Meet Ari Agbayani, Marvel's new Filipina superhero

A Filipina-American superhero will be introduced as part of a new Captain America series this June.

Her name: Ari Agbayani.

The new heroine is earmarked to make her first appearance in the fourth installment of The United States of Captain America under Marvel Comics.

The series celebrates the 80th anniversary of Captain America.

It will see Steve Rodgers connect with past Captain Americas such as Bucky Barnes, Sam Wilson, and John Walker on a road trip across America to find his stolen shield.

Creating the character of Ari Agbayani is half-Filipina writer Alyssa Wong.

Alyssa is also behind the character of Filipina heroes Wave and Sea Hunter introduced in 2019.

“When editor Alanna Smith approached me about creating a new, local Captain America for this series, I immediately knew I wanted to write a Filipino-American girl. There just aren't very many of us in comics!” Alyssa said in an interview published on Marvel's website.

“I grew up without a Filipino-American community for the most part, so every time I see a Filipino character, I get excited. And getting to create one--a Captain America, even!--feels incredibly special.”

She also gave a detailed description of Ari's character in the comic series.

“Ari Agbayani is a scholarship student at a small, private university. When she finds out her best friend is being victimized by a wealthy legacy student, Ari is determined to make things right.

“But what can she do when her college is only concerned with keeping its donors happy, and half the buildings on campus are named after her best friend's abuser? In order to take him down, she'll have to get creative.

“Like the other Caps, Ari has a strong sense of justice and admires the ideals Captain America embodies.

“But the Captain America she's inspired by isn't Steve Rogers--it's Bucky Barnes. Someone who hates bullies as much as Steve does, but is willing to use sneakier, shadier tactics to deal with them.

“Ari's a vigilante, and she knows that you can't always win by playing by the rules.”

Ari Agbayani's debut in the series is on the fourth installment of the comic book to come out on September 22.

Aside from comic books, Filipino characters are also making their presence felt in video games. Here are some of them: