30 Best Female Marvel Characters of All Time

  • Chris Mack by Chris Mack
  • Last updated: September 10, 2023
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Looking for the list of best Female Marvel Characters? 

The Marvel Cinematic Universe is extensive and currently expands over numerous worlds, realities, multiverses, and timelines. With new movies being added to the MCU every so often, everyone has a different favorite character they can obsess over.

The Universe of Marvel started in 1962 with the release of comics created by Stan Lee, Jack Kirby, and Steve Ditko. While comic books differ considerably from movies, the characters are majorly the same, and the stories are considered to belong to the same universe.

Since the release of Iron Man (2008), Marvel has introduced many Marvel women characters in their movies and series.

Women in the MCU have often been monumental in driving the plot forward and are some of the best-developed characters in cinematic history. This article ranks the 30 best female Marvel characters of all time. Check it out to see how well-loved your favorite MCU women are!


Scarlet Witch

Scarlet_Witch

 

Wanda Maximoff and her twin brother Pietro Maximoff was orphaned during an attack on her city in Sokovia. Soon after, she was subject to tests by HYDRA, the antagonist organization that made its debut in Captain America: The First Avenger (2011).

It exposed her to the infinity stone and gave her the power to access and harness Chaos Magic, earning her the title of Scarlet Witch.

The Scarlet Witch first appeared in the movie Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015) and has been regarded as one of the most potent MCU women.

Her powers rivaled Thanos, the mad titan, and she is undefeatable by most existing superheroes. Wanda is considered to be a very ambiguous character. This is one of the best female marvel characters in the MCU.


Black Widow

black_Widow

 

Black Widow is one of MCU’s most skilled intelligence agents and formidable characters. She is also known by the name Natasha “Nat” Romanoff, though accounts indicate that she had once been named Natalia Romanova.

Born in the Soviet Union, Nat started as a Russian Spy, wherein she was inducted into the “Black Widow” program.

The Russian Army had trained her to be a skilled assassin. They also administered her with their version of the super-soldier serum, the serum that gave Captain America his powers.

However, Natasha soon changed sides, started working with S.H.I.E.L.D., and joined the good side. Black Widow was one of the original 6 Avengers and starred in numerous movies in multiple phases of the MCU.


Captain Marvel

captain marvel

Carol Danvers, better known by her superhero persona of Captain Marvel, is one of the best female marvel characters in the MCU.

She was a skilled Air Force pilot and intelligence agent who dealt with intergalactic battles often. Considered to be one of the most powerful superheroes of all time, she gained her powers from one of the infinity stones during such a mission.

The stone’s power gave her the ability of flight, super strength, and her “binary/cosmic powers.”

She was also turned into a Kree-human hybrid when the Kree forces abducted her. Besides her solo movie, Captain Marvel has also made multiple appearances in other Marvel Cinematic productions after the “Infinity Saga.”


Spectrum

Monica_Rambeau

 

Spectrum is also known by her real name- Monica Rambeau. She used to be an ordinary lieutenant in the New Orleans Harbor Patrol when she was bombarded with excessive energy.

The energy resulted from an alien energy disruptor weapon created by a group of Russian scientists.

The energy gave Monica superpowers, and she assumed the identity of the Spectrum. She also led the group Iron Fist against an attack on Raccoon City and fought against the dark forces. Monica was the only member of the Iron Fist who survived the battle, and she continues to look over Raccoon City.


Jessica Jones

jessica-jones2-2000.jpg

 

Starring in the fourth web TV series by Marvel, Jessica Campbell Jones is based on the Marvel Comic character of the same name. Jessica Jones was the sole survivor of a fatal car crash that killed her entire family and orphaned her at a very young age. The accident also gave her superhuman strength and resistance to mind control powers.

Professionally, Jessica is also a skilled detective and runs her agency. Jessica Has always tried to maintain a low profile and not use her secret identity much.

