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At a glance, it seems many women in comics are just the girlfriends, relatives or parodies of the leading men. Others are part of an ensemble, such as the X-men, who might have had spinoffs over the years but never ached lasting popularity.

To be honest, most comics are written by men for teenage boys and young men. Even so, today’s comic’s book don’t relegate women as mere damsels in distress. They often project confident complex female characters that anyone can relate to.

Here are my picks for the 10 most important female comic book characters in order of relevance

1. Wonder woman

After more than 50 years she remains the most celebrated, powerful woman in comics. Her strength and speed rival superman’s.

2. Gwen Stacy

In the mid 1960s parker took a fancy to the blonde Stacy. By 1973, she was firmly in place as his girlfriend. In the ground breaking amazing spider man No. 121, a maniacal green goblin tossed Stacy from the top of a New York bridge. Spider man caught her, but the strain of the fall broke her neck. A major recurring character had been killed and comic books instantly became something more than just a child’s pastime.

3. Lois lane

We will forget that she couldn’t figure out Clark Kent’s masterful disguise for a few decades. She was a career woman in a 1940s-era comic book.

4. Mary Jane Watson

In perpetual distress, she still represents the girl a geek like peter parker could never date. And just as is portrayed in the movies, she’s turns out to be much more than what he had loved from afar.

5. Catwoman

The original thank you. She was the first female super villain.

6. Jean grey

The X-men movies have barely touched the depth of telepath jean grey. The love interest for two X-men, Cyclops and wolverine, grey also became one of the X-men’s most powerful foes.

7. Storm

Introduced in 1975, this weather controlling member of the X-men is the most prominent African- American female character in comics, and one of only a very few African-American superheroes.

8. Rogue

Another character given short shrift by the X-movies to date. In the comics, Rogue entered as a villain and nearly killed one of the most prominent female superheroes of the time – Ms. Marvel. Rogue permanently absorbed her powers and memories, leaving Ms. Marvel in a coma and rogue with a split personality.

9. Supergirl

Notable as a horrible movie starring Helen Slater. What you might not know is that DC comics killed the character off a year after the movie flopped. Superman’s cousin died trying to save the “multivers” in 1985. DC comics named another character supergirl much later, but it’s just not the same.

10. Electra

Electra’s appearances in the daredevil comic book brought her almost instant cult status. Her spinoff comic book was less celebrated. Let’s hope Jenifer garner’s spinoff movie next year proves more worthy.