

to hide the snakes on her head.

Celia Rodriguez Cecilia Rodriguez (March 17, 1938) is a Filipino actress. She has since been referred to as "The Original Glamorous Movie Star" for her acting prowess and longevity. She appeared in more than 130 movies and television shows. She won four FA ...

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

eel Eels are ray-finned fish belonging to the order Anguilliformes (), which consists of eight suborders, 20 families, 164 genera, and about 1000 species. Eels undergo considerable development from the early larval stage to the eventual adult stage ...

s (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. Abellana appeared in films ...

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 10th 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 Delilah Veloso Pilapil-Penas (born October 12, 1950) is a Filipino actress and beauty pageant titleholder. She was crowned as Binibining Pilipinas Universe 1967. She represented the Philippines at the Miss Universe 1967 pageant but was ...

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'' televisi ...

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

muppet The Muppets are an American ensemble cast of puppet characters known for an absurdist, slapstick, burlesque, and self-referential style of musical variety-sketch comedy. Created by Jim Henson in 1955, the eponymous media franchise encompasse ...

with bright red lips. In another Darna film in the 1990s, ''

Mars Ravelo's Darna! Ang Pagbabalik ''Mars Ravelo's Darna! Ang Pagbabalik'' (), or simply ''Darna! Ang Pagbabalik'', is a 1994 Filipino superhero film based on the Pilipino Komiks character Darna. Directed by Peque Gallaga and Lore Reyes from a screenplay by playwright Floy Quinto ...

'' (1994),

Pilita Corrales Pilar Garrido Corrales (August 22, 1937 – April 12, 2025), better known as Pilita Corrales, was a Filipino singer, actress and comedian. She was known for her distinctive backbend when singing and was popularly referred to as the "Greatest s ...

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") " ( ...

) 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 ABS-CBN Film Productions, Inc., trade name, doing business as Star Cinema and also known as ABS-CBN Films (since 2018), is a Philippines, Philippine film studio, film, television production company, production and distribution (marketing), di ...

, 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 accolad ...

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 film), On the Job'' (2013), ''Honor Thy Father (film), Honor Thy Father'' (2015), ''Seklusyon'' (2016), ''BuyBust'' (2018), and ''On the Jo ...

was the director of the film whose production company

Reality Entertainment Reality MM Studios (formerly known as Reality Entertainment) is a Philippine film production company based in Makati. It was founded on December 25, 2005 and managed by the Filipino filmmaker Erik Matti and his producing partner Dondon Montever ...

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

Liza Soberano Hope Elizabeth Soberano (born January 4, 1998) is an American and Filipino actress. Known for playing supporting characters in comedies and dramas as a teenager, she has since expanded her repertoire to leading roles in film and television. She ...

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 an Australian-born Filipino actress, television host, entrepreneur and model. Known for her versatile work in film and television productions, she is one of the most successful and highest-paid Fi ...

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-Orillan (; ; born July 7, 1988) is a Filipino actress, model, and beauty pageant titleholder who was crowned Binibining Pilipinas Universe 2010. She represented the Philippines at the Miss Universe 2010 pageant and pl ...

Iza Calzado Maria Izadora Ussher Calzado-Wintle (born August 12, 1982) is a Filipino actress. Known for her roles in blockbusters and independent films, particularly drama, psychological thriller and horror, she has received a selection of accolades, in ...

and

Jessy Mendiola Jessica Mendiola Tawile-Manzano, known by her screen name Jessy Mendiola (, born December 3, 1992), is a Filipino actress. She first appeared in TV commercials and ventured acting at age 13, portraying minor roles in several soap operas. In ...

. 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 Filipinos, Filipino film director, screenwriter, producer, editor, and composer. He is best known for directing ''Heneral Luna'' (2015), ''Bliss (2017 film), Bliss'' (2017) and ''Goyo: The Boy ...

replaced Matti as the new director for the ''Darna'' film. With the departure of Soberano,

Jane De Leon Jane Florence Benitez de Leon (born November 22, 1998) is a Filipino actress, commercial model and philanthropist. She began her acting career after signing up with Star Magic in 2015. She initially played minor roles in films, made several ap ...

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) is a Filipino actress and singer. She is of Filipino and Spanish descent. She is a granddaughter of former Philippines vice president Salvador Laurel and great-granddaughter of former preside ...

. 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 Filipino actress. She gained media attention as a finalist on the 5th season of reality show '' StarStruck'', a Philippine overall talent show broadcast on GMA Network. Lahbati declared StarStruck V's ...

Dimples Romana Dianne Marie Romana Ahmee (born November 13, 1984) known professionally as Dimples Romana, is a Filipino actress. Noted for her acclaimed performances in film and television, she made her first screen appearance through the series '' Esperanza'' ...

and

Maricar Reyes Maricar Reyes-Poon (born Maricar Concepcion Pozon Reyes; June 20, 1981) is a Filipino actress, singer, songwriter, model and entrepreneur. Early life She graduated high school from St. Bridget's School in Quezon City. She finished her Bachel ...

