From (A)eon to (Z)oë

A Select Glossary of Superwomen in
Modern Mythology

Aeon Flux: A lawless assassin of the fictional society of Monica. Created by Peter Chung in conjunction with Colossal Pictures for MTV's ground-breaking series Liquid Television. Later embodied by Charlize Theron in a 2005 film adaptation directed by Karyn Kusama.

Anyanka: A 1,000-year-old former vengeance demon, better known as Anya, on Buffy the Vampire Slayer. A member of the Scoobies, terrified of bunnies, once engaged to Xander, and best friend of Andrew. Portrayed by Emma Caulfield.

Araña Corazon: (Marvel) A meta-human who lives with her single father— an investigative journalist. Was allied with the Spider Society, and after the Superhero Registration Act, became associated with Ms. Marvel. The first Latina superhero in the Marvelverse.

Barbarella: A sexually adventurous space agent created by Jean-Claude Forest in 1962. Later immortalized in 1968 by Jane Fonda in the movie directed by Roger Vadim and produced by Dino de Laurentiis. (At the time of writing, Robert Rodriguez has been rumored to do a remake of the film.)

Batgirl/Barbara Gordon/Oracle: (DC) Daughter of Commissioner Gordon and protégée of Batman. Barbara Gordon debuted in 1966 in the comics and the Batman television series where she was played by Yvonne Craig. Later she was played by Alicia Silverstone in the movie Batman and Robin and by Dina Meyer in the television series Birds of Prey. Barbara was paralyzed from the waist down when The Joker shot her in the spine in Alan Moore's The Killing Joke (1988). She was later reintroduced in The Suicide Squad title as Oracle—a computer hacker who provided intelligence to the superhero community. She would go on to form the Birds of Prey. Barbara is one of the rare few superheroes with a disability.

Batwoman: (DC) Kathy Kane appeared as Batwoman in the Batman line during the late 1950s and early 1960s. She was reintroduced in 2006 as Katy Kane and is one of the rare examples of a gay superhero in mainstream comics. Katy is also Jewish.

Bionic Woman/Jamie Sommers: After being injured in a skydiving accident, Jaime's right arm, right ear, and both of her legs are replaced with bionics in this 1970s spin-off of The Six Million Dollar Man. The Bionic Woman was played by Lindsay Wagner.

Black Canary: (DC) A martial arts expert with a meta-human sonic scream called the “Canary Cry.” Former member of the Justice Society of America and the Birds of Prey, and current member of the Justice League of America. Has appeared in television series Birds of Prey and Small-ville. Dinah is the daughter of a police detective and the previous Black Canary—also named Dinah Lance.

The Bride/Black Mamba/Beatrix Kiddo/Mommy: The protagonist of Kill Bill. A former member of the Deadly Viper Assassination Squad. Defected after discovering she was pregnant, but was shot to near-death on her wedding day by her former colleagues, including Bill, the father of the child. Spent four years in a coma. Upon waking, she set out for revenge and to reclaim her daughter. Portrayed and co-created by Uma Thurman.

Buffy Summers: (Dark Horse/Mutant Enemy) Chosen as The Slayer, the one girl in all the world tasked with fighting the demons and the forces of darkness. Buffy, played in the film by Kristy Swanson and in the television series by Sarah Michelle Gellar, is a petite blonde whose calling has given her super-strength, advanced healing capabilities, and prophetic dreams. Changed the mythos with the aid of Willow Rosenberg when they called all Potentials into Slayerhood, and is currently the leader of their army.

Callisto: After Xena's army killed her family, Callisto became a warlord herself. She worked for many years to thwart Xena's path to redemption and to destroy her and Gabrielle's happiness and friendship. With an act of compassion, Xena saves Callisto's soul and Callisto chooses to be reincarnated through Xena in the form of a miracle child. Xena names the baby Eve. Played by Hudson Leick.

Cameron: A Terminator reprogrammed by John Connor and sent back to protect a younger version of himself and his mother, Sarah. Played by Summer Glau, Cameron is partly a meditation on what it means to be female and partly on what it means to be human. She is one of the first Terminators to override her programming and thus exhibit independent thought.

Carrie Kelly/Robin/Catgirl: (DC) The first female Robin (although not canonically). When Batman comes out of retirement in Frank Miller's comic mini-series The Dark Knight Returns, Carrie takes it upon herself to fill the role of Robin—because Batman needs a Robin. She becomes Catgirl in The Dark Knight Strikes Again.

