Komiks Presents: Varga
An alien princess ghost fuses with a girl to become a superhero.
Komiks Presents: Varga is a fantasy drama series from the Philippines, aired on ABS-CBN as the fourth entry in the Komiks anthology. The show was directed by Trina N. Dayrit and Dondon S. Santos, with Mariel Rodriguez and Angel Sy in the lead roles. It occupied the network's Saturday evening slot from August 9 to October 25, 2008, taking over from Komiks Presents: Kapitan Boom and later giving way to Komiks Presents: Tiny Tony.
The story centers on Varga, an alien princess who exists as a ghost. Drawn to Earth, she possesses beauty, superpowers, and a striking figure. She encounters a young girl named Olga, and when they combine—through a shout and a touch—they merge into a single superheroine called Varga, who battles evil and protects the world.
The character Varga was originally created by Mars Ravelo in 1947 while he worked at Bulaklak Magazine. He believed Filipinos needed a superhero in the aftermath of World War II. When Ravelo left the magazine two years later, he left the character behind. After joining Pilipino Komiks in 1949, he reworked the concept, eventually transforming Varga into Darna.
In the series, Princess Vara hails from Planet Vargon, a world of powerful beings destroyed in a catastrophe. She escapes to Earth but remains in ghostly form. Only a kind-hearted human girl named Olga can see her. Through Olga, Vara grows to love Earth and its people. Their destinies intertwine when they fuse into one body: Varga. Together, they set out to become true heroes and defeat Xandra, an evil woman who steals the youth and beauty of others to preserve her own.
The main cast includes Mariel Rodriguez as Vara/Varga, the princess from Planet Vargon; Angel Sy as Olga, a dance-loving girl who is the only one able to see Vara; Sheryl Cruz as Xandra, an 80-year-old crone who appears as a 21-year-old villainess, once scorned by a man who left her for a younger woman, now obsessed with finding the fountain of youth and claiming to be James's sister though she is actually his grandmother; and Zanjoe Marudo as James, a playboy model for his "sister's" perfume line, who falls for Vara/Varga.
Quick Facts
- Genre
- Superhero / Fantasy
- Director
- Trina N. Dayrit / Dondon S. Santos
- Writer
- Joel Mercardo / Danica Domingo
- Starring
- Mariel Rodriguez / Angel Sy
- Country
- Philippines
- Language
- Filipino
- Network
- ABS-CBN
- Company
- Dreamscape Entertainment Television / Classified Media
- First Aired
- 2008-08-09
- Last Aired
- 2008-10-11
- Num Episodes
- 10
- Related
- Kapitan Boom / Tiny Tony
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
The series follows Princess Vara from Planet Vargon, a powerful being from outer space whose home planet was destroyed. She lands on Earth but exists only in ghost form. There she meets a young human girl named Olga, the only person who can see her due to her kind heart. Under Olga's influence, Vara falls in love with the people of Earth. Upon a shout and a touch, the violet-colored ghost Vara unites with Olga, fusing into one person in a single body: the superheroine Varga. Together they defeat evil and save the world, specifically battling Xandra, an evil woman who preys on the youth and beauty of others to stay young.
Reader's Guide
Komiks Presents: Varga represents a television adaptation of one of Mars Ravelo's early superhero creations, originally conceived in 1947 while Ravelo worked at Bulaklak Magazine. Ravelo created the character believing Filipinos needed a superhero after World War II. He left the magazine two years later, leaving the character behind, and later reconstructed Varga into Darna after joining Pilipino Komiks in 1949. The series is notable as the fourth installment of the Komiks anthology on ABS-CBN, bridging the gap between earlier and later comic-based adaptations. Its cast includes Mariel Rodriguez as Vara/Varga, Angel Sy as Olga, and Sheryl Cruz as the villain Xandra. The show ran for approximately two months in 2008, occupying the Saturday evening timeslot.
More in Fantaserye and telefantasya 1-24
Spotted an error? Know more?
Reader corrections go straight into our review queue. Suggest an edit · How this site is sourced