Bayan Knights
Encyclopedia
Bayan Knights is a fictional superhero team from the Philippines
. Conceptualized by a group of comic book creators from different parts of the country (and some based overseas) as a collaboration to revitalize the local Comics industry. As per the message posted in their official blog:
Bayan Knights is considered a benchmark in Philippine comics history as the first title to feature the characters of individual creators while retaining the individual rights to them. An article in the Philippine Daily Inquirer
Sunday edition printed on November 26, 2008 was the first to provide media recognition to the project. A second major article was published months after the comics' debut and was reviewed in the February 2009 issue of FHM Philippines
.
Bayan Knights was officially created and launched on September 2008 through their Deviantart
page http://bayanknights.deviantart.com|Deviantart.com and their blog. A teaser trailer was also posted at YouTube
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iqZ0VXs4Fo0|YouTube. The Issue #1 premiered during the Komikon 2008 held at the UP Bahay ng Alumni
on November 22, 2008.
Through the database compiled in the facility, Sagrado determined that the so-called superheroes were key figures in the grand scheme. Needing allies in his 'war' against the underworld, Sagrado sought out and recruited them one by one. Although successful with the 'street-level' heroes, he found it increasingly difficult to locate, let alone convince, the virtual demigods.
Enter the enigmatic Council. Effortlessly bypassing the security protocols of the facility, Council confronted and offered his assistance to Sagrado. Although claiming not to be one of them, Council convinces Sagrado to allow him to recruit the ones he needed.
As the days progressed, Sagrado intercepts information on a vital part of the masterminds' schemes. Still waiting on the response from Council, Sagrado assembles his 'Core' Team to investigate. Once there, they find stasis containment units. Opening one of the units reveals it contained an unidentified female. Before they could determine the vile purpose of the stasis units, they are ambushed by Sipaka, preternatural watchdogs who are sworn enemies of one of their own, Salakay. Managing to fight their way out, they are shocked to discover several hundred more Sipaka awaiting them.
As things turn bleak for the heroes, Sagrado attempts one final time to contact Council. The latter responds, moments before the Powerhouse
Team, composed of the most powerful superheroes on earth, descends from the heavens.
In issue #2 the army of Sipakas are easily beaten back by the combined Core/Powerhouse teams. But no sooner as one battle ends the 2 teams become embroiled in separate adventures. Meanwhile, another team is assembled, the Gilas Team to deal with the assault of demonic entities in the metropolis. Behind all this, another mysterious group makes its moves against the growing Bayan Knights membership. At the end of the issue, Sagrado is confronted with the daunting task of unifying the disparate superheroes into a cohesive force. However, his planning is disrupted by the awakening and rampage of the rescued Liberty Girl.
In issue #3 the berserk Liberty Girl causes catastrophic destruction in the Facility with a number of heroes falling to her unbridled fury. Phantom Cat and Luzviminda manage to fight her to a standstill until the young god Servant ends the confrontation. Elsewhere, Maskarado and Kalayaan are ambushed as theBangis(a conglomerate of super-villains in direct opposition to the Bayan Knights)make their presence known led by a super powerful enslaved superhero Maso.
In issue #4 the Core Team along with a number of Lagalag team up to counter the attack of the Bangis and manage to free the enslaved hero Maso. As Council continues to make his own moves (recruiting members of the TronIX team) the Gilas team assaults the gates of Hell
on a mission to locate the entity Gabriel Black.
In issue #5, even as the heroes of the Gilas and Halaw Teams succeed in their missions, and members of the Powerhouse Division foil an invasion of The Facility, the plans of the Bangis fall into place, planting a traitor among the heroes' ranks who successfully breaks out the captured villains and assault The Facility.
The story is ongoing.
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
. Conceptualized by a group of comic book creators from different parts of the country (and some based overseas) as a collaboration to revitalize the local Comics industry. As per the message posted in their official blog:
Sacred Mountain Publications has gathered in this issue more than a dozen upbeat and talented creators along with their independent studios in one gigantic effort to encourage friendly cooperation and make it possible for these artists to turn their imaginations into reality.
