Top 10 Underrated DC Female Superheroes

Though the character has certainly experienced a boost in popularity since her debut in 1964, we’ve still yet to reach peak Zatanna. With all the getup of your average magician but more abilities than you can pull out of a hat, Zatanna is often cited as being one of the most powerful magic wielders in the DC universe. Often depicted as fighting alongside the Justice League and Justice League Dark, Zatanna is honestly one of the few characters that can pull off membership with both, her skillset being both versatile and mystical. Though she’s appeared in a variety of media, she seems to finally be getting a well-deserved live-action movie written by Academy Award winner Emerald Fennell.

There are a lot of members of the Bat-Family, and even more if you consider all their various incarnations. But perhaps the most underserved is Batwoman. While pretty much everyone and their mom knows about Batgirl, Batwoman is a character with a rich history all her own, with the more recent Kate Kane version becoming perhaps the most definitive. Though conceptually she harkens to the Bat-people before her, Kate has embodied a critical role in LGBTQ+ representation, being arguably the most prominent lesbian superhero under the DC banner.

Though the gimmick behind this hot and cold duo may be a little on the nose, they make for quite the memorable pairing all the same. Fire being a Brazilian superspy in certain iterations and Ice being a Norse princess in others, one can easily see how these elemental opposites might contrast and complement each other in personalities as well as powers. The two even play into that duality, going so far as to rename themselves from Green Flame and Icemaiden, respectively. You know, because superhero branding and all that. In any case, it’s worked on us, too, as we’d kill to see a more substantial team-up from the duo.

#7: Black Canary

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Top 10 Black DC Superheroes

Much like Zatanna, Black Canary is a character that’s become even more popular in recent years, but we’d argue that the mainstream could still recognize just how awesome she truly is. Possessing the ability to emit a sonic screech - what’s referred to as the Canary cry - she pretty much has a corner on the market of what is already an underutilized superpower. Though she’s rightfully served as a member of the Justice League, her biggest claim to fame probably comes from her spearheading the Birds of Prey, a team chock full of underrated superheroines. The character made her live-action feature film debut in the “Birds of Prey” movie where she was played by Jurnee Smollett, who will reportedly reprise her role in a solo movie.

It’s only fitting that the wife of one of the most underrated male DC superheroes would also be one of the most underrated female ones. Though we could probably go super in-depth with Aquaman - no pun intended - Queen Mera of Atlantis is quite the deep character, herself - no pun intended. Though possessing much of the same skills as Aquaman, such as hydrokinesis, her unique personality and mental fortitude give her a fascinating dynamic all her own.

A character who can inhabit the traits of any animal without physically becoming that animal is a pretty ‘80s concept if we’ve ever seen one, but we’ll be damned if it doesn’t make for a pretty awesome superhero in the form of Vixen. The daughter of an African priest, Mari Jiwe McCabe eventually comes into the possession of the mystical Tantu Totem, which imbues its wielder with the aforementioned powers. From there, Mari uses the totem to fight crime as Vixen. Though she’s enjoyed a lengthy comic run as a member of the JLA, most audiences will recognize her from her appearances in the Arrowverse. She led her own animated web series and appeared on “Arrow”. Mari’s grandmother Amaya also had a substantial role as another Vixen on “Legends of Tomorrow.”"

#4: Naomi

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Naomi: The Comic Book Origin Story

A lot of people are understandably unfamiliar with this burgeoning superhero, but that’s gonna change. Debuting in her own comic series in 2019, Naomi, also known as Powerhouse, derives her powers from parents that were exposed to radioactive energy following the depletion of the ozone layer - which is a cool enough origin as it is. Inheriting that energy, Naomi is able to expel it at powerful rates, essentially granting her super strength and the ability to fly. Though it’s clear the best of Naomi is yet to come as a member of both Young Justice and the Justice League, she’ll likely shine even brighter in her own live-action CW series, which is developed by Oscar nominee Ava DuVernay and set to debut in January 2022.

Now here’s a character who’s been overshadowed on multiple fronts. Though numerous retcons created a myriad of different versions, Donna Troy is best known as the Amazonian who goes by the alter ego Wonder Girl. We bet you can guess who she played second fiddle to. Furthermore, her successor as Wonder Girl, Cassie Sandsmark, has arguably had a more successful run free of conflicting incarnations, but we’d argue that the pendulum is shifting back to Donna for her time to shine. Indeed, her inclusion on the live-action “Titans” series has brought the character back into the limelight, with her portrayal being widely praised. Well it’s about time.

Another superhero that’s seen multiple people take up the moniker, Huntress is another character whose stock is definitely rising, though not quite at its full potential. Though with no inherent superpowers of her own, Huntress makes up for it with good, old-fashioned athleticism and marksmanship. Unlike Wonder Girl, it isn’t Huntress’s first incarnation that’s the strongest, or even the second, but the third, this time in the form of Helena Bertinelli, a mafia daughter devoted to ending the organization. Though we’d understand the takeaway of her live-action film debut being the somewhat titular Harley Quinn, Mary Elizabeth Winstead’s hilariously straight-laced take in “Birds of Prey” was a standout portrayal all its own. Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions. Phantom Girl This Otherworldly Superhero Has the Power of Intangibility Black Orchid A Pseudo Hero Version of Poison Ivy? Yes, Please! Crimson Fox Another Character With Animal-Like Abilities Emiko Queen Green Arrow’s Half-Sister Is Quite the Archer Herself Zealot Easily One of the Best Characters Under the WildStorm Banner

#1: Big Barda

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Top 20 Underrated DC Characters

Sometimes, the biggest storylines elicit the biggest characters, and Big Barda is no exception. One of the New Gods, Big Barda originated on Apokolips, the homeworld of ultimate DC baddie Darkseid. Barda fell in love with and married Darkseid’s adopted son Scott Free, better known as Mister Miracle, with whom she tried to settle down with on Earth, “tried” being the operative word. Though often in the shadow of Mister Miracle, Barda remains one of the most underserved female heroes, her various adventures with the JLA being endlessly entertaining. We remain optimistic that Barda will have her time to shine yet.