The Super-Heroine

(Cross-posted to comicbookbears)

I think a lot of us have a great affinity for the superheroine. While male superheroes may punch their way through things, female heroes generally have to use a bit more wit and ingenuity, which I think often led to more development. The two major comic book companies have a lot of female superheroes, but only Wonder Woman stands out as being the cornerstone female superhero.

I think the development of the female hero has largely been left to two types: the sole female member of a team or a female counterpart of an already established male hero. I believe Marvel has long tried to conjure a successful stand alone female character. Unfortunately, many of them, like She-Hulk and Ms. Marvel, were copies of male heroes and had strong ties to them in their origins. Original characters like Storm, the Invisible Woman, and the Wasp were the only female members of their respective superhero groups and I wonder if they could sustain a comic book series of their own long-term.

The one heroine I can call out of Marvel's stock as being original was Spider-Woman. While she shares a name and a couple of abilities with Marvel's flagship character, the two characters were completely separate in their origins and had significant differences in their powers. She was mysterious and dark, lost but driven. She also had her own animated cartoon in the 1980's. Her original comic book series lasted around 50 issues, but I've read that a new series starring her is in the works.

I draw some parallels between Spider-Woman and Wonder Woman. The obvious one is that in both of their comics, the ladies seem to often find themselves in various stages of capture and bondage. Not sure why, perhaps it's the idea of the damsel in distress saving herself for a change.

Are there any other female heroes that could have or did reach the level of being the recognizable heroine of Marvel Comics? What kind of character would it take, if not?