Who is the most influential female superhero in comics?

[Uncle Yusuf]

Well, guys and gals? Who do you believe is the most ground-breaking and influential female superhero in the history of the medium? Please, share your views and discuss. Thank you all in advance and, as they say, "once more unto to the breach"!

[comicsyte95]

Wonder Woman from DC and the Invisible Woman from Marvel.

[Uncle Yusuf]

Wonder Woman from DC and the Invisible Woman from Marvel.

Really? I would've thought Ororo Monroe (Storm) trumps them both. I mean, really, how many years has Diana (Wonder Woman) been on the Justice League yet she's never lead the team? She seems far more qualified to lead the team than either Superman or Batman.

[comicsyte95]

I think Storm is influential as she has led the X-Men at one time or another,also Jean Grey would be another as well.

I haven't read most Justice League comics but from the few I read Wonder Woman never led the Justice League.I haven't read many I may be wrong though.

[Chiclo]

Wonder Woman from DC and the Invisible Woman from Marvel.

Really? I would've thought Ororo Monroe (Storm) trumps them both. I mean, really, how many years has Diana (Wonder Woman) been on the Justice League yet she's never lead the team? She seems far more qualified to lead the team than either Superman or Batman.

Diana has never been one to lead teams. She values collaboration and often works with her fellow metahumans but she really is more interested in working alone.

I would be hard pressed to say that any female superhero is as well-known or influential as Wonder Woman. Even the Invisible Woman would be a distant second.

[WarAngel]

I'm going to take a shot with saying Jean Grey. The character first appeared in September 1963. Back then there were few in any other female characters. She paved the way for others later on.

[Cyberstrike]

Wonder Woman, because first she is one of the few superheroes (reguardless pf gender) who can survive a fist fight with Superman. She is probably the most well known female superhero to non-superhero fans. She's been around as long as Superman and Batman.

[400yrs]

I'm going to take a shot with saying Jean Grey. The character first appeared in September 1963. Back then there were few in any other female characters. She paved the way for others later on.

It's hard to pick any really inluential female super hero, but jean gray would be my pick as well.

I haven't read much of the character, but what about Barbara Gordon?

[leonmallett]

...I would be hard pressed to say that any female superhero is as well-known or influential as Wonder Woman. Even the Invisible Woman would be a distant second.

...She is probably the most well known female superhero to non-superhero fans. She's been around as long as Superman and Batman.

I think Chiclo and Cyberstrike sum it up well; trying to look beyond Wonder Woman's recognition is to basically compensate through other measures.

Just as Superman by definition has to be pretty much the most influential super-hero (like him or not)*, Wonder Woman fulfills that niche in terms of female characters in measures of longevity and recognition. There may have been better realized, or more rounded characters since, but none as influential, unless a restricted view of influential is adopted arguably.

* Yes; I may prefer Batman, but no successful Superman and no Batman. Similarly, no Superman and pretty much no Marvel.

[kevinbastos]

I would disagree. Just knowledge or recognition wouldn't necessarily mean influential.

If, by influential, you mean number of real people affected, I would say Wonder Woman.

If influential means in the world of comics - I would say Storm. She has always been pretty much out on her own.

Early Invisible Woman has her as little more than a hostage in most FF books.

[nutflush76]

Wonder Woman. She is basically the first female super hero, the longest running female superhero, and the most copied female super hero.

Same as Superman for heroes in general, its really hard to argue with the first one, especially one that still is around today. Female super heroes are generally are identified with a team: Storm and Jean with the X-men, or with a man: Storm with Black Panther and Jean with Scott, even the Invisible Woman isn't who she is with out Reed.

Diana is her own hero. She is only peripherally associated with the Justice League, she leads the Amazons and is a warrior princess, she can go toe to toe with Superman Heck, Jean Grey's biggest influence was as a villain anyway.

If you asked 100 people to name the first female superhero to pop in their head, I would bet 90 of them would say Wonder Woman.

That sounds like the most influential both in and out of comics.

[Chiclo]

Early Invisible Woman has her as little more than a hostage in most FF books.

One of the things about the Invisible Woman that makes her so compelling is her growth as a character and in her ability to use her powers. She started out basically as you said, a hostage. Now, she is the most capable member of the FF in a fight. Her invisibility powers make her a disproportionately heavy hitter. She is the only one of the four that can physically stop Galactus, if only for a moment. That 50-year long arc that made her into a woman possessed of herself, a woman who balances well both being one of the best known celebrity superheroes and being a mother, that makes her way more compelling and more influential than Storm ever will be. And that is why she is second only to Wonder Woman herself.

