As we’re nearing the end of Women’s History Month, I’ve taken plenty of time to reflect on all the ladies that have shaped our world as we know it and been excellent inspirations. Yet, I feel as though we need some more fictional female appreciation — and what better way to do so but with a list of my top five heroines from Marvel and DC?
- Scarlet Witch
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Wanda Maximoff is the “daughter” of Magneto and the sister of Quicksilver, so it’s no wonder why she’s privy to a complicated family dynamic. This also includes the loss of her android love, Vision, along with her two super children Tommy and Billy (later reincarnated into Young Avengers members Speed and Wiccan, but that’s another can of worms). In her most iconic story arc, a 2005 storyline titled House of M, Wanda suffers a mental breakdown and alters reality, creating a perfect world where everyones’ deepest wishes were granted, at the request of her brother Quicksilver. Chaos ensues as the Avengers slowly begin to realize what is happening, and after refusing the betrayal of her “father” Magneto, Wanda pulls the plug on Earth-58163, returning everyone to the standard Earth-616 timeline. The effect of this rift, in reality, was massive for the world and came with many consequences. The number of mutants decreased from millions to hundreds; some went missing, some lost their powers, some even came back to life, and more. Wanda had a lot to grieve for, so much so that her sheer power increased and changed the world as everyone knew it. For this reason, Wanda has the #1 spot on my list — channeling her emotions made her stronger than most anyone, in a lot of ways.
- Wonder Woman
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There’s a good reason why Diana Prince holds a spot in the Holy Trinity amongst Batman and Superman; she can hold her own with the most famous, powerful men known in the franchise. Born in Themyscira as an Amazing Amazon, Diana was bred and trained to be a warrior by the most divine women. There have been records of her battles against the Dark Knight and Man of Steel, acting as evidence of her pragmatism, determination, and strategic mindset. Diana is a pretty logical character, instigating a fight only when necessary and knowing the odds of it. Whilst winning all recorded battles against Batman (see: The Hiketeia) and most of her battles with Superman, those victories can be attributed to her brilliance in hand-to-hand combat, melee fighting style, proficiency in weapon use, and more. Diana is competent and powerful, and knows to always stick by her morals, even if she has to face a friend. Her popularity is well-deserved for a heroine with no kryptonite! Batman even said so in Justice League #20 of the New 52.
- Captain Marvel
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Carol Danvers is already known for her superhuman abilities and for being one of the strongest (if not the strongest) Marvel characters. But, her origin story is not known by many. Carol was the daughter of a Kree mother, and a step-daughter to a man who believed that women were not equal to men. When it came down to having to choose which child he would send to college, her stepfather ignored all of Carol’s efforts and sent his mediocre son off to school, telling Carol to find a good husband. Carol ended up joining the Air Force to acquire her college degree. She climbed the ranks and made a reputation for herself in the most prestigious of groups, eventually unlocking her dormant Kree genetics in a freak accident as a NASA security chief. She becomes Captain Marvel, a benevolent heroine who cares for the helpless and saves planets. She has teamed up with nearly every group of heroes in the Marvel universe, putting the needs of the people above all else. All cosmic powers aside, Carol is a heroine that takes initiative and paves her own path, remaining true to herself all the while.
- Batgirl/Oracle
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Barbara Gordon takes on the aliases of Batgirl and Oracle. Babs is equal to Batman in both combat and investigative skills and has proved herself to be a perfect partner for the Defender of Gotham. She could have simply helped her father, Police Commissioner James Gordon, if she wanted to make a difference “fighting” crime in Gotham. However, Batman and Robin inspired her to join their masked vigilante force and take a hands-on approach to solve crime in the bustling city. In The Killing Joke, Barbara is unfortunately rendered paralyzed due to the fault of the Joker; however, she finds a new way to help by becoming the Oracle, a tech-savvy genius that provides endless information and advice to the team. Barbara Gordon shows that her drive to do right and save the crime-ridden city will always be present, even in her most extreme circumstances.
- The Mighty Thor
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Often overlooked, Jane Foster is a force to be reckoned with. With a Ph.D. in Astrophysics, there’s no doubting her sheer intellect and willpower (I don’t even want to think about the amount of studying she did). However, it’s insanely impressive that Foster is one of the few beings able to wield Mjolnir, Thor’s magical hammer that only allows the “worthy” to hold it. In the 2015 run of The Mighty Thor, Jane was diagnosed with breast cancer and went through with her treatments, while also opting to take the mantle of Thor when he couldn’t and save the universe piece by piece, no matter how much it worsened her sickness over time. When faced with death from her cancer and saving Asgard, Jane knew she must relinquish her title to the original Thor, and she sacrificed herself for the fate of the planet. Odin eventually brought her back to life, recognizing her great heart and the honor she possessed. Jane Foster shows trues humility and selflessness, even when fighting her own battles.
If possible, I’d make a comprehensive list of all of the amazing women given to us by comic book creators. The heroines I mentioned are pretty iconic, and I’m sure in the future we’ll have plenty more ladies to read about and be inspired by. But for now, let’s continue celebrating Women’s History Month with the best of the best!