8 Women Heroes You Ought to Know
With International Women’s Day on March 8, we shine the Marvel Unlimited spotlight on women (and girl) Super Heroes.
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You may not know much (or anything) about them yet, so we’ve handpicked the perfect comic intro stories to get you acquainted with these rising star heroes!
Covering the scope of Manhattan, the Multiverse, to the farthest reaches of space or Asgard, each of these women, (plus a girl!), have already left their indelible mark on Marvel.
DANI MOONSTAR, AKA MIRAGE
Why You Should Know Her
Dani will be a lead in The New Mutants, hitting movie theaters April 3!
An original member of the New Mutants, Danielle “Dani” Moonstar has also moonlighted under the name Psyche, and currently, Mirage.
A member of the Cheyenne people, she was raised from a young age by her grandfather following her parents’ mysterious disappearance. Dani has remarkable psychic powers, including the ability to cast illusions to make weapons, or to project people’s nightmares. She’s perpetually tapped into a mystic reservoir too, anchored by a unique rapport with animals. It’s this bond that led to a particularly close connection to teammate Wolfsbane.
A woman of strong convictions, Charles Xavier made her co-leader of the first New Mutants team alongside Cannonball. In later years, she was a senior teacher at Xavier’s Institute. (2003’s NEW MUTANTS.)
Fun fact: Dani is a Valkyrie too, and has her own winged steed named Brightwind, rescued in the pages of NEW MUTANTS SPECIAL EDITION #1.
Start with the “Demon Bear” arc in NEW MUTANTS (1983) #18-20 to cover her origin, and read her current Krakoan appearances in NEW MUTANTS (2019).
NEBULA
Why You Should Know Her
Nebula’s solo series is out now, and it’s a redemptive quest with the feel of a cyberpunk Western. Creators Vita Ayala and Claire Roe give Nebula the justice she deserves as she fights to reclaim her identity.
You ought to know Nebula too because she’s misunderstood! Robbed of her humanity by criminal surgeon Dr. Mandibus (1987’s SILVER SURFER #69-73), Nebula became a cyborg overnight, and has struggled with that trauma since.
Some of her anger ties back to her father figure too—this Space-Pirate Supreme was raised by the tyrannical Thanos, and has long been in conflict between forging her own path, versus carrying out the Mad Titan’s bidding.
Fun fact: We have Nebula to thank for restoring half of universal life following the SNAP! heard round the world in INFINITY GAUNTLET (1991) #1. Seeking vengeance against Thanos for turning her into a living corpse (INFINITY GAUNTLET #4), Nebula seized control of the Infinity Gauntlet to undo Thanos’ handiwork. A redeeming beat for someone who’d pillaged and murdered her way across the cosmos.
Want more history? We’ve got you covered.
Start with Nebula’s first appearance, and continue through AVENGERS (1963) #260!
With the power of STEM on her side, the small-but-mighty Moon Girl can show up the smarts of Reed Richards, and even swap insults with that pretentious goof showoff, Doctor Doom.
Following Terrigenesis, a process that unlocks Inhuman potential, 9-year-old Lunella Lafayette was terrified that she’d turn into a monster, but instead gained advanced technical insight and the ability to create or MacGyver just about anything.
And, after activating a portal to the prehistoric realm called the Valley of the Flame, Lunella ushered forth her new best friend Devil Dinosaur, (along with a host of primitive Killer Folk).
Because she’s Inhuman, Moon Girl shares a psychic link to her massive T-Rex, and these two are bonded for life in trouble and in triumph.
Read all of their Earth-bound (and extraterrestrial) adventures in Moon Girl’s introductory series, featuring high profile guest stars too.
JANE FOSTER, AKA VALKYRIE
Why You Should Know Her
Foster will play a major role in Marvel Studios’ Thor: Love and Thunder.
Dr. Foster had a lengthy run as the Mighty Thor, but in the aftermath to WAR OF THE REALMS she was appointed the new Valkyrie, guide and ferrywoman to the dead. (Pick up her current series in print or digital today!)
