Top ten female comic book characters as according to one woman’s opinion
10.
Wonder Woman: Of course she makes the list! Diana Prince is kind and strong. She comes from an island completely compromised of women and if that isn’t the biggest ‘I don’t need no man’ utopia, I don’t know what is. Goals.
9.
Zatanna Zatara: A magical wonderful dame. Listen, she works with some rough people i.e. Nightmare Nurse and the unbearable John Constantine and keeps it together. That is enviable in and of itself. But I love Zatanna because she has always been depicted as smart and pretty level headed. She has seen some dark stuff but is still a fun and sweet character.
8.
Batgirl: Barbara Gordon is smart as a whip and that may be her best asset. She is an incredibly capable character who is spirited but mature. She really embodies that sort over over-achiever-to-a-fault-for-no-one-but-yourself attitude that really resonates with me. She made her own costume and went out to fight with Batman despite her father being the police chief that's some punk rock DIY, in my opinion.
7.
Catwoman: Selina Kyle is a woman who plays by her own rules and walks that tightrope between good and bad so well. She has her own code of ethics and a deep sense of independence. But she is also deeply flawed but tries to do what’s right by her standards. She is always looking out for those close to her and has an incredibly big heart. I think it is important for an empowered female character to stick to her guns and Selina is really good at that. Sometimes she is so good, that even when she knows things are going south she will stay her course and that is very relatable. I think they call that stubborn, but that’s rude.
6.
X-23: Laura Kinney defies all odds. She was destined to be one thing, a weapon. Then a prostitute, homeless, etc. and thwarted those efforts to go her own way. She is learning to be sensitive (depending on the comic you read). She cares about the people around her, her friends and the students she works with but sometimes struggles to show that. I think she is a great female character because she is loyal and strong. She is decisive and quiet. I don’t think there’s anything overly feminine about her personality, and yet she is just a good example of a strong female character. (Sidenote: her outfits are a whole different discussion.)
5.
Spider Gwen: Gwen Stacey has superpowers and plays in an all-girl punk band. She is basically exactly who I wanted to be when I was 16. What else is there to say? She's a cop's kid, I'm a cop's kid. We jive.
4.
Emma Frost: A queen who absolutely deserves better. Emma is the kind of woman who knows what she wants and she is unwilling to compromise. I think her portrayal as a 'bad guy' is often an attempt to villainize a woman who is independent and knows she is smart and sexy but does not need to approval of men or other women. That sort of confidence is earth shaking.
3.
The Scarlet Witch: Wanda Maximoff (comics only, I don't want to talk about MCU Wanda) is a POC woman with mental health issues who could crush the entire world with a snap of her fingers. With all the power she remains kind and concerned for her family. She has overcome a lot and I think stories like hers are important when they are portrayed well. She has been a refugee, an outcast, she is feared and revered and yet she chooses to be good. That's pretty neat.
2.
Lois Lane: Lois is a journalist inspiration to me. When I was a kid, I wanted to be just like her. It was important for me to see a woman who would fight for a seat at the table during pitch meetings and would fight for her stories. As I work as a journalist I realize these fictional plights are not so fictional. She is a fair and driven journalist -- I hope to always be the same.
1.
Captain Marvel: Carol Danvers likely would not have made it to the top of this list had the movie not just come out. She would have made the list, but maybe not the coveted number one spot. However, with the release of this movie, I think she deserves it. Carol is not only a superhero but a hero to women. She was a pilot when women weren't welcome, she is kind and caring and strong and fair. She will be an inspiration for little girls for years to come and I am glad we have a hero like Carol to look up to on the big screen now!
Destiny Johnson is a digital investigative reporter at KGW. She also reviews comics once a week on YouTube. She also posts photos of her dog on Twitter @hello_destiny, if you're into that sort of thing.
