Hello, and welcome to Din’s Geek Reviews.
This time, rather than doing another long, sometimes tedious review of a comic or film, I have decided to be exactly like every other reviewer on the ‘net and do a Top Ten list. This time, we’ll be looking at what are, in my humble opinion, the Top Ten greatest female characters in comics.
Now, we need some ground rules here; after all, there are a TON of women in comics. It’d be easy to fill this list entirely from the X-Men series, or have the top five all come from Batman. To that end, I will only be allowed to pick one character from a series. Keep in mind, however, that this does not mean only one per universe. So I could, in theory, list Mary-Jane Watson from Spider-Man and Rogue from X-men, but I could NOT list Rogue and Jean Grey.
Secondly, keep in mind that this is not really a “favorite” list, nor is it a “best” list. Rather, I have selected women who were highly memorable for a number of reasons. With me? Okay, let’s go:
#10 – Mina Harker, The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen
Yeah, yeah, not technically a comic-book character in her own right, but the way I see it, Alan Moore created a whole new Mina for The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen.
Based on the character from Bram Stoker’s Dracula, Moore’s Mina is a girl of a completely different caliber. Taking the kind, gentle Mina of the novel, Alan Moore makes the one crucial alteration that changes her character completely without feeling forced: he makes her a vampire. Thus, John Harker has left his wife, and slowly she became bitter, angry, and cold. This, plus her raw supernatural powers, led to her becoming the leader of the team of Victorian super-heroes, an unexpected twist indeed.
Strong, calculating, and having weird taste in men, Mina is one vampiress that doesn’t sparkle. Just the way we like ‘em.
#9 – Mystique, X-Men
This one was tricky. You have a lot of choices from X-Men, as it is one of the few series to actually have a large number of thought out, complex female characters. However, when it comes down to it, you can’t top Mystique.
A shape-shifter, Mystique has been in almost every incarnation of the series, from comics to TV to movies. Why? Well, the most obvious reason is her looks – I refuse to deny the hawtness that is Mystique. Athletic, scantily clad, shape-shifting, and blue? Yeah. That is pure, unadulterated win.
But all that aside, Mystique is an interesting character. Ruthless, cold, and focused, she never, never loses her cool. I can’t say I’ve read enough comics to really know her motivations, but though she is certainly a terrorist, she is also a very loving character. She truly cares for her children (who, I might add, are quite possibly two of the most awesome mutants ever, Rogue and Nightcrawler [screw you Graydon Creed!]). What’s more, she’s an intelligent villain – she’s not just evil for evil’s sake, she really has thoughts behind her actions.
Mystique – cold as ice, hot as hell. If the mutants have to wipe out humanity, I hope it’ll be her that pulls the trigger.
#8 – Callie Liddle, The Wonderland Trilogy
This one is probably the least-known character on the list, but that doesn’t make her any less interesting. Callie, protagonist of the Wonderland cycle (a popular spin-off of Zenescope’s Grimm Fairy Tales series) was just a normal middle-class highschooler, living her life, when the insanity of a dark, twisted Wonderland decided it wished to possess her.
What’s so great about Callie is the way she changes. She starts out just like any of us would – scared out of her wits – but she slowly begins to take power, eventually escaping Wonderland. But then, once free, she has to live with herself. At first she flees – again, like we would – but, as she sees that she can never truly escape, that Wonderland will always follow her, she finally embraces her destiny, becoming the very kind of ruthless killer needed to rain vengeance down on the denizens of the blackened fantasy realm.
But, even above all that is the fact that we have no idea if she’s even sane through all this. It’s entirely possible that Callie is actually stark raving mad, and that all the murders she believes to be the fault of Wonderland are really just her own actions whitewashed by her psyche.
Of course, she not mad, but it’s still an interesting angle.
Callie Liddle – a messed up girl in a messed up world.
#7 – Misa Amane, Death Note
Speaking of crazy chicks…
Misa Amane, from the hit manga Death Note, is probably not on anyone’s list of favorite characters. Over-emotional, utterly devoted, and kind of annoying, Misa can get on your nerves after a while.
Until you realize that she is blatantly psychotic, willing to lie, slaughter countless innocents, and even give up her own life (twice!) all to aid a boy who clearly dislikes her, admits openly to using her as a tool, and who is perfectly willing to kill her once her usefulness has ended.
But say what you will about her, Misa is memorable. You never forget her as the second Kira, and you even begin to pity her part way through the series. She is one of those insane people who honestly deserves help, not punishment. She could have been so much if not for Light.
Misa Amane – the girl many wish to sleep with, but no one wants as their ex.
#6 – Harley Quinn, Batman
Apparently all of the crazy girls go in a row here…
Anyway, any fan of Batman can tell you the history of Harley Quinn – created for the Batman Animated Series, Quinn is the Joker’s on-again/off-again henchman/girlfriend. Immensely popular, Quinn’s bubbly personality endeared her to fans, earning her a small cultdom all her own. Eventually she was adopted into the comics, where she even got her own monthly series for a while.
Originally a psychiatrist serving at Arkham Asylum, Harleen Quinzel became fascinated with the Joker. Eventually she snapped completely, falling madly (literally) in love with the villain. After breaking the Joker out, she took on the role of Harley Quinn, and has been running amuck in Gotham ever since, recently teaming up with Catwoman and Poison Ivy in the new Gotham City Sirens series.
Harley Quinn. Quite the wildcard. (please forgive that pun. It was… strained.)
#5 – Sakura Kinomoto, Cardcaptor Sakura
C’mon. If Misa made it here, you really thought an icon like Sakura wouldn’t?
