Top 10 Comic Book Heroines & Villains of All Time
From six-foot tall Amazon beauties to mind-controlling mutants, the heroines and villains of history’s most enduring comic books have redefined the boundaries of female empowerment and strength. No longer are feminine roles confined to screaming on top of abandoned buildings or seeking shelter in the arms of a masculine guardian. When these 10 women came to life on the pages of Marvel and DC comic books, the days of damsels in distress were over. With the likes of Poison Ivy and Catwoman on the loose, Batman will have to think twice before messing around with their evil agendas. Rogue Born as Anne Marie, Rogue remains one of the most popular X-Men characters to date, appearing consistently in video games, TV shows, and blockbuster films. She was voted #3 on Marvel’s Top 10 Toughest Females of 2009, which should come as no surprise given the wide range of her superpowers. Rogue has the ability to absorb memories and even the powers of other mutants upon long contact. With a single touch, she can render a victim unconscious. In her long and turbulent history with the X-Men, Rogue has displayed other powers including telepathy, flight, and super strength. Catwoman Catwoman has been portrayed as a supervillainess, an anti-hero, and even at times a heroine. But whatever side she is playing on, this femme fatale knows how to take care of herself with or without the aid of her famous on-again, off-again love interest, Batman. Catwoman’s powers include skilled hand-to-hand combat, expert burglary, an uncanny kinship with her feline friends, and unspeakable talents at wielding bullwhips and cat o’nine tails. Storm Her aliases may include Mistress of the Elements and Queen of Wakanda, but she is known most commonly as Storm, the weather manipulating goddess and earth mother of the X-Men. Storm is important historically, not only for her unique powers but also for her role as one of the first black comic book characters ever adopted by Marvel or DC. Aside from her mastery of weather control, Storm is immune to extreme temperatures and can achieve flight by lifting herself with wind currents. Wonder Woman Wonder Woman remains one of the most widely recognized and popular comic book heroes of all time. Her memorable costume and weaponry made her an icon for feminism and sexual equality worldwide. Equipped with her Golden Lasso, Wonder Woman could force anyone within its grasp to tell the truth. She traveled in an invisible plane and wore a tiara which could double as a boomerang or a dagger-like weapon. Talk about effective accessorizing. A host of the Phoenix force, Jean Grey remains one of the most unstable, if not dangerous, characters in X-Men history. She possesses Omega-level telekinetic and telepathic powers, and at the prime of her abilities, can travel alone through space and time as well as manipulate energy and matter. Elektra Named after the legendary daughter of King Agamemnon of Mycenae, Elektra holds her ground as one of the deadliest assassins in the Marvel Comics universe. She possesses an unrivaled mastery of several weapons, most notably the twin bladed sai. Generally portrayed as cold-blooded and unfeeling, Elektra perseveres in her mercenary career without fail, training daily to stretch the limits of her human body. In fact, she has been known to dodge bullets and even swipe weapons from her enemies before they can bat an eye. Black Widow The elusive Black Widow is classified as an Olympic-level athlete and gymnast, capable of a variety of fighting styles which include karate, judo, boxing, aikido, and kung fu. She can heal faster and even age slower than normal. In the widely anticipated 2010 Iron Man sequel, the Black Widow will be portrayed by Scarlett Johansson. In comic books, the Black Widow has appeared everywhere from Spider Man to Daredevil. Poison Ivy One of the world’s foremost eco-terrorists, Poison Ivy is not without a worthy cause. She aims, through her villainous acts, to save the natural environment from the pollution of human development. She can control plant growth, secrete deadly toxins from her body, and intoxicate both men and women with her array of chemicals and poisons. Mystique A mutant shapeshifter known for her blue skin and yellow eyes, Mystique is also a master strategist who is skilled at commanding terrorist operations and using cutting edge technology to complete her missions. She can heal fast because of her biological tissue and has a natural resistance to the telepathic powers of other mutants. Mystique has continually been ranked as one of Marvel Comics greatest villains of all time due to her incredible abilities and superhuman agility. Scarlet Witch What is Scarlet Witch responsible for? Only M-Day, which left 90% of all mutants depowered on Earth, including Jubilee, a long-time X-Men favorite. The Scarlet Witch has the ability to warp reality and even rewrite it, which leads to several near catastrophic events. Her everyday powers, however, are slightly less impressive. She can control probability using “hexes” that can increase the likelihood of phenomenal events from a short distance away. Katherine J. Chen is currently a sophomore at Princeton University majoring in English with a certificate in Creative Writing. She considers herself an X-Men aficionado, and often wishes she had Storm’s powers to make it rain or shine whenever she pleased.
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