Diwatas

Diwatas
Name	Diwatas
Aliases	Philippine Gods
Physical Characteristics
Body Type	Humanoid
Average Height	6'0"
Average Weight	325 lbs
Eyes	2
Skin	Tan
Number of Limbs	2
Number of Fingers	5
Number of Toes	5
Special Adaptations	The Diwatas are true immortals who cease to age at adulthood. They are three times denser than normal human beings.
Origin and Status
Reality	Earth-616
Base of Operations	Kaluwalhatian
Creators and Appearances
Creators	Matt Fraction, Salvador Larroca
First	Invincible Iron Man (Vol. 2) #2 (June, 2008)
First	Invincible Iron Man (Vol. 2) #2 (June, 2008)

History

According to ancient myths, the Earth Mother Gaea gave birth to the three primary Diwatas: Bathala (Bathalang Maykapal), the supreme Sky Father and Diwatas' king; Aman Sinaya, goddess of the sea; and Amihan, god of the wind. Together, these three gods fashioned the first mortals from a bamboo shoot and instilled them with a soul ("kaluluwa"). Later, Bathala fell in love with a mortal woman while visiting Earth and sired three additional Diwatas: Apo Laki, god of war and the sun; the beautiful Mayari, goddess of the moon; and Tala, goddess of the stars. Subsequent generations of Diwatas soon followed, and they devoted much of their time and energies to serving as guardians of nature.

Worship of the Diwatas spread throughout the Philippine archipelago. But following Spanish missionaries' arrival in the 16th century AD, Christianity began to replace the Diwatas' worship, and Bathala reluctantly decided that the time had come for his people to break most of their ties with Earth. Bathala retreated to the extradimensional realm of Kaluwalhatian, the location of the sacred "Abo Fire" that serves as the symbol of his power, where he has since defended his realm from his younger brother Aswang, the god of evil and ruler of the nether realm of Impiyerno, the lowest level of the Kasanaan underworld. Nevertheless, Bathala still retains a deep affection for and interest in the people of Earth.

Powers and Abilities

Powers

The Diwatas all have some potential to practice magic, mostly but not limited to changing their appearances, transforming matter and wielding cosmic, elemental and paranormal energies.

Average Strength Level

The average Diwata male can lift (press) about 25 tons under optimal conditions; the average Diwata female can lift (press) 20 tons under optimal conditions.

Weaknesses

Diwatas tend to weaken after prolonged stays in the Earth realm, and often bind their life essences to mortal hosts when away from Kaluwalhatian for extended periods.

Habitat

Habitat

Earth-like

Gravity

Normal

Atmosphere

Normal

Miscellaneous

Level of Technology

Magic

Cultural Traits

The Diwatas were worshipped as gods by the people of the Phillippines and the neighboring islands.

Representatives

Bathala, Anitun, Amihan, Aswang, Apo Laki, Tala, Mayari, Aman Sinaya, et al

Trivia

• Diwata (or anito) refers to ancestor spirits, nature spirits, and deities in the indigenous Philippine folk religions from the precolonial age to the present.

See Also

• 1 appearance(s) of Diwatas
• 2 appearance(s) in handbook(s) of Diwatas
• 1 mention(s) in handbook(s) of Diwatas
• 1 image(s) of Diwatas
• 8 representative(s) of Diwatas