Captain Barbell
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Captain Barbell is a fictional superhero created by Filipino comics creator Mars Ravelo.
Captain Barbell appears to have debuted in comics format — certainly the first appearances were in Pinoy Komiks Magasin in 1963. He also appeared in Kampeon Komiks (Champion Comics).
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[edit] Overview
Regardless of its many incarnations, the story of Captain Barbell begins with a skinny boy named Teng/Tengteng/Enteng/Ting-Ting. Tengteng/Enteng/Ting-Ting would lift the barbell and shouts "Captain Barbell!" which would transform him into an incredibly strong superhero.
[edit] History
[edit] Early years
Captain Barbell is another creation of Mars Ravelo, suited for the masculine readers of his comics. Captain Barbell first appeared in Pinoy Komiks in 1963, and was superbly illustrated by Jim Fernandez. Like Darna, Captain Barbell also had an alter-ego named "Tenteng," who is socially disavantaged, (i.e., poor, and not very good looking). In the beginning issues of the comics series, we see Tenteng being maligned by people above his social class, rejected by the woman he loves because he was ugly.
In a society in which the poor outnumbers the rich, Captain Barbell struck a chord among the Filipino comics readers. Finally, here is a superhero whom they can identify with. Someone whose kindness at heart had blessed him with a superpower, the superior strength and the ability to fly, to help those who are poor and dowtrodden.
The original Captain Barbell design had him shirtless because:
- During the more whimsical comics age in the Philippines in 1963, Mars Ravelo based the good Captain's look on circus strongmen, but with the addition of a mask.
- Since the original Enteng's look was a really super-skinny guy in a tank top (emphasizing his bony features), it was decided that Captain Barbell's "Shirtless Circus Strongman look" could provide a much more dramatic contrast to his mortal persona."
[edit] Later years
The movie versions of Captain Barbell had to be redesigned from the comic's original because they were not as muscle-bound as the comics version and were not bodybuilders but actors. That is why they have the yellow top and now carry the "CB" symbol on their chest as opposed to the beltbuckle logo-and-shirtless-look of 1963.
[edit] Other media
[edit] In films
Captain Barbell has made several excursions onto the big screen:
- ??? (1965)
- Starring: Bob Soler as Captain Barbell
- Produced by: Premiere Productions
- Directed by: ????
- ??? (????)
- Starring: Dolphy as Captain Barbell/Ting-Ting
- Produced by: ????
- Directed by: ????
- Mars Ravelo's Captain Barbel (1986)
- Starring: Edu Manzano as Captain Barbel, Herbert Bautista as Tengteng, Lea Salonga as Rosemarie, Sharon Cuneta (cameo) as Darna, Beth Bautista as Gagamba
- Produced by: Viva Films
- Directed by: Leroy Salvador
- Mars Ravelo's Captain Barbell (2003)
- Starring: Ramon "Bong" Revilla Jr. as Captain Barbell, Ogie Alcasid as Enteng, Regine Velasquez as Cielo/Darna, Albert Martinez as Lagablab, Snooky Serna as Belen, Rufa Mae Quinto as Freezy, Jeffrey Quizon as Dagampatay, Bearwin Meily as Lobo
- Produced by: Viva Films
- Directed by: Mac Alejandre
- Was the top grossing entry of the 2003 Metro Manila Film Festival with an overall box-office gross of P61.4 million.
[edit] In television
- Cameo Role Darna (2005 TV Series)'s Historical Finale
Captain Barbell appeared on the historical finale of Darna (2005 TV Series). He played a significant role by helping Darna. But his face was not shown, rather, only the "CB" sign on his chest was focused.
- Captain Barbell (TV Series) (2006)
In GMA Network's 2006 Captain Barbell TV Series, Richard Gutierrez plays both Captain Barbell and Teng (his human alterego).
The TV series was very much different from the original Mars Ravelo story. The concept and setting was change to adopt to modern times, of course with the permission of the Ravelos. However, critics say that the the first few episodes of the series were a rip-off from Smallville. Despite criticisms, the fantasy-drama series adaptation of GMA-7 remains the network's top-rating show in its primetime block.
Captain Barbell (TV Series) is GMA Network's 2006 project after Darna's huge success. Richard Gutierrez plays the Filipino superhero. This incarnation has Teng (Tengteng/Enteng in previous movies) and the Captain Barbell being played by one person, just like Darna. In the Captain Barbell movies prior to the TV series, different actors play Captain Barbell and his skinny human alter ego: in the 1986 movie, Edu Manzano plays Captain Barbell while Herbert Bautista plays his human alter ego Tengteng; in the 2003 movie, Bong Revilla, Jr. plays Captain Barbell while Ogie Alcasid plays his alter ego Enteng, while Richard Gutierrez's uncle Jun Soler had comedy king Dolphy to play his alter ego Teng-teng. This can be easily explained by the way Richard Gutierrez's Teng raises the Barbell. He uses his left hand. In the movies, Tengteng (Herbert Bautista) has to use his right hand when lifting the Barbell in order to assume the identity of Captain Barbell (Edu Manzano).
