Darna (Tagalog pronunciation: [ˈdaɾnɐ]) is a superhero appearing in Filipino comic books created by writer Mars Ravelo and artist Nestor Redondo.

[4] Darna's origin story from the Golden Age relates that she was an extraterrestrial warrior from the planet Marte sent to Earth to fight against common criminals and greater forces of darkness, most famously her archenemy, Valentina.

[11] The concept and image of the character was based on the illustrations of Superman appearing on comic books brought by soldiers from the United States to the Philippines.

[17][18][19][20][21][22] The story of Darna begins with a village girl named Narda who lives in the provincial town of Masambong with her brother Ding.

Regardless of its many incarnations, the story of Darna begins with a village girl named Narda who finds a small white stone, a tiny meteorite from outer space.

[34] Chino Toledo's music, Gener Caringal's choreography, Arturo' set and costume designs, and lighting by Eric Cruz brought comics to life on the stage.

After 24 years, this dance story of the battle between good and evil that was first choreographed by former PBT director Gener Caringal was re-staged again on May 14, 2017, by Philippine Ballet Theatre and co-presented by Filipino Heritage Festival, National Commission for Culture and the Arts, AB Leisure and Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR) in celebration of Heritage Month.

[40] Staged at School of Design and Arts (SDA) Theater at De La Salle College of St. Benilde on Pablo Ocampo St. and directed also by Chris Millardo,[41] the story is told from 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 and accompanies Darna in the journey of empowerment.

[45] In this dance musical redux of "Darna", the quintessential Filipina super heroine grapples with the irascible serpent queen Valentina who used to be her childhood friend.

Darna's encounter with Valentina flung the two friends, now arch-enemies, into fantastic realms of urban dystopia that make them confront their brightest and darkest selves.

In fact, the whole production used sign language and spoken dialog without the necessity of an interpreter so that both hearing and deaf audiences could experience the narrative.

[49] In 2011, comic book creators Gerry Alanguilan and Arnold Arre partnered to write a 9-page concept webcomic called Darna Lives!

Commenting on the work in a Philippine Daily Inquirer interview, Alanguilan explained his motivations for coming out with the story:[50]"I think Arnold and I were able to show that Darna, as a character, can stand to be interpreted differently to allow her to remain appealing and relevant to a new audience.

'Di mage-gets ng masa yan' ('The masses won't understand that') is a stupid, cowardly statement that ensures nothing but stagnancy.

"[50]Darna faces a variety of foes ranging from common criminals to outlandish supervillains, often having tragic origin stories that lead them to a life of crime and evil.

But in the 2009 TV series, Babaeng Lawin (Armida the Robotic Hawk Woman), played by Ehra Madrigal, has enhanced strength, endurance, durability, speed and healing after being experimented on.

Roma who was born to a prominent family appears like a normal human with an angelic face and a sweet demeanor but her back is grotesquely humped.

Octavia used her newfound abilities to wreak vengeance upon the men that molested her, one of which was Adolfo Sandejas, Pancho's (played by Dennis Trillo) grandfather.

Regine Velasquez, who previously had a cameo as Darna in the 2003 film Captain Barbell, played Elektra (Reyna ng mga Amasona) in the 2009 TV series.

In Darna and the Giants (1973), the Planet Women were played by Lorelei, Elizabeth Vaughn, Karina Zawalski, Anita Lincoln, Cristy Soriano and Lorna Locsin.

There were also Planet Men in the film who were played by Ricky Valencia, Karlo Vero, Dave Esguerra, Robert Miller, and Greg Lozano (uncredited).

He holds the third stone and assumes a human disguise as Oni Basilisk, the head of the weapons manufacturing firm Kran Industries.

Braguda, the Queen of Darkness and ruler of the Anomalkas (Planet Marte's evil underground dwelling race), is the main villain of the 2005 TV series.

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.

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 like a stake is driven through their hearts.

Manananggal is a female body separated and grows a giant bat wings on back and teeth grown a fang and pregnant women will eat the fetus' heart.

He impregnated Roma ang Babaeng Impakta to bear him more of his serpentine race after seeing her in his cave and for the purpose of having an heir that will be more faithful to him than his other daughter, Valentina.

Babaeng Gagamba (Secretary Rizza Miranda at the Hospicio residence) Jackie Rice played Helga Demonyita, a powerful witch who preys on innocent children, in the 2009 TV series.

vinyl figurine was first announced on the second day of ToyCon 2019 on June 29, 2019, at the SMX Convention Center in Pasay in a panel celebrating Darna's 70th anniversary.

[62] The Funko Darna launch comes nearly a month after Jane De Leon was announced as the lead for Star Cinema's movie on the superhero.