Not every female heroine in the Marvel Universe needs to have superpowers (you may recall that I added in Lois Lane when I did my Real Power of the DCU). Mary Jane Watson was created, that is to say in name and legs only, by Steve Ditko in Amazing Spider-Man (Vol. 1) #25 (June 1965). John Romita Sr. made her famous with her good looks, charm and that wonderful quote, “Face it, Tiger… you just hit the jackpot!” in Amazing Spider-Man #42 (November 1966). She always had a suspicion that Peter Parker was Spider-Man and it was confirmed in Amazing Spider-Man (Vol. 1) #257. She married Peter in Amazing Spider-Man Annual #21, but the marriage has been wiped (Amazing Spider-Man #545, Spider-Man: One More Day) and thanks with the deal struck with Mephisto they only dated.

Let’s take a look at some of her collected editions:

• Spider-Man Masterworks Volume 5 Collects Amazing Spider-Man #41-50 and Amazing Spider-Man Annual #3
• Spider-Man: The Wedding TPB Collects Amazing Spider-Man (Vol. 1) #290-292, Amazing Spider-Man Annual #21 and Not Brand Echh #6.
• Spider-Man One More Day Collects Amazing Spider-Man #544-545, Sensational Spider-Man #41, Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man #24 and Marvel Spotlight: Spider-Man – One More Day/Brand New Day, with an afterword by Stan Lee.
• Models, Inc. GN TP Collects Models, Inc. #1-4 and features Mary Jane Watson, Patsy Walker, Jill Jerold, Chili Storm and Millicent (Millie the Model) Collins.
• Marvel Age Mary Jane Volume 1 HC Collects Mary Jane #1-4, Homecoming #1-4, and Spider-Man Loves Mary Jane #1-5.
• Spider-Man: Blue Collects Blue Collects the 6-issue mini.

She was portrayed by Kirsten Dunst the Spider-Man trilogy.

Ororo Munroe first appeared in Giant-Size X-Men #1 (May 1975). Storm was one of the first black comic book characters, and the first black female, to play either a major or supporting role at either Marvel of DC. At times she has been a leader of the X-Men. She can control the elements of weather including temperature, and raising lightning, tornadoes, and wind storms. Storm is the queen of Wakanda and is married to King T’Challa, Black Panther.

Let’s take a look at some of her collected editions:

• Uncanny X-Men Omnibus 1 Collects Giant Size X-Men #1 (1975), Uncanny X-Men #94-131 and Annual #3
• Marvel Premiere Classic: X-Men: Magik – Storm & Illyana (Variant Volume 16) Collects Magik: Storm & Illyana #1-4
• Ororo Before The Storm Digest TP Collects Ororo: Before The Storm #1-4. Celebrating 30 years of Storm!
• Storm Premiere HC Collecting Storm #1-6. Don’t miss out on this prelude to the wedding of Storm and the Black Panther.
• Black Panther Bride TP Collects Black Panther #14-18. The wedding of the century!

She was portrayed by Halle Berry in the X-Men trilogy.

Jean Grey is an Omega-level mutant, and is one of the physical hosts of the Phoenix Force. She is an original X-Men (as Marvel Girl) and first appeared in X-Men #1 (1963). She has been a staple in the X-Universe and has had multiple storylines. She married Cyclops (Scott Summers) and has a daughter Rachel Summers (current Marvel Girl), son Nate Grey (X-Man) and a stepson Cable. Her current whereabouts are unknown.

Let’s take a look at some of her collected editions:

• X-Men Omnibus 1 Collects X-Men #1-31.
• Marvel Premiere Classic: X-Men: Phoenix Rising (Variant Volume 25) Collects Avengers #263, Fantastic Four #286, X-Factor #1 and material from Classic X-Men #8 & #43.
• The Essential X-Factor Volumes 1-3.
• X-Men Dark Phoenix Saga Hardcover Collects X-Men #129-138, Classic X-Men #43, Bizarre Adventures #27, Phoenix: The Untold Story and What If? (1977) #27.
• X-Men Phoenix Warsong HC Collects X-Men: Phoenix Warsong #1-5. The Phoenix is back! But where has it been reborn? Fire and pain await the X-Men. Can they handle what’s to come?!

She was portrayed by Famke Janssen in the X-Men trilogy.

Elektra is the world’s most lethal assassin – male or female – and she is one of the most popular heroines in the Marvel Universe. She was created by Frank Miller and first appeared in Daredevil #168 (January, 1981), where she became a love interest of the title character. Controversy arose with Elektra, not only because she was brutally murdered by Bullseye in Daredevil #181, but because she was resurrected by editors and writers at Marvel, something that Miller had no intension of ever doing.