Bayan Knights is considered a benchmark in Philippine comics history as the first title to feature the characters of individual creators while retaining the individual rights to them. An article in the Philippine Daily Inquirer
Philippine Daily Inquirer
The Philippine Daily Inquirer, popularly known as the Inquirer, is the most widely read broadsheet newspaper in the Philippines, with a daily circulation of 260,000 copies. It is one of the Philippines' newspapers of record...
Sunday edition printed on November 26, 2008 was the first to provide media recognition to the project. A second major article was published months after the comics' debut and was reviewed in the February 2009 issue of FHM Philippines
FHM
FHM, originally published as For Him Magazine, is an international monthly men's lifestyle magazine.- History :The magazine began publication in 1985 in the United Kingdom under the name For Him and changed its title to FHM in 1994 when Emap Consumer Media bought the magazine, although the full For...
.
Bayan Knights was officially created and launched on September 2008 through their Deviantart
DeviantArt
deviantART is an online community showcasing various forms of user-made artwork. It was first launched on August 7, 2000 by Scott Jarkoff, Matthew Stephens, Angelo Sotira and others. deviantArt, Inc...
page http://bayanknights.deviantart.com|Deviantart.com and their blog. A teaser trailer was also posted at YouTube
YouTube
YouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iqZ0VXs4Fo0|YouTube. The Issue #1 premiered during the Komikon 2008 held at the UP Bahay ng Alumni
University of the Philippines
The ' is the national university of the Philippines. Founded in 1908 through Act No...
on November 22, 2008.
Fictional team history
After a bloody encounter with powerful underworld forces that left his elite team virtually wiped out, Sarhento Sagrado confiscates the highly advanced facility that they raided. Worried about the safety of his family and determined to bring the masterminds to justice, Sagrado fakes his own death and destroys all traces of the existence of the facility, vowing to use the very resources his nemeses accumulated in the cause of their downfall.Through the database compiled in the facility, Sagrado determined that the so-called superheroes were key figures in the grand scheme. Needing allies in his 'war' against the underworld, Sagrado sought out and recruited them one by one. Although successful with the 'street-level' heroes, he found it increasingly difficult to locate, let alone convince, the virtual demigods.
Enter the enigmatic Council. Effortlessly bypassing the security protocols of the facility, Council confronted and offered his assistance to Sagrado. Although claiming not to be one of them, Council convinces Sagrado to allow him to recruit the ones he needed.
As the days progressed, Sagrado intercepts information on a vital part of the masterminds' schemes. Still waiting on the response from Council, Sagrado assembles his 'Core' Team to investigate. Once there, they find stasis containment units. Opening one of the units reveals it contained an unidentified female. Before they could determine the vile purpose of the stasis units, they are ambushed by Sipaka, preternatural watchdogs who are sworn enemies of one of their own, Salakay. Managing to fight their way out, they are shocked to discover several hundred more Sipaka awaiting them.
As things turn bleak for the heroes, Sagrado attempts one final time to contact Council. The latter responds, moments before the Powerhouse
Powerhouse
Powerhouse or Power House may refer to:* Power station, a facility for the generation of electric power* The Power-House, a 1916 novel by John Buchan* Powerhouse Arts District, Jersey City...
Team, composed of the most powerful superheroes on earth, descends from the heavens.
In issue #2 the army of Sipakas are easily beaten back by the combined Core/Powerhouse teams. But no sooner as one battle ends the 2 teams become embroiled in separate adventures. Meanwhile, another team is assembled, the Gilas Team to deal with the assault of demonic entities in the metropolis. Behind all this, another mysterious group makes its moves against the growing Bayan Knights membership. At the end of the issue, Sagrado is confronted with the daunting task of unifying the disparate superheroes into a cohesive force. However, his planning is disrupted by the awakening and rampage of the rescued Liberty Girl.