For those of you not in the know, Cardcaptor Sakura was a long-running manga series by the creative team known as CLAMP. Together, they produced one of the most ADORABLE characters in history… with lesbian overtones. (ask if you want, but I’m not addressing it here)
Chosen by destiny to become the new guardian of a set of mystical monsters housed within the “Clow cards,” Sakura is led down a series of adventures. Hers is a charming story of believing in oneself, in the love of friends, and lots and lots of sparkles.
What endears Sakura to me personally are her facial expressions. She’s never unpleasant to look at – either her chibi expressions of anger or worry charm you, or her beautifully drawn smiles make your heart sing.
Sakura is one of the few honestly cute characters I’ve run into in comics. Hers is the story of a child, and for a brief time, you too can embrace that wonder along with her.
#4 – Gwen Stacy, The Amazing Spider-Man
Okay. I’ve never read a single issue in which Gwen Stacy appeared – I don’t read much Spider-Man, and besides, I grew up in the Mary Jane generation anyway.
But here’s the thing: the effects of her death are still being felt. Take a look at books like Sins Past, or even One More Day – Peter Parker is still an emotional mess because of that incident.
If you are one of the three people left in the world who knows nothing about Gwen Stacy, I’ll tell you this: She was Spider-Man’s girlfriend. Then she died. And she never came back.
Think about that. Then go read the Wikipedia article if you want to know more.
#3 – Naru Narusegawa, Love Hina
“What’s this,” you say, “Someone from a manga beating out Gwen Stacy, the girl who changed comics forever?” Damn straight.
Female protagonist of the quintessential “harem manga” Love Hina, Naru is on this list not because of anything she did in particular, but for what she became. In Love Hina, you really get to see a romance blossom, and by the ending, you are seriously emotionally invested in the characters, Naru in particular. She’s a well-written, multifaceted character in an otherwise fan-service heavy book, which leads to even more comic hilarity when she (inevitably) ends up with Keitaro’s face in her cleavage (I told you it was a harem manga).
That’s what Love Hina was great at in general – it might have hooked you in with cheap laughs and boobs, but in the end it was an incredibly well-written romance story, the likes of which only manga can do. Think of it; they’re actually allowed to end their comics over in Japan.
Central to all that emotional investment and romantic development was Naru Narusegawa – the girl who gave us nerds hope.
#2 – Mara Jade, Mara Jade: By The Emperor’s Hand
“CHEAT!” the masses cried in rage, “Mara Jade is no comic book character! Din’s Flame, you are a liar and a rogue, you handsome devil!”
Guilty as charged. Mara Jade is not originally a comic-book girl. Rather, she was created for the 1991 novel Star Wars: Heir to the Empire by Timothy Zahn. She became immensely popular, going on to star in many other books, and even her own video game. In fact, she even got her own comic series in 1998.
In that series, Mara Jade: By The Emperor’s Hand, we got to see Mara in her earliest, purest form – as the Emperor’s Hand, an elite assassin used only for the Emperor’s personal agenda. She’s cold, perfectionist, a perfect spy, and honestly believes in the rightness of the Empire, so long as it remains under Palpatine. It’s an interesting spin on the whole “My Brother, My Enemy” story, and one that is made all the better by the book being written by both Zahn and Michael Stackpole, “the other greatest Star Wars author.”
The very definition of a fem fatale, she's the woman for all seasons. Mara Jade. She wins at everything.
#1 – Wonder Woman
Okay, tell me you didn’t see this one coming, I dare you. Seriously, how could I not put her up here? She’s friggin’ Wonder Woman for cryin’ out loud. The first female Super Hero! Without her, we wouldn’t even have half of the characters on this list.
Wonder Woman began life in WWII, and… okay, I don’t actually know much about her as a character. But I do know that she inspired a generation of little girls, and actually became a feminist icon (Seriously. Gloria Steinem even put her on the very first cover of Ms. In 1972).
Look at it this way. DC has three super heroes that have never been out of print since 1944. The first is Superman. Alright, first superhero ever, it makes sense. Then there’s Batman. Again, pretty obvious. He’s frikkin’ Batman.
And then there’s Wonder Woman.
She’s always been there – a strong, honest, intelligent woman, Diana Prince is Amazon, hero, and savior to the earth a hundred times over. She’s fought aliens, madmen, and even Hitler, and she’s always come out on top. She is Truth, and she is truly, truly, a wonder.
Conclusion
That’s all I’ve got folks. I wish I could have included more – this list wasn’t particularly in-depth, I know – and I’m sorry a lot of awesome characters got left out – I was particularly torn between Rogue and Mystique – but in the end, these are my top ten. Not all of them are strong, not all of them are sane, but every single one of them is memorable.
From the inner strength of Sakura to the raw power of Wonder Woman, from the influence of Gwen Stacy to the obscurity of Callie Liddle, these are my Top Ten Women of comic-books.
Further reading:
The League of Extraordinary Gentle: Volume 1
House of M, X-Men: Messiah Complex
Return to Wonderland, Beyond Wonderland, Tales from Wonderland
Death Note, Volumes 1 - 13
Harley Quinn: Preludes & Knock-Knock Jokes, Batman: Mad Love
Cardcaptor Sakura/Master of the Clow, Volumes 1 - 12
The Amazing Spider-Man: Sins Past
Love Hina, Volumes 1 - 14
Mara Jade: By the Emperor's Hand (soon to be omnibussed in Star Wars Omnibus: Shadows of the Empire)
Wonder Woman: Love & Murder
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