Fantastic Man

Character history

Fantastic Man is a fictional superhero character popularized by Vic Sotto. The character debuted on the 2003 film with the same title produced by OctoArts Films and M-Zet Productions. It was one of the entries on 2003 Metro Manila Film Festival – and was that year's top grosser.

The concept of Fantastic Man came about when the film producers failed to bought the film rights of Lastikman from the Ravelos. Lastikman was one of the entries of 2002 Metro Manila Film Festival and was that year's top grosser, thus they were forced to do a sequel due to its success. The reason why they failed to buy the rights is because the heirs of Lastikman creator Mars Ravelo demanded 1.8 million pesos (around US$32,727 at that time) for the sequel. In the film, which relaunched and brought the character back to limelight, the heirs only demanded 130,000 pesos (US$2,363), they even gave 500,000 pesos (US$9,090). The rights for the film went to Viva Films. Meanwhile, Michael V. and Chito Francisco came up with a new superhero story bringing birth to Fantastic Man.

The costume of Fantastic Man in the film was designed and made by the special effects team of TAPE Inc. boss Tony Tuviera. While the costume of Diabolica (the main villain in the movie—Ara Mina's character who was named after her role/name in the film Super Ranger Kids in 1997) was the idea of actor Michael V.

Fantastic Man costume's color was purple/violet and gold/yellow, which represents the holiday season for the Philippines: violet for puto-bumbong (Filipino native food) and in Christmas wreath violet/purple candle means loyalty to God, while yellow for bibingka or rice cake (Filipino Christmas food). Another possible interpretation was that the color purple represents justice while gold/yellow stands for power according to 1872 Mardi Gras by the King of Carnival, Rex.

Powers

The powers of Fantastic Man were more defined in the TV series than in the original movie version. As Fantastic Man, he can transform parts of his body (usually the arms) into various objects. They include an oversized drill, hammer, saw, scissors, spoon and fork, and even his feet can be some sort of a spring. At the course of the series prior to the second season, his powers seem to have evolved further where he can fly by turning his legs into rockets for propulsion and turn his appendages to more combative aspects, such as a gattling gun.

Weakness

If Captain Barbell weakens by Askobar, Fantastic Man on the same way weakens when in a very low temperature or when exposed in a cold/low temperature object such as ice. This was incorporated in the TV series.

Plot

As a young boy, Fredo lived happily in the province with his parents Danny and Linda, together with his Lola Cedes, until his simple life was shattered when a group of armed bandits abducted his father and killed his mother. Fredo was raised alone by his Lola Cedes, who eventually turned senile and got lost when they moved to the city.

In search of his Lola Cedes in the cruel city, Fredo meets new friends but also has a close brush with death in the hands of a ruthless syndicate. Left almost lifeless from a deadly beating, Fredo is rescued by Prof. Manalo, a scientist who invented the healing machine called the Regenerator. Fredo becomes the first "guinea pig" of the breakthrough healing machine and surprisingly acquires super-human powers. This fateful experience transforms the once helpless Fredo into an invincible crime-buster with extraordinary abilities and power.

Regular cast

Mark Herras as Fredo/Fantastic Man

Ryza Cenon as Wena/Fantastic Girl

Joey Marquez as Professor Manalo

Gloria Sevilla as Lola Cedes

Miguel Tanfelix as Tikboy

Season 1

Ariel Rivera as Danny/Tadtad (gueststar in Season 2)

Patricia Ysmael

Jackie Rice as Helen

Beth Tamayo as Linda

Paolo Contis as Madam Tisay

Benjie Paras as Gobo

Rez Cortez as Boss Elvis

Pen Medina as Singkit

Keempee de Leon as Budol

Nicole Anderson as Ms. K

Ana Lea Javier as Faith

Season 2

Patrick Garcia as Lloyd

Valerie Concepcion as Agent Belle

Chuck Allie

Alvin Aragon

Jewel Mische as Agent Vicky

Dion Ignacio as Dexter/Fire Man

Cristine Reyes as Kate/Screamer

Ryan Yllana as Jopet/Lava Man

Arci Munoz as Candy/Ice Candy

Rainier Castillo as Arman

Kevin Santos

Kirby de Jesus

Mike Tan as Bornok

Mart Escudero

Sherilyn Reyes as Elektrika

Maureen Larazzabal as Agent Juliet

Jennylyn Mercado & Nadine Samonte as Super Twins (Special Gueststars)

Marco Alcaraz as Ivan

LJ Reyes as Binhi

Luis Alandy as Draxor

Jose Manalo & Wally Bayola as Super Dings

Paulo Avelino

Vivo Ouano

Bugz Daigo

Boy 2 Quizon as Agent Cardo

Special episode

Mark Herras as Fredo/Fantastic Man

Ryza Cenon as Wena

Miguel Tanfelix as Tikboy

Joyce Jimenez

Cristine Reyes as Sylvia

Villains

(in order of appearance in the TV series)

Boss Elvis (played by Rez Cortez)

a trigger-happy syndicate leader

Singkit (played by Pen Medina)

an entrepreneur whose Chinese restaurant is a front for his illegal business. He is involved in smuggling and drug trafficking. He uses chopsticks as his deadly weapons. Another special ability of Singkit is he can summon animal spirits.

