Panday (comics)

Superherobox|

caption=
comic_color=background:#8080ff
character_name=Panday
real_name=Flavio
publisher=Not applicable
debut="Ang Panday", "Filipino Komiks" (1981)
creators=Carlo J. Caparas
alliance_color=background:#ffc0c0
status=Succeeded
alliances=None
powers=Possesses a sword which can transform into any other kind of weaponry, superlative swordsmanship skills|

The Panday ("blacksmith" in the Filipino language), whose real name is Flavio, is a fictional Philippine comics character created by Carlo J. Caparas and illustrated by Steve Gan. His adventures were serialized in the series "Ang Panday" in "Filipino Komiks" in the Seventies. The character took his place in Philippine pop culture when the comics were adapted to film. The most famous of these films starred Fernando Poe Jr. as Flavio and Max Alvarado as his archenemy Lizardo.

Overview

After a meteorite falls from the sky, Flavio, a noble blacksmith, forges its ore into a dagger ("balaraw" in Filipino), which magically turns into a sword when he raises it and points to the sky. He uses this sword to fight the evil Lizardo and his supernatural minions, and other evil forces.

Flavio is a normal human and has no special powers or skills, except for his swordsmanship. He uses his magical sword to fight his supernatural enemies. The sword hums when danger is near and the dagger can cut through anything without resistance. The film "Panday" uses a shield on occasion, which is likewise forged from a meteorite.

Besides Flavio's love interest, he has a boy sidekick and an old hermit-like adviser. He wears a red vest and dark pants.

Other incarnations of the character

Films

After four films starring Poe, two films followed which continued the storyline of the original series. However, they seem to be independent sequels and do not share the same continuity.

*Pandoy — "Ang Alalay ng Panday" (The Assistant of the Blacksmith) starred the comedy actor Joey de Leon as a follower of Flavio. Its his way of giving tribute to King of Philippine Cinema, Fernando Poe, Jr. This comic twist to the popular "Panday" film was shown in 1993.

The mystical town of Sta. Monica is perennially raided by pirates led by Redentor and Vibora. The womenfolk are kidnapped and sold to a white slavery gang. The town needs a blacksmith with a pure heart for only he can forge the magical sword of justice and wield it against the evil forces hounding the town.

In the absence of the "real Panday", stable boy Pandoy is conscripted to be blacksmith of the gods. He leaves his beloved Cristina to fulfill his mission. But then Pandoy meets beautiful Issa in Sta. Monica. Pandoy succeed in banishing Redentor and his ilk. In the end, he preferred to go back being a stable boy in Cristina's hacienda than being a blacksmith with Issa in Sta. Monica.

*Flavio (II) — "Dugo ng Panday" (Blood of the Blacksmith) starred Ramon "Bong" Revilla Jr. as a descendant of Flavio who shares his name and Edu Manzano as the villain. This film was shown in 1993.

Centuries after the first Flavio's death, his descendant finds the "balaraw" because of his pure heart, and takes up his mantle as the Panday. Meanwhile, Lizardo's brain has been transplanted to an alien robot body (played by Manzano), while his head (still played by Alvarado) is preserved in a tank. Eventually, the new Panday destroys the robot and kills the head.

This Flavio was attired similarly; in addition he had a medallion bearing an image of a meteorite.

*Guiller — "Hiwaga ng Panday" (Magic/Mystique of the Blacksmith) starred Jinggoy Estrada as Guiller, a gunsmith, and Kris Aquino as Emily, his love interest.

As Flavio, the original "Panday" (presumably meant to be Poe's character; depicted as fighting the Japanese invaders in World War II) dies, he plants his magic sword in a wall, and only one with a clean heart and noble intentions may pull it out (much like the story of King Arthur). In the "present day" (presumably 1998, the year the film was released), Guiller, an expert gunsmith and protector of the poor, meets Emily after both are taken hostage by criminals. Guiller becomes the new "Panday" after he retrieves the "balaraw" and fights a kidnap-for-ransom gang. The sword is melted and reforged into a shotgun which fires bullets and stun rays. It turns back to a sword when needed.

Guiller wore contemporary casual clothes.

TV series

*Tristan — The "Ang Panday" TV series, which started airing in 2005, features a young new "Panday" named Tristan, played by Jericho Rosales, Heart Evangelista as Eden, his love interest, and Victor Neri as Lizardo. Philip Salvador plays a version of Poe's character who appears in the introductory episodes.

In this version Flavio forges his dagger and a church bell for his community from the meteoritic ore, and has a personal grudge against Lizardo, who murders his wife. After beheading his enemy, Flavio plants his weapon into the bell, and is taken up into the heavens. However, Lizardo's brain is still alive, and Tristan, a man from the present time, becomes the "Panday" in Flavio's stead.

Tristan and Salvador's Flavio were both attired similarly to Poe's Flavio.

Portrayals in other media

* Films
**"Ang Panday" original series:
***"Ang Panday" (The Blacksmith) (1981)
***"Ang Pagbabalik ng Panday" (The Return of the Blacksmith) (1982)
***"Ang Panday Ikatlong Yugto" (The Blacksmith, Part Three) (1983)
***"Panday IV: Ikaapat na Aklat" (Blacksmith IV: The Fourth Book) (1984)
***"Pandoy, Ang Alalay ng Panday" (a parody of Panday) 1993
**"Dugo ng Panday" (Blood of the Blacksmith) (1993)
**"Hiwaga ng Panday" (Magic/Mystique of the Blacksmith) (1998)
* Television
**"Ang Panday animation series" (1986) - based on Poe's character. television series by RPN
**"Panday" (2005) - television series by ABS-CBN

Trivia

*Four actors who have played the "Panday" are connected with Philippine politics. Ramon Revilla Jr. and Jinggoy Estrada are currently members of the Philippine Senate, Philip Salvador ran for Vice-Mayor for Mandaluyong in the 2001 local elections and Fernando Poe Jr. ran for president in the 2004 national elections and officially lost. The elections were controversial due to allegations of cheating.
*Jinggoy Estrada and Kris Aquino, the leads of "Hiwaga ng Panday", are children of former Presidents of the Philippines, of Joseph Estrada and Corazon Aquino respectively; the film was released in 1998, when Joseph Estrada was in office.

External links

* [http://www.internationalhero.co.uk/p/panday.htm The "Panday" on the internationalhero website.]

ee also

*Zuma
*Darna