Listen up all you tough chickas—our friends over at Marvel are upping their game in terms of girl power by giving comic book fans the female lead they’ve been longing for.
Marvel has confirmed a re-imagined THOR as the latest addition to the comic book franchise, only this time, the God of Thunder and Wielder of Mjolnir will be a female.
It won’t be the first time a female character takes the lead in a series of comic books and judging by Marvel’s decision to hand the iconic hammer over to an equally capable female, we don’t believe it will be the last.
The new Thor appears strong, confident, muscular and more covered up than we’re used to seeing. Previous female comic book characters have been known to appear in outfits far too sexy for children and extremely unrealistic for fighting crime (ever heard of a wardrobe malfunction Stan Lee?), but when Marvel released images of the new Thor it was clear this female superhero was all about being practical rather than sexy.
Nonetheless, a change in wardrobe doesn’t change history, and not all female superheroes showed up to show it off. We’ve put together a list of 7 female superheroes—strong and sexy—that have paved the way for the likes of Thor, Ms. Marvel and Spider-Gwen (Yeah, that’s a thing). Check out our picks below and tell us who your favourite female superheroes are in the comments!
Captain Marvel – Carol Danvers:
Captain Marvel—often referred to as Ms. Marvel—possesses enhanced strength, has the ability to fly AND she can shoot concussive energy bursts from her hands! She’s been known to appear in both sexy and practical outfits, with her first appearance dating back to 1968. These days you might find her joining forces with well-known crews like the Avengers and X-Men.
A classic to say the least and a fine example of the cliché term, “sex sells,’ but despite Wonder Women’s barely-there jumper, there’s no doubt this iconic character helped to pave the way for female leads while inspiring young women to chase their inner heroism.
One could argue She-Hulk’s wardrobe straddled the line of being too sexy, but keep in mind, the male version of Hulk was known to sport nothing more than a pair of short-shorts after transforming from man to green monster. Either way, She-Hulk lets the people know—men aren’t the only ones capable of flexing their muscles.
The Winsome Wasp – Janet Van Dyne:
A founding member of the Avengers—and a New Yorker no less—Janet Van Dyne, a.k.a. The Winsome Wasp, has the ability to shrink and grow on the fly, literally. In 1970, Avengers artist George Pérez revamped the Wasp’s costume so many times that she became known for her vast number of outfits. Typical New Yorker, amirite?
Storm has been around since 1975 and she was no doubt a popular character from the get-go. In the 2000 film release of X-Men, Halle Berry was cast for the on-screen role of Storm, bringing the electric character to life while proving you should never mess with Mother Nature!
Random side note: Halle Berry is one of the only actresses to appear in both Marvel (Storm) and DC Comics (Catwoman) films. She’s also appeared in the James Bond franchise as an iconic bond girl—I’m pretty sure that makes Halle Berry a superhero on her own.
Black Widow – Natasha Romanova:
Secured in a close alliance with Wolverine and Captain America, Black Widow, a.k.a Natasha Romanova, started out as an orphan but was taken into custody and trained by Soviet intelligence. She was later recruited to by the Black Widow program (an elite team of female agents) and studied as a ballerina to cover her true identity. Black Widow’s gear doesn’t reveal too much skin but Scarlett Johansson definitely brings a certain sex appeal to the look. Rock it, girl!
Harley Quinn (because behind every great superhero, there’s an even greater super villain):
Making her first appearance in the Batman cartoon series—initially not in the comic books—Harley Quinn became known as the most badass female super villain to hit the streets of Gotham. Doesn’t it feel good to be bad? #Respect
Photos: Marvel Comics, DC Comics, Warner Bros. Television