Let’s take a look at some of her collected editions:

• Daredevil by Frank Miller & Klaus Janson Omnibus 1 Collects Daredevil (Volume 1) #158-191
• Elektra by Frank Miller Omnibus Collects Elektra: Assassin #1-8, Elektra Lives Again, Bizarre Adventures #28 and What If? #35
• Elektra TP Collects Elektra #1-6 (Marvel Knights)
• Dark Reign Elektra TP Collects Dark Reign: Elektra #1-5
• Ultimate Elektra Devils Due TP Collects Ultimate Elektra #1-5

She was portrayed by Jennifer Garner in the 2003 film Daredevil and its 2005 spinoff, Elektra.

Soviet-spy, Natasha Romanoff, first appeared with Iron Man in Tales of Suspense #52 (April 1964), although her trademark skintight black costume didn’t appear until The Amazing Spider-Man #86 (July 1970). She’s had several solo adventures and team-ups over the years and she’s even been a member of The Avengers, S.H.I.E.L.D., and The Champions. Her most famous collaboration has been with Daredevil beginning with Daredevil (vol. 1) #81. More recently Black Widow has become a member of Steve Rogers black-ops wing of the Avengers, dubbed the Secret Avengers.

Let’s take a look at some of her collected editions:

• Marvel Premiere Classic: Black Widow: The Sting Of The Widow (Variant Volume 28) Collects Tales Of Suspense #52 (1964), Amazing Spider-Man #86 (1970), Amazing Adventures #1-8 (1970) and Daredevil #81 (1971)
• Marvel Premiere Classic: Black Widow: Web Of Intrigue (Variant Volume 40) Collects Marvel Fanfare (1983) #10-13; Bizarre Adventures #25 and Black Widow: The Coldest War GN
• Black Widow Deadly Origin and Black Widow Things They Say About Her Guest-starring the Winter Soldier, Wolverine , Nick Fury and Daredevil.
• Black Widow TP Collecting both mega-popular Marvel Knights limited series in one volume.
• Black Widow And Marvel Girls The world’s most efficient spy teams up with Storm, She-Hulk, Enchantress, and Spider-Woman in four all new, all-ages adventures.

She was portrayed by Scarlett Johansson in the 2010 film Iron Man 2 and will also be in The Avengers come 2012.

Let’s start off with Susan Storm Richards of the Fantastic Four (aka Invisible Girl and Invisible Woman). She first appeared in Fantastic Four #1 in November 1961, and was the first female superhero created by Marvel in the Silver Age of Comics. She’s the brother of Johnny Storm the Human Torch and the wife of Reed Richards, Mr. Fantastic and have been the desire of many men including Namor and Dr. Doom. Over the years her powers have changed and grown and is now considered the most powerful (and sometimes dangerous) of the FF.

Let’s take a look at some of her collected editions:

• Fantastic Four Omnibus: Lee/Kirby 1-2 and Millar/Hitch
• The Fantastic Four Masterworks Volumes 1-12
• The Essential Fantastic Four Volumes 1-8
• Marvel Adventures Fantastic Four Volume 5: All 4 One Collects #17-20. Sue Storm, Secret Agent!?
• First Family Collects the 6 issue mini series. Untold secrets of the Fantastic Four’s earliest days are revealed.
• The Life Fantastic Collects FF #533-535, The Wedding Special, Special 2005, A Death in the Family. It’s hard to believe Reed and Sue tied the knot 40 years ago… and it certainly doesn’t seem that much time has passed to Reed and Sue themselves when a special evening out gives them a chance to look over their entire life together— past, present and future! The Invisible Woman is dead! As Reed cradles his murdered wife, lost in grief, and Ben rampages after Sue’s killer, Johnny defiantly decides to do whatever it takes— no matter the cost or consequence— to see his sister alive again.
• Before the Fantastic Four: The Storms Volume 1 Collects #1-3. Early days of brother and sister: Johnny and Sue Storm.

She was portrayed by Jessica Alba in the 2005 film Fantastic Four and the 2007 sequel, Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer.

A couple of years ago, while I was on vacation, I ran a series of Blog post on the subject of the Women of the DC Universe. My inspiration for was the wonderful Adam Hughes poster The Real Power of the DC Universe that featured 11 heroines. For each of my posts I ran a little biography of each character and a few Collected Editions that are worth owning.