However, situations and certain supervillains force her to assume the duty of a superhero. In addition to having her show, Jessica Jones has also made appearances in other series by MCU. This is one of the best female marvel characters in the MCU.


Storm

storm

 

The real name of Storm is Ororo Monroe, and she is one of the most powerful mutants and the best female Marvel character of all time. Her aliases include Goddess of Thunder, Wind-Rider, Weather Witch, etc.

She is one of the central characters in almost all the movies included in the X-Men Franchise and appears in Deadpool 2 (2018).

Storm’s powers are often termed “incalculable” due to their rawness. The source of her powers is the Earth’s electromagnetic field, using which she can control the atmosphere, telepathic resistance, and magical prowess to some extent. Her powers are affected by her emotions to a great degree.


Ms. Marvel

Ms_Marvel

 

Kamala Khan is a Pakistani-American Muslim teenager and one of the Marvel women superheroes. In the MCU, she possessed untapped genetic superpowers due to being a descendant of Aisha.

Kamala is a massive fan of the Avengers and Captain Marvel in general. She accidentally summoned Carol Danvers into her room one day, who later became her mentor.

The character of Kamala Khan made its debut in the series Ms. Marvel (2022). Her powers include manipulation of light, elasticity, and superhuman strength. She becomes the hero of Jersey City, where she lives, and is dubbed “Night Light” by the citizens.


Gamora

Gamora

 

Gamora Zen Whoberi Ben Titan was a former Zehoberei assassin adopted by Thanos, the mad titan. She is sometimes known to be the deadliest woman in the entire Galaxy.

She is efficient and fatal in her work and is highly regarded by her adopted father, Thanos while being constantly pitted against her adopted-sister Nebula.

Gamora goes on to join the good side. She betrayed the Titan and joined the group of misfits known as the “Guardians of the Galaxy.” She also played an essential part in the Infinity Saga and was highly monumental in the defeat of Thanos.


Rogue

Rogue

Anna Marie Raven D’Ancanto had been living considerably everyday life in her hometown before she caused a boy to go into a coma. She later realized she was a mutant and managed to run away from her home.

Playing a pivotal role in the X-Men trilogy, the Rogue is considered one of the most powerful Marvel women superheroes ever.

Her powers mostly surround involuntary power absorption. She can absorb physical prowess, memories, intellect, talents, and much more from another human just by touch alone. The Rogue can even absorb the superhuman abilities of multiple heroes, and no upper limit of her power has yet been found.


Invisible Woman

invisible_Woman

 

An accident exposed Susan “Sue” Storm to powerful cosmic rays that allowed her to bend light around. It helped her become invisible, earning her the title of the Invisible Woman. She can also form invisible force fields around herself, rendering a small space area hidden from the naked eye.

Along with three other mutants affected by the same cosmic rays, Sue becomes one of the founders of the group “The Fantastic Four.” They take a vow to use their powers to better humanity.

They don’t consider themselves superheroes, and they do fight certain supervillains. Invisible Woman is one of the most beloved members of the Fantastic Four for many.


She-Hulk

she_Hulk

 

Jennifer Sue Walters was an attorney at a law firm and had even served as the Deputy District Attorney for the City of Los Angeles. However, Jennifer came in contact with the blood of her cousin Dr. Bruce Banner (The Hulk).

It led to a physical transformation similar to Dr. Banner, but she retained all her emotional and psychological faculties. Hence, the She-Hulk can be compared to Professor Hulk from Avengers: Endgame (2019) more than the Hulk in Avengers (2012).

Walters has an artificially enhanced physiology, and when angered, her body starts turning green and increases significantly in size. She also possesses superhuman strength, durability, speed, and agility, along with an exceptional regenerative healing factor.


Emma Frost

Emma_frost

 

Emma Frost is a mutant and a member of the X-Men Franchise. She is hailed as one of the most complex anti-heroes and notable Marvel women characters in the X-men.

