BIG SCREEN SMALL ACTS

Black widow
Alter ego: Natasha Romanova
Publisher: Marvel

True, her popularity soared after Scarlett Johansson back-flipped her leather-clad body into Iron Man 2, and MCU fans still can’t get enough of her. Her story in the comics begins with her as a villain before she joins the Avengers. She carries out missions for Nick Fury’s S.H.I.E.L.D along with her work with the Avengers. A trained assassin and spy, she is well-versed in all forms of combat and a super tactician too, making her pretty kick-ass. Johansson’s turn as Black Widow has fans clamouring for a solo film. She was practically second lead in Captain America: Winter Soldier, but it still wasn’t enough! 

Catwoman
Alter ego: Seline Kyle
Publisher: DC

Anne Hathaway’s portrayal of Catwoman — a wily con artist who does many wrong things for the right reasons — in Chris Nolan’s The Dark Knight Rises is the closest to her comic book character. A burglar and a femme fatale in a tight, one-piece bodysuit with a bullwhip to crack, Catwoman is more than just a common criminal. She started out as one of Batman’s enemies but later joined hands with him many times to thwart the baddies. She is one of Batman’s longest-running love interests and shares a strong love-hate relationship with him. Michelle Pfeiffer’s iconic portrayal in Batman Returns is worth a  mention too. We can totally Ctrl+Alt+Delete Halle Berry’s in Catwoman though. 

Jean Grey 
Alter ego: Phoenix/ Dark Phoenix
Publisher: Marvel

She was the first female mutant superhero. But it is not just that. She is one of the most powerful members of the X-Men squad and has a really well-developed character arch, from her role as the Marvel Girl to her transition to Phoenix and her growing darkness as the Dark Phoenix. Famke Janssen was the telekinetic and telepathic Jean Grey in the X-Men film series and is the more popular version of the character even though Sophie Turner of Game of Thrones fame is now playing a younger version of the character.

Storm 
Alter ego: Ororo Munroe
Publisher: Marvel

It is not just Storm’s mutant powers of being able to control the weather and to fly that make her so badass, though those are real impressive skills. She is a natural leader and has led the X-Men a number of times. Halley Berry brought the character to life with power, dignity, grace and an aura of danger in the X-Men series. And more — if not most — importantly, Storm was the first black female superhero, major or supporting, to be introduced across Marvel and DC. No wonder she has remained most popular.

Wasp 
Alter ego: Janet Van Dyne/Hope van Dyne
Publisher: Marvel
We see Janet Van Dyne, Ant-Man’s partner and wife (in a flashback) in Ant-Man. But it is her daughter Hope van Dyne, played in the film by Evangeline Lily, who will slip into the titular role in Ant-Man and The Wasp in 2018. Introduced more as a sidekick and romantic interest of Ant-Man/ Hank Pym, Janet became one of the founding members of The Avengers (oh, yes) and the one apart from Captain America to lead the team for the longest. We are glad Hope is getting a bigger role in the next film.

BIG SCREEN SOLO DEBUT

Wonder Woman
Alter ego: Diana Prince
Publisher: DC

The first person that comes to mind when you say ‘female superhero’. One-third of DC’s most famous trinity — Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman — Diana Prince was gorgeous. She wore a costume that might have looked ridiculous and provocative, but never did. It was hard to get over how powerful and strong-willed this Amazonian princess was. A fierce fighter, her mission was one of peace. Over the years many sides of her character have been built upon — the deadly warrior, the compassionate nurturer, the calm diplomat. Last year Gal Gadot’s turn as Wonder Woman in the god-awful Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice movie stole our collective breaths and now we can’t wait for our date with Wonder Woman this weekend.

Captain Marvel 
Alter ego: Carol Danvers
Publisher: Marvel  

It is fitting that Marvel’s first solo female superhero film will focus on Carol Danvers as Captain Marvel. Danvers was kickass even before she got superpowers. She was 18 when she joined the military to pay for school, which her father wouldn’t. She was top of her class and worked with both the CIA and NASA. She was a role model for women’s empowerment even though her revealing costume as Ms Marvel undermined a lot of what she stood for. She took on the mantle of Captain Marvel in 2012 and stepped into the same costume as her male predecessor, minus revealing cuts and plunges. We can’t wait for Oscar-winner Brie Larson to step into her shoes in 2019.

