Valentina (Philippine comics)

Valentina is a supervillain appearing in Philippine comic books, created by Mars Ravelo and Nestor Redondo. Based upon the eponymous Greek mythological figure, she first appeared in Pilipino Komiks (issue #78, 1950) and was the first adversary of the superhero Darna. Referred to as the "Goddess of Snakes", she has command over all kinds of serpents and has venomous snakes in her head instead of hair. She has been featured significantly as Darna's archenemy in many adaptations of her stories in other media.

Born in a rural scene, Valentina's origin story relates that she is the daughter of mortals Miguel and Doray. She was feared and hated by the town folks and the only man she ever loved, Edwardo, for her appearance. With the influence of the serpent creature Kobra, this drove her to become evil, murdered her parents and soon planned to destroy humankind by turning the world into a haven of reptiles. The character has changed in depiction over the decades. In Mango Comics' 2003 three-part issue, she was depicted as an extraterrestrial from the planet Tiamat disguised as her mortal alter-ego Amor. A pop culture icon, Valentina is often described as the most recognizable female supervillain in the Philippines.