[edit] The Barbell
In previous Captain Barbell movies, the Barbell which was given to Teng by an old man is the literal barbell that we know. However, in the TV series, the Barbell looks like a barbell plate with "CB" engraved on it. The name "Captain B" is also depicted on the plate. Teng twists the plate and it forms into a barbell, raises it and shouts "Captain Barbell" to change him into the superhero. As Captain Barbell, the plate is depicted in his chest. To go back to his human form as Teng, he just grabs the plate on his chest. The plate is said to be made from Barbanium, a powerful element discovered in the year 2106. Only an equally powerful Askobar can counter its power.
[edit] Synopsis
The initial episode introduced a future, year 2106, when the Philippines is a major superpower, a place where scientific breakthroughs like genetic manipulation and cloning flourish. A young boy named Arell together with his mother Mrs. B are forced by his father Captain B to ride a time capsule in order to escape from the soldiers of the General. The General is the mysterious, rich and powerful owner of Live Corporation (anagram of EVIL), a company pioneering the human cloning and mutation programs. Using these advanced technologies, the General has created an army of superhuman beings for his evil schemes. Only Captain B can fight the General because of his extraordinary strength using Barbanium. To ensure the safety of his family, Captain B places them in the time capsule and sends them to the year 1992. Unknown to them, the General sends Commander X, a powerful cyborg, after them. Upon arrival, Arell and his mother are separated. Arell finds himself under the custody of an elderly couple Lolo Aloy and Lola Melay Magtanggol. They give him a new name, Potenciano Magtanggol a.k.a. Teng. They also give him new parents in the form of their own Sandra and Cesar. Inheriting his parents' genes, Teng already possesses superior strength, but excessive use of his power tends to weaken him. Teng grows up frail, poor and constantly longing for the love and care of his parents who ignore him. Worse, Teng is maltreated by Clarisse, the real daughter of Sandra and Cesar. Teng finds comfort in the company of his friends Kit, Bobby and Lola Melay. Teng has another special childhood friend named Leah. When their friends’paths cross again many years later, Teng realizes that he is in love with this young lady. But, of course, Leah already has a boyfriend, the arrogant Jared. One night, Jared and his friends gang up on Teng and beat him up in a junkyard. This is where Teng discovers a mysterious barbell. He soon discovered that the barbell can extend his power. This discovery changes his life. With the help of the powerful item, Teng transforms from frail weakling to the mighty Pinoy superhero who will be known as Captain Barbell!
[edit] Supporting characters
Over the years, Captain Barbell has fought against and alongside many characters in his various incarnations, like:
[edit] Allies
- Darna - A superheroine which possesses superhuman strength and power of flight like Captain Barbell. Appeared in the 1986 movie version of Captain Barbell with Sharon Cuneta playing the cameo role. Appeared in the 2003 movie version of Captain Barbell (in a dream sequence). Regine Velasquez played the role.
- Lastikman - Alien shapeshifter. Appeared in the 2003 movie version of Captain Barbell (in a dream sequence) with PJ Malonzo playing the guest role.
[edit] Enemies
- Gagamba - A female spider who took human form to spread darkness in the land. Appeared in the 1986 movie version of Captain Barbell with Beth Bautista playing the role.
- Aswang(?) - By day he looks like an innocent man, but when full moon strikes he becomes a fearsome beast: a winged were-being. He was cursed by diabolical forces and is yearning for freedom from his curse. Appeared in the 1986 movie version of Captain Barbell with Tonton Gutierrez playing the role.
- Lagablab - Able to fly and able to generate fireballs which explode on contact. Appeared in the 2003 movie version of Captain Barbell with Albert Martinez playing the role.
- Freezy - Able to project intense cold. She can effectively turn people into ice if she wants to. Appeared in the 2003 movie version of Captain Barbell with Rufa Mae Quinto playing the role.
- Dagampatay - Can produce a venom which can cause human flesh to melt. Appeared in the 2003 movie version of Captain Barbell with Jeffrey Quizon playing the role.
- Lobo - None, however he claims to be someone who "has powers but is trying to discover what they truly are". Adds comic relief to the 2003 movie version. Played by Bearwin Meily.
- General - He is the owner of Live Corporation, a company in Manila Metropolis 2016. He created Captain B and Mrs. B to serve his interests.
- Commander X - The loyal servant of General who used the deadly element Askobar against Captain B to defeat him. Played by Ian Veneracion.
- Bubog (a.k.a. Narciso) - The first villain in the TV series. He has the ability to make shards of glass spike out of his body like a porcupine. He also has the ability to mimic the appearance of others. Played by Dino Guevara.