Budol (played by Kempee de Leon)

a con artist and an illegal dealer of counterfeit goods who uses hypnosis on his victims

Madam Tisay (played by Paolo Contis)

is a loud club owner who uses witchcraft to get her way. Madam Tisay is involved in prostitution and white slavery, and employs a coven of witches as performers for her club.

Gobo (played by Benjie Paras)

a circus freak with an unnatural strength and an impossibly feeble mind. Gobo is the leader of a pack of midget-thieves posing as circus performers. He can crush rocks with the use of his head, bend metal with his bare hands and does other extreme acts.

Tadtad (played by Ariel Rivera)

the main antagonist of Fantastic Man in the first season. He is the head of a crime syndicate and who is really Fredo's father Danny. He is a master of disguise and uses it to hide the scars and burns of his face. He also has molten fire powers. He sacrifices his life to save his son from two alien invaders working for the warlord Draxor.In season 2, a clone of his father who is being held in stasis by the P.S.I, a government agency, as a power source of their center.

Kate (played by Cristine Reyes)

A high school cheerleader who was present at the time when almost everyone in her school disappeared after seeing the blinding light right above their campus. She later returned with the ability to let out a powerful screech, as well as being able to generate powerful gales and whirlwinds by doing so.

Dexter (played by Dion Ignacio)

A high school basketball player and Kate's boyfriend from the same high school. After the mysterious disappearance, he returned with the power to combust objects by generating flames from his hands and channeling them at targets. With this power, he significantly weakened Fantastic Girl (Wena), forcing her to stay behind and replenish herself while Fantastic Man went after Dexter. Dexter's powers were later stripped away by a mysterious guy in a black robe.

Jobet (played by Ryan Yllana)

A stuttering and obese high school nerd who was the subject of Dexter's constant bullying at high school prior to the students' mysterious disappearance. Upon returning, he exhibited the power to rapidly melt metal. His power seems to operate even via broadcast.

Candy / Ice Candy (played by Arci Muñoz)

the best friend of Jobet. Another high school student who mysteriously disappeared and returned having the ability to manipulate cold and ice. This placed Fantastic Man at a heavy advantage against her. Powers later stripped away by the mysterious guy in a black robe.

Arman (played by Rainier Castillo)

has healing powers, but can also revive the dead as mindless zombies whose allegiance is only for Arman himself

Bornok (played by Mike Tan)

he has shape-shifting abilities which can copy another person flawlessly.

Elektrika (played by Sherilyn Reyes)

she has electric powers.

Super Dings (played by Jose and Wally)

A spoof villain of the superheroines, Super Twins.

Draxor (played by Luis Alandy)

an alien warlord who has mind-controlling abilities and energy manipulation powers. He has come to Earth to gather all the powers accidentally absorbed by the various individuals in the series including the powers of Fantastic Man and Fantastic Girl. The mysterious guy in the black robe is his lackey who later betrays him by absorbing his powers as well as his life.

Sylvia (played by Cristine Reyes)

A woman from a Special Episode. She owns a Resort and is actually a Vampire.

Allies

Professor Manalo (played by Joey Marquez)

Fredo's mentor, whose invention accidentally gave Fredo his remarkable abilities.

Super Twins (played by Jennelyn Mercado & Nadine Samonte)

guest starred for one episode to help out Fantastic Man on a case when he got injured and still feeling depressed from the death of Helen, Prof. Manalo's niece.

Fantastic Girl (played by Ryza Cenon)

After inadvertently absorbing a seed of extraterrestrial origin, Wena gained the power to synchronize with flora, allowing her to manipulate plants to her liking, psionically generate them from her mind, and even communicate with them. Her primary weakness appears to be extreme heat and fire, in contrast to Fantastic Man's vulnerability to the cold.

Lloyd Mendez (played by Patrick Garcia)

he has the clairvoyant power to locate others who disappeared and returned with unique abilities. He later gained the power to remove and steal powers from the alien Ivan. It is later revealed that Lloyd is secretly working for the alien Draxor. He will betray both Draxor and Fantastic Man in his quest for ultimate power.

Agent Belle (played by Valerie Concepcion)

top agent of the P.S.I. (Philippine Supernatural Investigation) and former student of Prof. Manalo.

Ivan (played by Marco Alcaraz)

an alien who has come to Earth to remove the various powers from the students who acquired them. It is revealed he was the mysterious man in the black robe. In his attempt to remove the various powers all at once, with the help of the P.S.I., he invented a machine to absorb the powers but this was sabotaged by Lloyd and the machine absorbed only his power instead. He is later killed by Lloyd to cover up his betrayal.

Binhi (played by LJ Reyes)

an alien being who is the source of great power in the universe. The powers of both Fantastic Man and Fantastic Girl originated from her.

Danny (played by Ariel Rivera)

A clone of Fredo's father. His power is that his body works like a nuclear reactor. Sacrificed his life to save his "son" from a liquid metal monster.

Agent Vicki (played by Jewel Mische)

another P.S.I. agent who replaced Agent Belle in the series. Mind-controlled by Draxor to betray Fantastic Man and his team. Later killed by Draxor while trying to free the imprisoned Binhi.

Agent Juliet (played by Maureen Larazabal)

another P.S.I. agent who replaced Agent Vicki upon her defection.