In issue #3 the berserk Liberty Girl causes catastrophic destruction in the Facility with a number of heroes falling to her unbridled fury. Phantom Cat and Luzviminda manage to fight her to a standstill until the young god Servant ends the confrontation. Elsewhere, Maskarado and Kalayaan are ambushed as theBangis(a conglomerate of super-villains in direct opposition to the Bayan Knights)make their presence known led by a super powerful enslaved superhero Maso.
In issue #4 the Core Team along with a number of Lagalag team up to counter the attack of the Bangis and manage to free the enslaved hero Maso. As Council continues to make his own moves (recruiting members of the TronIX team) the Gilas team assaults the gates of Hell
Hell
In many religious traditions, a hell is a place of suffering and punishment in the afterlife. Religions with a linear divine history often depict hells as endless. Religions with a cyclic history often depict a hell as an intermediary period between incarnations...
on a mission to locate the entity Gabriel Black.
In issue #5, even as the heroes of the Gilas and Halaw Teams succeed in their missions, and members of the Powerhouse Division foil an invasion of The Facility, the plans of the Bangis fall into place, planting a traitor among the heroes' ranks who successfully breaks out the captured villains and assault The Facility.
The story is ongoing.
Membership
Bayan Knights is unique in its organization as it has designated "divisions" but is flexible enough that members can be swapped out depending on the mission specifics.CORE
The 'Core' Team effectively serves as the reconnaissance and primary investigative unit. Ideally, the team avoids direct aggression, relying more on stealth and subterfuge but has enough brute force to handle most conflicts.- Sarhento Sagrado -- Last remaining survivor of an elite team of law enforcement agents, Sagrado is the founder and de factoDe factoDe facto is a Latin expression that means "concerning fact." In law, it often means "in practice but not necessarily ordained by law" or "in practice or actuality, but not officially established." It is commonly used in contrast to de jure when referring to matters of law, governance, or...
leader of the Bayan Knights. He has no extraordinary abilities but has genius-level intellect, extensive training and uses advanced technology/weapons, most evident is his special body armor. Created by:Gilbert Monsanto - Phantom Cat -- young woman caught in an explosion that involved trans-mutative induction on cells. Phantom Cat has been tagged by the media as 'Panty Cat' due to her affection for wearing revealing costumes. She possesses cat-like agility, a certain degree of super-strength and can become virtually invisible. Created by: Amely Vidal
- Manila Man -- A street-tough brawler, given mystical items notably a barong tagalogBarong TagalogThe barong Tagalog is an embroidered formal garment of the Philippines. It is very lightweight and worn untucked , over an undershirt. In Filipino culture it is a common wedding and formal attire, mostly for men but also for women...
that grants a certain degree of invulnerability and a blindfold that allows him to see the aura of living creatures. Created by: Rhoseller Quilantang - Salakay -- raised in the wilds and possesses preternaturalPreternaturalThe preternatural or praeternatural is that which appears outside or beyond the natural. In contrast to the supernatural, preternatural phenomena are presumed to have rational explanations that are, as of yet, unknown....
senses, strength, speed and agility with the ability to form retractable spurs from his elbows. Created by: Gerard "Rhardo" Fernandez - Bato, Agimat Warrior -- granted magical powers by claiming the mutya from the heart of a BananaBananaBanana is the common name for herbaceous plants of the genus Musa and for the fruit they produce. Bananas come in a variety of sizes and colors when ripe, including yellow, purple, and red....
-tree. He wields a magical blade and rides aloft a large, flying banana leaf. Also a member of the team Sanduguan. Created by: Gener PedrinaGener PedrinaGener "Ner" Pedrina is a freelance Filipino comic book artist who has taken on various roles in the industry. Most notable is his creation of Sanduguan... - Morion -- Powered by talismanAmuletAn amulet, similar to a talisman , is any object intended to bring good luck or protection to its owner.Potential amulets include gems, especially engraved gems, statues, coins, drawings, pendants, rings, plants and animals; even words said in certain occasions—for example: vade retro satana—, to...
of iron (Mutya ng Bakal) in the form of a MorionMorionMorion may refer to:* Morion , a type of military helmet* Morion , a variety of smoky quartz formerly Empire Fang, an Empire F type coaster...
