The Real Power Of Comics

[neo_prodigy]

I thought this would be fun post to do and another opportunity for everyone to participate.

So last week my best friend and I were at a local comic book store and I spotted Adam Hughes's poster The Real Power Of The DC Universe:

This has always been one of my pieces because it showcases and celebrates arguably the most dominant female characters (and some of the most dominant characters period), and not to mention some of my all-time favorite characters in comics. What I always find interesting about that picture is that some of the characters showcased, I wouldn't have initially thought of as a major player in the DC Universe but when I pondered further, I realized that an argument could be made on the impact they've made on comics and even comic-related media (movies, cartoons, etc.).

This of course got me thinking about Marvel. If I had to choose 11 heroines, anti-heroines who have made the biggest splash and are the premiere power of the 616, who would they be?



While this was a fun exercise for me, this also proved to be very tricky. There were several people listed who while aren't my personal faves (a few who I think are overexposed and overrated, don't worry I won't mention who), I thought their impact on the 616 is undeniable. However, there were quite a few Honorable Mentions who I think should be listed but I don't think some of them have been given the opportunity by creators to shine and play up to their vast potential. Which is frustrating for me as a writer, an artist and a storyteller because I think there's nothing more tragic than wasted potential and Marvel has some incredible characters that deserve a lot more exposure than they've received.

Be that as it may......


The Challenge (should you choose to accept and why not, this'll be fun): If YOU had to pick 11 of the premiere (anti) heroines in the 616, who would they be? And if you want to explain why (you don't have to) that would be awesome as well. Make your list, check it twice and post your pics, be they naughty (not too naughty) or nice. And because I know how tough it is to limit the list to 11, you can also post Honorable Mentions as well.



My selection in no particular order:

Storm
 

Ms. Marvel

 

Spider-Woman
 

Invisible Woman
 

Black Widow
 

Emma Frost


 

Black Cat


 

Elektra
 

Scarlet Witch



 

She-Hulk


 

Jean Grey aka Marvel Girl aka Phoenix aka Dark Phoenix aka Mrs. Scott Summers aka Hope (yeah I went there LOL!!)
 

 

 

Honorable Mention

Mystique





X-23

Because let's face it, anytime you have a direct connection to Wolverine (Most Over-Marketed Over-Exposed Superhero of the Decade), you get considerable exposure yourself.




Shuri: The Black Panther



Photon



My girls: Colleen Wing and Misty Knight. The Daughters of the Dragon, the Heroines For Hire

A Larger Version of The Real Power of The DC Universe

 

From left: Catwoman, Oracle, Zatanna, Black Canary, Power Girl, Wonder Woman, Supergirl, Batwoman (seated), Vixen, Poison Ivy and Harley Quinn

 

An Assortment of Other Cool Pieces I Procured While Composing This Post

 

 

I never get tired of this piece. There's only one word for it: FIERCE!!!!!!

Comments

[q99]

Pretty much yours, but I'd leave out Jean and Scarlett Witch simply for not being currently active, and I'd bump up Monica and... hm.... ah, Kitty Pride. As she's back in the fray.

Though if I wanted to see it in a piece, I'd definitely include Laura since she's one of my favs ^^

[neo_prodigy]

*nods*

Monica was definitely one of those who I wanted to include in the main list but part of me felt that she wasn't given the exposure she should be given. Though I certainly don't mind being proven wrong in that regard. She's one of those characters who I would love to write or be seen placed in a higher profile series.


And I agree with your point about Jean and Scarlett Witch. I definitely debated about including those two (especially Wanda) for that very reason. The only reason I included them was because Jean was the first X-Woman and because she and Wanda have played key roles in a lot of the events that shaped the X-verse (Phoenix) and the 616 in general such as House of M which led to all of the other stuff that went down.

[flidgetjerome.livejournal.com]

I think Janet van Dyne would have to be on any Marvel version of that poster. I'm not a fan of the character and yes, she's currently dead, but she is the sole female Avengers founder and that counts for a lot.

[neo_prodigy]

*nods*

that's a good point.

[benicio127]

What no Rogue?? Or Kitty Pryde? I'd remove Spider-woman and put at least one of them in. Preferably Rogue.

[q99]

Oh, Rogue! Yea, she definitely needs on.

[mullon]

It still bothers me that the only (definitely confirmed) lesbian is the one in pants. Why not just put a giant sign on her head?

[twigcollins]

I think the posing of Poison Ivy and Harley Quinn is rather deliberate (and awesome)

[jarodrussell]

I never noticed this before, but Dinah is leaning on Barbara's wheelchair handle. That's metaphorically appropriate, actually. Barbara stays in a wheelchair to prop up Black Canary's inability to stand on her own. I applaud the subtlety of Hughes work.