This time around I switch companies and will focus on the Women of the Marvel Universe. Before I get specifics there are a few Collected Editions you may want to consider:

Women of Marvel
2006, 224 pages, softcover
Collects Avengers #221 (She-Hulk), Uncanny X-Men #151-152 (White Queen and Storm), #182 (Rouge), #244 (Storm, Rogue, Psylocke, Dazzler and Jubilee), Amazing Spider-Man 86 (Black Widow), Ms. Marvel 1 (Ms. Marvel), The Cat 1 (Tirga), Dazzler 1 (Dazzler); Shanna, the She Devil 1 (Shanna)

Women of Marvel 2
2007, 224 pages, softcover
Collects Avengers #83 (Lady Liberators – Black Widow; Wasp; Medusa; Enchantress and Amora, posing as the Valkyrie); Strange Tales #10-11 (Black Cat and Dagger), Spider-Woman #10 (Spider-Woman), West Coast Avengers #15 (Tigra), Vision & the Scarlet Witch #12 (Scarlet Witch), Uncanny X-Men 168 (Kitty Pryde), #189 (Magik), #201 (Rachel Summers), #218 (Rogue, Psylocke and Dazzler)

Marvel Divas TPB
2010, 96 pages, $14.99
Collects Marvel Divas #1-4, Hellcat, Black Cat, Firestar, and Photon
What happens when you take four of the Marvel Universe’s most fabulous single girls and throw them together, adding liberal amounts of suds and drama? You get the sassiest, sexiest, soapiest series to come out of the House of Ideas since Millie the Model! Romance, action, ex-boyfriends, and a revelation that changes everything! Let your inner divas out with this one, you won’t regret it!

Girl Comics HC
September 2010, 120 pages, $19.99
Collects Girl Comics #1-3
With stories featuring your favorite Marvel characters, from the Punisher to Mary Jane, don’t miss what will be one of the most talked-about series of the year!

Women Of Marvel: Celebrating Seven Decades
2010, 104 pages, $9.99, Square Bound Magazine Format
Part of the 70th Anniversary Celebration, this square-bound spectacular places the spotlight on Marvel’s extraordinary lady heroes and their astonishing adventures! Spider-Woman, Sue Storm, Ms. Marvel, Kitty Pryde, Rogue, the Savage She-Hulk and many more will grace the 100-plus pages of this oversized monster magazine. Join us in celebrating the triumph of Marvel’s leading ladies in handpicked classic reprints as well as brand new features and retrospectives on these fantastic female phenoms. Featuring a collectible 50/50 cover by the legendary Alan Davis!

Women Of Marvel: Celebrating Seven Decades TPB
2010, 344 pages, $24.99
Collects Mystic Comics #4, Marvel Mystery Comics #82, Venus #1, Lorna the Jungle Queen #1, Lovers #75, Tales of Suspense #53, Tales of Suspense #64, Amazing Spider-Man #43, X-Men #108, Ms. Marvel #20, Daredevil #168, Fantastic Four #284, Uncanny X-Men #258, Silver Sable and the Wild Pack #1, Araña: the Heart of a Spider #1, X-23: Target X #6, and All-New Savage She-Hulk #1
Continuing the WOMEN OF MARVEL celebration, this colossal collection features a hand-picked assortment of the most exhilarating tales of Marvel’s female heroes throughout the publisher’s storied history! From the fabulous Fifties to today, see how women in Marvel comics have evolved from role players to some of the most popular and powerful characters in the world. It’s a decade-by-decade review that is sure to please any fan of Marvel’s distaff half.

Women Of Marvel: Celebrating Seven Decades Handbook TPB
2010, $19.99
This is the year of Marvel’s women, and the Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe is joining the celebration with this collection of profiles of the brightest female stars in the Marvel firmament! This encyclopedic volume covers the entire span of Marvel Comics and features hundreds of eye-catching characters! Entries include the good (Aurora, Big Bertha, Dazzler, Psylocke, Squirrel Girl), the bad (Hela, Moonstone, Selene, Titania, Viper) and everyone in-between (Gamora, Millie the Model, May Parker, Valeria Richards, Typhoid). This is a vital resource for any fan of the Women of Marvel!

Women Of Marvel: Celebrating Seven Decades Omnibus HC
November 2010, 1160 pages , $125.00
Collects Tales To Astonish (1959) #51-58, X-Men (1963) #57, Night Nurse #1-4, Cat #1-4, Marvel Team-Up (1972) #8, Giant-Size Creatures #1, Marvel Premiere #42, Shanna The She-Devil (1972) #1-5, Ka-Zar: Lord Of The Hidden Jungle #2, Daredevil (1964) #108-112, Marvel Two-In-One #3, Marvel Graphic Novel #12, #16 & #18, Firestar #1-4, Sensational She-Hulk: Ceremony #1-2, Captain Marvel (1989) #1, Captain Marvel (1994) #1, Millie The Model #100, Patsy And Hedy Annual #1, Solo Avengers #9, Marvel Comics Presents (1988) #36 and Marvel Fanfare #59

Today we move to Lois Lane. Yep. Lois Lane. She’s the one I think should have been included in the poster. Before you get all in a tizzy, I realize that all the women depicted are going to play some sort of role in the DCU in the upcoming months and that Lois has no superpower power. But when it comes to feminism and women’s lib, Lois has the moxy, and therefore, she has “real power”.

