Filipinos celebrate! We would soon be invading the Marvel Universe with our very own pure-blooded Filipina superhero named Wave. And though we’ve proudly had our own share of comic book heroes over the years like Darna and Captain Barbell, it’s still an honor to be represented in something as big as Marvel.
Film director and comic book writer Greg Pak partnered up with Filipino artist Leinil Yu to create Wave and give her a place in Marvel. And as soon as the news went out, Filipino comic book fans went into a frenzy. Even actress Angel Locsin showed her support and excitement for the new superhero through twitter. This caused many to let their imaginations run wild and urge for the actress to star as Wave. Sadly, the actress has declined the people’s requests. (Who else thinks she’d be a perfect fit though?) But, we can’t say anything too soon. After all, Wave hasn’t even made her debut. For the meantime, here are 5 things we know about the new Marvel Filipina Superhero Wave:
The New Marvel Filipina Superhero ‘Wave’
1. Pearl Pangan
Wave’s real name is Pearl Pangan. And she’s a pure-blooded Filipina from Cebu. And according to Spin’s interview with Pak, Pearl has no special, royal, or magic bloodline whatsoever. She’s simply an ordinary girl who grew up by the seaside and who’s as comfortable on water as she is on land.
2. Wave’s Powers
Given away by her superhero name, Wave’s powers are water-based. And the weapons she uses are based on the Filipino sword Kampilan. In Philippine history, the Kampilan is said to be the sword that Lapu Lapu allegedly killed Magellan with. Aside from the swords, Leinil also added retractable fins to her costume. Other features, as well as Wave’s history and how she got her powers, will be revealed later on in the books.
3. Wave’s Debut
The new Marvel Filipina superhero Wave will be making her first appearance on May in Marvel’s “War of Realms: New Agents of Atlas.” And she won’t be the only superhero making their debut. We’ll also get to see the first ever Chinese Marvel superheroes Aero and Sword Master.
4. The Team
Wave, Aero, and Sword Master will be teaming up with the old agents of Atlas for this fight. If you’ve been following the comics, you’ll be seeing familiar faces from “Totally Awesome Hulk #15” which featured the biggest team-up of Asian-American heroes ever in mainstream comics. Wave and the others will be joining Amadeus Cho, Silk, Shang-Chi, and Jimmy Woo to defend the Pacific Rim.
5. The Fight
The “War of Realms” might just be one of the biggest and major fights in Marvel comic history and would involve a lot of mega-crossovers. And according to the storyline, the globe is divided and each division is ruled by one of the Accursed’s collaborators. Marching for Asia is the fire goddess Sindr, Queen of Cinders, and her legion of fire demons. And it is up to Amadeus Cho to reassemble a team to protect the world from incarceration. He did it before. But, it might not be as easy the second time around.