Catherine Gale: John Steed's first female partner in the television series The Avengers. Played by Honor Blackman and relatively unknown to American audiences. Cathy was an anthropologist and a photographer who lived in Kenya until her husband was killed in the Mau Mau uprisings. She met Steed while curating at The British Museum.

Catwoman: (DC) A burglar, and love interest/nemesis to Batman, she has alternately been portrayed as a femme fatale, a villainess, and an anti-hero. Has appeared in comics since 1940 and in television and film. She has been played by Julie Newmar, Lee Meriwether, Eartha Kitt, Michelle Pfeiffer, and Halle Berry.

Charlie's Angels: (Original & Redux) A group of three intelligent, sexy, and capable women who fought crime on the 1970s American television show of the same name. Reimagined for the twenty-first century in two campy films starring Dew Barrymore, Lucy Liu, and Cameron Diaz as the lead trio.

Charly Baltimore: An assassin for the CIA who lives as an amnesiac for eight years after an assignment goes awry. Her memory is recovered, and she goes on to stop a terrorist plot. Played by Geena Davis. Charly is one of the few action heroines who is also a mother.

Cherry Darling: Go-Go dancer played by Rose McGowan in Grindhouse: Planet Terror. After her leg is eaten by zombies, a.k.a. “Sickos,” Cherry's boyfriend, El Wray, fashions her a prosthetic one out of a functional machine gun. Becomes the leader of those who survived the zombie outbreak.

Chloe Sullivan: (DC) Added to the Superman mythos on the series Small-ville. Like Fox Mulder of the X-Files, Chloe pursues the paranormal, and as a proto–Lois Lane, she writes first for her high school newspaper and later for the Daily Planet. Chloe is one of the most intriguing characters on the series, and to date the most remarkable female character—a testament to actress Allison Mack and her insistence on maintaining the integrity of Chloe. Later revealed to be Lois Lane's cousin and a “meteor freak.”

Christie Love: Get Christie Love was originally a made-for-television movie starring Teresa Graves as the title character, based on a novel called The Ledger, written by Dorothy Uhnak, who herself had worked with the NYPD. Get Christie Love aired as a series during the 1974–5 season.

Claire Bennett: A seemingly average teenage cheerleader who discovers that she has the ability to spontaneously heal due to advanced cellular regeneration. Claire, played by Hayden Panettiere on the television series Heroes, is one of the bravest, most complex female heroes to date.

Coffy: A nurse, played by Pam Grier, who independently takes revenge on drug pushers and mobsters in her community after her sister becomes a victim of drug addiction.

Dana Scully: Played by Gillian Anderson in the X-Files franchise and influenced by Clarice Starling of The Silence of the Lambs, Dana Scully is a scientist, a medical doctor, and an FBI agent. As the skeptic half of the famous Mulder and Scully duo, she always kept her partner honest.

Dawn Summers: (Dark Horse/Mutant Enemy) Younger sister of Buffy Summers, played by Michelle Trachtenberg. Formerly a ball of energy called “The Key” and fashioned into a human by monks who believed she would be loved and protected from evil by the Slayer.

Doll Squad: An undercover group of female commandoes under the leadership of Sabrina Kincaid. Sabrina, played by Francine York, recruits the ladies from a dojo, a library, a laboratory, a swim club, and a burlesque club. Possibly the inspiration for Aaron Spelling's Charlie's Angels.

Dorothy Gale: The protagonist of L. Frank Baum's Oz series. Has appeared in various media, most famously in the 1939 film starring Judy Garland; in 1978's The Wiz, in which Dorothy was portrayed by Diana Ross; and most recently in the Sci-Fi channel original mini-series Tin Man— a story that loosely plays with elements of the original myth and that reunites the protagonist “D.G.” (played by Zooey Deschanel as a descendent of Dorothy Gale) with her mother and sister. Though oddly, the series is named after another, male, character.

Elektra Natchios: (Marvel) Bounty hunter, assassin, and ninja—Elektra Natchios is one of the darkest characters of the Marvelverse. Once the lover of Daredevil's alter ego, Matt Murdock, Elektra turned to crime for pay after the murder of her beloved father. She was ultimately murdered herself, but has died and been reborn several times. In Elektra/Wolverine: The Redeemer, and the subsequent film “adaptation,” she is faced with her humanity when she is compelled to mentor a young girl reminiscent of herself. Played by Jennifer Garner.

