Ultimate guide to super-women
- Zoë Eitel
- Jun 13, 2018
- 6 min read
If you couldn't already tell by my previous blog posts, I'm a big fan of superhero movies and shows. Whether it's the gritty Netflix Marvel shows, the melodramatic DC shows on The CW, the sprawling Marvel Cinematic Universe, the not-as-well-done DC Extended Universe, or the ever-growing and ever-confusing X-Men franchise, I'm here for it.
Over time, I've had to settle for the fact that these shows and movies are testosterone-driven and lacking in female characters—other than the one obligatory female team member (Gamora in "Guardians of the Galaxy") or love interest (Pepper Potts in "Iron Man"). But as the franchises have expanded and become more popular, audiences have been granted some pretty awesome super-women. I thought it useful to share my guide of the best super-women. This way, at least those hours of sitting in front of my TV weren't for nothing.
For the purposes of this guide, "super-women" will include any** female character who is included in a superhero movie or TV show, has a speaking role, is involved with the super-conflict and has a purpose other than being the love interest of the male hero. Not all super-women have powers and the list is not limited to typical heroes: Villainous women are welcome here.
GUIDE
in alphabetical order
Ratings (scale of 1–5): How integral to the plot, How powerful, How badass
Ancient One
Portrayed by: Tilda Swinton
Marvel: Doctor Strange
Powers: Manipulation of space; teleportation; astral projection (pretty much magic)
Ratings: 4, 4, 4
Angel Salvadore (Tempest)
Portrayed by: Zoë Kravitz
Marvel: X-Men: First Class
Powers: Flight (with wings that manifest out of her tattoos); oral explosive projectiles (spitting fire balls)
Ratings: 2, 3, 4
Barbara Kean
Portrayed by: Erin Richards
DC: Gotham
Powers: None (other than being a bit of a crazy, evil queen)
Ratings: 5, 1, 4
Caitlin Snow (Killer Frost)
Portrayed by: Kay Panabaker
DC: The Flash
Powers: Cryogenesis (freezing); accelerated healing
Ratings: 3, 3, 3
Claire Temple (Night Nurse)
Portrayed by: Rosario Dawson
Marvel: Daredevil, Jessica Jones, Luke Cage, Iron Fist, The Defenders
Powers: None (she's just good at saving other people from bleeding out)
Ratings: 2, 1, 2
Colleen Wing
Portrayed by: Jessica Henwick
Marvel: Iron Fist, The Defenders
Powers: None (but she's great with a sword and is a good fighter)
Ratings: 3, 2, 4
Diana Prince (Wonder Woman)
Portrayed by: Gal Gadot
DC: Batman vs. Superman: Dawn of Justice, Wonder Woman, Justice League
Powers: Super strength, durability, speed/agility, senses; accelerated healing; elektrokinesis (lightning); Omnilingualism (speak and understand all languages); immortality (basically, she's a badass demigod)
Ratings: 5, 5, 5
Elektra Natchios
Portrayed by: Elodie Yung // Jennifer Garner
Marvel: Daredevil, The Defenders // Daredevil, Elektra
Powers: Enhanced speed, strength, durability, reflexes (in the MCU after her resurrection)
Ratings: 4, 3, 4 // 5, 3, 4
Elizabeth Braddock (Psylocke)
Portrayed by: Olivia Munn
Marvel: X-Men: Apocalypse
Powers: Telekinesis; telekinetic weapons (swords/whips made out of energy)
Ratings: 2, 3, 4
Ellie Phimister (Negasonic Teenage Warhead)
Portrayed by: Brianna Hildebrand
Marvel: Deadpool, Deadpool 2
Powers: Explosion manipulation
Ratings: 2, 5, 5
Emma Frost
Portrayed by: January Jones
Marvel: X-Men: First Class
Powers: Enhanced reflexes; diamond form (she can transform her body to be made of a diamond material); telepathy
Ratings: 3, 3, 3
Felicity Smoak (Overwatch)
Portrayed by: Emily Bett Rickards
DC: Arrow, The Flash
Powers: None (just super smart and tech-savvy)
Ratings: 4, 1, 2
Frigga
Portrayed by: Rene Russo
Marvel: Thor, Thor: The Dark World