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 (an acronym of its legal name, Global Media Arts and commonly known as GMA) is a Television in the Philippines, Philippine commercial broadcast network, serving as the flagship property of publicly traded GMA Network (company), ...

where

Alessandra de Rossi Alessandra de Rossi (born Alessandra Tiotangco Schiavone on July 19, 1984) is a Filipino actress and writer. Known for her dramatic and comedic performances in independent film and television, she made her screen debut in the comedy series ''! ...

played Valentina while

portrayed Darna, which was first offered to

. 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 fear of snakes. It is sometimes called by the more general term herpetophobia, fear of reptiles. The word comes from the Greek words "ophis" (), snake, and "phobia" () meaning fear. Research About one-th ...

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 May 12, 1981), known professionally as Dennis Trillo (), is a Filipino actor. He is known for his role as Eric del Mundo in the first ever gay-themed series on Philippine TV, '' My Husband's Lover'', Juan C ...

) 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 professionally as Nadine Samonte, is a Filipino actress. She participated as an Avenger of the first season of '' StarStruck''. Career She received the "Most Promising Actress" award fr ...

) 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 Gràcia-Dantes (; born 12 August 1984) is a Filipinos, Filipino actress, television host, model and entrepreneur. She is known for her portrayals of Hero, heroines and roles in Romance film, romantic dramas. Her accolades includ ...

as Darna/Narda and

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

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. She began her career after finishing as a finalist on the reality talent search '' StarStruck'' (2003). She was the first Filipina to be named by '' FHM Philippines'' as ...

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. 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 Fernandez first rose to prominence when he was once a former member of one of the ...

) 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. 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 20 years, he has won ...

) 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 Catherine Janice Yap de Belen (born November 9, 1968), better known as Janice de Belen (), is a Filipino actress. She is dubbed as the "Queen of Horror-Drama" in the Philippines for her acting and portrayals in both Filipino drama and horror ...

''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 lead roles in '' Oh My G!'' (2015), '' Born for You'' ...

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

lawyer A lawyer is a person who is qualified to offer advice about the law, draft legal documents, or represent individuals in legal matters. The exact nature of a lawyer's work varies depending on the legal jurisdiction and the legal system, as w ...

and

influencer A social media influencer, or simply influencer (also known as an online influencer), is a person who builds a grassroots online presence through engaging content such as photos, videos, and updates. This is done by using direct audience intera ...

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. This depiction is also a capable martial artist, and very limber that she is able to easily restrain her targets using body-to-body grappling moves and has even, on more than one occasion, subjected Darna herself into submission moves that the latter could not quickly escape from.

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''"), also known as ''Wansapanataym Presents'', is a Philippine television drama fantasy anthology series broadcast by ABS-CBN. It aired from June 22, 1997 to February ...

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

Melissa Ricks Melissa Marie Ricks-Macatangay (born January 9, 1990) is a Filipino actress. She was a runner-up in the reality talent search ''Star Circle Quest'' on ABS-CBN. Background Melissa Marie Ricks was born on January 9, 1990 to Kelly Ricks and Josie ...

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 Lisa or LISA may refer to: People People with the mononym * Lisa (Japanese musician, born 1974), stylized "LISA" * Lisa, stagename of Japanese singer Lisa Komine (born 1978) * Lisa (South Korean singer) (born 1980) * Lisa (Japanese musician, b ...

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 The Philippine Ballet Theatre is a classical ballet company in the Philippines. The Philippine Ballet Theatre was founded in 1987 out of an alliance of leading dance groups. It quickly won recognition, as a resident ballet company of the Cultural C ...

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 (NCCA; , ) is the official government agency for culture in the Philippines. It is the overall policy making body, coordinating, and grants giving agency for the preservation, d ...

, AB Leisure and

Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR; ) is a government-owned and controlled corporation established in 1977 through the Presidential Decree No. 1869. PAGCOR is the Philippines' largest contributor of revenue to the government a ...

. 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 (CCP; ) is a government-owned and controlled corporation (GOCC) established to preserve, develop and promote Arts in the Philippines, arts and Culture of the Philippines, culture in the Philippines.Presid ...

; 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 . The coastal zone of the southern part of Negros is identified as a site of highest marine biodiversity importance in the Coral Tr ...

, 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 Comp ...

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, 1971), 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: T ...

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 film, science fiction action film written and directed by the Wachowskis. It is the first installment in the The Matrix (franchise), ''Matrix'' film series, starring Keanu Reeves, Laurence Fishburne, Ca ...

'' 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 The De La Salle–College of Saint Benilde (; ), also known as DLS-CSB or Benilde, is a private, Catholic secondary and tertiary education institution established by the De La Salle Brothers, located in the Malate district of Manila, Philippin ...

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 waste, 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 ref ...

, land

vehicle A vehicle () is a machine designed for self-propulsion, usually to transport people, cargo, or both. The term "vehicle" typically refers to land vehicles such as human-powered land vehicle, human-powered vehicles (e.g. bicycles, tricycles, velo ...

s and is able to lift massive

boulder 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 ...

s, 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 — In the 2022 version, 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 the 2005 version, 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 — In the 2022 version, 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 — In the 2022 version, Valentina also has the ability to control, talk and command different kinds of snakes. * Snake Trendrils — In the 2022 version, 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.

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 superhuman healers Fictional Filipino people Fictional goddesses Fictional mass murderers Female characters in comics Comics about women Comics about snakes