Ever since she debuted in Action Comics #1 (yeah, she’s as old as Superman), she has been portrayed as smart, headstrong and with gusto. Sure, she plays the fool from time to time, but nowadays, she can even match wits with Lex Luthor, and that’s why she deserves to be among the elite female heroes. Lois hasn’t had many books with her own title, but here are a few collected editions of where you can find her stand out moments.

• Superman Archives Volume 1. There are several Superman themed DC Archives editions, but here you will find Lois’ first Golden Age appearances.
• Showcase Presents Superman Family Volumes 1-2. Superman’s Girl Friend, Lois Lane started in March 1958 and ended its run October 1974 with 137 issues. These two books collect her early Silver Age issues.
• Lois Lane #1-2 (1986). These are the final appearance of the Silver Age Lois Lane. The revised Post-Crisis Lois Lane makes her first appearance in Man of Steel #1. This two part story has not been collected.
• Superman: Lois Lane 1. Part of the multiple one-shots Girlfrenzy!. Other titles include: Batgirl, The Secret, Tomorrow Woman, Donna Troy, The Ravens, and The Mist. None of these books have been collected.
• The Daily Planet TPB. This collection, of many different stories throughout history, revolves around the Daily Planet newspaper and its staff. Featuring classics with reporters Clark Kent and Lois Lane, photographer Jimmy Olsen, Editor-in-chief Perry White, and many more – showing how far they will go to get a great story!
• Superman: The Wedding and Beyond TPB. It’s all here.

Lois can be found in the Superman books and Final Crisis. You can also see her on Smallville thanks to Erica Durance.

Today we move to Harley Quinn. Certifiable. Not much else describes her. Let’s face it, anyone who falls in love with The Joker can’t be described in any other way.

Interestingly, Dr. Harleen Quinzel didn’t originate from the comics, she was created for Batman: The Animated Series; “Joker’s Favor” (episode #22, airdate: September 11, 1992). She proved to be so popular that DC added her into the DCU comics in 1999. These days she’s not some much involved with Joker as she is with Poison Ivy and former Catwoman, Holly Robinson. Now let’s take a look at some of her collected editions:

• Batman: Harley Quinn OGN by Paul Dini. The book that brought Harley into the pages of the DC Universe.
• Batman Adventures: Mad Love Timed to coincide with Harley Quinn’s DC Universe debut, this award-winning special showcases the irrepressible Harley in the “adventures” animated style.
• Harley Quinn: Preludes and Knock-Knock Jokes Collects the first seven issues (of 38) of her own ongoing series.
• Batman: Harley and Ivy TPB Collects Batman: Harley and Ivy, Harley and Ivy: Love On The Lam OGN and a colored story from Batman Black and White Vol. 2

Harley Quinn was last seen in Countdown.

Today we move to Zatanna. More and more these days it seems that Zatanna is getting more and more page time. I think it’s because editors at DC realize that she more than just a pretty face in fish nets and a top hat. As seen in the pages of Countdown, Zatanna is very formidable and can be adapted to many different situations.

Originating from the Silver Age, Zatanna, is the daughter of the DCU’s greatest magician Giovanni Zatara, who was a hero in the Golden Age. She first appeared in Hawkman #4 and has teamed up with many heroes including Batman, The Atom and others before joining the Justice League of America. Let’s take a look at where you can find more of her and some collected editions:

• JLA: Zatanna’s Search The Silver Age saga that introduced Zatanna. Collects The Atom #19, Hawkman #4, Green Lantern #42, Detective Comics #335, #355 And Justice League of America #51. Also, a 10-page Zatanna origin by Gerry Conway and Romeo Tanghal.
• Everyday Magic (One-shot) by Paul Dini. Zatanna and John Constantine?!?!
• Identity Crisis HC Zatanna takes care of Dr, Light and even Batman.
• Seven Soldiers of Victory Vol. 1 (of 4) Grant Morrison’s epic. Collects Seven Soldiers of Victory #0, Seven Soldiers: Shining Knight #1-2, Seven Soldiers: The Guardian #1-2, Seven Soldiers: Zatanna #1-2 and Seven Soldiers: Klarion #1.

Currently Zatanna can be seen in the pages of Justice League of America, where she is current member.