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The world of comic books have seemingly been dominated by the male characters since they first went into circulation. Even today, female characters are often seen as unequal, or even as side characters to the main male heroes. But the fact is that female superheroes have been as strong, or even stronger, than the male heroes for quite some time, they just haven't got the recognition they deserve.

With Wonder Woman making her big screen debut and actually being a bigger box office hit than her male counterparts, Batman and Superman, and a Captain Marvel movie on the horizon, female heroes are finally starting to get their place in the spotlight. With this list we look at 15 female superheroes that are more than a match for their male counterparts, and some of them even have more power than the male superheroes combined.

Maxima

The first entry on our list is a hero that sometimes crosses the line between good and bad, but usually comes out on the side of good. Maxima is an alien from the planet Almerac and came to Earth when she learned about Superman and his power. Deciding that The Man of Steel was the only being strong enough and worthy of her love, she travelled to Earth to seek him out.

Becoming a minor Justice League member, Maxima often fights alongside Superman but could easily take him if she wanted to. Not only is her strength on par with The Man of Steel but her psionic powers push her to another level. She can control minds, create force fields, shoot energy blasts, and even teleport. Maxima is more than a match for any hero or villain out there.

Ms. Marvel 

Next we come to one of the newest superheroes in the comic book world. Kamala Khan, aka Ms. Marvel, made comic book history when she became the first Muslim female character to not only become a hero but to star in her own comic book. As well as breaking ground and making history, the character of Ms. Marvel is one of the more powerful in the Marvel universe.

Having been a big fan of Carol Danvers, aka Captain Marvel, Khan took the name Ms. Marvel to honor her. As an Inhuman, Khan's powers began to develop when she was exposed to The Terrigen Mist and she can enlarge and shrink her body. She is often seen enlarging her fist, but she can do so much more. As her story is pretty new, there could be a lot more to this character that we are yet to see. But so far she has firmly planted herself as one of the more stronger superheroes around.

Emma Frost 

Next we come to a character that started life out as a villain. The mutant Emma Frost, aka The White Queen, was once an enemy to the X-Men until she decided to change sides, join the X-Men, and lead them through some difficult battles. Her powers are some of the more formidable within the X-Men universe.

With powers firmly planted in the telepathic side, Emma Frost can create hallucinations in people's minds, she can also control and influence minds as well and read them too. She also has telekinetic powers as well as astral projection and she can also create a "diamond state" for herself which makes her stronger and virtually indestructible. As well as these vast powers Emma Frost also has many degrees and intellectual awards. Brains and brawn!

Starfire

Next we come to a princess from the planet Tamaran. Starfire, aka Koriand'r, was betrayed by her sister and put into slavery. However, she managed to escape her fate and travelled to Earth where she met Dick Greyson. After a kiss, Koriand'r learned English and adopted the name Starfire and stayed to help out Greyson and other heroes. Often being associated with Teen Titans and The Young Justice League, Starfire isn't just there to make up the numbers, she's a formidable hero in her own right.

As well as being able to learn any language just by touch, Starfire has incredible power as she is able to absorb ultraviolet radiation and convert that into energy and power. This energy means she can fly at supersonic speed, have increased strength and durability as well as using the energy to create devastating bursts. Often seen as more of a sex symbol within the Teen Titans, she actually had a side job as a model, but it doesn't take away from the fact that Starfire is as powerful as they come.

Jesse Quick

Next we come to a hero that has recently made an appearance on the small screen in DC's Arrowverse. In the Flash TV show, Jessie Quick is portrayed as an average Speedster that has a thing for Wally West. However, in the comic books Jessie Quick is so much more.

In DC's Golden Age there were two heroes: Johnny Quick and Liberty Bell. Johnny Quick, as his name would suggest, was a Speedster and had access to the Speed Force, whereas Liberty Bell had super strength. So when they had a daughter, Jesse, she inherited both their powers. Jesse Quick isn't just a Speedster, although she can run on par with The Flash, but she also has super strength, durability and she can even fly. With all these combined powers, Jesse Quick is one of the more powerful heroes within The Flash universe, maybe even more powerful than The Flash himself.

Raven

Next we come to a very underrated and often unnoticed hero in the form of Raven. Being the daughter of the evil and vastly powerful Demon Trigon, Raven has some serious power and abilities. Not only can she heal herself, even at the point of death, but she can also teleport, travel to different dimensions, fly, even fly in space, and she has total control over the Astral Plane and her own astral projection.

As well as those powers, Raven can manipulate people's minds and emotions, control shadows, use magic, create fire and explosions, she's clairvoyant, and she can induce the seven deadly sins onto the minds of others. With powers as vast as Raven's, it's such a shame that DC doesn't make better use of such a great character.

Molly Hayes

As we've mentioned with the likes of Raven, there are some comic book characters out there that get overlooked and are very underrated in the superhero world. Another such character is Molly Hayes, although her fame and popularity may get a boost if Marvel's Runaways gets its TV commission, which it reportedly has.

Starting out in Marvel's Runaways, Molly Hayes is the daughter of powerful supervillains. Being the only Mutant on the original team, Hayes idolizes The X-Men and wants to be just like them. Her powers of superhuman strength and invulnerability are some of the strongest within the X-Men universe, if not the Marvel universe itself. Many people out there only put the mutants Jean Grey, Scarlet Witch and Rogue above Molly Hayes power level, so this makes her one formidable hero. As well as her power, the young Hayes has proved popular with some fans for her quick wit and her humorous personality.

Rogue 

Staying with the mutant and X-Men universe, we now come to one of the more popular X-Men characters. Rogue has one of the more interesting and compelling backstories out of any superheroes. As her powers lay in touch, she takes control over any being she touches and absorbs their powers, and because of this, Rogue struggled for many years with her power.