- Putakti/Cyborg 5564/Jared - The second villain in the TV series. He has the form of a giant wasp and has the ability to fly and spit poison which can cause hallucinations and is invincible from gunfire. After being defeated by Captain Barbell, he returned to his normal state, only to be experimented in a laboratory and turned into Cyborg 5564. Fortunately he was able to escape and is now under the custody of Lea. After being resurrected by Viel, Jared joined his team of supervillains. Jared retained his abilities as Cyborg 5564 and his main weapon is a laser gun. Played by Jeremy Marquez.
- Tetano (a.k.a. Tenorio) - He has the power to cause a corrosive reaction through touch, rendering bullets useless and can deteriorate people and structures. After being resurrected by Viel, Tetano joined his team of supervillains. He has become more powerful, he can now use his powers in a projectile form so he can corrode his victims from afar. Played by Gary Estrada.
- Adobe (a.k.a. Ador) - He was previously a miner who attained the hardness and power of rock, similar to The Thing of the Fantastic Four. After being resurrected by Viel, Adobe joined his team of supervillains. Aside from his super strength, Adobe can now summon boulders and hurl them at his enemies and is now sporting an armor which is similar to [Juggernaut (comics)|Juggernaut]. Played by Carlos Morales.
- Aerobika (a.k.a. Ms. Patty/Ms. Eros) - After drinking a tea made of plants which grew on a meteor crash site, the once obese science teacher became a voluptuous and agile P.E. teacher. She possesses extensive knowledge in various fields of science, and she uses this knowledge to create potions and other concoctions. She also has a group of lackeys called the Bakal Boys at her side. She is to be considered the first legitimate supervillain since Gagamba. After being helped by Viel to escape from prison, she joined his team of supervillains. She gained a new abilities which made her elastic and can now change into any shape that she wants. The fat Ms. Patty was played by Marissa Sanchez and the sexy supervillain Aerobika (aka Ms. Eros) is Played by Rufa Mae Quinto, the same actress who played Ms. Freezy
- Vaporo (a.k.a. Marvin) - An ordinary thief who possesses the power to transform into water vapor, thus being able to breach the security of the establishment he is thieving. He also has the ability to condense the water vapor in the air to turn to rain. After being freed by Viel, Vaporo joined his team of supervillains. Now, he can summon blizzards of varying intensity. Vaporo is Played by Jay Aquitania.
- Ex-O (a.k.a Clarisse/Blanca) - Teng's stepsister who he accidentally pushed and fell down on top of a cliff. Her disappearance caused Teng's stepmom to be cruel to him. She returned without remembering anything, but her mom told her that Teng tried to kill here causing her to be mad at Teng, even telling to her boyfriend Levi Villian, Teng's best friend and son of Viel Villian, that Teng is telling lies about him to Clarisse. Currently she is realizing that Teng is a good person. She later discovered that she is a cyborg sent by The General to assassinate both Mrs. B and Arell. She has metallic wings which could help her fly and she also possess gun which uses Askobar as ammunition. Ex-O/Clarisse/Blanca is Played by Sunshine Dizon.
- Cyborg 5566 - A superhuman cyborg fuelled by Askobar. He is sent to hunt down Jared, who is now android 5564. played by Taiwanese actor (also a member of the Taiwanese boyband 5566) Jason Hsu. He was made from the remains of the cyborgs found by Viel, thus he still possesses the memories of those cyborgs. Played by Jason Hsu.
- Viel Villian - Played by Filipino actor Richard Gomez, is the main villain in the TV series. He is a mysterious rich man, using his wealth as his superpower. He is the richest man in Marravelos (a fictional city named after the comic creator Mars Ravelo). It is yet to be known whether he is the ancestor or he is the future General himself. Played by Richard Gomez.
- Myra - Leah's mom who died while giving birth to her. She was resurrected by Viel Villian because of an agreement between him and Mayor Lazaro. She wears a necklace with a pendant made of Askobar, the only substance that can defeat the Barbanium. Played by Pinky Amador.
- Black-Out (a.k.a. Ruben) - As a result of recharging Captain Barbell, an accident took place in Marravelos. Poor Ruben was electrocuted while working on an electrical post. For some reason, he was not hurt but instead gained super powers like the ability to control electricity and enhanced athletic abilities. In the absence of Captain Barbell, he became the new superhero of Marravelos. Unlike Captain Barbell, who serves Marravelos without expecting any award, he defends Marravelos for his own fame and glory. He is played by Wendell Ramos.
- Amorseko/Lady Amor/Aurora - Later discovered to be the real mother of Kit, Lady Amor is a gypsy/fortune teller who travels from land to land. As if a twist of fate, she was also hit by a meteorite which came from the future. Because of that accident, she gained the power to make people succumb to their own desires..Played by Elizabeth Oropesa.
