Who was the first female superhero?
Portrayal of women in American comics
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 Fiction House's "Jungle Comics" #2 (Feb. 1940), credited to the pseudonymous "Barclay Flagg". The first widely recognizable female superhero is "Wonder Woman", from All-American Publications, one of three companies that would merge to form DC Comics. In an October 25, 1940, interview conducted by former student Olive Byrne (under the pseudonym 'Olive Richard') and published in "Family Circle", titled "Don't Laugh at the Comics", William Moulton Marston described what he saw as the great educational potential of comic books (a follow up article was published two years later in 1942.) This article caught the attention of comics publisher Max Gaines, who hired Marston as an educational consultant for National Periodicals and All-American Publications, two of the companies that would merge to form the future DC Comics. At that time, Marston decided to develop a new superhero. In the early 1940s the DC line was dominated by superpowered male characters such as the Green Lantern, Batman, and its flagship character, Superman. According to the Fall 2001 issue of the Boston University alumni magazine, it was his wife Elizabeth Hollowy's idea to create a female superhero. Marston introduced the idea to Max Gaines, cofounder (along with Jack Liebowitz) of All-American Publications. Given the go-ahead, Marston developed "Wonder Woman" with Elizabeth (whom Marston believed to be a model of that era's unconventional, liberated woman). In creating Wonder Woman, Marston was also inspired by Olive Byrne, who lived with the couple in a polygamous/polyamorous relationship. In a 1943 issue of "The American Scholar", Marston wrote:
Atom Eve
Atom Eve (real name: Samantha Eve Wilkins) is a fictional character, a superhero in the who appears primarily in the comic book "Invincible". Her first appearance was in "Invincible" #1(January 2003) and was created by Robert Kirkman and Cory Walker.
She's the First
South Asia
Wonder Woman
Wonder Woman is a fictional superhero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character is a founding member of the Justice League. The character first appeared in "All Star Comics" #8 in October 1941 with her first feature in "Sensation Comics" #1, January 1942. The "Wonder Woman" title has been published by DC Comics almost continuously except for a brief hiatus in 1986. In her homeland, the island nation of Themyscira, her official title is Princess Diana of Themyscira, Daughter of Hippolyta. When blending into the society outside of her homeland, she adopts her civilian identity Diana Prince.
George Mandel
Before the war Mandel was a cartoonist whose drawings established the first masked female comicbook hero, The Woman in Red.
Yankee Girl
The first superheroine called Yankee Girl was Kitty Kelly, created in a seven-page story by an unknown writer and artist in Four Star Publications' "Captain Flight Comics" #8 (cover-dated May 1945). She made subsequent appearances in issue #9 (Sept. 1945), in a story by an unknown writer, penciler Maurice Whitman and inker Ann Brewster, and "Red Seal Comics" #17 (July 1946), from Chesler Publications / Dynamic Publications, in which the feature is called "Kitty Kelly" rather than "Yankee Girl".
Superhero
During the 1940s there were many superheroes: The Flash, Green Lantern and Blue Beetle debuted in this era. This era saw the debut of first known female superhero, writer-artist Fletcher Hanks's 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 Fiction House's "Jungle Comic" #2 (Feb. 1940), credited to the pseudonymous "Barclay Flagg". The Invisible Scarlet O'Neil, a non-costumed character who fought crime and wartime saboteurs using the superpower of invisibility created by Russell Stamm, would debut in the eponymous syndicated newspaper comic strip a few months later on June 3, 1940.
One superpowered character was portrayed as an antiheroine, a rarity for its time: the Black Widow, a costumed emissary of Satan who killed evildoers in order to send them to Hell—debuted in "Mystic Comics" #4 (Aug. 1940), from Timely Comics, the 1940s predecessor of Marvel Comics. Most of the other female costumed crime-fighters during this era lacked superpowers. Notable characters include The Woman in Red, introduced in Standard Comics' "Thrilling Comics" #2 (March 1940); Lady Luck, debuting in the Sunday-newspaper comic-book insert "The Spirit Section" June 2, 1940; the comedic character Red Tornado, debuting in "All-American Comics" #20 (Nov 1940); Miss Fury, debuting in the eponymous comic strip by female cartoonist Tarpé Mills on April 6, 1941; the Phantom Lady, introduced in Quality Comics "Police Comics" #1 (Aug. 1941); the Black Cat, introduced in Harvey Comics' "Pocket Comics" #1 (also Aug. 1941); and the Black Canary, introduced in "Flash Comics" #86 (Aug. 1947) as a supporting character. The most iconic comic book superheroine, who debuted during the Golden Age, is Wonder Woman. Modeled from the myth of the Amazons of Greek mythology, she was created by psychologist William Moulton Marston, with help and inspiration from his wife Elizabeth and their mutual lover Olive Byrne. Wonder Woman's first appearance was in "All Star Comics" #8 (Dec. 1941), published by All-American Publications, one of two companies that would merge to form DC Comics in 1944.
Lois Lane
Lois gained her first series of stories (without Superman) starting with "Superman" #28 (May–June 1944), "Lois Lane, Girl Reporter", running in the "Superman" comic book for a number of years, had Lois defeating bad guys and getting front-page stories on her own, without any help from Superman.
Carol Danvers
Carol Susan Jane Danvers is a fictional superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Roy Thomas and artist Gene Colan, Danvers first appeared as an officer in the United States Air Force and a colleague of the Kree superhero Mar-Vell in "Marvel Super-Heroes" #13 (March 1968). Danvers later became the first incarnation of Ms. Marvel in "Ms. Marvel" #1 (cover-dated January 1977) after her DNA was fused with Mar-Vell's during an explosion, giving her superhuman powers. Debuting in the Silver Age of comics, the character was featured in a self-titled series in the late 1970s before becoming associated with the superhero teams the Avengers and the X-Men. The character has also been known as Binary, Warbird and Captain Marvel at various points in her history. She has been labeled "Marvel's biggest female hero", and "quite possibly Marvel's mightiest Avenger". In 2012, Danvers' incarnation of Ms Marvel was the highest ranked female character (at #11) on IGN's list of the "Top 50 Avengers."
Black Widow (Marvel Comics)
Natalia "Natasha" Alianovna Romanova / Natasha Romanoff is the first character to take on the Black Widow codename in the modern mainstream Marvel Comics. She was created by editor and plotter Stan Lee, scripter Don Rico and artist Don Heck, and first appeared in "Tales of Suspense" #52 (April 1964). The character has been associated with several superhero teams in the Marvel Universe, including the Avengers, the Defenders, the Champions, S.H.I.E.L.D., and the Thunderbolts. She has appeared in many other forms of media, including the major motion pictures "Iron Man 2", "The Avengers", "", "", "", "", and "", wherein she is portrayed by actress Scarlett Johansson.
Bette Kane
Bette Kane is a fictional superhero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character first appeared in the 1960s as "Betty Kane", the Bat-Girl. Her name was later modified to "Bette Kane", and she assumed the role of Flamebird.
