Scarlet Witch, the Wasp, Zatanna, Black Canary, Hawkgirl, and Ms. Marvel are all to be compared today in terms of their contribution to their respective teams as well as who generates the most interest for you.
I have to say that Marvel is the clear leader for me in this category. I admittedly am not as versed in DC lore; I struggled to name many JLA featured characters although I suspect Power Girl and Vixen could have been added to the list. While for Marvel, I strongly considered adding Tigra, Black Widow, She-Hulk, and Captain Marvel (Photon) to the list as I felt they were all significant contributors, but discounted their impact due to length of service or contributions to other teams (She-Hulk on the FF and Black Widow and the Champions),
But you can add others to this Rank and File as you see fit.
My personal rankings are:
1. Wasp: The early days were rough, but I really grew to appreciate Janet Van Dyne during Roger Stern's run as I think he created a wonderful evolution for the character.
2. Scarlet Witch: Although she has had serious retcons and re-imaginings over the years. I still think of Wanda as a core and interesting member of the team. I find I prefer eras with her in the cast more so than those times she is absent.
3. Hawkgirl: The "Hawk" characters are so convoluted with their various reincarnations and shifting alter egos and origins. But I still like them. Out of all of the winged characters, however, I really like the costume and warrior-like intentions of Kendra.
4. Ms. Marvel: I have mixed feelings about Carol Danvers. She is a different and bold creation and I enjoy that they made her such a powerhouse, but I have never found her characteristics to be totally rounded and complete. I have not read her adventures for a while, but back in the Bronze Age I would have liked to see more depth to her motivation. And unfortunately Avengers #200 was a complete travesty that had impacted her future.
5. Black Canary: Despite coming first, I always felt that Dinah was a strange copy of Black Widow but with an added power with her vocal ability. I am probably completely wrong as I know so little about her history in the JLA, with the Bird of Prey, or when teaming with Green Arrow. I essentially defer to others' input.
6. Zatanna: Again, I am at a loss. Are there major arcs involving Zatanna? This may say a lot about my DC knowledge, but perhaps it also is a commentary about DC characters in general. Should other characters be on this list?
I also want to point out that in regards to the Avengers, the Wasp and Scarlet Witch are top tier. I would bump a couple from my "male" top six to make room for them on the team. In my eyes, they are more important to the team than Thor, Iron Man, Wonder Man, Black Panther and many others.
What do you think about these heroines? How do you rank them? And how do you list them when side-by-side with their male counterparts?
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