The Philippines

Of all the nations of East Asia that suffered multiple invasions, none have come near experiencing the brutal history of the Philippines. After trading imperial hands for half a century, the people are ethnically Asian, religiously Catholic, and speak languages that include Spanish, English, Filipino, or (mainly) Tagalog. Through it all, they have maintained both an identity as a nation and the individual identities of over 120 indigenous tribes that occupy the 7,000 islands of this Pacific nation.
Super-powered Filipinos are as diverse as the country’s population, ranging from mutants who live in the jungles of remote islands to gadgeteers in Manila who work with advanced science and technology. Some go on to global success and fame, while others labor quietly, protecting the people who raised them and the country they call home.
Life in the Philippines is largely defined by conflict. Conflict between cultural ideals, between the past and the present, between different tribes, and between ordinary citizens and the threats posed by crime and poverty—not to mention the difficulties of dealing with the inconsistencies of the local power grid. Both heroes and villains from this nation are tough, being survivors who fought to make it through their childhoods and lived to fight on as adults.
Makamulto Tabak (Ghostly Blade) is a well-known hero in the Philippines. He’s a vigilante trained in the national sport and martial art of the country, arnis, also known as escrima. He uses an enchanted blade handed down from one worthy carrier to the next. In addition to being a weapon, the sword grants the wielder the ability to become ghostlike, which he uses to avoid and set himself up to make attacks. He is mostly concerned with taking care of street crime in the Philippines, but often steps in to deal with super-criminals and supernatural events that threaten his country. Makamulto Tabak is highly trained, physically fit, and a master of his art.

PIRATES OF THE SULU SEA

By far the largest conflict in the modern Philippines is between the forces of law and the pirates of the Sulu Sea. More than 100 different groups of oceangoing bandits prey on shipping and travelers in the waters between the Southwest Philippines and the tip of East Indonesia. Some pirate crews are politically motivated. Some are religious extremists. Others are just criminals out to make a buck.
One pirate crew, operating with a fleet of six captured vessels, including a Malaysian coast guard cutter, is led by Ojos Rojos (Red Eye), a speedster who uses his waterrunning and wall-running abilities to board a target ship while its crew is focusing on the pirate vessels under his command. Once aboard, he uses his speed to overwhelm security before his men even fire a shot. Ojos Rojos wears regular clothing to make it easier for him to enter a ship undiscovered.
Unlike the pirates of the Somali coast, the Sulu Sea pirates are highly organized, well-equipped, and accompanied by a handful of low-to-middle-powered super-criminals. To those watching, it’s obvious someone very smart and motivated is funding and supporting these brutal outlaws. UNISON has no leads as to who, or to what end, so theories are all they have at the moment.