Supergirl (Kara Zor-El)
Although Kara Zor-El was the first character to use the name "Supergirl," DC Comics tested three different female versions of Superman prior to her debut.
Superhero
The Marvel Comics teams of the early 1960s typically included at least one (and often the only) female member, much like DC's flagship superhero team the Justice League of America (whose initial roster included Wonder Woman as the token female); examples include the Fantastic Four's Invisible Girl, the X-Men's Jean Grey (originally known as Marvel Girl), the Avengers' Wasp, and the Brotherhood of Mutants' Scarlet Witch (who later joined the Avengers).
Hawkeye (Kate Bishop)
Hawkeye (Katherine "Kate" Bishop) is a fictional superheroine appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. She is a member of the Young Avengers, a team of superheroes in the Marvel Comics' shared universe, the Marvel Universe. She is the third character and first female to take the Hawkeye name after Clint Barton of the Avengers and Wyatt McDonald of the Squadron Supreme. Her costume appearance is patterned on the first Hawkeye and Mockingbird.
Barbara Gordon
Since her debut in DC Comics publication, and fueled by her adaptation into the "Batman" television series in 1967, Barbara Gordon has been listed among fictional characters that are regarded as cultural icons. Author Brian Cronin, in "Was Superman A Spy?: And Other Comic Book Legends Revealed" (2009) notes that following her 1967 debut, "Batgirl was soon popular enough to appear regularly over the next two decades and Yvonne Craig certainly made an impression on many viewers with her one season portraying young Ms. Gordon." Similarly, Cronin states that following the publication of "The Killing Joke", Barbara Gordon—in her new persona as Oracle—became "more popular, in fact, than she was when she was Batgirl. She even gained her own title, Birds of Prey, about her and a group of superhero operatives she organizes[.]" The character has been the subject of analysis in academia, regarding the portrayal of women, librarians, and disabled people in mainstream media. Throughout the course of the character's history, Barbara Gordon's intelligence has been one of her defining attributes. According to "BusinessWeek", she is listed as one of the top ten most intelligent fictional superheroes appearing in American comics, and is the only female character to appear on the list. In 2011, Barbara Gordon was ranked 17th in both IGN's "Top 100 Comic Book Heroes" and "Comics Buyer's Guide's" "100 Sexiest Women in Comics".
Wonder Woman
Continuing her legacy as an influential feminist icon, in 2015 Wonder Woman became the first superhero to officiate a same-sex wedding in a comic series.
Superwoman
When Superman died, Lana Lang and Lois Lane both absorbed energy released from his body and the two women developed superhuman powers. Lana gained the power to convert solar radiation into various forms of electromagnetic energy, while Lois developed powers similar to Superman's. Both Lana and Lois became Superwoman. After Lois' death, Lana became the sole Superwoman.
Spider-Woman
Spider-Woman is the code name of several fictional characters in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The first and original Spider-Woman, Jessica Drew, had her own animated television series, and the second Spider-Woman, Julia Carpenter, was a regular in the 1990s TV series "Iron Man", part of "The Marvel Action Hour".
Fantomah
Fantomah is an American comics character, best known as the first comic-book superheroine. Created by Fletcher Hanks, the character first appeared in "Jungle Comics" #2 (cover-dated Feb. 1940), published by Fiction House.
Batman (TV series)
By season three, ratings were falling and the future of the series seemed uncertain. To attract new viewers, Dozier opted to introduce a female character. He came up with the idea of using Batgirl, who in her civilian identity would be Commissioner Gordon's daughter, Barbara, and asked the editor of the Batman comics to further develop the character (who had made her debut in a 1966 issue of "Detective Comics"). To convince ABC executives to introduce Batgirl as a regular on the show, a promotional short featuring Yvonne Craig as Batgirl and Tim Herbert as Killer Moth was produced. Batgirl was the first female superhero to appear in an ongoing capacity on television. The show was reduced to once a week, with mostly self-contained episodes, although the following week's villain would be introduced in a tag at the end of each episode, similar to a soap opera. Accordingly, the narrator's cliffhanger phrases were mostly eliminated, most episodes ending with him encouraging viewers to watch next week.
List of superheroines
The following is a list of superheroines (female superheroes) in comic books, television, film, and other media. Each character's name is followed by the publisher's name in parentheses; those from television or movies have their program listed in square brackets, and those in both comic books and other media appear in parentheses.
Superwoman
Another version of Superwoman, this one a heroic character, came about in the form of Kristin Wells, who was created by Superman comic writer Elliot S! Maggin. Wells first appeared in Maggin's Superman novel "Miracle Monday", but he later introduced her in the pages of "DC Comics Presents" as Superwoman. The character Wells is a 29th-century descendant of Jimmy Olsen. Wells time travels to the 20th century, where the technology she had brought from the future gives her superpowers. It is this iteration of the character which appears briefly in "" which creates a continuity problem in that she had already revealed Jimmy Olsen's final fate: to become a great editor like Perry White.
Storm (Marvel Comics)
Storm was one of the first black comic book characters, and the first black female, except for Misty Knight, who debuted in a comic dated March 1975, to play either a major or supporting role in the big two comic book houses, Marvel Comics and DC Comics. Within these two companies, her 1975 debut was only preceded by a few male black characters and Misty Knight. In Marvel Comics, preceding characters were Gabe Jones (debuted in 1963), Black Panther (1966), Bill Foster (1966), "Spider-Man" supporting characters Joe Robertson (1967), his son Randy (1968), Hobie Brown (the Prowler) & The Falcon (1969), Luke Cage (1972), Blade (1973), Abe Brown (1974), and Misty Knight (March 1975). In DC Comics, she was preceded by "Teen Titans" member Mal Duncan who debuted in 1970, "Green Lantern" wielder John Stewart (1971), and Mister Miracle protégé Shilo Norman (1973); she preceded DC's other black heroes, "Legion of Super-Heroes" member Tyroc (who debuted in 1976), Black Lightning (1977), Bumblebee (1977), Cyborg (1980), Vixen (1981) and Amazing Man (1983). While not the first black character to be introduced, since her creation Storm has remained the most successful and recognizable black superhero.
Wonder Woman in other media
"Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice" is a 2016 American superhero film and the second installment of the DC Extended Universe. It is also the first live action theatrical film to feature "Wonder Woman" as well as her secret identity, Diana Prince. In late 2013, Zack Snyder cast Gal Gadot in the role over Élodie Yung and Olga Kurylenko. Some fans initially reacted to this choice by criticizing Gadot's appearance. Snyder would later comment on his decision to cast Gadot, stating that hetested a bunch of actresses, as you can imagine. But the thing with Gal is that she's strong, she's beautiful, and she's a kind person, which is interesting, but fierce at the same time. It's that combination of being fierce but kind at the same time that we were looking for. Gadot described Diana as having "the heart of a human so she can be emotional, she's curious, she's compassionate, she loves people. And then she has the powers of a goddess. She's all for good, she fights for good." She also said that Diana has "many strengths and powers, but at the end of the day she's a woman with a lot of emotional intelligence". Gadot underwent a diet and training regimen, practiced different martial arts and gained 17 pounds of muscle for the role. Gadot was previously offered a different role (as a villain) in "Man of Steel", which she declined because she was pregnant at the time; this allowed her to later be cast as Wonder Woman in the film's follow-up. Gadot signed a three-picture deal. She was only paid a base salary of $300,000 for the movie itself.
