Spider-Man, Iron Man, Captain America, Batman, The Flash, Superman… We all know the names of the superheroes in Marvel and DC Universe. But most of us probably don’t know our homegrown superheroes, their names and even their looks. Kicking on the screen to save the world, Malaysian superheroes are as cool as other superheroes out there. Here are 9 Malaysian superheroes you should get to know!
9 Malaysian Superheroes
1. Chempiang
The Chempiang series is based on the character of a local comic, similar to Marvel Comics but with a Malaysian touch. Noor Aminuddin plays Chempiang, the protagonist while Sasha Saidin plays the evil character as Hati Pecah. The main mission of Broken Heart is to find and destroy Chempiang. Young people may not recognise this series but it is one of the most popular Malaysian superheroes back then.
2. Keluang Man
They have Batman in DC Universe, but we have Keluang Man (Fruit Batman) in Malaysia. Keluang Man is a popular cartoon series back in 1998, broadcasted on TV1. The background of this character is interesting as he is a mental patient staying in a mental hospital. Mental patient by day, superhero at night. Created by Kamn Ismail and his crew of animators, Keluang Man is still one of the most popular cartoon series in Malaysia although it halted production in 2002.
3. Cicak-Man
If there is one Malaysian superhero that every Malaysian knows, it will be Cicak Man. Cicak-Man might be the most popular superhero in Malaysia. This ‘Lizard-man’ character was introduced in 2006 and the movie made history by grossing over RM350,000 on its first day.
The first two series were played by Saiful Apek as the protagonist while the latest series in 2015 was played by Zizan Razak.
4. Pepaya Man
Yes, it is papaya. The Pepaya series is a comedy superhero series inspired by the cartoon of Popeye, the sailor man. Starring Zul Yahya as Pepaya, the ordinary guy turns into a mighty superhero by simply eating papaya. The series aired via the Action slot on TV3 in 2008.
5. Antoo fighter
Antoo Fighter is a top-secret group consisting of 5 chosen people on earth to protect the world from evil spirits every 60 years. It is a comedy and action film screened in cinemas in 2008.
6. Atoi
Every superhero has a story. Atoi, the protagonist of the ‘Kapoww!! Atoi the Ajaib Boy’ movie, is about a kampung boy struck by lightning. Played by Zizan Razak (also the new face of Cicak-Man), Atoi can shoot lightnings out of his hands and runs fast after the lightning incident. You could say he is a combination of Thor and Flash. The movie was released in 2010 at local cinemas.
7. Supermak
Not an ordinary mum. Amy, the protagonist, is a housewife with superhuman power that is inherited from her ancestors. Supermak has extraordinary strength and speed, going around fighting crime and taking care of her children. The series was released in 2011.
8. Mantera
What is Mantera? It’s an acronym for Man Transformable Exo-Robotic Armor. Sounds high-tech right? Being a Hero was accidental for Azman, the protagonist. The young man received a high-tech robot bodysuit by chance and was then chosen to defend evil forces. This Malaysian superhero film was released in 2012. It was one of the first films in Malaysia to use a combination of computer-generated imagery (CGI) and live-action for production.
9. Ryujin Juwara
Ryujin Juwara is the first Malaysian tokusatsu superhero drama adapted from the Japanese tokusatsu series; Ryujin Mabuyer. It is a collaboration between Malaysian production company, Double Vision Sdn Bhd, Yomiuri-TV Enterprise Ltd. (Japan) and Mabui Stone Corporation (Japan). The 26 -episode drama series has been filmed in Japan, Indonesia, Singapore, and Malaysia. It was aired on TV3 in 2014 every Friday. Starring Iedil Putra (Andil/Ryujin Juwara), the main character rises as a superhero to defend the Mabui stone which is symbolic of the well-being of Kampung Batik.
Do you know all of them?
Here are the real heroes of Malaysia:
