Nadine Lustre - seen here posing for a Lustrous beauty shoot - was the inspiration for Wave, Marvel's Filipina superhero, according to one of the character's creators. Photo: Instagram / NadineLustreOfficial
Nadine Lustre - seen here posing for a Lustrous beauty shoot - was the inspiration for Wave, Marvel's Filipina superhero, according to one of the character's creators. Photo: Instagram / NadineLustreOfficial
Nadine Lustre - seen here posing for a Lustrous beauty shoot - was the inspiration for Wave, Marvel's Filipina superhero, according to one of the character's creators. Photo: Instagram / NadineLustreOfficial
Nadine Lustre - seen here posing for a Lustrous beauty shoot - was the inspiration for Wave, Marvel's Filipina superhero, according to one of the character's creators. Photo: Instagram / NadineLustreO

Filipina superhero was based on Nadine Lustre says Marvel artist


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Marvel artist Mico Suayan, one of the illustrators behind Marvel’s first Filipina superhero, Wave, has revealed that his drawings of the character were inspired by Filipina actress Nadine Lustre.

The artist has posted a photo of Lustre alongside Wave on his Facebook account, with the caption: “A little trivia. I based my rendition of Wave to Nadine.” This makes us immediately ask, is this the beginning of a campaign to see Lustre playing the role of Wave in any future movie adaptations?

Prior to the Lustre revelation, Wave’s co-creator, co-illustrator and designer, Leinil Francis Yu, said on Twitter that he would love to see actress Angel Locsin giving flesh to the heroine, whose alter-ego has been named Pearl Pangan.

Locsin is no stranger to Filipina heroines, having found fame playing the homegrown heroine Darna in the TV adaptation of the Ace Publications character. She was also initially cast as the lead in a Darna movie adaptation, but was forced to pull out of the film due to injury. The same fate has now also befallen her replacement on the movie, Lisa Soberano.

Who is Wave, the 'mysterious Filipina heroine'?

Wave was first introduced to fans on social media in February by writer Greg Pak. She is described as a "mysterious new Filipina heroine," is clad in a green and yellow costume, and holds two swords that, according to Locsin, resemble the Kampilan, the sword of ancient Filipino hero Lapu-Lapu.

Wave is a new Filipino superhero who hails from the ocean. Greg Pak / Twitter
Wave is a new Filipino superhero who hails from the ocean. Greg Pak / Twitter

Like Lapu-Lapu, Wave’s mission is to defend her realm against conquerors. She is among Marvel’s new league of Asian superheroes, which include Aero and Sword Master from China. They will fight dark forces that terrorise the Earth, in a story that is reportedly set in Asia.

Wave will debut in the comic book series War of the Realms: New Agents of Atlas #1, to be released in May. In the series, she will likely play a pivotal role in defending Asia from Thor villain, Malekith

Suayan's post has, understandably, led to speculation among Filipino comic fans and media that Lustre could take on the role of Wave in a future movie version.

The actress is also hotly tipped to replace Locsin and Soberano in the long-gestating Darna movie. Watch this space.

The smuggler

Eldarir had arrived at JFK in January 2020 with three suitcases, containing goods he valued at $300, when he was directed to a search area.
Officers found 41 gold artefacts among the bags, including amulets from a funerary set which prepared the deceased for the afterlife.
Also found was a cartouche of a Ptolemaic king on a relief that was originally part of a royal building or temple. 
The largest single group of items found in Eldarir’s cases were 400 shabtis, or figurines.

Khouli conviction

Khouli smuggled items into the US by making false declarations to customs about the country of origin and value of the items.
According to Immigration and Customs Enforcement, he provided “false provenances which stated that [two] Egyptian antiquities were part of a collection assembled by Khouli's father in Israel in the 1960s” when in fact “Khouli acquired the Egyptian antiquities from other dealers”.
He was sentenced to one year of probation, six months of home confinement and 200 hours of community service in 2012 after admitting buying and smuggling Egyptian antiquities, including coffins, funerary boats and limestone figures.

For sale

A number of other items said to come from the collection of Ezeldeen Taha Eldarir are currently or recently for sale.
Their provenance is described in near identical terms as the British Museum shabti: bought from Salahaddin Sirmali, "authenticated and appraised" by Hossen Rashed, then imported to the US in 1948.

- An Egyptian Mummy mask dating from 700BC-30BC, is on offer for £11,807 ($15,275) online by a seller in Mexico

- A coffin lid dating back to 664BC-332BC was offered for sale by a Colorado-based art dealer, with a starting price of $65,000

- A shabti that was on sale through a Chicago-based coin dealer, dating from 1567BC-1085BC, is up for $1,950

MATCH INFO

England 2
Cahill (3'), Kane (39')

Nigeria 1
Iwobi (47')

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