Superhero
A superhero (sometimes rendered super-hero or super hero or Super) is a type of heroic stock character, usually possessing supernatural or superhuman powers, who is dedicated to fighting the evil of their universe, protecting the public, and usually battling supervillains. A female superhero is sometimes called a superheroine (also rendered super-heroine or super heroine), although the word superhero is also commonly used for females. Superhero fiction is the genre of fiction that is centered on such characters, especially in American comic book and films since the 1930s.
Superwoman
A new Superwoman named Laurel, apparently a female version of Superman from a parallel Earth (now identified as Earth-11), appeared for the first time in "Superman/Batman", and was featured an issue later. In Earth 11's alternate universe, much like in the one featured in "The Turnabout Trap!", reversed-gender characters exist relative to that resident on New Earth: there is a Batwoman (female Batman), Superlad (male Supergirl), and a female Darkseid known as the "Dark Queen". (It is notable that in pre-Crisis continuity, "Laurel Kent" was the name of a 30th-century descendant of Superman who occasionally appeared in stories featuring the Legion of Super-Heroes, and was replaced in continuity by Laurel Gand.)
Superhero
In subsequent decades, popular characters like Dazzler, She-Hulk, Elektra, Catwoman, Witchblade, Spider-Girl, Batgirl and the Birds of Prey became stars of long-running eponymous titles. Female characters began assuming leadership roles in many ensemble superhero teams; the "Uncanny X-Men" series and its related spin-off titles in particular have included many female characters in pivotal roles since the 1970s. Volume 4 of the X-Men comic book series featured an all-female team as part of the Marvel NOW! branding initiative in 2013. Superpowered female characters like Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Darna have a tremendous influence on popular culture in their respective countries of origin.
Doctor Cyber
Doctor Cyber is a fictional character appearing in DC Comics publications and related media, traditionally as an adversary of the superhero Wonder Woman. She first appeared in 1968 as the head of a vast global criminal and terrorist group in "Wonder Woman", vol. 1, issue #179, written by Dennis O'Neil and illustrated by Mike Sekowsky and Dick Giordano. In her early appearances, Dr. Cyber was a beautiful and elegantly-attired woman. Later, after her face was disfigured in an accident, she donned a gold muzzle-mask and technologically advanced full-body exoskeleton. These cybernetic enhancements increased Cyber's physical strength, and gave her the ability to absorb and redirect energy, as well as to fire energy blasts from her hands. Despite the resulting upgrades to her power, Dr. Cyber's disfigurement also wrought a mounting emotional instability. She became obsessed with recapturing her beauty by transferring her mind into Wonder Woman's body, a project she attempted several times with the help of her operative Doctor Moon.
Super Women
According to the entry in the International Catalogue of Heroes, Super Women's real name is Kristine, and her powers include incredible intellect and hypnotic powers, gained after willingly submitting herself to an experiment.
Wonder Woman
Feminist icon Gloria Steinem, founder of "Ms." magazine, was responsible for the return of Wonder Woman's original abilities. Offended that the most famous female superhero had been depowered into a boyfriend-obsessed damsel in distress, Steinem placed Wonder Woman (in costume) on the cover of the first issue of "Ms." (1972) – Warner Communications, DC Comics' owner, was an investor – which also contained an appreciative essay about the character. Wonder Woman's powers and traditional costume were restored in issue #204 (January–February 1973).
Electra Woman and Dyna Girl (web series)
Electra Woman and Dyna Girl are powerless superheroes in Akron, Ohio. They get discovered by CMM (Creative Masked Management) after a video of them taking down two robbers in a convenience store goes viral. They drive to Los Angeles and take the deal, working with their agent, Dan, to enhance their image and power. They meet Frank, the engineer that created their suits and gear. They fight bank robbers outside of a news studio, gaining more publicity. They deal with Major Vaunt, a superhero with a huge ego, and he and his ego ultimately gets killed by the first supervillain, the Empress of Evil, since the Shadow War. After a fight between Electra Woman and Dyna Girl, the Empress of Evil kidnaps Dyna Girl and Electra Woman has to save her. They find out that the Empress of Evil is their annoying neighbour, Bernice, from back in Ohio. With the help of Frank, Electra Woman and Dyna Girl escapes the kidnapping and prepare to fight the Empress of Evil. Frank reveals the secret project he has been working on, the Electra Car. Electra Woman and Dyna Girl face the Empress of Evil for a real fight in the streets of Los Angeles. The two defeats the Empress of Evil with a peanut from a fruit stand, remembering that Bernice has a peanut allergy.
Betsy Ross (comics)
Marvel Comics' first Golden Girl, Elizabeth Ross, first appeared, without yet a superhero identity, as Betty Ross in "Captain America Comics" #1 (cover-dated March 1941). A supporting character who appeared in occasional stories, she assisted the U.S. Army and was a love interest for Steve Rogers, Captain America's real identity. She succeeded Bucky as Captain America's sidekick in issue #66 (Dec. 1947), in the 12-page story "Golden Girl", by an unconfirmed writer and by penciller Syd Shores. Later, it was retconned that this was not Steve Rogers but Jeff Mace, the superhero Patriot and the third man to be called Captain America. Golden Girl appeared in "Captain America" stories through issue #74 (Oct. 1949), except for issue #71, and also in the Captain America stories in "Marvel Mystery Comics" #87-88 and #92 (Aug. & Oct. 1948, June 1949). Betsy's non superhero design has changed over the years; when she first appeared she was blonde, but later stories had her with red hair and wearing a blonde wig as part of her Golden Girl costume.
Portrayal of black people in comics
Very few Black female characters were present in superhero comics before the Civil Rights Movement. Afterwards, several notable Black female characters began to appear. One of the most notable Black female character in comics appeared in the Bronze Age of Comic Books. Storm (Ororo Munroe) of the X-Men is introduced as being worshiped as an African goddess, the Professor Xavier quickly reveals her to be a mutant who possesses the power to control the weather. Later we would find out that her parents had been killed when she was very young, and she grew up as a thief on the streets of Cairo. Storm would eventually succeed Cyclops as the Team Leader of the X-Men. In the 1980s, the new Captain Marvel, aka Monica Rambeau, had the power to become any form of energy on the electromagnetic scale. This Captain Marvel would join the Avengers in their battle against the Masters of Evil. In 1991, Captain Confederacy became one of the first female black superheroes to have her own series, published by Marvel's Epic Comics imprint.
She's the First
Latin America
Storm (Marvel Comics)
Created during the Bronze Age of Comic Books, Storm is the first major female character of African descent in comics. She is regarded by some as being Marvel Comics' most important female superhero, having drawn favorable comparison to DC Comics' most famous female lead Wonder Woman. When Marvel and DC Comics published a "DC vs. Marvel" miniseries in 1996, Storm was pitted against Wonder Woman in a one-on-one battle and emerged victorious due to winning a popular vote amongst readers. Storm is also part of one of the higher profile romantic relationships in all of comics. Having married childhood sweetheart and fellow superhero Black Panther, ruler of the fictional African nation of Wakanda, Munroe was made queen consort through marriage. The title was lost however when the two later divorced.
Superhero
Both major publishers began introducing new superheroines with a more distinct feminist theme as part of their origin stories or character development. Examples include Big Barda, Power Girl, and the Huntress by DC comics; and from Marvel, the second Black Widow, Shanna the She-Devil, and The Cat. Female supporting characters who were successful professionals or hold positions of authority in their own right also debuted in the pages of several popular superhero titles from the late 1950s onward: Hal Jordan's love interest Carol Ferris was introduced as the Vice-President of Ferris Aircraft and later took over the company from her father; Medusa, who was first introduced in the "Fantastic Four" series, is a member of the Inhuman Royal Family and a prominent statesperson within her people's quasi-feudal society; and Carol Danvers, a decorated officer in the United States Air Force who would become a costumed superhero herself years later.
Icemaiden
Icemaiden (Sigrid Nansen) is a fictional comic book superheroine in the DC Comics universe. She was the first heroine to use the name, and for a time was replaced by Ice. She is also one of the few bisexual superheroines in the DC Universe.
Archie Goodwin (comics)
Luke Cage, the first African American superhero to star in an eponymous Marvel comic book series, was created by Goodwin and artist John Romita Sr. in June 1972. While briefly writing "The Tomb of Dracula" series, Goodwin and artist Gene Colan introduced the supporting character Rachel van Helsing. Goodwin co-created (with Marie Severin) the first Spider-Woman, as well as writing her first appearance in "Marvel Spotlight" #32 (February 1977).
Batgirl
Batgirl is the name of several fictional superheroes appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics, depicted as female counterparts to the superhero Batman. Although the character Betty Kane was introduced into publication in 1961 by Bill Finger and Sheldon Moldoff as Bat-Girl, she was replaced by Barbara Gordon in 1967, who later came to be identified as the iconic Batgirl. The character debuted in "Detective Comics" #359, titled "The Million Dollar Debut of Batgirl!" (January 1967) by writer Gardner Fox and artist Carmine Infantino, introduced as the daughter of police commissioner James Gordon.
Spider-Woman (Jessica Drew)
Spider-Woman (Jessica Drew) is a fictional superheroine appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in "Marvel Spotlight" #32 (cover-dated February 1977), and 50 issues of an ongoing series titled "Spider-Woman" followed. At its conclusion, she was killed, and though later resurrected, she fell into disuse, supplanted by other characters using the name Spider-Woman.
Spitfire (comics)
Spitfire (Lady Jacqueline Falsworth Crichton) is a fictional superheroine appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character was created by Roy Thomas and Frank Robbins. Her character was first introduced in the "Invaders" comic book series as an intended replacement for the Union Jack character, but the costume design did not fit the female torso so the character of Spitfire, named after the Supermarine Spitfire fighter plane, was created.
Wonder Woman in other media
Gadot reprised the role in 2017's "Wonder Woman", the fourth installment in the DC Extended Universe and Wonder Woman's first theatrical solo film. The film is directed by Patty Jenkins, with a screenplay by Allan Heinberg, from a story by Heinberg, Zack Snyder, and Jason Fuchs, and co-stars Chris Pine, Robin Wright, Danny Huston, David Thewlis, Connie Nielsen, and Elena Anaya. Jenkins' role as director makes her the first female director of a studio superhero movie.
June Tarpé Mills
Tarpé Mills (25 February 1918 – 1988) was the pseudonym of comic book creator June Mills, one of the first major female comics artists. She is best known for her action comic strip, "Miss Fury", featuring the first female action hero created by a woman.
Trina Robbins
Trina Robbins (born Trina Perlson, 1938) is an American cartoonist. She was an early and influential participant in the underground comix movement, and one of the first few female artists in that movement. Both as a cartoonist and historian, Robbins has long been involved in creating outlets for and promoting female comics artists. In the 1980s, Robbins became the first woman to draw "Wonder Woman" comics. She is a member of the Will Eisner Hall of Fame.
Vixen (comics)
Vixen was intended to be the first African female DC superhero to star in her own series, but the first issue of her series was cancelled in the DC Implosion in 1978, never to be released. The story was subsequently printed in "Cancelled Comic Cavalcade".
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.
Superwoman
Superwoman is the name of several fictional characters from DC Comics. Most of them are, like Supergirl, women with powers similar to those of Superman. The name was trademarked by Detective Comics, Inc. to prevent competitors from using it. As was the practice, a publication produced solely for legal purposes was created with the title of "Superwoman". The cover was a reproduction of "More Fun Comics", with the interior being a reprint of the third issue. The first true appearance of Superwoman was in "Action Comics".
Wonder Girl (Cassie Sandsmark)
Cassandra "Cassie" Sandsmark, also known as Wonder Girl, is a fictional superheroine appearing in DC Comics. Created by John Byrne, and first appearing in "Wonder Woman" (vol. 2) #105 (January 1996), she is a sidekick of the popular superhero Wonder Woman and also a prominent member of the superhero group the Teen Titans.
List of female action heroes and villains
The following is a list of female action heroes villains who appear in action films, television shows, comic books, and video games and who are "thrust into a series of challenges requiring physical feats, extended fights, extensive stunts and frenetic chases." Elizabeth Abele suggests that "the key agency of female action protagonists is their ability to draw on the full range of masculine and feminine qualities in ever-evolving combinations."
Batgirl
Portrayed by Yvonne Craig, the character's first adaptation outside of comic books took place in the third season of "Batman" (1967), Barbara Gordon having been discussed months earlier by her father and Batman in the second season episodes, "Batman's Waterloo" and "The Duo Defy". Les Daniels, in "Batman: The Complete History" (2004) wrote that the goal of ABC was to "attract new audience members, especially idealistic young girls and less high-minded older men." According to Craig: "I used to think the reason they hired me was because they knew I could ride my own motorcycle ... I realized they hired me because I had a cartoon voice." A shared criticism of Batgirl and other female superheroes in television that came later (such as Wonder Woman and the Bionic Woman), is that she was not allowed to engage in hand-to-hand combat on screen. As such, "her fights were choreographed carefully to imitate the moves of a Broadway showgirl through the use of a straight kick to her opponent's face rather than the type of kick a martial artist would use." However, Craig has also stated: "I meet young women who say Batgirl was their role model ... They say it's because it was the first time they ever felt girls could do the same things guys could do, and sometimes better. I think that’s lovely." During the early 1970s, Craig portrayed Batgirl once again in a public service announcement to advocate equal pay for women.
