5 Best Female Comic Book Leads from Harley Quinn to Spider-Gwen

Eve Andrews
Apr 12, 2022
4 min read

Updated: Apr 29, 2022

As comic fans, we do love our superheroes - that’s kind of a given. And one thing is for sure; a good- comic book lead can come in any shape, size, gender, species - whatever! However, female superheroes can sometimes be tricky. This issue is often the unfortunate product of lazy writing, tokenism and hypersexualisation, none of which will make a good recipe for a compelling cape-wearer. But for fear not; plenty of creators within the mainstream comic industry show equal amounts of love and consideration for their ladies as they do for their gentlemen. Here are a few of our favourites.

1) Spider-Gwen

Gwen Stacy, also known as Spider-Gwen, first appeared in The Amazing Spider-Man #31 way back in 1965. Since then, her character arc has come on leaps and bounds! Known for being Spider-Man's damsel in distress before the days of Mary Jane, Gwen Stacy was eventually killed off. However, she was catapulted back into the public spotlight after her iconic appearance in the hit comic Edge Of The Spider-Verse #3, which introduced an alternate reality in which it wasn’t Peter Parker who was bitten by the radioactive spider, but Gwen; hence introducing Spider-Gwen! She was an immediate hit and now has her own standalone comic series.

2) Harley Quinn

The former psychiatrist turned psychotic, the highly-strung hijinks of Harley Quinn never gets old! After beginning life as a sidekick to the Joker, Harley Quinn has since won the hearts of readers worldwide. This has resulted in her earning a well-deserved place in the spotlight, both in comic books and film. She is now the focal point of the DC film Birds of Prey (2020), and starred alongside other DC iconic villains in Suicide Squad (2014) and its requel, The Suicide Squad (2021) directed by James Gunn. She also earned her own animated show titled Harley Quinn and has a solo comic book series that has run for 41 issues so far. And despite all of that, she’s so well-loved that fans are still hungry for more Harley - and let’s be honest, who can blame us?

3) Red Sonja

One of the most skilled swordsmen in the entire Marvel Universe, Red Sonja is a superheroine who relies purely on her own metal. An impeccable martial artist with heaps of experience in fighting the supernatural, Red Sonja will take you down with her lethal combination of strength, knowledge and skill - no bells and whistles needed. After making her first public appearance in Conan The Barbarian #23 back in 1973, she’s been something of an underground heroine in the comic book world. Originally written for Marvel Comics, the series was handed over to Dynamite Entertainment in 2005, and since then Red Sonja has played a significant role. And now, the numerous prayers to see more of this hardy warrior are about to be answered! Red Sonja is finally getting her long overdue time in the limelight, with Millenium Films announcing in 2021 that a brand new live-action Red Sonja movie is in the works! While a release date is yet to be confirmed, filming is due to take place this year (2022).

4) Wonder Woman

One of the few leading ladies who dates all the way back to the vintage era, Wonder Woman has well and truly stood the tests of time. Introduced in 1941 in the 8th issue of All Star Comics, Wonder Woman continues to be a hugely popular presence in the DC Comics universe. Despite her bout of controversy back in the early days due to her being a strong, female lead in a time when outgoing women were considered vulgar, Wonder Woman fought through her real-world battles with as much strength and vigour as she does on the page - and she’s still going strong today! Blessed by Greek Goddesses with a formidable range of unique powers, Wonder Woman has been the central focus of five regular comic series since her debut, alongside various other comic book cameos, numerous TV appearances and her own films, which include Wonder Woman (2017) and Wonder Woman 1984 (2020). She also participated in other polarising DCEU films such as Batman v Superman (2016) the original Justice League (2017) and its notorious extended version Zack Snyder’s Justice League (2021). A true fighter if we ever saw one!

5) Vixen

The speed of a cheetah and the strength of a bull, Vixen a force to be reckoned with! First appearing in Action Comics #521 in 1981, DC’s fiery new addition was quick to capture the community’s attention. A force of nature in every possible sense, Vixen possesses a talisman known as the Tantu Totem, which allows her to communicate with animals, conjure their spirits, and harness their strength. Vixen was the first African female set to star in her own solo series. Sadly, though, the series fell victim to 1978s infamous DC Implosion, resulting in the first issue being cancelled before it even hit the shelves. It was later published as part of the Cancelled Comic Cavalcade, alongside the other Implosion casualties. She has since made various cameos, both in comics and on-screen, including Batman: Brave And The Bold, Justice League Unlimited and Teen Titans Go!. Here’s to hoping we’ll see more of her in the future!

Who do you think is the best leading lady when it comes to comic books? Is there someone we missed who you think deserves a mention? Tell us your faves in the comment section below!