Filipino comics creator Mars Ravelo was  responsible for creating DARNA, a female superhero, way back in 1939.  However, she would not be rocking that Flash Gordon bikini in the pages of a published Pilipino comic until 1950.

According to some sources, she is the first ever Asian female superhero, and if skittish publishers hadn’t passed on the concept, could have been the first ever Asian superhero.  I don’t know how much of this to believe, because it totally smacks of Stan Lee level BS… especially given how many similarities she has to superheroes in the United States.

Darna’s alter-ego is Narda, a village girl who finds a tiny meteorite, which she swallows.  (Note to kids: do not consume extraterrestrial rocks.) When she yells, “Darna!” the stone transforms her into a powerful superheroine.

Again, he was inspired by Superman (and possibly also Captain Marvel and Wonder Woman), but this time not in a tongue-in-cheek way.  She possesses the typical bouquet of superhero abilities (strength, speed, flight, heat vision) as well as some interesting ones like telepathy and the “allure of Venus”.  And… magic bracelets.

Darna has also starred in several films and TV shows going all the way back to 1951. Fourteen actresses have portrayed Darna.  She last appeared on live-action television in 2009, though a new series is on its way in 2018.

Know that somewhere in the world, there are kids in a playground arguing that Darna would totally kick Wonder Woman’s ass in a fight.