Batgirl
Despite views that present the character's Batgirl persona as a symbol of female empowerment, a long-held criticism is that she was originally conceived as an uninspired variation of Batman "rather than standing alone as leader, such as Wonder Woman" who had no pre-existing male counterpart. In analyzing stereotypes in gender, Jackie Marsh noted that male superheroes (such as Batman) are depicted as hyper-masculine and anti-social, "while female superheroes are reduced to a childlike status by their names" such as the Batgirl character.
Nubia (comics)
Historically, Nubia is sometimes considered to be DC Comics' first black woman superhero character, though this distinction is also accorded to the Teen Titan Bumblebee, a more traditional "costumed crimefighter," who debuted in 1976.
Supergirl
Supergirl is the name of several fictional superheroes appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The original and most well known Supergirl is Kara Zor-El, who was the cousin of the superhero Superman. The character made her first appearance in "Action Comics" #252 (May 1959) and was created by Otto Binder and Al Plastino.
Firestar (Marvel Comics)
Firestar (Angelica "Angel" Jones) is a fictional mutant superheroine appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Debuting in 1981 on the NBC animated television series, "Spider-Man and His Amazing Friends" (as Fire-Star), she has the ability to generate and manipulate microwave radiation, allowing her to fly and create intense heat and flames. In the comics, she has acted as a solo hero and as a member of the Hellions, the New Warriors, the Avengers, and the X-Men.
Superwoman (Kristin Wells)
Kristin Wells is a comic book character, the secret identity of one version of DC Comics Superwoman. Created by Superman comic writer Elliot S. Maggin, Wells first appeared in Maggin's novel "Superman: Miracle Monday" (1981); he later introduced her into comics continuity as Superwoman.
Phantom Lady
Phantom Lady is a fictional superheroine, one of the first such characters to debut in the 1940s Golden Age of Comic Books. Originally published by Quality Comics, the character was subsequently published by a series of now-defunct comic book companies, and a new version of the character currently appears in books published by DC Comics.
Invisible Woman
The Invisible Woman (Susan "Sue" Storm-Richards), previously known as the Invisible Girl, is a fictional superheroine appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character is a founding member of the Fantastic Four and was the first female superhero created by Marvel during the Silver Age of Comics.
Kitty Pryde
In addition to her mainstream incarnation, Kitty Pryde has been depicted in other fictional universes.
Kitty Pryde has been well received as a comic book character and as a member of the X-Men. "Wizard" magazine put her at number #13 in "200 Greatest Comic Characters of All Time". She was the highest female comic character in the list beating rivals such as Wonder Woman, Buffy Summers, and She-Hulk. IGN ranked her as the 47th greatest comic book hero of all time stating that "as X-Men writers have often found it useful to introduce younger teen recruits to offset the experienced members of the team, Kitty Pryde set the standard when she debuted, and none have surpassed her". IGN rated Kitty Pryde #3 on its list of the "Top 25 X-Men from the Past 40 Years" describing her as the mutant everyman, the common girl turned superhero; IGN also stated that as her pet dragon, Lockheed, "became instantly attached to Kitty, [they] were hooked early on". Marvel.com ranked her as the tenth greatest X-Men member stating that "unquestionably, the dynamic of the X-Men shifted entirely when teenage whiz kid Kitty Pryde joined the team in the early 1980s"; Marvel.com also stated that even though Kitty has since blossomed into a young woman of considerable maturity and power, she remains the access point to the X-Men for countless readers. A later list on Marvel's website, ranking the top 50 X-Men characters, placed her in first place, citing the ease of identifying with her for the audience, and her development over the years.
Power Girl
Power Girl, also known as Kara Zor-L and Karen Starr, is a fictional DC Comics superheroine, making her first appearance in "All Star Comics" #58 (January/February 1976). Power Girl is the cousin of DC's flagship hero Superman, but from an alternative universe in the fictional multiverse in which DC Comics stories are set. Originally hailing from the world of Earth-Two, first envisioned as the home of DC's wartime heroes as published in 1940s comic books, Power Girl becomes stranded in the main universe where DC stories are set, and becomes acquainted with that world's Superman and her own counterpart, Supergirl.
Spider-Girl (Mayday Parker)
May "Mayday" Parker is a fictional superheroine appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. She has been referred to as both Spider-Girl and Spider-Woman. The character appears in the MC2 universe. The character was created by Tom DeFalco and Ron Frenz as the teenage daughter of Peter Parker (Spider-Man) and Mary Jane Watson, and first appeared in "What If" (vol. 2) No. 105 (February 1998). She later acquired her own ongoing comic book, "Spider-Girl", written by DeFalco and drawn by Frenz and Pat Olliffe, which was the longest-running superhero book with a lead female character ever published by Marvel before being relaunched as "The Amazing Spider-Girl", and later "The Spectacular Spider-Girl".
Wildfire (Carol Vance Martin)
Wildfire (Carol Vance Martin) is a fictional superheroine in the DC Comics universe. One of the first female superheroes, she was originally published by Quality Comics during what comics historians and fans called the Golden Age of comic books.
Lois Lane
Lois Lane made her debut in ""Action Comics" #1" (June 1938) the first published Superman story, and was one of the first female comic book characters introduced in the superhero comics. Lois is the daughter of Ella and Sam Lane, in earlier comics, her parents were farmers in a town called Pittsdale. The modern comics depicts Lois as a former Army brat, born at Ramstein Air Base with Lois having been trained by her father, a US Army General, in areas such as hand-to-hand combat and the use of firearms. She has one younger sibling, her sister Lucy Lane. Lois is a journalist for the "Daily Planet", one of the best investigative reporters and the best at the newspaper she works at. In some stories, she has been shown obtaining superpowers and becoming a superhero, some of her superhero identities are Superwoman and Red Tornado of Earth 2.
Superman in film
Upon gaining the rights for the film "Superman," Alexander Salkind and his son, Ilya Salkind, also purchased the rights to the character of Superman's cousin Supergirl. "Supergirl" was released in 1984 as a spin-off of the Reeve films; Reeve was slated to have a cameo but he ultimately backed out of the production. It stars Helen Slater in her first motion picture in the title role, while Faye Dunaway (who received top billing) played the primary villain, Selena; the film also featured Marc McClure reprising his role as Jimmy Olsen. Even though the film performed poorly at the box office, Helen Slater was nominated for a Saturn Award.
Nelvana of the Northern Lights
Nelvana of the Northern Lights is a Canadian comic book character and the first Canadian national superhero, debuting in Hillborough Studios' "Triumph-Adventure Comics" #1 (Aug. 1941). She is also one of the first female superheroes, debuting before Wonder Woman but after Fantomah, the Golden Age Black Widow, Invisible Scarlet O'Neil and others introduced in 1940. Nelvana of the Northern Lights is Canada’s first distinctly Canadian female superhero.
