Ari Agbayani will be making her debut in the fourth installment of "The United States of Captain America" series. Created by half-Filipina Alyssa Wong and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles artist Jodi Nishijima, Ari Agbayani will be starting her pursuit for justice by dealing with the abuser of her best friend inside university. By Alyssa Wong, Jodi Nishijima, Peach Momoko, and Gerald Parel via the Marvel website

Ari Agbayani will be making her debut in the fourth installment of "The United States of Captain America" series. Created by half-Filipina Alyssa Wong and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles artist Jodi Nishijima, Ari Agbayani will be starting her pursuit for justice by dealing with the abuser of her best friend inside university. By Alyssa Wong, Jodi Nishijima, Peach Momoko, and Gerald Parel via the Marvel website

Ari Agbayani will be making her debut in the fourth installment of "The United States of Captain America" series. Created by half-Filipina Alyssa Wong and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles artist Jodi Nishijima, Ari Agbayani will be starting her pursuit for justice by dealing with the abuser of her best friend inside university. By Alyssa Wong, Jodi Nishijima, Peach Momoko, and Gerald Parel via the Marvel website

Ari Agbayani will be making her debut in the fourth installment of "The United States of Captain America" series. Created by half-Filipina Alyssa Wong and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles artist Jodi Nishijima, Ari Agbayani will be starting her pursuit for justice by dealing with the abuser of her best friend inside university. By Alyssa Wong, Jodi Nishijima, Peach Momoko, and Gerald Parel via the Marvel website

MANILA - A Filipina-American hero inspired by Captain America will debut in an upcoming Captain America series, Marvel announced Friday (US Time).

Ari Agbayani will be making her debut in the fourth installment of "The United States of Captain America" series - which plans to introduce a "diverse cast of new heroes and spotlight the communities they are part of and the unique challenges they face."

The United States of Captain America series, set to be launched this June, celebrates the 80th anniversary of the star-spangled Avenger and revolves around Steve Rogers banding up with Captain Americas of the past such as Bucky Barnes, Sam Wilson, and John Walker on a cross-country trip to find his stolen shield.

On sale in September, the series will feature Ari Agbayani as one of the four "local" Captain Americas they will encounter.

Ari Agbayani's inception comes after the creation of water-manipulating Filipina hero Wave and Filipina character Sea Hunter who were both introduced in 2019.

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Half-Filipina writer Alyssa Wong, who was also tapped to write the origin story of Wave, and artist Jodi Nishijima put Ari Agbayani to life.

As a scholar in a small private university, Ari Agbayani will pursue justice against the abuse of her best friend.

Creating Ari Agbayani’s origin and being tapped to write about the character felt “special” to Wong as someone who grew up in a Filipino-American community, she told Marvel.

"When editor Alanna Smith approached me about creating a new, local Captain America for this series, I immediately knew I wanted to write a Filipino-American girl. There just aren't very many of us in comics! I grew up without a Filipino-American community for the most part, so every time I see a Filipino character, I get excited. And getting to create one—a Captain America, even!—feels incredibly special," she said.

Ari Agbayani will have to deal with underlying conflicts such as her best friend’s abuser’s influence in the university. Inspired by Bucky Barnes, Ari Agbayani will use “sneakier, shadier tactics” to deal with bullies on campus, Wong said.

“What can she do when her college is only concerned with keeping its donors happy, and half the buildings on campus are named after her best friend's abuser? In order to take him down, she'll have to get creative,” Wong said of the character plot.

Nishijima designed Ari Agbayani to reflect Bucky Barnes’ influence in the costumes, and put her in "youthful" clothes that she and her friends would wear. She described working on the project as an "honor."

"Ari's design was inspired by all the girls I've known in my life who in their day to day appear very sweet and empathetic, but when challenged can be terribly fierce. Her style is very much what I and my friends would feel comfortable and confident in wearing as well! I hope that her youthful design is well communicated and relatable, but no matter what I'm so glad that I could help bring her to life!” Nishijima, 22 years, said.

Wong praised Nishijima’s work: “Jodi has done such a great job bringing Ari to life. Her art is so playful, charming, and fun. It's been an honor to co-create Ari with her!”

United States of Captain America 4 will hit the stands on September 22.