Mask which gives the bearer superhuman strength and durability. Morion wields a massive, but blunt, great swordGreat swordThe term great sword or greatsword refers to an example of any of a number of large swords used in medieval Europe:* Longsword, in both the Middle Ages and Renaissance....
. Created by: Juan Paolo Mañanita - Boy Ipis -- mutated with the aspects of cockroachCockroachCockroaches are insects of the order Blattaria or Blattodea, of which about 30 species out of 4,500 total are associated with human habitations...
es, he possesses super-strength, agility, the ability to stick to any surface, heightened senses (particularly scent, tactile and taste) and can squeeze his body into far smaller openings. He also possesses a certain degree of regenerative abilities and is virtually immune to radiation. Created by: Paul Michael Ignacio
POWERHOUSE
As the name implies, this team comprises the upper echelon of superheroes in terms of raw power in the Bayan Knights shared universe, literal "gods amongst men".- Kalayaan -- his powers are a result of massive biochemical augmentation. Possesses vast super-human strength and stamina (which is affected by variations of emotional state particularly rage). Heightened durability is enhanced by a special costume. Created by: Gio Paredes
- Maskarado -- actually the 2nd Maskarado, he possesses super-strength and the power of flight. The Mask also creates a costume with limited invulnerability, protection from mental manipulation and endows the bearer access to alien martial artsMartial artsMartial arts are extensive systems of codified practices and traditions of combat, practiced for a variety of reasons, including self-defense, competition, physical health and fitness, as well as mental and spiritual development....
and knowledge. Created by: Reno Maniquis - Claw -- a savage fighter, a loner and hates good-looking super heroes. Doesn't know anything about his past, strange dreams haunt him when he sleeps. Liquid crystals run through his veins. Creates crystalline weapons from his arms and hands. Extraordinarily resistant to diseases and the effects of drugs (although he can still get intoxicated after drinking too much beer). Able to slice through dimensions creating apertures/portalsTeleportationTeleportation is the fictional or imagined process by which matter is instantaneously transferred from one place to another.Teleportation may also refer to:*Quantum teleportation, a method of transmitting quantum data...
. Reluctant guardian of the city of Navotas. Created by: Myke Guisinga - Pag-Asa -- chosen champion of unidentified, mysticMysticismMysticism is the knowledge of, and especially the personal experience of, states of consciousness, i.e. levels of being, beyond normal human perception, including experience and even communion with a supreme being.-Classical origins:...
al forces, he possesses super-strength, super-sonic flight, enhanced durability and has a degree of control of weather conditions. Created by: Erico Calimlim - Bagwis -- believed to be an "Agent of heaven" whose armor is derived from an angel's wings. Has super-strength, speed, durability, stamina, the power of hypersonic flight and has control of heavenly energies. Created by: Santiago "Santy" Panes
- Liberty Girl -- mysterious young woman saved by the team during its first mission. Powers are currently uncatalogued but displays super-strength, reflexes, Telepathic/Empathic abilities and Telekinesis. Created by Joriben Zaballa.
- Luzviminda -- a living embodiment of the country itself. She has super-strength, hyper-speed, durability, flight and recuperative abilities. She wields mystical armor and an indestructible krisKrisThe kris or keris is an asymmetrical dagger or sword nowadays most strongly associated with the culture of Indonesia, but also indigenous to Malaysia, Southern Thailand and Brunei. It is known as kalis in the southern Philippines. The kris is famous for its distinctive wavy blade , but many have...
