Marvel Comics has been creating iconic superheroes since 1939. They're responsible for some of the most recognizable fiction characters of all time, such as Spider-Man, Captain America, and The Hulk.
However, what's even more impressive is the sheer size of Marvel's roster of female superhero characters.
From enigmatic Russian spies to powerful witches with tragic backstories to iconic redheads with a knack for dying and coming back to life, these well-developed Marvel superheroines are empowering pop culture in ways unseen before.
Here are my picks for the best female Marvel Comics superheroes of all time and why they stand out as the best of the best.
10. Rogue
Rogue first debuted in Avengers Annual #10 in 1981 and was created by Chris Claremont and Michael Golden. Initially, she was introduced as a villain, but soon after her debut she joined the X-Men and has remained an integral member of the team ever since.
Rogue is a mutant with the ability to absorb the life force, memories, and superpowers of anyone she touches. This usually leaves the victim weakened or unconscious, so Rogue long considered her powers a curse that prevented her from getting close to others.
Rogue has appeared in pretty much every media adaptation of the X-Men, but her most notable appearances have been in X-Men: The Animated Series, X-Men: Evolution, and the X-Men film franchise (played by Academy Award-winning actress Anna Paquin).
9. Medusa
Medusa made her debut in 1965 in Fantastic Four #36 and was created by the legendary writer-artist duo Stan Lee and Jack Kirby.
She's a member of the Inhumans, a race of superhumans mutated by the Terigen Mist, and she possesses the power to control the movement of her hair at will.
This ability allows her to perform a diverse range of feats, such as lifting heavy objects that weigh up to 1.6 tons, picking locks, and cutting through obstacles like razor wire.
Medusa and her husband Black Bolt are the most important (and most popular) members of the Inhumans. She's the Queen of Attilan, a powerful and accomplished politician, and has even been a member of the Fantastic Four on several occasions.
8. She-Hulk
She-Hulk first appeared in The Savage She-Hulk #1 in November 1979 and was created by Stan Lee and John Buscema. Also known as Jennifer Walters, She-Hulk is an accomplished lawyer who gained her powers after receiving a blood transfusion from her cousin Bruce Banner.
Her abilities include superhuman strength, speed, agility, stamina, and reflexes. But unlike Hulk, she largely retains her personality, intelligence, and emotional control when transformed.
She's considered one of the most notable and powerful female superheroes of Marvel Comics and has been an integral member of some of the company's most important teams, including the Avengers, Fantastic Four, the Defenders, and S.H.I.E.L.D.
7. Wasp
Wasp first debuted in June 1963 in Tales to Astonish #44 and was created by Stan Lee, Ernie Hart, and Jack Kirby.
She's one of Marvel's first female superheroes and also one of the most notable, being one of the founding members of the Avengers and a frequent leader of the team.
Also known as Janet Van Dyne, Wasp is a fashion designer who's able to shrink in size, fly around, and fire energy blasts. Along with Iron Man, Thor, Ant-Man, and Hulk, she's a founding member of the Avengers and she's personally responsible for naming the team.
Wasp's popularity has increased in recent years thanks to her appearance in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, where she's portrayed by the legendary Michelle Pfeiffer.
6. Black Widow
Black Widow was first introduced in Tales of Suspense #52 in April 1964 and was created by Stan Lee, Don Rico, and Don Heck. Several characters have assumed the identity of Black Widow, but the most famous one is Natasha Romanova.
Natasha is a former Russian spy who defected to the United States to join S.H.I.E.L.D. and later the Avengers. She doesn't have any superpowers, but she does possess extensive espionage training, a highly developed intellect, and mastery over several martial arts.
Black Widow's popularity skyrocketed in the last decade thanks to Scarlett Johansson's portrayal in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. She has appeared in nine MCU films, including her own movie in 2021.
5. Captain Marvel
Carol Danvers first appeared in Marvel Super-Heroes #13 in March 1968 and was created by Roy Thomas and Gene Colan. Carol has adopted several identities through the years, including Ms. Marvel, Binary, and Warbird, but she's best known as Captain Marvel.
As Captain Marvel, Carol is one of Marvel's most powerful superheroes with her superhuman strength, endurance, stamina, energy absorption, supersonic flight, and ability to fire energy blasts from her hands.
Since her introduction, Carol Danvers has appeared in numerous video games, TV shows, and films. She was the first female superhero to have her own movie in the MCU, and it was the first female-led superhero film to pass the billion-dollar mark in revenue.
4. Jean Grey
Jean Grey first appeared in X-Men #1 in September 1963 and was created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby.
She's one of the most important members of the mutant subspecies and an integral part of the X-Men, as well as one of the most recognizable female superheroes in comics.
Jean Grey is the most powerful telepath on the planet and possesses a high level of telekinetic abilities. She's one of the few Marvel characters classified as an Omega-level mutant, and she's even more powerful when she has the Phoenix Force.
But beyond her powerful status, her compassion and kindness always shine through and she's shown readers that even superheroes can fall into the clutches of darkness—and then rise above it.
3. Scarlet Witch
Scarlet Witch first debuted in X-Men #4 in March 1964 and was created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby. She started off as a villain (along with her twin brother Quicksilver), but later joined the Avengers and has remained an integral member of the team since.
Scarlet Witch, whose real name is Wanda Maximoff, is one of the most powerful beings in the Marvel Universe. She's a nexus of magical energy, which grants her access to a wide range of mystical power sources, some powerful enough to alter reality itself.
Because of her enormous power and her complicated history, she's been at the center of some of the most tragic Marvel stories ever told, both in comic books and in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Since 2014, she's been played by Elizabeth Olsen in the MCU, most notably in the hit TV show WandaVision, for which she was nominated for an Emmy Award. She's currently one of the most notable and important superheroes in the Marvel Universe.
2. Invisible Woman
The Invisible Woman, also known as Susan Storm, first appeared in The Fantastic Four #1 in November 1961, and like many characters in this list, she was created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby.
Sue is a founding member of the Fantastic Four and was the first female superhero created by Marvel during the Silver Age of comics.
Sue Storm obtained her powers after being exposed to cosmic radiation. She possesses the ability to turn herself—and other things—invisible and can project powerful force fields, both offensively and defensively.
Not only is she widely considered the most powerful member of the Fantastic Four, she set the bar for all other Marvel female superheroes to come. She's still one of the most respected, powerful, and iconic female superheroes in all of comic books.
1. Storm
Storm first appeared in Giant-Size X-Men #1 in May 1975 and was created by Len Wein and Dave Cockrum.
Also known as Ororo Munroe, Storm is the first major black female superhero in comic books and one of the most important members of the X-Men and the Marvel Universe as a whole.
Storm possesses the mutant ability to manipulate all types of weather. She's classified as an Omega-level mutant and is one of the most powerful beings in the Marvel Universe.
But it's not just her unique ability that makes her stand out. Storm possesses great leadership skills and a strong set of values that include compassion, tenacity, and wisdom.
Over nearly five decades in comics, Storm has done it all. She's been a street thief, a goddess, a queen, a teacher, a headmistress, the leader of the X-Men, the ruler of Mars, the voice of the Solar System, and even a member of teams like the Avengers and the Fantastic Four.
She's a character like no other, and her rich history makes her one of the most inspirational superheroes in comic book history. Storm is top among the best female Marvel Comics superheroes.
