This is my list of my top five women from DC Universe. Each of these characters has inspired and given hope to me in one form or another. I hope they serve as an inspiration to you as well. Please, leave in the comments below your choice of top five women, your inspirations or a favorite comic of yours! Feel free to share my article if you agree with any of these or if they have resurfaced some of your memories! If there is anything you would like to add about one of these women, please do!

5. Zatanna (New Earth)

Zatanna is a character that I struggle with. On some days, I absolutely hate her, but sometimes I think she’s alright. I believe it is her powers that captivate my imagination. For those of you who don’t know, Zatanna is a magician that speaks her words backward to cast spells. She was gifted with magic but also has the ability to retain ones that she has learned. She is a performing magician that actually uses her magic during her shows. She is also a reserve member of the Justice League of America. The reason I dislike her is because I side with Batman’s distrust of her. Her powers are too great and she uses them in situations to her benefit rather than justice. It is often debated if she is a villain or a hero because of this. She has previously erased both Catwoman and Batman’s memories; the erasing of other characters’ memories have altered their direction in life. Whether a villain turns moral is the decision of the villain itself and not for Zatanna to alter.

4. Jinx

Not many know this, but Jinx is actually part of the Honorable Titans; this means that she is not one of the original five Teen Titans (Robin, Starfire, Raven, Beast Boy and Cyborg), but she is still considered to be among their ranks. She used to be a villain that was part of the H.I.V.E. Five, but when she began to date Kid Flash, he was able to convince her to use her powers for good. She had become evil to begin with because she did not believe that her powers could be used to benefit anyone. After all, her abilities are to “jinx” those around her. She has similar powers to that of Raven except that Jinx’s are weaker, and she mostly gives bad luck to her enemies by causing structures to collapse around them. I was drawn to Jinx because of her fashion and her personality. She drastically changes over the course of the original Teen Titans after Kid Flash enlightens her on her beauty and her gifts. Her character development is extreme; previously, she had hidden behind a mask of anger, but now she has allowed herself to become more mature and open to the Titans.

3. The Silhouette (The Watchmen)

Ursula Zandt is also known as the Silhouette. She is from the DC series The Watchmen . Her capabilities are not much and are not what have drawn me to this character, but it is her story that intrigues and saddens me. (Warning, spoilers!) She was the first female to join the controversial 1940s superhero clan, the Minutemen, which later disbanded. She was originally from Austria where she had escaped from the Nazis. She is most well-known for busting child-trafficking rings and child pornographers in the United States. The Silhouette was shot and had to be taken to a doctor, Gretchen, who was her girlfriend. The Silhouette was voted out of the Minutemen because the public found out she was a lesbian; it was a plot to cover up another gay relationship between Hooded Justice and Captain Metropolis, who did everything in their power not to be sold-out to the press as they had done to her. An old Nazi nemesis, the Liquidator, tracked down Ursula and Gretchen; he murdered them in their hotel room. Unlike the rest of most comic book heroes, the characters in The Watchmen are never revived. Once she died, she died. The sad reality of death, discrimination and hatred is one that was incorporated well into this character.

2. Wonder Woman (Earth One)

Who does not know about Wonder Woman? She is a female powerhouse icon that every young woman recognizes and strives to be. She has an invisible plane and the famous lasso of truth. She has superior skills in hand-to-hand combat and her strength. It is also said that she has the powers of illusion, mind-control, regeneration and flight. The issue with many of these powers such as flight is that Wonder Woman did not originally have them. She was created in 1941, but she needed the invisible plane as a motive for transportation. In the 1960s is when Princess Diana was gifted with her ability to fly by comic book creators. This is what makes each character unique and interesting: every superhero or villain does not remain static. He or she is ever-changing and growing; developing or losing powers, relationships and sometimes even their lives. It does not make me love the Amazonian princess any less; Wonder Woman will always have a special place in my heart until the upcoming movie ruins my feelings for her. My favorite comic is Wonder Woman: Earth One; the image above is from the comic’s cover.

1. Raven (New Earth)

Raven is most well-known from the original Teen Titans series on Cartoon Network. She is from the DC Universe and my personal favorite graphic comic of hers is New Earth. She is a half-demon and commonly described as grumpy and antisocial. Her personality is one that I have always empathized with and her place among heroes has made her question where she truly belongs. She has deep internal conflicts that she must fight and struggles within herself to find peace. The abilities and powers she possesses are telekinesis, teleportation and tele-empathy. She has a spell book and casts her famous line of, “Azarath Metrion Zinthos!”. Her most memorable power is her Soul-Self which is, if you have ever watched the original or Teen Titans Go!,when her eyes become black and a black vapor appears. This “vapor” is, in fact, the soul and it can manipulate itself into different objects; it fights physically and acts as a shield. Raven’s story is quite a lengthy one, but to vaguely describe it and avoid spoilers: she has a prophecy that she is trying to avoid and she must always mentally and emotionally conquer her demon side. Her characteristics, personality and powers have always made her my favorite and well-relatable heroine. If you have not done so, please watch the original Teen Titans or read this comic!