Gender in speculative fiction
The first known female superhero is writer-artist Fletcher Hanks's minor character Fantomah, an ageless, ancient Egyptian woman in the modern day who could transform into a skull-faced creature with superpowers to fight evil; she debuted in 1940 in Fiction Houses "Jungle Comics".
Coagula
Coagula (real name Kate Godwin (formerly Clark Godwin)) is a fictional character and former member of DC Comic's Doom Patrol. Kate is a trans woman, one of the first transgender characters in comics, and remains one of the only transgender superheroines. The character was created by transgender science fiction writer Rachel Pollack. According to the Comics Journal, Rachel Pollack based the character's civilian name on two friends of hers. The friends in question are transgender writer and actress Kate Bornstein and the transsexual activist Chelsea Goodwin. Rachel wanted to create a positive portrayal of a lesbian transgender lady.