Whether serving as a physician, a Goddess of Thunder, or a Valkyrie, Jane Foster’s nobility is legend in the halls of Valhalla. She famously took on the mantle of Thor while struggling with terminal cancer, a dual-body possession that empowered Jane with Thor’s thunderous abilities… but weakened the effects of chemo.
“The Death of the Mighty Thor” is her defining arc. Grappling with mortality, Jane’s Thor hurtled into battle against the immortal-slaying Mangog, an ancient beast with a serious grudge against Asgard. Heartrending. Get the tissues out for MIGHTY THOR (2015) #704 especially.
Start with her dazzling Thor run, a critics’ favorite. Follow up that 8-issue run with MIGHTY THOR (2015), before starting VALKYRIE: JANE FOSTER (2019).
Captain Marvel, Photon, Pulsar, Spectrum and sometimes just “Monica,” Rambeau has switched code names more times than Bruce Banner’s ripped his purple pants. More importantly though, she’s known for leading both the Avengers and Nextwave.
While working as an officer with the New Orleans Harbor Patrol, Monica was accidentally bombarded by an alien weapon that granted her light speed flight, and the ability to convert and discharge a whole spectrum of electromagnetic energy. Essentially? She’s supersonic.
Looking for Monica’s complete history? We’ve got you covered here, or you could start with her origin issue, and continue with her Reading List.
SILK
Why You Should Know Her
Silk will be spinning into a new series this July… still on J. Jonah Jameson’s payroll.
Cindy Moon may have spent the first half of her life in a bunker, but she’s more than making up for lost time as the super-powered Silk.
Bitten by the same radioactive spider that gave Peter Parker his abilities, young Cindy was at first terrified by her newfound spider-powers, and was sequestered away for a considerable amount of time by magnate Ezekiel Sims. Over the course of her imprisonment, Cindy was denied of family, friends, and any shot at a normal life, although she did extensively train to become the hero she is today.
Once freed, Silk emerged… with an immediate “thing” for Peter Parker.
Silk’s first battles were against Morlun and his family, the Inheritors, beings who specifically hunt heroes with connections to animal totems. As the Multiverse was combed over for every spider-man, woman, child, and pig, Silk entered the SPIDER-VERSE event to stake her own spider-claim.
Start with her intro issue and continue with solo series SILK (2015) to follow her quest to find her family.
Chavez hails from the Utopian Parallel, a lush, wonderland dimension of female-only inhabitants that was once threatened with destruction. After both her mothers died to save their world, America upheld their legacy as a Young Avenger and member of the Ultimates, growing into a team player mentality as she broke away from loner habits.
Beyond super-strength, flight, and incredible one-liners, America’s signature move is punching star-shaped holes through dimensions.
Start with YOUNG AVENGERS (2013), then try her 2017 series. Writer Gabby Rivera brings America to life, and it’s gorgeously illustrated by Joe Quinones, Stacey Lee, Jen Bartel, Ramon Villalobos, Flaviano Armentaro, and more.
Issue #7, America’s birth and the myth of Planeta Fuertona, is a standout.
AKA the “Celestial Madonna.” This One’s aura is as peculiar as her origin, but we’ll do our best to keep her sprawling backstory succinct. Or, you could try her Marvel 101!
Born of human parents, the half-German, half-Vietnamese Mantis was raised by a Kree alien sect called the Priests of Pama, worshipped as their goddess messiah. She got her start with the Avengers alongside Swordsman, (and would later marry a Cotati doppelganger of him in GIANT-SIZE AVENGERS #4), but you may be more familiar with her as a Guardian of the Galaxy.
An empathic psychic with mastery of martial arts, Mantis has been a powerful asset to any team. Try her pivotal arc with the Cotati here, great prelude reading for EMPYRE.
That’s it for the comics roundup! Read these stories in Marvel Unlimited today, along with 27,000+ comics starring your favorite heroes. Tell us which of these comics you’ll be reading at @MarvelUnlimited. And remember to stay posted to our Twitter and Facebook for more weekly announcements and updates!
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