Lipad,Darna, Lipad! Sigaw,Totoy,Sigaw!

Timing couldn't be better! It's a month away from Halloween and as I was researching online for old Pinoy Komiks (the ones our parents used to read), I stumbled upon the official website of Mars Ravelo (popular creator of unforgettable Pinoy Komik classics like Kenkoy and Darna).

Lo and behold! I came face-to-face (albeit figuratively) with one source of my countless childhood nightmares: the Impakta in "Si Darna at ang Impakta".

This B/W Darna movie, originally shown in 1963, had Liza Moreno playing Darna and Gina Alonzo as Roma. I watched this movie for the first time on TV with my sister and our yaya late one night when I was a kid. At that time I knew it was ridiculous to be excited about watching this movie and at the same time be absolutely terrified. We should have just turned off the TV but as to why we stayed on I didn't know.The rest of the family had already gone up to bed and there were only the three of us left in the living room. Outside the nighttime sky was dark (syempre pa!), the branches swayed, and leaves rustled with the wind.

As the movie progressed, we found ourselves almost frozen in our seats while fearful of what lay beyond the windows and doors outside. Our imagination was running on hyper-drive out in the pitch black night. And so without taking our eyes off the screen, we folded down the jalousies of all the windows, locked all the doors and turned on all the overhead flourescent lighting. And yet, as glaringly bright as the room ever could be, we were still completely horrified. We were no doubt, true to character movie fans, totally immersed in the scenes playing before us. Our hearts were strickened with fear for the cityfolks, the Manilenos (pretty much like us) in the story who went on innocent trips to the probinsya only to become the Impakta's victims.

Everytime the hideous creature appeared behind the beautiful Roma, and everytime we heard her high-pitched voice, I must have jumped out of my hair and skin (Here you also heard the staple coyote howling of all Pinoy Horror movies and radio dramas. Ahoo...hoohoo...ahoo!). Impakta, very demon-looking with monstrous eyes, horns, and long hair, tried to stay hidden behind Roma in the daytime but at night would control her until they became almost one. That was when the killing spree took place. Night after night, one rural barrio after another became gruesome site of the Impakta's savage attack. It got totally out of control and the police were clueless and without any leads. Inevitably, the news reached Narda and Ding. They set out and found the creature responsible for all the mayhem. Narda swallowed the legendary stone that transformed her into Darna. But not without a fight. Impakta strangled Narda as the girl tried to shout her alter-ego's name. Meanwhile, us supermovie fans were momentarily out of "fright mode" and rooting for the good guys.

We shamelessly screamed with delight as Narda broke free of the struggle, and in unison with her let out, "Darna!", transforming the frail-looking Narda to the Wonder Woman-look-alike, Darna. The super hero battle with her nemesis ensued. And the rest is Darna history, with good winning over evil and Pinoy happy endings.

I surely did not describe the exact storyline, my memory now muddled and not as clear as it was the first time I saw the movie. I however realize the subtle differences between Wonder Woman and Darna was the iconic eagle in the upper torso of the former's costume as compared to Darna's twin star bra cups. Also, Darna had a scarf(?) dangling from her waist.


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