. Created by: Ray Adrian Necor Magbanua - Servant --- a young god. The son of Kabunian, chief deityDeityA deity is a recognized preternatural or supernatural immortal being, who may be thought of as holy, divine, or sacred, held in high regard, and respected by believers....
of the BathalaBathalaIn ancient Tagalog Theology Bathala was the Supreme Being; the Omnipotent Creator of the universe. Antonio de Morga, among others, thought that Bathala meant an omen bird , but the author of the Boxer Codex was advised not to use it in this sense because they did not consider it God but only his...
s and last of his kind. Possesses vast super-strength, speed, invulnerability, faster-than-lightSpeed of lightThe speed of light in vacuum, usually denoted by c, is a physical constant important in many areas of physics. Its value is 299,792,458 metres per second, a figure that is exact since the length of the metre is defined from this constant and the international standard for time...
flight and command of the primal elements. As a Sky-godSky fatherThe sky father or heavenly father is a recurring theme in mythology all over the world. The sky father is the complement of the earth mother and appears in some creation myths, many of which are Indo-European or ancient Near Eastern. Other cultures have quite different myths; Egyptian mythology...
he controls weather conditions and wields cosmic energiesCOSMICConstellation Observing System for Meteorology, Ionosphere, and Climate is a program designed to provide advances in meteorology, ionospheric research, climatology, and space weather by using GPS satellites in conjunction with low Earth orbiting satellites...
. Created by: Geoffrey 'Borgy' Borgonia
GILAS
Composed of heroes with a more "hard core" attitude than the rest of the roster, the Gilas crew are also characterized by the supernatural elements that their members share.- Gwapoman
- Kilabot
- Mananabas
- Leather
- Kadasig
- Niño
- Santelma
- Talim
- Lito
HALAW
Whereas Gilas' supernatural elements are dark and gothic in nature, the Halaw team members' origins are based on folklore and fantasy.- Mithi
- Narra
- Leon Artemis
- Zheamay
- Gante
- Noah
TRONIX
Actually pronounced as "TRON 9", this team is composed of heroes whose origins and powers are based on advanced technology.- Codename: Bathala
- Kawal
- Kalasag
- Overdrive
- Silaw
- Pintura
- Alakdan
NURSERY
The Nursery is a division of Bayan Knights that was formed to recruit and train young and inexperienced heroes.- Maso - "Maso", as he was dubbed in the sport of Mixed Martial Arts, gained legendary status and became a cultural icon after a brief but spectacular career in the violent sport. He retired after gaining a pair of "brass knuckles" of immense powers to fight super powered criminals and was dubbed as "The Fist of Justice". He was recruited by Sarhento Sagrado of the Bayan Knights to be the Nursery's mentor and guardian after he was liberated from Dilim's "contract" that turned him into a super villain for a brief period of time. Though he has not tapped the full potential of his abilities, he possesses immense strength, invulnerability, super speed, the ability to increase his powers ten-fold and increase his size, weight and mass. He uses a pair of Regulator Gloves to help him control his powers. Created by:Ramil A. Ibay
- Booster B
- Impact
- Handog
- Lyn Tek
- Ida
- Junior
- Quattro
- Sinag
LAGALAG
"Lagalag" is not actually a division but rather a designation for heroes who are not actual members of Bayan Knights in an official capacity but have dedicated their service should the need arise.- Unstoppable
- Devanta
- Kapitan Bandila
- Pastor Banal
- Matanglawin
- Gabriel Black
- Magnum
- Kabalyero
COUNCIL
- The mystery man known as Council's role in the Bayan Knights has yet to be fully explored. He has volunteered his assistance and asks nothing in return, claiming to be no more than an 'admirer' of superheroes but his agenda remains an enigma. He has displayed extensive (bordering on encyclopedic) knowledge on the background of super-powered individuals and either possesses superhuman speed or teleportationTeleportationTeleportation is the fictional or imagined process by which matter is instantaneously transferred from one place to another.Teleportation may also refer to:*Quantum teleportation, a method of transmitting quantum data...
.