The female superheroes of the comic book world don’t get as much of the spotlight as their male counterparts. It is great for women to look up to men as their heroes, but I wanted to give some of you ladies out there a chance to get to know some female superheroes that you might not be as familiar with. My husband tells me all the time that I’m a geek and I don’t think that I am, generally, but I totally geek-out over superheroes, regardless of their gender. I don’t know if it’s the superpowers, the saving of lives or the touching back-stories they all seem to have that make me go crazy for them, but I just love each and every one.
1 Wonder Woman
Wonder Woman is one of the quintessential female superheroes. Everyone knows who she is and she was one of the few ladies of the superhero world that had her own TV show. While Wonder Woman possessed the usual range of super powers, she also had a few womanly tricks up her sleeves and several worthy causes to fight for. The Lasso of Truth forced people caught by it to tell the truth (go figure). She fought for love and especially for gender equality, wanting men and women to have equal rights. That is definitely someone girls of any age can look up to!
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2 The Manhunter
The Manhunter is a federal prosecutor who is sick and tired of the bad guys getting away with murder (among other things). She sets out to pick up where the justice system failed and clear the streets of the evildoers. She has no real superpowers, but is armed well with book smarts, street smarts and nifty gadgets that help her take down everyone she needs to. She accomplishes all this while maintaining a career and being a single mother!
3 Jean Grey
Jean Grey is a mutant who has telekinetic and telepathic abilities. She discovers her abilities at an early age is but is blocked from using them fully after her first experience nearly kills her. As a teenager, she becomes the first female member of X-Men and falls in love with Cyclops. She uses her abilities and her love to save the man she will later marry as well as all of her friends time and time again, even when it means losing her own life. She is a perfect example of putting others first because you love them so deeply you would do anything for them. She is well educated with a masters degree in psychology and a faithful spouse, refusing to let things go too far with Wolverine because she is still married. Bravo!
4 Cassie Hack
While this particular super heroine comes from a rather horrific story line, she is, nonetheless, someone many girls, teens and adults can relate to- at least at the beginning of her life. Her father left when she was very young and she was raised by a mother who slowly went crazy. She was bullied in school and made fun of constantly. Her insane mother found out about the bullying and went on a slashing rampage, butchering all the children who had made fun of her daughter. Cassie, instead of cowering in fear, called the police and turned in her mother for the horrible things she had done. She then spent her time seeking revenge on all the “slashers” who had killed innocent people. While the killing people part of her story is certainly not something that should be followed, standing up for yourself and for what’s right, regardless of how others treat you, is a great piece of this story to take to heart.
5 Ms. Marvel
Ms. Marvel is a Major in the US Air Force, which already makes her a superhero in my book. Unfortunately, the writers turned her into a half-dressed blonde bombshell who needed the protection or help of male superheroes to get by, but after many many complaints ranging from her attire to her neediness, the writers decided to revamp her image in the 2000s. They made her a self sufficient woman who was able to face and overcome the many obstacles that were thrown in front of her. That’s the kind of hero I can look up to!
6 Batwoman
Batwoman is a filthy rich young woman who, instead of spending her fortune on cars and houses, decides to put her money to good use, fighting crime! She is also an out and proud lesbian. The writers wanted to give their readers someone everyone could relate to, and despite heavy criticism from a lot of people, they have maintained the character’s sexual orientation. Batwoman is often criticized but she is who she is and she makes no excuses for it, regardless of how others might feel towards her.
7 Storm
Storm was the first female African American superhero. She is left orphaned and alone at a very young age and fights many internal battles with herself, including paralyzing claustrophobia which she manages to completely overcome, with time. She is able to control weather and natural resources, making her one of the most powerful mutants in the Marvel Universe. Her connection with the environment gives her a special bond with nature that I feel everyone should share, superhuman abilities or not.
There are so many more female superheroes to look up to out there; these are merely my personal favorites. I love the diversity that the comic book world is continuing to introduce. Who are you favorite superheroes and what kind of superhero would you love to see?