Ellen Ripley: A pilot for The Company in the Alien franchise. Played by Sigourney Weaver in the film series. One of the few memorable female action heroes of the 1980s.

Emma Peel: John Steed's second female partner in the long-running television series The Avengers. The very epitome of British 1960s modish spy-fi cool. Played by Diana Rigg.

Faith: (Dark Horse/Mutant Enemy) A Slayer called after the death of Kendra (who was accidentally called after the temporary death of Buffy). Faith was formerly Buffy's nemesis, but is now striving for redemption. Played by Eliza Dushku.

Foxy Brown: An action heroine infused with Pam Grier's trademark ferocity and sass, Foxy takes down “The Man,” while helping women in her community. The title character of this famous Blaxploitation flick went on to inspire other strong and independent female characters, including one who was an homage to Grier herself in Quentin Tarantino's Jackie Brown.

Gabrielle: A former farm girl in Potidaea who becomes Xena's traveling companion, friend, and lover, as well as a bard. Many see Gabrielle as the true hero of the series, and she's certainly the one who undergoes the most spiritual growth. Played by Renée O'Connor.

GoGirl!: (Dark Horse) Heroine of Trina Robbins' and Anne Timmons' eponymous comic, Lindsay Goldman is the teenaged daughter of former superheroine Go-Go-Girl. When Mrs. Goldman discovers her daughter has inherited her ability to fly, she takes it upon herself to train the girl in self-defense and crime fighting. One of the few mother–daughter mentorships in British and American modern mythology.

Greer Nelson/The Cat: (Marvel) Greer Nelson is a young widow redis-covering her identity during the second wave of feminism. Through an experimental procedure, she becomes The Cat.

Heroic Trio: Michelle Yeoh, Maggie Cheung, and Anita Mui starred as the heroines in this dark, 1993 Hong Kong action picture—one of the many influences for Xena, Warrior Princess.

Holliday Girls: (DC) A group of sorority girls, originally led by Etta Candy, who aid Wonder Woman.

Honey West: One of the first female protagonists of detective fiction, this vivacious and busty blonde jumped into the PI business head first after her beloved father, Hank, was murdered in a Hollywood alley. Appeared in 11 novels and a short-lived television series in which she was portrayed by Anne Francis.

Huntress/Helena Wayne: (DC) Pre-Crisis, Earth-Two version of the Huntress. Helena Wayne is the daughter of Bruce Wayne/Batman and Selina Kyle/Catwoman. She was also a core character of the short-lived BirdsofPrey television series and was played by Ashley Scott. Huntress/Helena Bertinelli: (DC) The Post-Crisis version of the Huntress and daughter of a mob boss in Gotham City. Brought into the Birds of Prey comic by Gail Simone.

Jane Moneypenny: Personal secretary to M—head of the British Secret Service in Ian Fleming's James Bond series. Moneypenny is the focus of a trilogy of novels, and two short stories, written by Samantha Weinberg under the pseudonym Kate Westbrook. Variously played by actresses Lois Maxwell, Caroline Bliss, and Samantha Bond.

Jane Tennison: Helen Mirren plays this Detective Chief Inspector on the British police procedural Prime Suspect—a show primarily produced by women.

Jean Grey/Marvel Girl/Phoenix/Dark Phoenix: (Marvel) An original member of The X-Men under the tutelage of Professor Charles Xavier. Began as a shallow character, to eventually anchor the series at a height of critical acclaim, as the omnipotent Phoenix/Dark Phoenix. Portrayed in film by Famke Janssen.

Jenette Vasquez: The tough, muscular, Latina marine of Aliens. Played by Jenette Goldstein, Vasquez is argued to be as revolutionary a depiction of female heroism as her co-crew member Ripley.

Joanna Dark: The protagonist of the video game Perfect Dark, developed by the UK-based studio Rare. She has also appeared in two novels written by Greg Rucka and a graphic novel by Eric S. Trautmann.

Kathryn Janeway: The captain of the starship Voyager. Played by Kate Mul-grew, Janeway was the first, and so far only, female captain in the Star Trek franchise to lead a television series. Was shown to be an admiral in the movie Star Trek: Nemesis.

Kitty Pryde/Sprite/Shadowcat: (Marvel) A member of the X-Men and protégée of Storm. Kitty is one of a handful of Jewish superheroines and is a mutant that can phase through solid objects. She also provided inspiration for the creation of Buffy Summers. The character was portrayed by Ellen Page in X-Men: The Last Stand.

Lady Snowblood: A child born and bred to exact vengeance against those who murdered her father and brother and raped her mother. Originally a manga written by Kazuo Koike and illustrated by Kazuo Kamimura, and later adapted into a film starring Meiko Kaji.

Lara Croft: A video game character created by Toby Gard, Lara is a British archeologist who has also appeared in novels, comics, and films (where she was played by Angelina Jolie). She also featured in an animated short called Pre-Teen Raider written by Gail Simone for GameTap. Lois Lane: (DC) Star reporter for Metropolis' Daily Planet newspaper. Once rival to Clark Kent, and romantic interest to Superman, she and Kal-El married in the 1990s. Lois is tenacious, ambitious, and clever. She is also an award-winning journalist, but is often thought of as merely “Superman's Girlfriend.” Various actresses have played Lois over the years: Phyllis Coates, Noel Neill, Margot Kidder, Teri Hatcher, Kate Bosworth, and Erica Durance.

Luna Moth: (Dark Horse) A comic book character created by Josef Kavalier in Michael Chabon's Pulitzer-Prize-winning novel The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay. The Luna Moth was based on Kavalier's girlfriend, Rosa Sacks. Later immortalized further in Dark Horse's Escapist comic.

Mary Marvel: (Fawcett/DC) Introduced in 1942 as a female counterpart and twin sister to Billy Batson, alter ego of Fawcett's successful Captain Marvel character. Upon uttering the magic word, “SHAZAM,” Mary was granted superhuman abilities, equal to those of the male Captain Marvel. Part of the so-called “Marvel Family,” she went on to anchor Wow Comics, as well as her own Mary Marvel comic.

Max Guevara: A genetically engineered super-soldier living in Seattle and protagonist of television's Dark Angel. Formerly a cat burglar who becomes leader of a group of transgenics in what she calls her “Freak Nation.” Played by Jessica Alba.

Mighty Isis: The alter ego of science teacher Andrea Thomas. Has a magic amulet that allows her to have power over animals and the elements. JoAnna Cameron played the title character in the television series The Secrets of Isis, which was part of CBS's Saturday morning Shazam/Isis Hour. Isis featured the first weekly American live-action television series starring a female superhero.

Modesty Blaise: An orphaned child who became the leader of a global crime syndicate called “The Network.” Appeared in a series of comic strips in England's Evening Standard newspaper, as well as 11 novels and 2 collections of short stories—all written by Peter O'Donnell. Retired from crime at the age of 26 to live a life of leisure, punctuated by capers with her best friend and soul mate, Willie Garvin. She continued to have adventures until well into her 50s when she and Willie undergo one last brave mission to help their dear friends. Additionally featured in two films, portrayed by Monica Vitti in 1966 and by Alexandra Staden in 2003.

Monica Dawson: A woman in her 20s working to support her family in post-Katrina New Orleans on the television series Heroes. Has photographic reflexes that allow her to instantly learn anything she sees. Played by Dana Davis.

Ms. Michael Tree: A private eye created by Max Allan Collins and Terry Beatty. Ms. Tree is part Mickey Spillane's Velda and part Peter O'Don-nell's Modesty Blaise. Her husband is murdered on their wedding night, and Michael takes over their detective agency. Her first case is to find out who killed her husband. Ms. Tree ran for over 15 years, making it the longest-running detective comic book series of all time.

Nancy Drew: Daughter of attorney Carson Drew, Nancy is an independent and curious-minded girl sleuth. She first debuted in a 1930s novel and has consistently appeared in various media since then, including a series of video games produced by the Bellevue, Washington based company, HerInteractive.

Newt/Rebecca Jorden: Newt is the last surviving member of the terra-forming colony of LV-426 in the movie Aliens. Though clearly much younger than Ripley, and as a child in a traditionally vulnerable position, Newt has just as much internal strength as the story's adult hero.

Nikita: Protagonist of film and TV series La Femme Nikita. Formerly a delinquent, drug addict and criminal who after arrest is given the choice to work as an assassin for the French Secret Service or be killed herself. Nikita is a classic example of a femme fatale, and at least in Luc Besson's film version, where she was played by Anne Parillaud, little more than a skilled tool. In the television series that starred Peta Wilson as the title character, Nikita was still a prisoner to her government—here, not a criminal but a street kid in a tragic case of mistaken identity—and so also practiced everyday acts of rebellion and compassion.

Nyota Uhura: Chief Communications Officer of the USS Enterprise and a native of the United States of Africa, on Star Trek. Nichelle Nichols starred as one of the first major black characters in an American television series. While the role was limited by the racist and sexist thinking of some powerful television producers, Uhura nevertheless became an inspiration and a role model to many viewers including Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Whoopi Goldberg, and Dr. Mae Jemison. The character will be reprised in a 2009 movie by Zoë Saldaña.

O-Ren Ishii: In the Kill Bill movies, O-Ren is a Chinese-Japanese-American, a former member of the Deadly Viper Assassination Squad, and the current leader of the Tokyo Yakuza. Played by Lucy Liu, the character's backstory is loosely based on Lady Snowblood.

Pippi Longstocking: The assertive, eccentric, independent, and emotionally and physically strong hero of a series of children's novels by Swedish author Astrid Lindgren. The motherless daughter of the seafaring Captain Longstocking, Pippi chooses to live on land in her house, Villa Villekulla, with her monkey, Mr. Nelson, and her horse, Alfonso.

Powerpuff Girls: Bubbles, Blossom, and Buttercup first appeared in an animated short by Craig McCracken called The Whoopass Girls. The trio of little girls, made by Professor Utonium out of sugar, spice, and everything nice, as well as the accidental addition of Chemical X, made it their mission to fight crime before bedtime.

Princess Leia Organa: Leia is a member of the Senate and a leader in the Rebel Alliance against the Galactic Empire. The daughter of Anakin Sky-walker and Padme Amidala, Leia has the potential to become a Jedi like her twin brother, Luke. Played by Carrie Fisher.

Promethea: (America's Best Comics) Created by Alan Moore, Promethea is a feminine persona adopted generationally by artists and writers. She is part superhero, part goddess.

Pussy Galore: The infamous lesbian leader of an all-female Harlem crime gang in the 007 film and novel Goldfinger. Played by Honor Blackman in the 1964 film adaptation.

Rachel Gibson: Sydney Bristow's protégée—brought in for Season 5 of Alias. Serves as one of the few examples in American modern mythology of a woman being mentored by a woman and portrayed by Rachel Nichols.

Red Sonja: (Marvel) In 1985, the film Red Sonja (starring Brigitte Nielsen) became the final installment in an increasingly disappointing trilogy, the characters of which had been loosely based on the 1930s pulp writings of Robert E. Howard. Red Sonya had appeared in only one of his stories, “The Shadow of the Vulture,” as a pistol-wielding Russian in the sixteenth century. In the 1970s, the character was adapted by Roy Thomas and Barry Windsor-Smith for Marvel comics as a supporting character in their Conan title. The spelling of her name was changed from Sonya to Sonja, and her origins were moved from Russia to Conan's fictional prehistoric “Hyborian Age.” Her deftness with a pistol was changed to mastery of the sword.

Reggie and Sam Belmont: Valley Girl sisters that survive a near-apocalypse when the Earth passes through the tail of a comet killing most humans, while turning others into zombies in Night of the Comet. The girls, played by Catherine Mary Stewart and Kelli Maroney, were taught self-defense techniques by their father and fight off monsters in between trying on clothes and dancing to Cyndi Lauper's hit song, “Girls Just Wanna Have Fun.” One of the many inspirations for Buffy the Vampire Slayer.

Sarah Connor: The iconic “Mother/Warrior” of the Terminator franchise. Linda Hamilton's physical evolution of Sarah in 1991's Terminator 2: Judgment Day was one of the most progressive depictions of a female hero in modern myth. Lena Headey has taken her own approach to the character on Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles. Sarah Jane Smith: An investigative journalist and a companion to the third and fourth Doctors on Doctor Who, played by Elisabeth Sladen. Currently mentoring a group of teenagers as they keep the Earth safe from Alien invasion.

Scoobies: (Dark Horse/Mutant Enemy) Buffy's core group of allies. Includes: Xander Harris, Willow Rosenberg, Rupert Giles, Dawn Summers, and at times Oz, Cordelia Chase, Anyanka, Andrew, Angel, and Spike.

Senorita Rio Rita: A beautiful spy in comics of the 1940s.

Stephanie Brown/Spoiler/Robin: (DC) Introduced to the Bat-mythos in 1992, Stephanie began fighting crime to “spoil” the misdeeds of her father. Became Batman's iconic sidekick, Robin, for a short time in 2004. Was tortured to death with a power drill by the villain Black Mask. A campaign, led by feminist comic book fans and called Project Girl Wonder, was launched demanding that Stephanie be honored with a memorial in the Batcave. She never officially received this, but her story was retconned in 2008. As a result, Stephanie did not in fact die, but was nurtured back to health in Africa.

Storm/Ororo Munroe: (Marvel) Ororo is the daughter of a Kenyan mother and an African American father. While the family is living in Egypt, Ororo's parents are killed during an air strike. Orphaned, the child spends time as a thief before wandering into the Serengeti. Ororo's mutant power allows her to control the weather and for a time she is worshipped in the desert as a goddess. That is, before Charles Xavier of the X-Men tells her who and what she really is and recruits her for his team. Storm has been the leader of the X-Men and a teacher for Xavier's School for the Gifted. In particular, she was a strong mentor to Kitty Pryde. She is currently married to the Black Panther. Played by Halle Berry in the X-Men movie trilogy. Sue Storm/Invisible Girl/Invisible Woman: (Marvel) The only core female member of the Fantastic Four and often situated as the maternal force of the group. Her superpowers were originally limited to invisibility, but now include the ability to project force fields. Played by Jessica Alba in the film adaptations.

Supergirl: (DC) Kara Zor-El, a.k.a. Supergirl, is the teenaged cousin of Superman. When she is sent by her father to Earth, she takes on the secret identity of Linda Lee Danvers. Played by Helen Slater in the 1984 film Supergirl and by Laura Vandervoort on television's Smallville.

Sydney Bristow: The spy-fi heroine of television's Alias, played by Jennifer Garner. Sydney speaks nearly a dozen languages, practices several forms of self-defense, is an expert problem solver and undercover operative, and still manages to be a stand-up friend. In Season 5 she not only takes an inexperienced agent under her wing (one of the few examples in American modern myth of a woman mentoring a woman), but also fights global terrorism while pregnant.

Turanga Leela: Pilot of the Planet Express delivery spaceship on television's animated series Futurama. Leela grew up thinking she was the last of her species until she learned she was a mutant given up for adoption. Skilled in martial arts called Arcturan Kung-Fu, this Cyclops is voiced by Katey Sagal.

Valeria: A thief and lone warrior woman played by Sandahl Bergman in 1982's Conan the Barbarian. Valeria was lithe and statuesque, but also fierce, strong willed, and brave. A notable action heroine, and though she ultimately dies to further the hero's story of revenge, she is also given life after death as a Valkyrie.

Varla: Murderous, shrewd, and sensual leader of a girl gang comprised of three go-go dancers in Russ Meyer's Faster, Pussycat! Kill! Kill! A character made iconic by burlesque dancer Tura Satana.

Vernita Green: Along with The Bride, Vernita was a member of the Deadly Viper Assassination Squad in Kill Bill. Codenamed Copperhead and played by Vivica A. Fox.

Veronica Mars: The saucy teenage private eye of her eponymous television series. Played by Kristen Bell. Veronica Mars lives with her single father and with a passionate drive for justice, battles crime, and high school alike.

Willow Rosenberg: (Dark Horse/Mutant Enemy) Best friend of Buffy Summers, Willow is a skilled computer hacker and witch. She is also one of a handful of Jewish superheroines. Portrayed by Allyson Hannigan.

Wonder Woman: (DC) Likely the most recognizable female superhero in American popular culture. Wonder Woman, a.k.a. Diana Prince, was created in 1941 by a psychologist named William Moulton Marston. Having gone through many evolutions over the past 65 years from Princess to romance columnist, mortal to ambassador, even to goddess, she is now for the first time being consistently written by a woman— Gail Simone. Famously portrayed by Lynda Carter in the 1970s television series.

Xena, Warrior Princess: A former warlord on a quest for redemption. Xena, played by Lucy Lawless, is aided by her partner and lover Gabrielle.

Zoë Washburne: (Dark Horse/Mutant Enemy) Second-in-command of the spaceship Serenity, in Joss Whedon's Firefly series. Played by Gina Torres.