- MB (Maskaradong Bandido/Masked Bandit/Mrs. B/Barbara) - An unknown entity who suddenly appeared in the town of Marravelos. When she robbed a bank and was able to escape the police effortlessly. She was different from the other villains in a way that she never harmed an innocent person. Another mystery in her part is that her main target is Viel. She possesses extreme speed and dexterity, added with almost perfect stealth abilities. She happens to know Captain Barbell and Askobar has the same effect on her as it is to Captain Barbell. It is later discovered that she was clandestinely created by Dexter, Viel's scientist. Played by Angel Aquino.
- Askoboys - A ragtag group of athletes who use Askobar as an enhancer, they challenged the School of Marravelos in a Basketball tournament in which if they win the school will be closed. They were also bandits who rob other people. Their leader is played by Antonio Aquitania while their coach is played by real-life Basketball player Bong Alvarez.
- Magnetica (a.k.a. Magna) - Sent by the General to Kill Captain Barbell. She was given the task after Ex-O was defeated, but she did not arrive immediately. As her name implies, she has the ability to attract opposite particles especially males. That way, she is able to control the will of every man in Marravelos. She also has the power of magnetism. Played by Mylene Dizon.
- Super Boris - Teng's younger brother Boris, who is under the wing of Viel. Since he needed extra power to defeat Captain Barbell, Magnetica lends her power source to him. As a result, he gained power which could match those of Captain Barbell's. Arrogant and aggressive, he immediately challenges Captain Barbell in a duel. Played by JC de Vera.
- Captain B (a.k.a. Prof. Brando) - Captain Barbell is yet to face his most dangerous enemy: his own father! After Captain B helped his family escape from the hands of The General, he was held captive and was brainwashed to follow the biddings of his captor. Now he travelled to 2006 Marravelos posing as Lea's uncle and a geologist with orders to assassinate Captain Barbell. Captain B is played by Paolo Bediones.
- Mercurio - He Turns the Men Of Marravelos into Gays. He is a gay shapeshifter who can take the form of anyone he likes. He is also invincible in such a way that he can liquefy his body.. Played by John "Sweet" Lapus.
- Fake Captain Barbell/Super Levi- He is actually Levi Villian, Teng's friend who turned against him because of his obsession to kill Captain Barbell. Before Magnetica died in the hands of Captain B she managed to give him super powers which can rival those of Captain Barbell's. He decided not to use this head-on against Captain Barbell but instead he poses like Captain Barbell to ruin his reputation as a superhero. His costume is somewhat a mix of Captain Barbell and Captain B's. Played by Patrick Garcia
- Villian Villains/Legion of Doom - They are Captain Barbell's enemies resurrected through advanced technology by Viel Villian. They are composed of Cyborg 5564 (palyed by Jeremy Marquez), Tetano (played by Gary Estrada), Adobe (played by Carlos Morales), Aerobika (played by Marissa Sanchez) and Vaporo (played by Jay Aquitania). The group of supervillains is headed by Viel's son Levi, now known as Super Levi. They are geared towards killing Captain Barbell.
[edit] Love Interests
- Rosemarie (1986 Movie) - The beautiful daughter of a Goto vendor (Nova Villa) who has a crush on Captain Barbell, making him Tengteng's rival.
- Ms. Cielo (2003 Movie) - Played by Regine Velasquez, is the teacher of Enteng's sister.
- Leah Lazaro (2006 TV Series) - she is the rich & beautiful daughter of Mayor Lazaro, and also a campus crush, played by Rhian Ramos.
- Kit (2006 TV Series) - she is the tomboyish daughter of a policeman, and also Teng's friend since childhood, and who has a secret crush on Teng. She wishes to become a detective someday, played by Camille Prats.
[edit] Trivia
- Both Edu Manzano and Ramon "Bong" Revilla Jr. worked together on the film "Ang Dugo ng Panday" with them playing as Lizardo and Flavio, respectively.
- Richard Guttierez also played the role of Aguiluz in Mulawin & the twins Miguel & Amante of Sugo both are GMA television series.
- Rufa Mae Quinto also plays the role of Ms. Freezy, another Captain Barbell Supervillain in the latest film.
- The name Viel and Villian are anagrams of "vile" and "villain" respectively. Levi's name is an anagram of "evil". Potenciano is somehow derived from "potential" while Magtanggol is "to defend" in Tagalog, thus this translates to "Potential Defender".
- Marravelos, the town where the 2006 series is set, is the anagram of Mars Ravelo, Captain Barbell's creator.
- Richard Gomez, playing as Viel Villian, also starred as a superhero, Super Islaw.
[edit] See also
[edit] Recent Updates
After the success of the TV Series, there are rumors that GMA Films is preparing for the movie version of Captain Barbell. This is still unconfirmed since the film outfit is also slated to do a movie version of Darna.