ON THE SMALL SCREEN

Supergirl
Alter ego: Kara Zor-El/ Kara Danvers
Publisher: DC

If any show about a female superhero hit the right highs of girly, empowering and fun it has to be Supergirl. Melissa Benoist is the perfect Kara, Superman’s Kryptonian cousin who becomes the protector of National City. She is adorably dorky, and fearsomely powerful, she takes her role as protector seriously but never forgets to be positive. But it is not just her who spells E for Empowering, all the other female characters on the show, from her foster sister Alex to her boss Cat Grant, are powerful forces to reckon with. What makes the show super fun? It embraces the lighter side of being a clenched-fist crime fighter with open arms.

Black Canary
Alter ego: Dinah Laurel Lance
Publisher: DC

It is the daughter (of Dinah Drake in the comics), Laurel Lance, played by Katie Cassidy, who we’ve seen as Black Canary in Arrow on television. Why she is badass? Well, she was an attorney before she became a vigilante. And she has no superpowers. She trains to become a stupendous fighter, right after the death of her sister Sara, who goes by the name Canary. She fights alongside Arrow to keep Star City safe. 

Jessica Jones
Alter ego: Jewel, Knightress, Power Woman
Publisher: Marvel

Oh she is one badass heroine and that is just on the basis of the Netflix show where Kristen Ritter plays Jessica. Her costumed superhero days were uneventful till she was under the mind control of Hebeziah Killgrave aka the Purple Man who forced her to do many criminal activities. Then she develops PTSD, gives up being a superhero to become a private investigator, and hits the bottle. She is smart-alecky and cannot refrain from making sarcastic comments but do not underestimate her powers because she has superhuman strength, a certain degree of invulnerability and flight. 

Peggy Carter

Alter ego: Margaret Carter
Publisher: Marvel
We saw her first as Steve Rogers’s love interest in Captain America: The First Avenger but she was no damsel in distress waiting to be rescued. Peggy Carter, played by Hayley Atwell, was a trained and skilled fighter who was Captain America’s equal. She was also the first female Marvel character to get a solo outing, even if it was on the small screen. Agent Carter saw Peggy working as an agent with Strategic Scientific Reserve as well as helping Howard Stark (that’s Tony Stark’s dad) clear his name by taking down dangerous criminals. 

DESERVES TO BE ON SCREEN

Ms. marvel
Alter ego: Kamala Khan
Publisher: Marvel

She is the first Muslim girl to get her own comic book. And she is fantastic. The comic book beautifully shows her struggle to adjust her superpowers with her strict cultural upbringing and her normal teenage woes. The stories also address various social issues — like inclusion, what is perceived as normal, generation gap, consent — that are important to teenagers. We love that she doesn’t try to become someone else. We love that she geeks out over the Avengers and idolises Captain Marvel. We love that she wears a dupatta as part of her costume. We need her on screen. Now! With maybe a Alia Bhatt saying ‘My name is Khan, and I am not an ordinary girl’.

Squirrel girl
Alter ego: Doreen Green
Publisher: Marvel

A girl with squirrel powers. Yes, it is as ridiculous as it sounds. But hey that is exactly why getting her on-screen makes so much sense. She is funny, fun, upbeat and has such a positive vibe. She is part of clubs in college, crushes on boys, has a knitting-obsessed roommate and has to hide her bushy tail in her pants giving her an ample derriere! And that gives us one of the most body positive superheroes ever. Then there are all those nut puns that are absolutely nutty! Oh and she has defeated both Doctor Doom and Thanos, so don’t underestimate her powers. She is going to be a part of a TV show called New Warriors but we think she deserves more.

Batgirl
Alter ego: Barbara Gordon
Publisher: DC

No. We will not take into consideration Alicia Silverstone’s version in the horrifying Batman and Robin. Because she is so much more than Robin’s crush. The daughter of Commissioner Gordon, Barbara used to fight crime along with Batman before the Joker shot her in the spinal cord and left her a paraplegic. But that doesn’t stop her and she takes on the role of Oracle, using her PhD smarts to become the source of information for other crime fighters. In her latest re-incarnation, she has regained use of her legs and is busy fighting crime in Burnside — the Harlem of Gotham City. She wears a jacket as a costume and Doc Martens!

Batwoman
Alter ego: Kate Kane
Publisher: DC

She is queer, she is Jewish and she is a no-nonsense army brat. Reason enough for her to be included in the list. After she is dismissed from the army because of her sexuality she becomes a vigilante in Gotham City in the absence of Batman after the events of Infinite Crisis.

Chandreyee Chatterjee
My favourite wonder woman is.... Tell t2@abp.in