For generations, women in superhero tales were relegated to the sidelines—played as sidekicks, love interests, or the ones to be rescued. Fortunately, those times are long past. Now, female heroes are commanding squads, carrying franchises, and providing some of the most memorable moments on the page and on the screen. They’re breaking stereotypes just as forcefully as they shatter supervillains. Then who are the strongest, baddest heroines out there? Let’s number down ten of the most powerful women in the world of superheroes.
10. Shuri
Wakanda’s technological whiz is just the genius behind Black Panther’s tech, though. When she steps up to wear the mantle herself, Shuri shows that she has the strength, agility, and endurance to keep pace with her genius-level intellect. She’s an extraordinary mixture of brains and brawn—perhaps even smarter than Tony Stark and Bruce Banner, and now equally capable in combat.
9. Jessica Jones
Jessica Jones is as tough as they get. Her superhuman strength and resilience allow her to flip cars over and break through walls, but what truly makes her powerful is her resiliency. Having gone through trauma and still deciding to continue taking cases for others as a private investigator allows her a strength that can’t be quantified with just super strength.
8. Storm
Ororo Munroe, or Storm as she’s more commonly known, is one of the most recognizable leaders of the X-Men. She controls the weather itself, calling forth lightning, blizzards, and hurricanes at whim. Her powers are godlike in scope, but she’s far more than her abilities—she’s an experienced warrior and a well-respected commander who’s guided the X-Men through some of their most difficult fights.
7. She-Hulk
Jennifer Walters is Hulk’s cousin, but she’s forged her path. She has unbelievable strength and resilience, but where she differs from Bruce is that she retains her intellect and personality as the Hulk. She’s equally perceptive in the courtroom as she is on the battlefield, which makes her a double threat on all levels.
6. Supergirl
Kara Zor-El possesses all the Kryptonian abilities of her renowned cousin—flight, invulnerability, and earth-shattering strength—but also brings her own heart and tenacity. In a certain continuity, she’s even made to be stronger than Superman, especially in terms of raw willpower. Supergirl embodies both incredible power and dogged perseverance.
5. Captain Marvel
Carol Danvers transitioned from Air Force pilot to cosmic force to be reckoned with, and she’s now one of Marvel’s biggest hitters. With super strength, photon blasts, and the power to fly through space, she’s all but unstoppable. Her battle with Thanos solidified her as a force to be reckoned with, and she’s one of the MCU’s most powerful heroes.
4. Scarlet Witch
Wanda Maximoff has long since transcended as a mere mutant. Using chaos magic and reality-bending powers, she’s capable of defeating whole teams of heroes single-handedly. She’s reshaped reality, destroyed armies, and even pulled apart the multiverse. Her power is only equalled by her emotional depth, making her one of the greatest comic book and cinematic characters ever created.
3. Wonder Woman
Diana Prince is the first superhero icon. She’s a demigoddess with super strength, speed, and virtual immortality, with sword skills and her indestructible Lasso of Truth. Wonder Woman isn’t only mighty—she’s a symbol of justice, mercy, and equality. From comic book pages to blockbuster movies, she’s an ageless inspiration.
2. Spider-Woman
Jessica Drew doesn’t always share the same attention as Peter Parker, but she’s a force to be reckoned with. In addition to superhuman strength and agility, she’s got venom blasts, flight capabilities, and skills equivalent to an elite spy. She and her male counterpart are often even matched in terms of discipline and training, showing her to be much more than another “Spider-hero.”
1. Mera
Far too frequently confused with Aquaman’s sidekick, Mera is a warrior, a queen, and a hydrokinetic force to be reckoned with. She can command water in destructive forms, from tidal waves to draining the very water out of her foes. Her Atlantean physiology and combat prowess make her one of the most powerful brawlers in DC’s universe—either on land or beneath the ocean’s surface.
From goddesses to computer prodigies, these ten women show us that superhero comics are no longer a boys’ club. Each one of them has an individual combination of strength, heart, and determination—and they’re changing what it means to be powerful. From soaring through the universe to manipulating the weather to reshaping reality, these heroines reveal to us that the future of superheroes is fierce, fearless, and female.