[lamashtar]

I always saw Barbara as being slightly abusive toward Dinah. :(

[sailorlibra]

I agree with this list with the exception of Black Cat. I'd replace her with Wasp, I think.

[dynamite]

Tough question! I'd definitely drop Spider-Woman, maybe even Elektra -- swap them for Wasp, Kitty Pryde and/or Medusa.

(And if I could, I'd swap Black Cat for Mary Jane, haha.)

[q99]

Number one on the list: Galacta!

She's of cosmic importance.

[icon_uk]

I'd say that Infinity trumps Galacta :)

[foxhack]

That Adam Hughes picture is missing someone very important.

Renee Montoya / Question II.

[neo_prodigy]

I think this was released before Montoya became the Question.

[kirke_novak]

The art is mesmerizing and beautiful but I'm sorry, I find Emma's "clothes" unbelievable offensive D:

But before you ask, I know how those things stay up. I bought myself one of those glue-on bras the other day. They work!

[ghosty732]

I can see why Morrison's costume for Emma might be seen as offensive, but the whole skin-X she has going on is actually pretty creative. As a whole, that costume is so right on many levels. She continues to wear white (because that's what she's known for wearing) while all of the other X-men were wearing black leather. She has the standard X on her costume, but it's in a completely unique way that fits her previous "corset-dominatrix" costume. Not to mention, it's cool to see her exposed skin when she's in diamond form (similar to why Colossus always shows a lot of skin in his costumes).

If anything, the only thing I'd change is to give her full pants instead of little booty-shorts (or whatever we're calling the bottom part of her costume). I think the design would have been even more effective if the only part of her skin that was showing was the naked-X.

[darkblade]

Ahem.

[magus_69]

But she DOES wear a purdy hat. Several, in fact.

[skalja]

This is a great topic idea.

I really like your list -- there are a few characters I might swap out, but the gist is there. I think my list of 11 female superheroes who've been regularly or consistently prominent in the MU since their creation is something like:

- Storm, Jean Grey, Rogue, Emma Frost, Kitty Pryde, Sue Storm, Black Widow, She-Hulk, Scarlet Witch, Mystique, and Wasp
- Honorable mentions: Black Cat, Spider-Woman, Ms. Marvel, Misty Knight, Colleen Wing, Spider-Girl

The main list is pretty obvious; the honorable mentions are character I perceive as having faded in or out (Spider-Woman, Ms. Marvel, Misty and Colleen) or who are popular but don't appear in many places/frequently (Black Cat and Spider-Girl). Spider-Girl may seem like a weird addition but she was Marvel's first solo-starring female character to hit one hundred consecutive issues.

Going by DC's criterion of "characters important this coming year" (or my best guess at such):

- Storm, Jean Grey, Kitty Pryde, Emma Frost, Sue Storm, Black Widow, She-Hulk, Ms. Marvel, Spider-Woman, Jessica Jones, Hellcat
- Honorable mentions: Wasp, Scarlet Witch, Black Cat, Valkyrie

Jessica Jones is a recent character who's been getting a push, and Ms. Marvel, Spider-Woman, and Hellcat are characters that have been prominent, faded into obscurity, and have been getting recent pushes at some level or another. I can't remember whether or not I've heard rumors that Janet is coming back, so I made her an honorable mention, ditto Wanda. Black Cat is a popular character who doesn't appear much outside the Spider-books and doesn't seem to be getting a particular push. I feel like I've been seeing Valkyrie more often lately, but less so than Hellcat.

11 superheroines I think should get more of a push (man, this was hard!):

Wasp, Hellcat, Misty and Colleen, Spider-Girl, Squirrel Girl, Dani Moonstar, Black Cat, White Tiger, Namora, Faiza Hussein

Self-explanatory for the most part. I put Wasp there because I think for quite some time now (pre-death) she's gotten playtime because writers feel sort of obliged to include one of the earliest female characters of modern Marvel, and not because, you know, she's an Avengers founder and former team leader with ties to many other prominent characters.

Man, this was fun to do, but HARD. I kept thinking, "No, I don't want to forget anybody!" Also, I need to read any more Misty and Colleen.

[neo_prodigy]

"Man, this was fun to do, but HARD."

LOL! YES EXACTLY. THAT'S WHY I HAD TO POST THIS.

I definitely understand your reasoning for including Spider-Girl. The only reason I didn't is because she's not in the 616 (or is she?) but her accomplishment of being Marvel's first solo-starring female character to hit one hundred consecutive issues definitely warrants an honorable mention at the very least.

And yes Colleen and Misty need to get pushed like WHOA!

[greenmask]

I feel kind of dirty, looking at all these pictures together. Oh, I'm sorry artists, could you define those breasts and crotches a little more?

