20 Lesser-Known Female Superheroes

She-Hulk (Image via Marvel)

5. She-Hulk

If you’ve been looking for a little Law and Order flavor in your Marvel comics, then consider reading the latest issues of She-Hulk. Jennifer Walters, a highly skilled lawyer, happens to be the cousin of Dr. Bruce Banner, known better as the Hulk. Jennifer receives an emergency blood transfusion from Bruce, which somehow means that she acquires his powers. However, Jennifer at least manages to keep her intellectual and emotional control. So, she’s physically strong, bright green, and yet manages to stay a successful lawyer through most of her comics run.

At first, she transitions between her standard human appearance and the She-Hulk form. However, Jennifer eventually decides to live full-time as a green superpowered being. She-Hulk, after all, is strong and assertive where Jennifer was previously shy and small. Where Bruce Banner endlessly agonizes over his frequently uncontrollable affliction, Jennifer leans into it.

Oh, but don’t let yourself think that all the superhero-ing puts a damper on her legal career. She defends the civil rights of citizens, including minorities, mentally ill people, and even criminals (who, she argues, have as much a right to due process as anyone else). This doesn’t necessarily make things easy – watching her cousin get shot into space without due process was definitely a low point – but she powers on anyway.

Her ongoing series, She-Hulk (which started in 2014) is an especially fun and evocative vehicle for her character. Jennifer Walters is also now the star of the Hulk series (which debuted in December 2016), taking on the role after the apparent death of Bruce Banner.