Blog Party IV: Femme Fatales & Formidable Females

There's an interesting exchange between Ben Kingsley's character and Michael Madsen's, early on in the movie Species. Kingsley explains that the genetic hybrid that escaped from his lab was made as a female to make her “more docile and controllable", to which Madsen scoffs, “You guys don't get out much." Underestimating women can be dangerous.


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The last time I threw a blog party, the rules were firmly in place. There was a limit of five names, and I organized my selections by category. Not surprisingly, these ladies wouldn't conform to any of my silly rules, nor neatly fall into clear-cut categories. I wasn't even going to try and fight them; when it comes to women, I'll never win. Here now are no less than seven of the most formidable fictional females I've ever encountered:

BATGIRL:
Yvonne Craig starred as the cowled crimefighter Batgirl(Barbara Gordon) on the ‘60s Batman television show. I wasn't born yet, but I grew up watching the show in syndication and Craig's high-kicking heroine definitely caught my attention at a young age. When I'd play with my friends, I never argued about who got to be the hero and who got to be the sidekick, but rather which of us was dating Batgirl. I'd go on to enjoy her modern animated incarnation as well as Dina Meyer's portrayal of Barbara on the short-lived Birds of Prey. I was somewhat disappointed in the version Alicia Silverstone portrayed in Batman & Robin, but then that film was horrible overall. For a more comprehensive overview of Batgirl's history, check out this timeline.


ELITA-1:
If comic creators created female versions of existing heroes to get girls to read, then cartoons were guilty as well. Such was the case with Elita-1 in the Transformers episode The Search for Alpha Trion. Tough, resourceful, and commanding a squad of her own heroic female Autobots back on the Transformers home world of Cybertron, Optimus Prime's girlfriend would not become a regular member of the cast, nor would corresponding action figures be made. I imagine revealing the existence of female robots in the mythos would lead to prepubescent nerds speculating about whether or not robots had sex, and what the mechanics of such an action would be, but I certainly have no firsthand knowledge of any such debates taking place...


MOCKINGBIRD:
Mockingbird didn't have any powers, but she held her own beside husband Hawkeye and other superheroes. She was a skilled fighter and acrobat and carried a bo staff that could split in half to form smaller batons. While trapped in the past on a time travel adventure, she was separated from Hawkeye and taken advantage of by a villain she later let fall to his death. When the truth finally came out and Hawkeye was more upset over the fact that she allowed a man to die, a rift formed that would take some time to mend. Just when it seemed the couple was finally close to a reconciliation, she was tragically killed by the demonic Mephisto.


HARLEY QUINN:
Batman: The Animated Series adapted characters from the comics to fill the caped crusader's legendary rogue's gallery, already the most infamous collection of villains in any medium. But they created a villain of their own who became so popular that she was added to the comic book continuity, and Kevin Smith even named his daughter after her. Harley Quinn was more than The Joker's girlfriend, and proved to be just as insane and dangerous. In the episode Harley's Holiday, she makes a sincere attempt to go straight and fit in to normal society. Mishap after misunderstanding ensue, leading her to don the clown makeup and costume anew. Eventually she's apprehended and brought back to Arkham Asylum, where she's surprised that Batman hasn’t given up on her. She tells him she really tried, and that she just had a bad day, and he explains, “I had a bad day too, once.", alluding to the death of his parents. He understands all too well the fine line he walks, that the events which drive him to be a hero could just as easily have driven him to do the things Harley and his other insane foes have done. Her usual lunacy for the moment muted by compassion, she tells him, “Nice guys like you shouldn't have bad days."


DEMONA:
On Gargoyles, Demona was the beloved companion of her clan's leader, Goliath. After most of his clan was betrayed, destroyed during the day while immobile in their stone forms, Goliath was despondent and thought his “angel of the night" gone forever. When the surviving members of his clan were trapped in their stone form until the terms of the spell which did so dictated otherwise, he asked to join them. One thousand years would pass before they were awakened, and he would soon find his beloved, now called Demona, had survived, presumably the same way he had. She had many secrets, not the least of which was how she in fact had lived throughout all the years while they slept, and he soon learned of her treacherous nature and utter hatred for all humans, even those who would befriend them. Marina Sirtis voiced this deadly character in such a way that she was both seductive and vengeful.


MYSTIQUE:
Shapeshifting is one of the most versatile powers a character can have, but that's not what makes Mystique so formidable. Over the years, she's made full use of her powers to infiltrate the highest levels of government, taking full advantage of the ability to be anyone, anytime. While she can't mimic someone else's powers per se, she can mimic their physical attributes, such as wings or claws. Fanatical and sure of her cause, she'll stop at nothing to attain her goals. Rebecca Romjin-Stamos has done an excellent job portraying this character in both X-men and X2.


LILAH MORGAN:
As portrayed by Stephanie Romanov on Angel, Lilah Morgan was ambitious, confident, ruthless, and evil. A lawyer with an agenda, she'd clash with her own colleagues to climb the corporate ladder at their law firm and destroy Angel in the process. I think what I liked most about Lilah was her attitude. There were times that she showed genuine fear, but most of the time she was always quick with a comeback and rarely let her enemies see when they were intimidating her. She couldn't change her nature, even when she became romantically involved with one of Angel's closest friends and allies, and even her eventual demise wouldn't free her from the contract she'd signed with the firm, one that extended beyond death.


* * * * *

Batgirl.
Elita-1.
Mockingbird.
Harley Quinn.
Demona.
Mystique.
Lilah Morgan.


I'm trying to think of a clever closing paragraph, but I tend to become speechless around beautiful women, especially the kind that can kill me seven different ways. I think I'll slip away from here now and visit other people's blogs, to see what other ladies are at this party. I'll be the one observing from the shadows of the comments section. Don't forget to check back here tomorrow for my inimitable afterparty wrap-up. Who will be the most fatale of them all?