Although her power could be argued as the most powerful in any comic book universe, she can only hold onto them temporarily. If she does sustain them long enough then she has also been known to take on the personality and mind of the hero she touches. This happened famously when she came into contact with Ms Marvel. Not only did Rogue take her power but she also took her mind. Because of this, Rogue can be unstable and her powers can also drain her, leaving her weak. If she ever took control of this side of her powers, then Rogue would be the most powerful being in the entire universe.

She Hulk

Jennifer Walters, aka She Hulk, is often seen in the comic book world as a weaker and inferior version of The Hulk. However, over time this has become untrue and nowadays She Hulk is on par with The Hulk if not stronger.

Being the cousin of Bruce Banner, aka The Hulk, Jennifer Walters was a successful lawyer until she needed an emergency blood transfusion and the only match available was her cousin Banner. The Gamma radiation in Banner's blood mixed with Jennifer's and made her She Hulk. Although on the surface she's not as physically strong as the Hulk, She Hulk does have all his strengths but she also retains her mental intelligence when she "Hulks out," which Banner can't do and Walters can also choose to be the Hulk which she has done many times and in fact has stayed as She Hulk permanently. With strength and brains, She Hulk is one of the strongest Hulks out there.

Thor (Jane Foster)

Next we come to a fairly new superhero in the Marvel universe. Jane Foster has been a long term character within Thor's universe for sometime now. Being an average human, she started life out as Thor's love interest and that was her sole purpose.

That all changed when Thor lost his powers and use of Mjolnir and Jane Foster picked it up and therefore became the new incarnation of the god of thunder. While Thor was demoted to just Odinson and a basic warrior, Jane Foster became the goddess of thunder and now has all the powers that Thor had. She has superhuman strength, stamina, durability, and of course, has control of the hammer Mjolnir which gives her command over storms and thunder.

Supergirl

Next we come to Superman's cousin Supergirl. After Krypton exploded, the baby Kal-El was sent to Earth so he could survive. In order for him to survive on Earth, his older cousin,  Kara Zal-El was sent after him to take care of him. Unfortunately her ship got knocked of course and Kara was stuck in the Phantom Zone. By the time she reached Earth, Kal-El had grown up to become Superman, but Kara remained a teenage girl.

Being exposed to our yellow sun gives Supergirl all the same powers that Superman possesses. The interesting thing about Supergirl is that in most stories she is a teenager and therefore her powers are a lot more unstable and makes her unpredictable, which in turn makes her stronger and she has actually beaten The Man of Steel on several occasions.

Captain Marvel 

Next up is a female superhero that will soon be getting her own solo movie, and we feel it's about time. Captain Marvel, aka Ms Marvel, aka Carol Danvers, may not be the most well known or loved superhero, which we don't understand. But she is certainly one of the most powerful. Starting life out as a human scientist, Danvers gained her superpowers when she came into contact with The Kree, which made her a human/Kree hybrid.

Captain Marvel has all the usual hero powers: flight, super strength, invulnerability and speed. But she can also absorb energy and reuse that as blasts against her enemies, and she can also use that to increase her strength and pretty much make herself indestructible, even if it's only temporary. Captain Marvel can also use and absorb magic and she is also a highly intelligent scientist, fighter pilot, and spy.

Scarlet Witch 

Next we come to the most powerful mutant in the entire X-Men and Marvel universe. Well, most powerful except one. Scarlet Witch has had a strange time in the comic books. First, she was the daughter of X-Men villain Magneto, then later it was revealed that she wasn't and wasn't in fact a mutant at all but was a result of experiments carried out on her. Whatever her back story, Scarlet Witch possesses more power than most comic book characters.

Scarlet Witch can alter reality, as well as control people's minds, thoughts, and actions. She has also been known to evacuate the air on entire planets as well as wiping out species without too much effort. In the infamous House of M story arc, Scarlet Witch wiped out every single Mutant with just one sentence, she then put them all back in reality again. Her unstable mind makes her not only one of the most powerful beings, but also one of the most dangerous.

Wonder Woman

The number two entry on our list is the queen and icon of the female superheroes: Wonder Woman. Being part of the Holy Trinity of DC heroes, along with Superman and Batman, Wonder Woman has been one of the biggest, most popular and stable DC characters since their first inception. Finally Wonder Woman is enjoying success on the big screen as her first solo movie has become a box office smash!

As well as being one of the founding members of The Justice League, Wonder Woman has also transcended comic books to become a cultural icon. Similar to her male counterpart, Superman, Wonder Woman seemingly has no weaknesses and her power levels keep going up with every reboot and revamp that she gets. She possesses superhuman strength, speed, invulnerability, flight, agility, and a fast healing factor. She also has an array of magical weapons such as her sword, shield, and lasso, and that's just the tip of her powers.

Jean Grey/Dark Phoenix

The number one entry on our list of female superheroes that could beat their male counterparts, is possibly one of the most powerful comic book characters ever created. As Jean Grey, she is on par, if not more powerful, than most of the Mutants in The X-Men universe. Her psychic and mental powers are on the same level as Charles Xavier and she is a vital member of The X-Men team.

However, when she channels the Phoenix Force inside herself to become Dark Phoenix, her power levels go through the roof. As Dark Phoenix, there isn't anything she can't do. She can control matter at will which means she can create, destroy, and make anything disappear. This has been shown several times in many devastating story arcs, in particular when she destroyed an entire star just so she could regenerate her power. Jean Grey/Dark Phoenix isn't just the strongest female hero, she is the most powerful hero in any comic book.