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".
Supergirl (Ariella Kent)
Ariella Kent is the Supergirl of the 853rd century. She is a fictional character from DC Comics' "Supergirl" series. The character first appeared in "Supergirl" #1,000,000, created by Peter David and Dusty Abell.