While extremely loyal to her former boss and love interest, Frost is shown to be a complex character who is not against switching sides for her benefit.

Emma Frost makes her first appearance in X-Men: First Class (2011). Her most significant powers included telepathy and turning her skin into a diamond, making it almost impenetrable.

She also shows enhanced durability, strength, and reflexes along with psychic immunity when she engages her powers of organic diamond transformation.


Jane Foster

Jane_Foster

 

Shown to be an independent, quick-witted individual, Doctor Jane Foster made her first appearance in MCU in Thor (2011). She is an accomplished scientist and one of the best astrophysicists on earth.

In Thor (2011), Jane Foster proves to be monumental in the defeat of goons sent on Earth from Asgard and in Thor’s return to his homeland- Asgard.

In the most recent installment of the Thor Franchise, Jane has been shown to become the God of Thunder and wield Mjølnir, the famed weapon of the Norse God of Thunder. Jane Foster is one of the unique Marvel women characters of all time, even before she got her Thor-like powers.


X-23

Laura_Kinney_Howlett

 

Laura, better known by her alias X-23, is one of the most revered Marvel women in the X-Men Franchise. She was born due to a genetic alteration project in which some scientists cloned the X-Men genetic material into several individuals.

Laura’s mother was impregnated with the altered genetic material that contained the genes of Wolverine.

As a result, Laura majorly represents Wolverine in her powers. The character of X-23 was developed by Craig Kyle for the television series X-Men Evolution and has since had her debut in Marvel Comics.

Laura becomes the adoptive daughter of Logan Lerman, better known as Wolverine.


Jean Grey

Jean_Grey

 

Making her first appearance in X-Men (2000), Jean Alaine Grey is better known by her alias, the Phoenix. She is a mutant with incredibly evolved telepathic and telekinetic abilities. She drew her powers from the Phoenix Force majorly and was trained as a second-generation X-Men member.

Phoenix studied at Xavier’s School for Gifted Youngsters under Professor X, who taught her the optimum use of her powers.

Jean also has the capability of flight and the ability of molecular manipulation, except for the element adamantium. She is regarded as one of the most powerful mutants in the MCU. Looking for more MCU movies, watch Marvel Moon Knight.


The Wasp

wasp

 

In the MCU, Hope van Dyne is the daughter of Hank Pym and Janet Van Dyne. She also takes on the role of the Wasp. Hope succeeds her mother, who has been mentioned to have played the original Wasp before her untimely death.

Hope makes her first appearance in Ant-Man (2015) and later is the central character in Ant-Man and the Wasp (2018). She has also appeared in the Infinity Saga movies.

After having lost her mother early in her childhood, she becomes estranged from her father to a great degree. However, they later reconcile, and Hank entrusts her with the Wasp suit.


Gwen Stacy

Gwen_Stacy

 

In the Marvel multiverse, on Earth-616, Gwen Stacy is the classmate of Peter Parker and is romantically interested in him. However, Peter does not realize her feelings after the Spider-bite and his problems adjusting to his new superhuman abilities.

She further goes on to be the primary love interest of Peter Parker for a long time until the Green Goblin kills her.

While not a superhero, Gwen is still beloved as one of the MCU’s best Marvel women characters. She was a gifted biochemistry student with exceptional investigative skills, proving pivotal to the plot at multiple points.


Spider-Woman

spider-woman

 

In the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Spider-Woman, or Jessica Drew, appears in an animated film based on the Marvel Comic Character of the same name.

“Spider-Woman: Agent of S.W.O.R.D.” was released in 2009 and followed the events of Marvel’s Secret Invasion storyline, wherein the Skrulls infiltrated the earth to replace human individuals with Skrull impersonators.

Jessica received her powers due to prolonged exposure to Uranium radiation and administration of the spider-serum.

The uranium radiation was due to her father, Dr. Jonathan Drew’s work, and the spider-serum was administered to her to save her life. Some of her superpowers include enhanced strength, endurance, and excellent reflexes.