Insect Queen (DC Comics)
The first Insect Queen was Lana Lang, Superman's romantic interest from his youth in Smallville. In "Superboy" #124 (Oct. 1965), Lana rescues an insect-like alien trapped under a tree. In gratitude, he gives her a bio-genetic ring that allows her to gain the powers of insects or arachnids (by giving her lower body the form of a particular bug; each form could only be gained once per day, however.) She decides to use it to develop the costumed identity of the superheroine Insect Queen. Lana does not pursue the career for long, though she did gain reserve status in the Legion of Super-Heroes (in "Adventure Comics" #355, April 1967).
Supergirl (Matrix)
Matrix is a fictional comic book superheroine, best known as the 1988–2002 Supergirl, published by DC Comics. She was created by John Byrne as part of his Superman revamp. She first appeared (as Supergirl) in "Superman" (vol. 2) #16 (April 1988).
Ann Brewster
"Sheena, Queen of the Jungle" quickly became Fiction House's lead heroine and is credited as the first female super-heroine with her own titular comic. Though considered an important milestone for women in comics, Sheena's character is also largely problematic for her depictions of nonwhite characters. More recent versions of the character aim to rectify the character's past by avoiding the "jungle girl" stereotypes and focusing on environmental issues. Brewster was a featured artist in 15 issues of "Sheena", the most she contributed for any one comic book title.
Spider-Woman (Gwen Stacy)
Spider-Woman (Gwendolyn Maxine Stacy; colloquial: "Spider-Gwen", "White Widow" or "Ghost Spider") is a fictional superhero in comic books published by Marvel Comics. She was created by Jason Latour and Robbi Rodriguez. The character debuted in "Edge of Spider-Verse" #2 as part of the 2014–15 "Spider-Verse" comic book storyline, leading to the ongoing series "Spider-Gwen" that began in 2015.
Feminist science fiction
Feminist science fiction is evidenced in the globally popular mediums of comic books, manga, and graphic novels. One of the first appearances of a strong female character was that of the superhero Wonder Woman, co-created by husband and wife team William Moulton Marston and Elizabeth Holloway Marston. In December 1941, Wonder Woman came to life on the pages of "All Star Comics", and in the intervening years has been reincarnated in from animated TV series to live-action films, with significant cultural impact. By the early 1960s, Marvel Comics already contained some strong female characters, although they often suffered from stereotypical female weakness such as fainting after intense exertion. By the 1970s and 1980s, true female heroes started to emerge on the pages of comics. This was helped by the emergence of self-identified feminist writers including Ann Nocenti, Linda Fite, and Barbara Kesel. As female visibility in comics increased, the "fainting heroine" type began to fade into the past. However, some female comic book writers, such as Gail Simone, believe that female characters are still relegated to plot devices (see "Women in Refrigerators").
Canadian comics
In August 1941, three unemployed artists, Adrian Dingle and André and René Kulbach, formed Hillborough Studios to publish their own work. They started with "Triumph-Adventure Comics", whose star was Canada's first female superhero, Nelvana of the Northern Lights, who appeared several months before Wonder Woman did in the US. Nelvana was inspired by tribal stories brought back from the Arctic Group of Seven painter Franz Johnston. The popular fur-miniskirted superheroine was a powerful Inuit mythological figure, daughter of a mortal woman and Koliak the Mighty, King of the Northern Lights. She had telepathic powers and was able to ride the Northern Lights at the speed of light, turn invisible, and melt metal.
Thunder (comics)
Thunder is a fictional superhero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character was created by writer Judd Winick and artist Tom Raney in the Modern Age of Comic Books. She is first mentioned in "Green Arrow" vol. 2 #26 (July 2003) and first appears a month later in "Outsiders" vol. 3 #1. Born Anissa Pierce the eldest daughter of superhero Black Lightning, she is a metahuman in the DC Universe. She is capable of increasing her physical density, rendering herself bulletproof, and creating massive shockwaves when stomping upon the ground.
Shayera Hol
Shayera Hol is the name of a fictional superheroine appearing in American comic books during the Silver Age of Comics published by DC Comics. Shayera Hol was created by writer Gardner Fox and artist Joe Kubert, and first appeared in "The Brave and the Bold" #34 (March 1961). Depicted as the second Hawkgirl and first Hawkwoman.
Supergirl (Linda Danvers)
Linda Danvers, formerly known as "Supergirl", is a fictional comic book superhero appearing in books published by DC Comics. Created by writer Peter David and artist Gary Frank, she debuted in "Supergirl" vol.4 #1 (September 1996). She is not to be confused with Linda Lee Danvers, the secret identity used by the Kara Zor-El incarnation of Supergirl prior to the events of 1985's "Crisis on Infinite Earths".
Squirrel Girl
Squirrel Girl (Doreen Green) is a fictional superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Her first appearance was in "Marvel Super-Heroes" vol. 2, #8, a.k.a. "Marvel Super-Heroes Winter Special" (cover-dated Winter 1991), in a story plotted and drawn by Steve Ditko and scripted by writer Will Murray. Her ability to communicate with squirrels is surprisingly effective and has allowed her to defeat major supervillains. She joined the Great Lakes Avengers, but left to move to New York City, where she served as nanny to Danielle Cage, the daughter of Luke Cage and Jessica Jones. In her solo series, the character splits her time between studying computer science at Empire State University, and fighting crime both solo and as a member of the Avengers.
Nura Nal
Dream Girl (Nura Nal) is a fictional comic book superhero appearing in books published by DC Comics. A member of the Legion of Super-Heroes in the 30th and 31st centuries, the character was created by writer Edmond Hamilton and artist John Forte, and first appeared in "Adventure Comics" #317.
List of superhero debuts
A superhero (also known as a "super hero" or "super-hero") is a fictional character "of unprecedented physical prowess dedicated to acts of derring-do in the public interest." Since the debut of Superman in 1938 by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster, stories of superheroes — ranging from brief episodic adventures to continuing years-long sagas — have dominated American comic books and crossed over into other media. A female superhero is sometimes called a "superheroine."
Luana Walters
Walters was the first actress to portray Superman's biological mother Lara in a live-action format. She appeared in "Superman Comes to Earth", the first chapter of the 1948 "Superman" movie serial starring Kirk Alyn as Superman. Portions of this depiction appear in flashback in "At the Mercy of Atom Man!", the seventh chapter of the 1950 serial "Atom Man vs. Superman". She worked in a number of movie serials and B-Movies, especially in Westerns, featuring her riding skills, and sci-fi or horror genres. She played a female reporter on the trail of a fiend's story in "The Corpse Vanishes" (1942), with Bela Lugosi. She appears as a cellblock guard in "Girls in Prison" (1956). Her final role came in "The She Creature" (1956).
