Last week, we shared some of our favorite women comic book and graphic novel writers. As we were finalizing our list, we kept coming across other characters — some written by women, some not — that we wanted to highlight for their mold-breaking, badassery, and sheer artistry.
Historical characters that broke the mold
Little Orphan Annie
If someone starts humming “Tomorrow,” you can bet your bottom dollar that earworm will stay with you for the rest of the day, which should give you a sense of how much of a cultural impact Little Orphan Annie continues to have. Annie, the adorable curly haired title character from a 1924 comic strip, is one of the very first female comic characters. She had her start in the newspaper comic pages and has gone on to feature in radio dramas, musicals, and multiple film adaptations.
Torchy Brown
In 1937’s “Dixie to Harlem,” we see Torchy Brown leave Mississippi and move to Harlem to sing at the Cotton Club. Torchy Brown was as regular figure in nationally syndicated publications, but appeared primarily in black newspapers — which meant that she did not receive the broader recognition she deserved until much later. As a character, Torchy was a modern woman dealing with serious topics, and her creator Jackie Ormes is considered the first African American woman to produce a nationally appearing comic strip.
Betty Cooper
Where would we be without teen sweetheart Elizabeth “Betty” Cooper from the long running Archie comics? First appearing in 1941 Betty is the girl next door, with two parents, two older siblings and a middle class upbringing. While Archie Andrews might be the love interest of both her and best friend Veronica, their friendship is really the relationship that stands the test of time because really, they “are only rivals in unimportant matters, like boys.”
Superheroes crashing through barriers
She-Hulk
As big fans of Tatiana Maslany since her Orphan Black days, we were sad to see that She-Hulk: Attorney at Law only aired for a single season on Disney+. But thankfully, in the deft hands of Rainbow Rowell, the story lives on. Jennifer Walters is a legal powerhouse who also turns into the 6-foot-7 She-Hulk, providing her with superhuman strength that potentially makes her the most physically strong woman in the Marvel Universe (at least when she’s mad enough). Plus, beyond her superpowers, Jennifer a.k.a. She-Hulk defends the rights of minorities, the mentally ill, and other victimized groups — making her a hero by any measure.
Mystique
We love a complicated character and Mystique, with her aptly mysterious background (though apparently she’s over a century old) is just that — a morally gray character that vacillates between villain, anti-hero, and somewhere in between as she antagonizes the X-Men through their misadventures. She has one of the more terrifying superpowers in the Marvel Universe, which is the ability to shape-shift into anyone she chooses. A fun fact about Mystique: it’s heavily implied in the comics that Mystique and her teammate Destiny are in a lesbian relationship. That relationship has been canonically confirmed and it turns out that the two were married twice during their long history.
Storm
We can’t help but talk about another X-Men character: Storm. As the second black female comic book superhero created by Marvel, Storm is one of the most memorable characters to come out of modern comic books. With her ability to control the weather (hence her name), she is incredibly powerful and an asset to the X-Men as they band together to fight baddies. Though we’re mostly familiar with her long, silver hair and pale eyes, Storm went through a punk phase in the 1980’s comic book, where she wore all black leather with spikes and a silver mohawk.
Iconoclasts and oddities we adore
Tank Girl
Tank Girl is just that — a girl who drives (and lives in) a tank. If you love the post apocalyptic wasteland of Mad Max, Tank Girl follows the same themes, set in a dystopian future Australia where evil corporations control the limited water supply (prescient much?). Chock-full of punk imagery and featuring a Nazi-fighting heroine who doesn’t take any shit, Tank Girl is the hero we all need in our current fascist hellscape. *Cue Holding Out for a Hero*
Sailor Moon
Often credited for popularizing anime in the United States, Sailor Moon is the story of a teenage girl who meets a talking cat (we love you forever, Luna) and learns that she’s the reincarnation of the Moon Princess Serenity. She becomes Sailor Moon and along with her friends — Sailors Mercury, Mars, Jupiter, and Venus — she is charged with being a guardian for planet Earth by night… though she still has to get her homework done for school in the morning, of course. The scene where she transforms from a normal girl into Sailor Moon will live forever rent-free in our heads.
Squirrel Girl
Created in 1991, Squirrel Girl a.k.a. Doreen Green is a minor Marvel character with a big bubbly personality and an affinity for…you guessed it, squirrels. In the comics she’s been everything from an Avenger to a babysitter, and often defeats villains and superheroes alike. Mostly in comedic off-kilter ways, befriending them, helping them, and just being her quirky self. Oh, and she has a 4-foot-long squirrel tail. Of course.
Gert
I Hate Fairyland is a deranged, sugar-induced nightmare of a wild ride, and we love every moment of it. Its protagonist, Gert, is an adult woman (in mind) trapped in a 6-year-old’s body as she tries to escape the magical world of Fairyland. The problem? Gert is kind of awful at solving the puzzles and completing the quests required to get home. The characters are insane (there’s a chain-smoking fly named Larry), the world-building is maximalist and overly twee, and Gert is the angry, potty-mouthed heroine of our dreams.
Madi
If you liked Moon (2009) and Mute (2018) then you’ll appreciate this graphic novel by Duncan Jones’. Driven by a kickass female lead, Madi follows a special-ops veteran trying to complete one last mission in a vibrant, sprawling futurescape. Think Blade Runner meets Aeon Flux meets Aliens, and strap in. You know we love a lady in a jumpsuit here on Spinsters Row.