[String]

Let's not overlook that for all her original achievements within comics, the WW TV show with Linda Carter has become something of a cult classic as well, to further ingrain her image into the general pop culture.

If you're talking character progression such as Sue Storm, then I would also add Janet Van Dyne, the Wasp, to that list. She started off as a basic ditz, interested only in fun and fashion. But over the years, she's matured into a capable, independent woman who became one of the finest team leaders for the Avengers.

[Cyberstrike]

Batwoman she's the only lesbain in a solo book from the major two.

[Uncle Yusuf]

Batwoman she's the only lesbain in a solo book from the major two.

So, what? I've read several issues of 'Batwoman'. The art is great, but it is horribly written. They should have kept the original Old 52 writer. I keep forgetting his name though...

[Cyberstrike]

Batwoman she's the only lesbain in a solo book from the major two.

So, what? I've read several issues of 'Batwoman'. The art is great, but it is horribly written. They should have kept the original Old 52 writer. I keep forgetting his name though...

Greg Rucka. Who by the way wrote Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman at the same time.

I don't think Williams and Blackman are bad writers per se, they have some great stuff set up but don't pay or have yet to pay them off, (like Kate accidently injecting Maggie with a fear toxin and Maggie's reaction to learning that Kate Kane is Batwoman for example). In Drowning The World they tried a non-linear style to make up for Reeder and McCarthy's art and in World's Finest they tended to over write everything and IMHO it feels like Williams is trying start to a New 52 Chase spin-off series from Batwoman.

[Burrito Boy]

There are female comic characters besides Zephyr?

[Cyberstrike]

Valiant biggest weakness is the lack of strong female characters. In the orginal VU in the 90s the only female characters were in teams like Zephyr (and she IMHO in the first 25 issues she was at times bordered on a running gag) the rest of series she tried to lead a new team and was replaced by solo male character and The Second Life of Dr. Mirage was probably the closest series of the orginial Valiant Universe to have a strong female character but she was a co-star to her husband.

Acclaim's Trinity Angels was the only book to feature an all-female team but it's such an awful series that no-one liked it.

[Uncle Yusuf]

You know what I realized? No one here has mentioned She-Hulk.

[Cyberstrike]

I would say Spider-Girl would be the best Marvel female character. The She-Hulk would be second.

[StarBrand]

Early Invisible Woman has her as little more than a hostage in most FF books.

One of the things about the Invisible Woman that makes her so compelling is her growth as a character and in her ability to use her powers. She started out basically as you said, a hostage. Now, she is the most capable member of the FF in a fight. Her invisibility powers make her a disproportionately heavy hitter. She is the only one of the four that can physically stop Galactus, if only for a moment. That 50-year long arc that made her into a woman possessed of herself, a woman who balances well both being one of the best known celebrity superheroes and being a mother, that makes her way more compelling and more influential than Storm ever will be. And that is why she is second only to Wonder Woman herself.

I think John Byrne really started that advancement.

[Chiclo]

You know what I realized? No one here has mentioned She-Hulk.

I like She-Hulk and buy pretty much any book featuring Jennifer Walters or any of the growing ranks of She-Hulks in the Marvel universe.

She is not anywhere near as influential as Wonder Woman or Sue Storm. She doesn't even deserve a mention in the conversation.

[Cyberstrike]

I want to clarify something: the reason why I think Batwoman does deserve to be mentioned wasn't about how good or bad the story and/or art is, but how many other LGBT characters have their own ONGOING series from the big two? Batwoman is currently the only one that I know of. The rest of the LGBT characters are in team books or had mini-series years ago (some before they came out of the closet).

[Chiclo]

I want to clarify something: the reason why I think Batwoman does deserve to be mentioned wasn't about how good or bad the story and/or art is, but how many other LGBT characters have their own ONGOING series from the big two? Batwoman is currently the only one that I know of. The rest of the LGBT characters are in team books or had mini-series years ago (some before they came out of the closet).

Dark Wolverine (Daken) ran for a while as an ongoing.

This thread is not asking about LGBT characters. Just female superheroes. Is Batwoman the most influential LGBT superhero? Maybe. I would not agree that she is as influential as Wonder Woman or Sue Storm. Or even less influential female characters like She-Hulk or the Black Canary.

[leonmallett]

I want to clarify something: the reason why I think Batwoman does deserve to be mentioned wasn't about how good or bad the story and/or art is, but how many other LGBT characters have their own ONGOING series from the big two? Batwoman is currently the only one that I know of. The rest of the LGBT characters are in team books or had mini-series years ago (some before they came out of the closet).

Does that make her the most influential female character though? Perhaps the most influential lesbian character (or more widely LGBT) but that is a different thing; sexual orientation vs. gender (which in itself is a whole other debate).