Powers: Super strength, speed, agility, longevity (all the stuff that comes with being a goddess); sorcery
Ratings: 1, 4, 3
Gamora
Portrayed by: Zoe Saldana
Marvel: Guardians of the Galaxy, Guardians of the Galaxy: Vol. 2, Avengers: Infinity War
Powers: Enhanced strength, durability, vision, healing (due to bionic enhancements)
Ratings: 4, 2, 4
Harleen Quinzel (Harley Quinn)
Portrayed by: Margot Robbie
DC: Suicide Squad
Powers: None (however, she's very smart, good in hand-to-hand combat and is an expert acrobat
Rating: 4, 1, 3
Hela
Portrayed by: Cate Blanchett
Marvel: Thor: Ragnarok
Powers: Superhuman strength, durability, stamina, speed, agility, longevity; necromancy (since she's the goddess of death); weapon manifestation
Ratings: 5, 5, 5
Hope van Dyne (Wasp)
Portrayed by: Evangeline Lilly
Marvel: Ant-Man, the upcoming Ant-Man and the Wasp
Powers: None (uses bionic super suit with ability to shrink and use built in weapons)
Ratings: 3, 1, 3
Ivy Pepper/Pamela Isley (Poison Ivy)
Portrayed by: Peyton List, Maggie Geha, Clare Foley // Uma Thurman
DC: Gotham // Batman and Robin
Powers: None (but she encounters a toxin that ages her about 10 years, and she is able to create poisons and medicines from plants) // Poison manipulation; pheromone control
Ratings: 3, 1, 3 // 5, 2, 3
Jean Grey (Phoenix)
Portrayed by: Sophie Turner // Famke Janssen
Marvel: X-Men: Apocalypse // X-Men, X2: X-Men United, X-Men: The Last Stand, X-Men: Days of Future Past
Powers: Telekinesis (including a telekinetic blast which acts like a power explosion that can disintegrate people and objects); telepathy
Ratings: 4, 4, 4 // 5, 5, 5
Jessica Jones
Portrayed by: Kristen Ritter
Marvel: Jessica Jones, The Defenders
Powers: super strength, stamina, durability, jumping
Ratings: 5, 4, 5
June Moone (Enchantress)
Portrayed by: Cara Delevingne
DC: Suicide Squad
Powers: Super strength, durability; teleportation; mind control; telepathy; telekinesis; longevity (Enchantress is a mystical being that possesses June Moone, giving her these abilities)
Ratings: 5, 5, 4
Kara Danvers (Supergirl)
Portrayed by: Melissa Benoist
DC: Supergirl, The Flash
Powers: Accelerated healing, flight, heat vision, invulnerability, longevity, super breath, super hearing, super speed, super strength, x-ray vision
Ratings: 5, 5, 4
Kendra Saunders (Hawkgirl)
Portrayed by: Ciara Renée
DC: The Flash, Legends of Tomorrow
Powers: Flight (with some big wings); claws; reincarnation; enhanced strength
Ratings: 4, 3, 4
Kitty Pryde (Shadowcat)
Portrayed by: Ellen Page
Marvel: X-Men, X2: X-Men United, X-Men: The Last Stand, X-Men: Days of Future Past
Powers: Phasing through materials; time-travel (can send another person's consciousness back in time)
Ratings: 3, 3, 3
Laurel Lance (Black Canary)
Portrayed by: Katie Cassidy
DC: Arrow
Powers: None (but she is skilled in hand-to-hand combat and has a sonic device that allows her to use sonic waves to incapacitate people)
Ratings: 4, 2, 4
Maria Hill (Agent Hill)
Portrayed by: Cobie Smulders
Marvel: The Avengers, Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Avengers: Age of Ultron, Avengers: Infinity War
Powers: None (but she is highly trained in weapons and hand-to-hand combat)
Ratings: 1, 2, 3
Mariah Dillard
Portrayed by: Alfre Woodard
Marvel: Luke Cage
Powers: None
Ratings: 5, 1, 2
Marie D'Ancanto (Rogue)
Portrayed by: Anna Paquin
Marvel: X-Men, X2: X-Men United, X-Men: The Last Stand, X-Men: Days of Future Past
Powers: Draining (can drain life or mutant powers from people by touch)
Ratings: 2, 3, 2
Misty Knight
Portrayed by: Simone Missick
Marvel: Luke Cage, The Defenders
Powers: None (trained as a detective)
Ratings: 2, 1, 3
Nakia
Portrayed by: Lupita Nyong'o
Marvel: Black Panther
Powers: None (skilled fighter)
Ratings: 2, 2, 3
Natasha Romanov (Black Widow)
