Throughout the history of film, the portrayal of female characters has progressed from secondary roles to no roles at all to meaningful and complex roles. Just in the last five years, we’ve seen more than a dozen female comic book characters appear in movies, TV shows, and comics. It’s about time for a list of the top five.
Comic book readers know a thing or two about taking charge: Professor X, Carol Danvers, Gamora, Sarah Palin, and Jessica Jones are just a few of the brilliant, powerful women that have led the charge in comics over the years. But which of these characters thrives as a comic book leader, and which characters fall short? Hence, we wanted to keep things simple; here are the five best female comic book leads.
Female characters, often across a wealth of media and mediums, are still deemed as primarily supporting roles or are actively sexualized in the opposite direction. This isn’t shocking; females have been historically underrepresented and still are in the higher ranks of most industries. However, here are five female comic leads that are very much worth mentioning.
Wonder Woman
This year has been great for comic book movies, with Wonder Woman and Captain Marvel both setting box office records. Still, there is some stiff competition. Here are the top 5 female comic book characters who are worth watching in 2018.
Wonder Woman is one of the most iconic female superheroes in the world. She debuted in 1941 and has been a leading lady ever since. Why does this superhero matter? Because she’s one of the few that has done well for himself in the male-dominated world of comic books.
Scarlet Witch
Scarlet Witch has recently become a popular character in the Marvel universe. Although her comic persona dates back to the ’60s, she was a mainstay of the X-Men universe until the last decade or so. And even though her X-Men counterpart Mystique was a great actress, the movie character didn’t do so well (although the movie led to a lot of merchandise sales). In recent months, the Scarlet Witch movie has become a hot topic, and even the most conservative of comic fans agree that the movie is great and Scarlet Witch is the best female comic lead since Wonder Woman.
Black Widow
Black Widow has been a staple of Marvel comics since her introduction in 1964. A mercenary and spy for the Soviet Union, Natasha Romanov has fought alongside and against her long time friend Captain America and fellow Avenger Iron Man. As a result, she’s had a complex life, from her relationship with Captain America to her all-consuming love for Iron Man and the violent death of her husband in the recent Avengers: Age of Ultron. This week, in the comics, Black Widow is the subject of a news story and a pretty solid one at that. Called “The Black Widow,” it’s a five-part tale that starts in her current solo series, “Black Widow,” and then jumps over to “Avengers Assemble”.
Rogue
Rogue is a performance artist, a mutant, and a thief. Her ashy skin and red hair make her look like a vampire, but she’s actually a mutant, which means she can emit a special type of energy that can be used in a number of different ways. There are many comic book movies that have had a solid female lead. But the best type of comic movie to have a female lead character is fun, funny, and sexy at the same time. Jean Grey, better known as Phoenix, is the perfect example of this since her character is a hot chick that is also a superhero. Jean Grey has been part of the X-Men comics for decades but has become more popular as a hot X-Man in the last few years.
Gamora
Gamora is one of the most dominant female superheroes in the Marvel universe and has a host of cool moments throughout the comics. She started out as a lowly intergalactic assassin but eventually became a member of an intergalactic police force and then a member of an intergalactic team of warriors known as the Guardians of the Galaxy. She is also known for her relationship with fellow Guardians member Drax the Destroyer.
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