Comic books have been around since the 1930s, where they featured male superheroes and well-known characters, like Superman. Comics have continued to evolve, and today, you see powerful female superheroines—both new and representing current cultural norms and reinventions of favorites, like Wonder Woman. Who are the best female heroines in print today? Comics Elite, in the Beech Grove area of Indianapolis, IN, has compiled this list of heroic contenders.

The 5 Best Female Superheroines

1. Wonder Woman (Diana Prince)

She emerged in 1941 and worked with the Justice League to fight crime and baddies. Wonder Woman uses her lasso of truth, indestructible bracelets, and tiara as part of her arsenal of weapons. But she is also a goddess, an Amazon, a feminist—in short, a three-dimensional female character and not just a pretty face.

2. Ms. Marvel (Kamala Khan)

This young superheroine represents both a Muslim and young girl’s perspective. She is trying to lead a normal teenage life, struggling with parents, religion, and her new-found shapeshifting superpower. She’s a lovable, relatable, and modern character.

3. Captain Marvel (Carol Danvers)

Carol Danvers became Captain Marvel in 2012, replacing the male character but keeping the outfit. She had a background role as Miss Marvel in the 1970s, and now is a straight-up heroine with powers of super-strength, flight, and energy manipulation. She will grace the silver screen in 2018.

4. Batgirl (Barbara Gordon)

Batgirl started as Betty Kane and moved through several characters before returning in 2016 to the most iconic: Barbara Gordon (first featured in 1967). Batgirl recovers from paralysis and rejoins her heroic crew, all while balancing her career and normal life with fighting crime.

5. Buffy the Vampire Slayer (Buffy Summers)

Buffy rocked the 90’s small screen as a heroine with a perky personality and a gang of loyal friends. Like most superheroes, Buffy is a regular person who has a special destiny—as a Slayer—that she learns to accept. The comic book series took up where the TV show left off.

Today there are more super female heroines than at any time in history. Comics continue to evolve and appeal to an expanding fan base. Comics Elite, serving the Indianapolis, IN, community, has new, used, and collectible comics. Follow them on Facebook for news and events, visit their website to view comics for sale, or call (317) 755-2533 to find your favorite comic books.