Kidlat

Kidlat (Filipino for "Lightning") is a fantasy drama television series that aired on TV5 in the Philippines in 2013. The show was directed by Michael Tuviera, Eric S. Quizon, and Topel Lee, with Derek Ramsay playing the lead role. It ran from January 7 to May 3, 2013, taking over the timeslot of *Enchanted Garden* and later being succeeded by *Cassandra: Warrior Angel*.

The story follows Voltaire, the son of Dulce and Mario. When he was young, he and his mother were caught in a "perfect storm," and lightning struck Voltaire without harming him. Afterward, he discovered he had gained strange abilities, which he kept secret from his mother. Growing up, he felt isolated because of this secret, but his life changed when he met Lara. The series depicts Voltaire—an ordinary man—learning to control his power and using it to protect his family and community from dangerous enemies.

The main cast includes Derek Ramsay as Voltaire Megaton / Kidlat, Ritz Azul as Josephine "Joey" Palomares, Nadine Samonte as Lara Martinez, Baron Geisler as Vincent Megaton Jr. / Diablo, and Wendell Ramos as Rodel / Graba Man. Supporting roles are played by Chanda Romero, Niña Jose, Shaira Diaz, Mark Neumann, Valerie Weigmann, Paolo Ballesteros, Jay Manalo, Nanette Inventor, Lianne Valentin, Lou Veloso, Erika Padilla, Joross Gamboa, Kokoy de Santos, Isabel Rivas, Andrea Del Rosario, Christopher Roxas, and Arcel Zulueta. Special participation features Christopher de Leon, Assunta De Rossi, Spanky Manikan, BJ Forbes, and Sandy Talag, with Eula Caballero appearing in the special finale.

For marketing, TV5 unveiled a *Kidlat* billboard on EDSA on December 17, 2012, which caused heavy traffic due to Derek Ramsay's appearance in his Kidlat costume. On January 6, 2013, the network previewed the series by airing a telemovie before its primetime debut.

The series later gained renewed interest in Philippine meme culture. This followed incidents where Derek Ramsay defended his then-girlfriend Andrea Torres from a basher who called her "Retokada" (meaning "retouched") on Instagram, and also defended his friend Bea Alonzo after her breakup with Gerald Anderson. Various Facebook meme pages began posting memes about the character, making the phrase "Wag kang bastos!" ("Don't be rude!") synonymous with Ramsay in online communities.