Advent of Superheroines

As I sat at my laptop this evening preparing this post, I paused to think about all that we as fans have to look forward to this coming year.  A number of science fiction and fantasy series are coming to theaters, and the possibilities for new books, new comics, and new merchandise are endless.  Batman vs. Superman comes to mind as one epic movie to see, but more importantly this movie will feature my own childhood hero, Wonder Woman, in her first appearance on the big screen.

I grew up watching Linda Carter in her colorful costume, had the Underoos and the lunch box; but her presence was short lived, and I was otherwise disappointed in the lack of female action heroes.  There were others in comics, such as Batgirl, Supergirl, and Isis, but none of these had quite the same impact.

Wonder Woman was a hero in her own right.  She didn’t rely on the help of a male hero; rather she looked out for and often rescued Steven Trevor.  She was kind, smart, and completely independent, all while wearing gorgeous costumes.  She took pride in being a woman; after all, she was Princess of the all-female society The Amazons.  In a word, she was a perfect role model for a little girl who wanted to be a girl and yet stand on her own two feet.

The upcoming movie features the Amazon Princess, played by Gal Gadot, as she joins forces with Superman and Batman, something she has done before only in comics, followed by the release of her own movie in 2017.

For a female fan of female action heroes, there have been very few movies devoted to these women at this point.  Supergirl had her own movie in the 1980s, which was moderately successful, and now her character graces the small screen each week.

However, the closest thing we have had in a long time to a major female action movie character is the Black Widow in the Avengers series, played by Scarlett Johansson.  Her character has appeared in four movies to date, but has yet to be featured in a movie of her own.   Will we see a Black Widow movie?  Only time will tell, as that franchise continues to be popular with fans of all ages and genders.

Meanwhile, we have to take our female heroes where we can find them, usually fighting alongside the men.  At least they have gorgeous guys to look at while saving the world.