Women have always been underrepresented in the superhero landscape on the big and small screen, however, Marvel has a few of badass female superheroes.
Even though the world of superheroes can seem oversaturated with male characters, there are some incredible female characters too – so let’s take a look at some of the most badass female superheroes within the massive Marvel Universe.
Without further ado, here’s our run-down of the ten most amazing, powerful, downright badass female superheroes of Marvel.
Gamora
Credit: Marvel Studios
Gamora is one of the most powerful Marvel warriors, regardless of gender.
This female space assassin has incredible hand-to-hand combat skills, superhuman strength and the abilities to heal.
Raised to be a living weapon, with cybernetic enhancements that give her superhuman physical capabilities, this superhero is absolutely deadly.
A truly brave, selfless character, Gamora has a complex past and is the last of her species.
Warning, spoilers ahead – her death in Infinity War was one of the movie’s saddest moments.
Valkyrie
Credit: Marvel Studios
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This legendary Valkyrie warrior was first introduced to fans in Thor: Ragnarok, when scene-stealing Tessa Thompson portrayed this tough and capable warrior with a tragic past.
Valkyrie is bisexual, making her the first LGBTQ character in the MCU – though a scene hinting at her sexuality was unfortunately cut from the movie.
We’re hoping to see more of Valkyrie and her badass powers in the future!
Storm
Credit: Marvel Comics
Storm, aka Ororo Munroe, had to make our list due to her status as a fan favourite and her really cool weather-related powers.
This incredible mutant fighter is central to the X-men franchise, and has the ability to control the weather, in addition to being able to fly.
Her powers are distinctly god-like, and in fact, her backstory involves being worshipped as a goddess in Africa.
Storm was the first major female superhero of colour, and is a strong and dynamic character who serves as the headmistress at Xavier’s school.
Jessica Jones
Credit: Marvel Studios
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Jessica Jones is a very interesting female hero, created as a modern subversion of the traditional superhero genre.
This angry and tortured superhero was brought to life by Krysten Ritter in the very popular Netflix show Jessica Jones, where she was depicted as a charismatic, sarcastic heroine of the hero-who-doesn’t-want-to-be-a-hero category.
She is a hard-drinking private detective working out of New York, who suffers from PTSD after being mind-controlled by the supervillain Kilgrave.
Among her list of accolades are superhuman strength, formidable resilience and the ability to fly – in addition to great detective skills.
Captain Marvel
Credit: Marvel Studios
Captain Marvel is one of the most powerful superheroes ever.
She possesses extensive cosmic powers, the ability to fly as well as super strength and the power to channel energy into powerful blasts, which she gained when she was caught in a radioactive blast, and has a background as a fighter pilot.
This classic character gained many new fans in last year’s blockbuster Captain Marvel, where Brie Larsen brought the superhero to life.
Shuri
Credit: Marvel Studios
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Shuri is the Princess of Wakanda and younger sister of King T’Challa, played by Letitia Wright in the incredibly popular blockbuster Black Panther.
She’s also Wakanda’s best scientist and tech genius, who has created most of the nation’s ultra-advanced and futuristic technology.
In addition to her innovative technology, she’s also a powerful warrior and highly trained martial artist.
Her incredible intelligence and powerful combat skills mean she’s a natural addition to our list of the best female superheroes in the MCU.
Misty Knight
Credit: Marvel Comics
Misty Knight has more to offer than just a really cool name.
She was a highly decorated police officer who lost her right arm in a terrorist attack.
To commend her for her bravery, Tony Stark provided her with a bionic prosthetic arm.
Armed with that (no pun intended), Misty continues to defend and protect the citizens of New York as a superhero.
Misty Knight gained new fans when her character appeared in the Netflix series Luke Cage, and we’d love to see more of her in the future.
X-23
Credit: Fox
X-23, aka Laura Kinney, was first seen in the gritty 2017 film Logan.
This young girl was created using Wolverine’s stolen DNA to be the perfect killing machine, but joined the Avengers Academy after escaping her confinement.
Despite her young age, X-23 is an incredibly strong superhero, with healing ability that allows her to regenerate her body at a cellular level, in addition to adamantium-coated claws that come out of her hands and feet when it’s fighting time.
Black Widow
Credit: Marvel Studios
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Natasha Romanoff, aka Black Widow, is a master spy with an intimidating skill set.
One of the key heroes of the MCU, Black Widow is a former Russian spy and assassin turned hero.
Her extensive training within martial arts and capabilities with a range of high-tech weapons, coupled with her smarts and ability for psychological manipulation, often see her takedown and outwit her opponents.
The fact that she doesn’t actually possess any superhuman skills arguably makes her even more impressive – she’s a true badass, and many fans are looking forward to her first solo film, which is due to be released next year.
Rogue
Credit: Marvel Comics
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Rogue was one of the first female Marvel characters to get mainstream attention when she was portrayed by Anna Paquin in X-Men, and remains as popular as ever.
This fascinating superhero is able to absorb other people’s powers with a single touch, making her a formidable opponent.
She’s a very powerful mutant with the unique ability to absorb the life force of anyone she touches.
The rise of female superheroes is both long overdue and long-awaited for legions of fans around the world.
Women’s representation in comic books and movies has long been an afterthought, and it’s great to see complex, nuanced portrayals of female superheroes in this male-dominated space.
These women are knocking down barriers both literally and figuratively, so it’s no surprise that many are fighting for more on-screen representations of women superheroes.
It’s clear that there’s a growing demand for female superheroes, and we can’t wait to see what incredible movies and shows could spring from this.
What do you make of this list?
Are there any badass female superhero movies we forgot?
Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
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