Portrayed by: Scarlett Johansson
Marvel: Iron Man 2, The Avengers, Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Avengers: Age of Ultron, Captain America: Civil War, Avengers: Infinity War
Powers: None (highly trained assassin with mastery in weapons and combat)
Ratings: 4, 2, 5
Nebula
Portrayed by: Karen Gillan
Marvel: Guardians of the Galaxy, Guardians of the Galaxy: Vol. 2, Avengers: Infinity War
Powers:
Ratings: 2, 2, 3
Neena Thurman (Domino)
Portrayed by: Zazie Beetz
Marvel: Deadpool 2
Powers: Manipulation of luck
Ratings: 3, 3, 4
Okoye
Portrayed by: Danai Gurira
Marvel: Black Panther, Avengers: Infinity War
Powers: None (skilled warrior)
Ratings: 3, 2, 4
Ororo Munroe (Storm)
Portrayed by: Alexandra Shipp // Halle Berry
Marvel: X-Men: Apocalypse // X-Men, X2: X-Men United, X-Men: The Last Stand, X-Men: Days of Future Past
Powers: Manipulation of weather; flight
Ratings: 2, 4, 4 // 5, 4, 4
Peggy Carter (Agent Carter)
Portrayed by: Hayley Atwell
Marvel: Captain America: The First Avenger, Captain America: The Winter Soldier
Powers: None (trained as an agent)
Ratings: 3, 2, 3
Raven Darkholme (Mystique)
Portrayed by: Jennifer Lawrence // Rebecca Romijn
Marvel: X-Men: Apocalypse, X-Men: Days of Future Past, X-Men: First Class // X-Men, X2: X-Men United, X-Men: The Last Stand
Powers: Shapeshifting; decelerated aging; super agility
Ratings: 4, 4, 5 // 3, 4, 4
Sara Lance (White Canary)
Portrayed by: Caity Lotz
DC: Arrow, Legends of Tomorrow, The Flash
Powers: None (trained in martial arts and was resurrected)
Ratings: 3, 2, 4
Selina Kyle (Catwoman)
Portrayed by: Camren Bicondova // Anne Hathaway // Halle Berry
DC: Gotham // The Dark Knight Rises // Catwoman
Powers: None (quite agile with cat-like reflexes)
Ratings: 3, 1, 3 // 3, 1, 3 // 5, 2, 3
Sharon Carter (Agent 13)
Portrayed by: Emily Vancamp
Marvel: Captain America: The Winter Soldier; Captain America: Civil War
Powers: None (trained as an agent)
Ratings: 2, 2, 2
Shuri
Portrayed by: Letitia Wright
Marvel: Black Panther, Avengers: Infinity War
Powers: None (smarter than Bruce Banner and Tony Stark, genius engineer)
Ratings: 4, 2, 4
Sif
Portrayed by: Jamie Alexander
Marvel: Thor, Thor: The Dark World
Powers: Super strength, stamina, speed, durability (also a skilled warrior)
Ratings: 2, 3, 4
Tabitha Galavan (Tigress)
Portrayed by: Jessica Lucas
DC: Gotham
Powers: None (trained in multiple weapons)
Ratings: 3, 2, 4
Tatsu Yamashiro (Katana)
Portrayed by: Karen Fukuhara // Rila Fukushima
DC: Suicide Squad // Arrow
Powers: None (trained with a katana)
Ratings: 2, 2, 3 // 3, 2, 3
Thea Queen (Speedy)
Portrayed by: Willa Holland
DC: Arrow, The Flash
Powers: None (a good fighter, trained with bow and arrow, was resurrected)
Ratings: 4, 2, 4
Brunnhilde (Valkyrie)
Portrayed by: Tessa Thompson
Marvel: Thor: Ragnarok
Powers: Super strength, stamina, speed, durability (and trained with weaponry)
Ratings: 4, 3, 5
Wanda Maximoff (Scarlet Witch)
Portrayed by: Elizabeth Olsen
Marvel: Avengers: Age of Ultron; Captain America: Civil War, Avengers: Infinity War
Powers: Energy manipulation; mind control; levitation; telekinesis; telepathy
Ratings: 4, 5, 5
Yukio
Portrayed by: Shiori Kutsuna
Marvel: Deadpool 2
Powers: Electricity manipulation
Ratings: 1, 4, 3
**Disclaimer: I have not seen every superhero movie or show because I'm not a crazy person with an unlimited amount of time, so this guide is mostly comprehensive. I also rely too much on Netflix and Hulu, so not all episodes of the shows have been watched unless they are available to stream. Busy college student without cable here. Will be updated as I catch up. Also, this list is limited to live-action super-women.
Photo credits: Marvel Studios and DC Entertainment
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