Karen Page

Karen page

Another MCU woman without any superhuman abilities, Karen Page, is still considered to have been essential to the plot of the television series Daredevil (2015-2018).

She has also appeared in multiple other shows, including The Defenders (2017) and The Punisher (2017-2019). She is shown to be involved with Matt Murdock, though they are not always shown working together.

Karen was the office manager for Nelson and Murdock at their Law Firm, but after the firm shut down, she started working for the New York Bulletin. Some of her exceptional qualities included being a master investigator and a skilled combatant. She was also an impressive marksman and could hold her own in combat.


Valkyrie

Valkyrie

While her real name is Brunnhilde, she prefers to go by Valkyrie. Originally, Brunnhilde was one of the many Valkyrie who made up a widely feared group of warrior women in Asgard.

Odin had sent the entire army of Valkyrie to fight Hela, the estranged daughter of Odin. Unfortunately, Brunnhilde was the sole survivor of the battle and now goes by the name Valkyrie.

She had been living on Sakaar before being recruited by Thor as a “Revenger” in Thor: Ragnarok (2017). Valkyrie is the King of New Asgard on Earth and is the official leader of all the Asgardians. Valkyrie has starred in multiple movies, including the last two installments of the Thor Franchise and Avengers: Endgame (2019).


Nemesis

nemesis

Nemesis is soon to be introduced in the MCU and is one of the most formidable Marvel women characters in the comics. She is one of the cosmic beings and was the only being in all existence.

All the Infinity Stones exist because of her attempt at wiping herself out of existence. Nemesis is also credited with creating reality and all things in the multiverse.

Her powers include reality warping, omniscience, and omnipresence. In addition, since she was the birther of all the Infinity Stones, she also possessed the power of the stones, only to a much greater level than an average wielder would experience.


Shuri

Shuri

Shuri is the younger sister of T’Challa, better known as the Black Panther, and the youngest child of T’Chaka, the former king of Wakanda.

She is a prodigy with immense prowess as an innovator, often said to rival the inventor Tony Stark of MCU. She made her first appearance in the movie Black Panther (2018) alongside T’Challa.

Despite just being a teenager, it is evident that Shuri is an integral part of the Kingdom of Wakanda. She often accompanies her brother on missions and has also been credited for creating most of Wakanda’s modern technology, including the Black Panther suits and gadgets. Shuri has also appeared in the Infinity Saga movies and Black Panther (2018).


Aunt May

aunt-may-rosemary-harris

 

Despite not being a superhero, one of the most loved Marvel women is Maybelle “May” Parker. Aunt May is one of the only surviving relatives of Peter Parker, better known as Spiderman, and is the widow of the late Ben Parker, also known as Uncle Ben. May managed to raise and support Peter Parker single-handedly.

While unaware of Peter’s secret identity, she always supports Peter and is shown to be a great parental figure in his life.

She stands by Peter through thick and thin and helps him navigate his superhero identity when she finds out. She is a witty, kind, and assertive woman who takes on life with a can-do attitude.


Okoye

Okoye

First starring in the movie Black Panther (2018), Okoye works under the Wakandan Monarchy and is a part of the armed forces and intel. She is the General of the Dora Milaje and the head of the armed forces.

Okoye is a genuinely formidable and intimidating persona, one of the best female Marvel characters who has inspired many people.

Her no-crap attitude makes her both feared and loved across Wakanda and the rest of the MCU. She is highly focused and determined to achieve what is expected of her and is a strong character. Her fearlessness parallels her grit and determination.


Squirrel Girl

squirrelgirl

 

While growing up, Doreen Allene Green developed unnatural squirrel-like features at a very young age. It included physical appearances such as buck teeth, a bushy tail, and a squirrel’s relative strength and agility.

Her powers relating to strength were formidable relating to her human size. She also possessed the ability to communicate with squirrels.

In the MCU, Doreen was to make an appearance in the show “New Warriors,” but the producers canceled it before it could air on TV. Despite this, fans believe that Doreen’s character of Squirrel Girl is one of the most impressive Marvel women.


Death

Lady_Death

 

Death is one of the cosmic entities in the Marvel universe, and she is said to have been around since the very dawn. Many movies in the MCU mention and portray Death in various ways. The intergalactic warlord and mad titan, Thanos, is said to have been a devoted lover of Death. However, his feelings were one-sided.

Her disinterest in Thanos led him to try and do everything he could to win her love. While she is widely accepted as one of the most formidable MCU women, Death appears in many forms and is not always just a female.


Kate Bishop

Kate Bishop

Katherine Elizabeth Bishop, better known as Kate Bishop, is a skilled archer and idolizes the Avenger Hawkeye, also known as Clint Barton. She is the daughter of Elizabeth Bishop and lost her father in the Battle of New York in 2011.

Her character debut in the MCU was in 2021 when she starred in the Marvel mini-series- “Hawkeye.”

In the show, Kate partners up with Barton and becomes his protégé. Despite not having any superpowers, she has proved herself to be a deserving member of being grouped with some of the best superheroes of the universe. Kate’s character has been well received by the audience and is expected to return in future MCU productions.


Mystique

Mystique

Mystique is one of the most famous X-men in the MCU. Born as Raven Darkhölme, Mystique is a mutant with the power to shapeshift and superhuman strength, speed, and agility.

In the Cinematic Universe, Mystique made her first appearance alongside the X-men and Prof. Charles Xavier in the movie X-Men: Days of Future Past (2014).

On the path to becoming a mutant terrorist, being reunited with Charles helped her escape her destiny. Instead, she is hailed as a hero by most Marvel fans and is a revered Marvel superhero and member of the X-men group. This is one of the best female marvel characters in the MCU.


Nebula

nebula-marvel

 

A former Luphomoid assassin, Nebula was the second adopted daughter of the mad titan Thanos and the adopted sister of Gamora.

Subject to her father’s harsh treatment of her and jealousy of Thanos’ apparent favoritism of Gamora, Nebula grew up craving the acceptance of Thanos.

The titan kept “upgrading” her body every time she lost to her sister Gamora. Initially, Nebula was highly loyal to Thanos and did all of his bidding. She never questioned his motives or her assignments to acquire his validation. However, she does join the good side and betrays Thanos in the end.


Mantis

Mantis-Marvel

 

A mantis is a non-human belonging to one of the insectoid beings. She is an empath who can alter other people’s feelings and emotions, though mostly, the alterations are only temporary. She also specializes in sleep manipulation. However, they are still helpful in subduing the other person.

Mantis first appears in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 (2017) as a helper to Ego, the antagonist. She joins the Guardians of the Galaxy and helps them defeat Ego.

Her powers were extremely useful in Avengers: Infinity War (2018), when the Avengers attempted to overpower Thanos in his homeland, along with the help of the Guardians of the Galaxy.


Conclusion

This article has ranked the 30 best female Marvel characters in the MCU. Most of these women possess superhuman qualities, and all of them are worthy of the praise they receive.

From Earth’s best defenders to the Galaxy’s most feared assassins, the list has attempted to include all of the fan favorites. These women have caused ripples and discussions in the Marvel fandom for years. Check out all your favorite Marvel women in this article!

Chris Mack

Chris Mack

Meet Chris Mack, your go-to expert for the best of BBC iPlayer with a twist—he's also a cybersecurity enthusiast. Whether you're into British entertainment classics or searching for hidden gems, Chris has you covered, always with an eye for secure streaming practices. Beyond the screen, Chris blends his love for reading and exploring the outdoors with a passion for staying ahead in the world of cybersecurity, ensuring a safe viewing experience. If you're looking for top British TV picks or tips on keeping your digital viewing secure, Chris is your guide. Dive into the drama of British TV with Chris!


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