The Secrets of Isis
The program was the first weekly, American, live-action television series with a female superhero lead character (debuting September 6, 1975, predating the "weekly" debuts of both "The Bionic Woman" (January 14, 1976), and, "Wonder Woman" (April 21, 1976)). In the series, Isis (Joanna Cameron) is the alter ego of Andrea Thomas, a seemingly normal schoolteacher, who transforms into the Egyptian goddess when presented with crises a mere mortal cannot resolve.
Liberty Belle (comics)
The first Liberty Belle was Libby Lawrence. Her powers of enhanced speed, strength, and stamina were linked to the ringing of the Liberty Bell in Philadelphia. Early in her mystery-woman career, she had an arrangement with Tom Revere, a guard at the Liberty Bell. When she signaled him, he would ring the bell for her and trigger her powers. In her later years, after decades of super-strength many began to theorize about the nature of her powers. Some believed the sonic vibrations of the bell triggered a metahuman gene, some believed that it was mystical because Libby is connected to the power of the "Spirit of America", like the heroes Uncle Sam and General Glory. Most of Liberty Belle's heroic exploits took place during the Second World War, and she was one of the founding members (and later chairwoman) of the All-Star Squadron. In her public identity, she was the famous radio columnist Libby Lawrence, and therefore well-known both in and out of costume. During the war, she married speedster Johnny Quick. After the war, they had a daughter, Jesse, who shared both their powers and took the codename Jesse Quick. Libby Lawrence is a descendant of Bess Lynn, alias Miss Liberty.
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.
William Moulton Marston
After her name "Suprema" was replaced with "Wonder Woman," which was a popular term at the time that described women who were exceptionally gifted, the character made her debut in "All Star Comics" #8 in December 1941. Wonder Woman next appeared in "Sensation Comics" #1 (January 1942), and six months later, "Wonder Woman" #1 debuted. Except for four months in 1986, the series has been in print ever since. The stories were initially written by Marston and illustrated by newspaper artist Harry Peter. During his life Marston had written many articles and books on various psychological topics, but his last six years of writing were devoted to his comics creation.
Superhero
In 1966, Marvel Comics introduced the Black Panther, an African monarch who became the first non-caricatured black superhero. The first African-American superhero, the Falcon, followed in 1969, and three years later, Luke Cage, a self-styled "hero-for-hire", became the first black superhero to star in his own series. In 1989, the Monica Rambeau incarnation of Captain Marvel was the first female black superhero from a major publisher to get her own title in a special one-shot issue. In 1971, Red Wolf became the first Native American in the superheroic tradition to headline a series. In 1973, Shang-Chi became the first prominent Asian superhero to star in an American comic book (Kato had been a secondary character of the "Green Hornet" media franchise series since its inception in the 1930s.). Kitty Pryde, a member of the X-Men, was an openly Jewish superhero in mainstream American comic books as early as 1978.
Scarlet Witch
Scarlet Witch is a fictional superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character was created by writer Stan Lee and artist Jack Kirby, first appearing in "The X-Men" #4 (March 1964) in the Silver Age of Comic Books. She is first portrayed as a supervillain along with her twin brother Quicksilver as a founding member of the Brotherhood of Mutants. In most depictions she is portrayed as a mutant, a member of a fictional subspecies of humans born with superhuman abilities. Scarlet Witch possesses abilities to alter reality in unspecified ways and is a powerful sorceress. Scarlet Witch is later depicted as a regular member of the Avengers superhero team. She also becomes the wife of fellow superhero and teammate Vision, with whom she has two sons, Thomas and William.
Batwoman
Batwoman is a fictional superhero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. In all of the character's incarnations, she is a wealthy heiress who becomes inspired by the superhero Batman and chooses, like him, to put her wealth and resources towards a campaign to fight crime as a masked vigilante in her home of Gotham City. The identity of Batwoman is shared by two heroines in mainstream DC publications; both women are named Katherine Kane, with the original Batwoman commonly referred to by her nickname Kathy and the modern incarnation going by the name Kate.
Superhero fiction
A superhero is most often the protagonist of superhero fiction, although some titles, such as "Marvels" by Kurt Busiek and Alex Ross, use superheroes as secondary characters. A superhero (sometimes rendered super-hero or super hero) is a type of stock character possessing "extraordinary or superhuman powers" and dedicated to protecting the public. Since the debut of the prototypical superhero Superman in 1938, stories of superheroes—ranging from brief episodic adventures to continuing years-long sagas—have dominated American comic books and crossed over into other media. The word itself dates to at least 1917. A female superhero is sometimes called a superheroine (also rendered super-heroine or super heroine). "SUPER HEROES" is a trademark co-owned by DC Comics and Marvel Comics.
Blonde Phantom
As superheroes began to fade out of fashion in the post-war era, comic book publishers scrambled to explore new types of stories, characters, and audiences. In an attempt to appeal to young female readers, comics companies began introducing some of the first significant superheroines since Wonder Woman. Those of Marvel Comics' 1940s predecessor, Timely Comics, included Golden Girl, Miss America, Namora, Sun Girl, and Venus, and its teen-humor star Millie the Model. Other companies' included Fox Comics' revival of Quality Comics' Phantom Lady; and DC's Black Canary.
Cassandra Cain
Cassandra Cain (also known as Cassandra Wayne) is a fictional superhero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics, commonly in association with the superhero Batman. Created by Kelley Puckett and Damion Scott, Cassandra Cain first appeared in "Batman" #567 (July 1999). The character is one of several who have assumed the role of Batgirl, and Cassandra Cain goes by the name of Orphan in current DC Comics continuity.
Cultural impact of Wonder Woman
Wonder Woman is a character initially created for comic books in 1941, the medium in which she is still most prominently found to this day. As befitting an icon of her status, she has made appearances in other forms of media and has been referenced and meta-referenced beyond the scope of traditional superhero entertainment. For several years in the 1950s, the only three superheroes to have their own comic book were Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman.
Portrayal of women in American comics
There were very few people of color in comic books prior to the Civil Rights Movement. Because of this, women of color in comic books did not start appearing regularly until the 1970s, in the Bronze Age of comic books. One of the first black female superheroes, and one of the most popular female black superheroes to this day, was Storm of the X-Men, who had the power to control the weather. She first appeared in 1975. In several reincarnations of the X-Men, she is the leader.
Ms.
In 1969, in a lull during a WBAI-radio interview with "The Feminists" group, Michaels suggested the use of "Ms." A friend of Gloria Steinem heard the interview and suggested it as a title for her new magazine. The magazine "Ms." debuted on newsstands in January 1972, and its much-publicized name quickly led to widespread usage. In February 1972, the US Government Printing Office approved using "Ms." in official government documents. In 1976 Marvel Comics introduced a new superhero named Ms. Marvel, billing her as the "first feminist superhero".
