Jean Grey

Jean Grey

Jean Grey was the first X-Woman, and even bore the name of her publishing company as Marvel Girl before transitioning to her Phoenix identity in the ‘70’s. But she’s more than just the first female mutant superhero – she’s also emblematic of the entire X-Men franchise, and one of the most complex, well developed characters in comic books.
She may have started out in the typical Marvel superheroine model, but later adventures saw Jean develop a level of depth that many ensemble cast members never achieve. Between her ever developing relationship with Scott Summers, her vast and terrifying power levels, her descent into madness as the Dark Phoenix, and her penchant for self-sacrifice and redemption, Jean experienced more in her tenure as a hero than almost anyone.

Wasp

Wasp

Janet Van Dyne was not only the first female Avenger, and a founder, but also the hero who named the team when they first formed. Though she started out as something of a sidekick to her on-again-off-again (currently off-again) paramour Hank Pym, Janet quickly became a hero in her own right, leading the Avengers several times, and often acting as the team’s moral center.
When crafting this list, it came down to putting either Wasp or Captain Marvel in this spot. And while Captain Marvel may be more prominent now, her trajectory has been spotty, taking her from being a damsel in distress, to a perpetual victim, to leading the Avengers and her own intergalactic defense team, while Wasp’s arc has been far more consistent. Add to that her historical significance, and it’s easy to see why she’s one of the greatest female heroes ever to grace the printed page.

And while viewers got a glimpse of Janet Van Dyne in action in Ant-Man, she's said to be taking on a more prominent (and eponymous) role in the sequel, Ant-Man and the Wasp with Janet’s daughter Hope Van Dyne taking on the mantle.

She-Hulk

She-Hulk

In some ways, She-Hulk is the ultimate expression of feminine power. She’s indestructible, super-strong, and without inhibition – all of this with the mind of a high-powered attorney wrapped inside those unparalleled green muscles.
And while she may seem like a typical spin-off character (obviously riffing on her somewhat more famous cousin Bruce Banner), She-Hulk takes the concept of a gamma-irradiated hero to a totally different level, embracing her alter ego and living life to the fullest.

In some ways, She-Hulk also broke other boundaries introduced an indestructible, fourth-wall-breaking hero with a sense of humor years before Deadpool grew a similar schtick.

She-Hulk was Deadpool before there even was a Deadpool.

Kitty Pryde

Kitty Pryde

The young female hero is an important archetype in comic book, and one for which we considered many representatives, including DC’s Donna Troy and Starfire. In the end, however, Kitty Pryde is the candidate that best represents the heroic ingénue, serving as the window into the X-Men for an entire generation of fans.
Kitty may have been a superhero from very early on, but she was also a regular teenager with interests, attitudes, and character dynamics that made her a perfect POV character for the intense soap opera of the X-Men. But even more than that, Kitty has been able to grow and adapt in a way most comic book characters – let alone female comic book characters – are never allowed to do.

Comic book fans have watched Kitty grow from an excitable teenager, to a competent superhero, to a ninja and espionage expert, and finally into her current role as one of the leaders of the Guardians of the Galaxy, having taken the role of Star-Lord from her one-time fiancée Peter Quill.