One night in March 1982, in a single dimension in this infinite multiverse, The Ravelos’ own world was about to take a turn. Before that, the band was like any other group echoing the punk subculture’s rebellious spirit. The Ravelos have their day jobs. It’s just that they moonlight as crime-fighting superheroes, in a world where snake people are the norm.
The Ravelos’ original lineup consists of the brawny Kapitan Barbel on drums, the immortal Last Stick Man on bass, and Teeny Tony, who was later kicked out for his lack of punk cred. Darnuh Vergara filled up the spot for vocals and lead guitar, with super strength and flight in the rest of her arsenal. Flash Bombas entered the scene as their shockwave and demon-summoning roadie, but his knack for songwriting and guitar-shredding later promoted him to center stage. Life was like clockwork for The Ravelos: They fought monsters on the side and dominated shows by night. Pesky villains notwithstanding, it was as tolerable as any alien-infested dimension.
It all changed during a gig at Jewel’s, when they were unknowingly pulled into a time portal that transported them into this dimension. For The Ravelos, the world as we know it is strikingly different from theirs: Snake people are reduced to monsters in B-movies, and superheroes are relegated to blockbuster fads. Compared to their home universe, Manila ’19 is a lackluster dystopia. It has all the oppressive horror of “The Terminator,” but with less Arnold Schwarzenegger cyborgs and more smartphones at gigs.
This story is from the July - September 2019 edition of Scout.
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This story is from the July - September 2019 edition of Scout.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
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