Jean, Storm, Rogue, Sue, Mary Jane (not a SUPER heroine, but I DONT CARE), Mystique (though she's really more of an anti than a heroine), Wanda, Jan, Kitty, Jubilee? Lilandra.

Special mentions: the rest of your list, Agatha Harkness, Destiny, Madelyn Pryor.

Pictures.. to follow!

[skalja]

What I find funniest (or "funniest") about those Emma Frost pin-ups is that they're covers for the short-lived Emma Frost series from a few years back, which was a teen drama with all-ages-friendly art and stories. (Well, apart from them being stories about Emma Frost.)

I'm convinced that the series failed because the readers who were, ahem, grabbed by the cover were totally uninterested in the comics and stopped buying it, and the readers who would have been interested in a teen drama about Emma Frost's past didn't buy it because they thought it was cheesecake. Prime example of Marvel not understanding that pandering to the lowest common denominator is not a way to guarantee sales.

[arilou_skiff]

I'm thinking we need someone Cosmic Medusa? Whatever Phyla is calling herself this month? Moondragon? Gamora?

[kingrockwell]

Medusa.
Medusa.
Definitely Medusa.

[rhythmbandit]

That illustration *is* pretty sweet. I wonder why Selina's the only one not wearing white, though?

As for your list, it seems pretty dead-on, but I never read much Daredevil so I'd probably drop Elektra and replace her with Mystique. She's always been like the Baroness of Marvel.

[neo_prodigy]

Baroness of Marvel.

I love that!!!!!!

[suzene]

Invisible Woman - pretty much THE First Lady of the MU.

Jean Grey

Mary Jane Watson

Storm

Shadowcat - Not a fan, but you can't deny her popularity.

Emma Frost - See above.

Electra

She-Hulk

Rogue - Would have put her in same camp as Kitty and Emma, but Carey's been reminding me of the "No Bad Characters..." rule lately.

Namora

Wasp

[retro_nouveau]

Invisible Woman - pretty much THE First Lady of the MU.

Motto!

[leorising]

Thanks for all the hard work you put into this pretty, pretty post! I'm not a Marvel reader, so it's nice to see some of those ladies, too.

I love Hughes's poster and will google around for it. Although the Batwoman-wearing-pants thing, well, that's annoying. Still, my fave gals are all looking dead sexy, and it's a pretty, pretty thing to see. Did I mention it's pretty?

Thanks again. ♥

[neo_prodigy]

It's my pleasure.

[proteus_lives]

Good list but I would add Molly Hayes and replace Shuri with Rogue and the Enchantress.

I was going to vote-off X-23 but she is like Harley Quinn and Firestar, a cartoon character that made the leap to comics.

But Shuri? I've never seen her outside of BP or related mini-series. (And to make it worse, hudlin-BP, Ugh.)

[proteus_lives]

BTW, no Wasp? Party foul! First female Avenger!

[zemo]

I am not sure, but does the fact that I only recognized Power Girl because of her boob window make me a bad person? >_>

[retro_nouveau]

The "Power 11" of scans_daily (by tag use over the last year as of a few minutes ago):

Marvel: 1. Mary Jane Watson (80), 2. Emma Frost (64), 3. Ororo Munroe (59), 4. Susan Storm Richards! (53), 5. [tie] May Parker, Janet Van Dyne (47) 7. [tie] Carol Danvers, Natasha Romanova (45), 9. Kitty Pryde (44), 10. Jennifer Walters (38), 11. Wanda Maximoff (34)

DC: 1. Diana (288), 2. Barbara Gordon (144), 3. Lois Lane (124), 4. Selina Kyle (117), 5. Dinah Lance (95), 6. Cassandra Cain (85), 7. Kara Zor-El (82), 8. Stephanie Brown (75), 9. Donna Troy (69), 10. Kara Zor-L (62), 11. Harley Quinn (57)

Go, MJ!

[neo_prodigy]

I like the way you think!!!!!!

Excellent choices (except for Stephanie, sorry not a fan)

May Parker, are we talking Aunt May or Mayday Spider-Girl?

[kaileighblue]

Maybe it's because I have read much outside of X-men related stuff, but I have no idea who Spider Woman and Black Widow are. I'd go with Kitty and Mystique. At least Mystique since she's a well known villain and she's connected to the stories of many well known characters.

[ada_c]

Aw, why isn't Huntress in that group picture?

[birdofprey]

I wish

[darkeyedresolve]

Anyone who puts Jean Grey in a list of Top Marvel Women is always my friend. Really nice pictures aswell

[wonderwomanhero]

Don't forget Psylocke!

[mechanicaljewel]

Why are Mystique's nipples on the top of her tits?

[benicio127]

They're.... perky??