Zsazsa Zaturnnah (full name:
Ang Kagila-gilalas na Pakikipagsapalaran ni Zsazsa Zaturnnah, translated to
The Spectacular Adventures of Zsazsa Zaturnnah) is a cult-favorite superhero comic from the Philippines. The story follows Ada, a gay man, who comes in contact with a large, spikey meteor which, when ingested, turns him into the
Wonder Woman-esque superheroine Zsazsa Zaturnnah. Zsazsa soon finds herself in conflict with the man-hating Queen Femina from Planet XXX and her fellow Amazonistas. The writer, Carlo Vergara, is writing the sequel,
Zsazsa Zaturnnah sa Kalakhang Maynila (
Zsazsa Zaturnnah in Metro Manila)
The comic spawned a stage musical and, later, a feature film starring Rustom Padilla (as Ada), Zsazsa Padilla (
as Zsazsa Zaturnnah) and Pops Fernandez (as Queen Femina).
The various versions of Zsazsa Zaturnnah provide examples of:
- Abhorrent Admirer: Krystal just can't seem to take a hint.
- Adaptation Distillation - The stage show and movie
- Arch-Enemy - Queen Femina Suarestellar Baroux
- Attractive Bent Gender
- Betty and Veronica: Demure Ada as Betty and the flamboyant Zaturnnah as Veronica.
- Bullet Time - Invoked and lampshaded in the first fight scene as Zaturnnah and her attackers get stuck in a frozen shot long enough for Didi to investigate and get hit when they move again
- By the Power of Grayskull! - "ZATURNNAH!"
- Camp Gay - Ada's assistant, Didi
- Canon Foreigner - Aruba, Poldo and Mang Justin in the movie
- Crossdresser - Ada and Didi
- The Danza - Zsazsa Zaturnnah is played by Zsazsa Padilla (though it was originally offered to Rufa Mae Quinto)
- Does Not Like Men - Queen Femina and her Amazonistas
- Eating the Eye Candy - Many people fall over themselves in front of Dodong's oft-shirtless body
- Everything's Deader with Zombies - Zaturnnah must face a zombie invasion partway through the movie, orchestrated by Queen Femina
- Gay Conservative - Ada. In The Movie she's not so much politically conservative as very self-conscious about her identity offending people.
- Henshin Hero - Ada needs to become Zsazsa Zaturnnah to acquire powers
- Human Aliens - The Amazonistas
- In a Single Bound - Zsazsa Zaturnnah can't fly, but she sure can jump
- Informed Flaw - Ada mentions once in the movie that as Zaturnnah he loses the ability to cut hair, but this is never demonstrated in the movie
- Kaiju - One of Zaturnnah's opponents is a giant frog
- Magical Queer - Invoked and Discussed, as to whether Bakla naturally resistant to Zombies, but ultimately Averted.
- Magic Meteor
- Most Common Superpower - which are able to deflect bullets
- The Movie - Zsazsa Zaturnnah: Ze Moveeh
- The Musical - the stage show and movie
- Reluctant Warrior - Both Ada and Zsazsa need a lot of goading and persuading from Didi before they start kicking ass.
- Sequel Hook - the movie ends with one, after a second stone falls from the sky
- Shirtless Scene - Dodong in his introduction, and after his initial encounter with the zombies
- Shout Out - the song "Ikaw Ang Superhero ng Buhay Ko" (You are the Superhero of My Life" mentions other superheroes from the Philippines, such as Darna, Lastikman and Captain Barbell
- Stripperiffic - Zsazsa Zaturnnah, but also the Amazonistas, with the comic version of Queen Femina especially
- Super Gender Bender - Ada has no special powers, but Zsazsa Zaturnnah does
- Super Hero - Zsazsa Zaturnnah
- Super Hero Origin
- Super Speed
- Super Strength
- Start of Darkness- Planet XXX used to be No Woman's Land until the Amazonistas revolted and committed Gendercide.
- Third Option Love Interest: Krystal thinks she's this, but Dodong shows no interest in her.
- Trans Equals Gay - Both Ada and Didi repeatedly self-identify as "Bakla," which is an umbrella term used for gay men, trans women, and any androphile who is born into a male body
. In Fillipino society, Bakla are traditionally considered a third sex. The fact that the U.S. version of the subtitles translates Bakla as "Fag" doesn't help matters much. - Transformation Trinket - The Zaturnnah meteor
- Villain Song - Queen Femina describing her backstory and motivations
- Womb Level - Zsazsa gets swallowed by that giant frog and has to cut her way out.
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