Harry Sahle
His earliest-known interior credit is inking the seven-page Fiery Mask superhero story "The Jelly of Doom", over George Kapitan's pencil art, in Timely Comics' "Daring Mystery Comics" #5 (June 1940). With Kapitan writing and himself penciling and inking, Sahle co-created the Black Widow in "Mystic Comics" #4 (Aug. 1940). Not to be confused with the superhero Black Widow introduced in the 1960s by Timely's descendant Marvel Comics, this character — comics' first costumed, superpowered female protagonist — was a supernatural antihero who gathered deserving souls for Satan.
George Kapitan
Also in 1940, in "Mystic Comics" #4 (dated Jul. 1940 in postal indicia, cover dated Aug. 1940), he and Sahle created comic books' first costumed, super-powered female character, the original Black Widow, Claire Voyant, an antiheroine who killed evildoers to deliver their souls to Satan, her master.
Varga (comics)
Mars Ravelo (1916–1988) was one of the most successful Filipino comics artists. He was the creator of the famous superheroine 'Darna', and the highest paid comics artist of his time. It can also be noted that Varga was a character archived twice. First, Varga began as a superheroine concept before World War II/late 1939. Ravelo, a then young pioneering illustrator from Tanza, Cavite, thought of creating a female counterpart for Superman because he believed in the concept that the US is “male” and the Philippines is “female.” He didn’t want to use the term “Superwoman” so as not to plagiarize the Siegel and Shuster creation. So instead as inspired by Superman, Mars Ravelo originally referred to his superheroine as "Kamangha-manghang dilag" (The Amazing Warrior Maiden) and combined the superhuman qualities of Superman with his own real life hero--his mother. Mars, a young and struggling cartoonist then, brought his superheroine idea as the Philippines’ answer to Superman to various publications both in the Philippines and in the United States but was rejected because publishers kept telling him "female superheroes will not sell". So Ravelo shelved his concept for the duration of the war. Years after the war, Ravelo realized the Filipinos were in need of a superhero so he again shopped his superheroine concept to publishers until one of them, Bulaklak Komiks ("Flower Comics") agreed to publish Ravelo's heroine that he now called "Varga" in 1947 (inspired by the Varga Girls series of illustrations) and the strip took off. VARGA made her debut in "Bulaklak Magazine", Vol. 4, #17 on July 23, 1947 which Mars both wrote and drew himself. Second, when the name Varga became the ownership of Bulaklak magazine (during those times, intellectual property right is not yet in effect) and when Ravelo left the publication in 1949 after a falling out with its editor, Varga stayed behind. So, upon joining Pilipino Komiks in 1949, he rebuilt 'Varga' to 'Darna'. The character soon appeared in Kenkoy, Liwayway and Kampeon Comics and eventually got her own title as well as a series of movie and TV adaptations. It was under the name "DARNA" that this Ravelo creation would become famous for.
Black Widow (Marvel Comics)
Claire Voyant is the first costumed, superpowered female protagonist in comic books. Created by writer George Kapitan and artist Harry Sahle, she first appeared in "Mystic Comics" #4 (Aug. 1940). She kills evildoers to deliver their souls to Satan, her master. The character is unrelated to the later Marvel Comics superheroines who took on the codename.
Portrayal of women in American comics
Enormous impact was made both within comic book storylines and amongst comic book fans by the radical portrayal of women in the "Uncanny X-Men" comics, which had been relaunched in 1975. Previously existing female characters were given huge increases in power-levels, new code-names, flashier costumes, and strong, confident, assertive personalities: Jean Grey went from being Marvel Girl to the nigh-omnipotent Phoenix, and Lorna Dane became Polaris. New creation Storm (Ororo Monroe) was unique in many ways: not only was she (and still is) the most famous black superhero in history, she was portrayed as incredibly powerful, confident and capable from her very first appearance.
Darna
Mars, a young and struggling cartoonist then, brought his superheroine idea as the Philippines’ answer to Superman to various publications both in the Philippines and in the United States but was rejected because publishers kept telling him "female superheroes will not sell". So Ravelo shelved his concept for the duration of the war. Years after the war, Ravelo realized that the Filipinos were in need of a superhero so he again shopped his superheroine concept to publishers until one of them, Bulaklak Komiks ("Flower Comics") agreed to publish Ravelo's heroine that he now called "Varga" in 1947 (inspired by the Varga Girls series of illustrations) and the strip took off. Varga made her debut in "Bulaklak Magazine", Vol. 4, #17 on July 23, 1947, which Mars both wrote and drew himself. In an interview, Ravelo revealed that he offered his creation first to Liwayway Magazine and then to other publications but was rejected several times. Had Liwayway Magazine not turned down the offer, she would have been the Philippines’ first komiks superhero.
Supergirl (Kara Zor-El)
Supergirl, from her debut onwards, became a regular backup strip in "Action Comics". She joined the Legion of Super-Heroes, like her cousin had done as a teenager, and in "Action Comics" #279 (July 1961) she was adopted by Fred and Edna Danvers, becoming "Linda Lee Danvers". Supergirl acted for three years as Superman's secret weapon, and her adventures during that time have been compared to contemporary developments in feminist thinking in work such as Betty Friedan's "The Feminine Mystique". She was at last introduced by her super-powered cousin to an unsuspecting world in "Action Comics" #285 (February 1962).
Wonder Woman
Wonder Woman's character was created during World War II; the character in the story was initially depicted fighting Axis military forces as well as an assortment of colorful supervillains, although over time her stories came to place greater emphasis on characters, deities, and monsters from Greek mythology. Many stories depicted Wonder Woman rescuing herself from bondage, which defeated the "damsels in distress" trope that was common in comics during the 1940s. In the decades since her debut, Wonder Woman has gained a cast of enemies bent on eliminating the Amazon, including classic villains such as Ares, Cheetah, Doctor Poison, Circe, Doctor Psycho, and Giganta, along with more recent adversaries such as Veronica Cale and the First Born. Wonder Woman has also regularly appeared in comic books featuring the superhero teams Justice Society (from 1941) and Justice League (from 1960).
X-ray vision
Among the best known figures with "x-ray vision" are the fictional Superman, and the protagonist of the 1963 film "X". The first person with X-ray vision in a comic book was Olga Mesmer in 1937's Spicy Mysteries. She is often considered to be one of the first superheroes. In myth, Lynceus of the Argonauts possessed a similar ability.
Miss America (Madeline Joyce)
As superheroes began to fade out of fashion in the post-World War II era, comic-book publishers scrambled to explore new types of stories, characters, and audiences. In an attempt to appeal to young female readers, comics companies began introducing some of the first significant female superheroes since Wonder Woman in 1941. These new female leads would include Timely's Blonde Phantom, Golden Girl, Namora, Sun Girl, and Venus, and its teen-humor star Millie the Model; Fox Comics' revival of Quality Comics' Phantom Lady; and DC's Black Canary.
Superwoman
Superwoman is the name of several fictional characters, who are supervillains appearing in stories published by DC Comics. All are evil or corrupted alternate-universe counterparts of Wonder Woman. Superwoman first appeared in "Justice League of America" #29 (August 1964) alongside the rest of the Crime Syndicate of America.