Captain Marvel and the 25 most empowering female superheroes of all-time

16. Polaris – The Gifted

Who plays her: Emma Dumont

Powers/Abilities: Electromagnetic manipulation and flight

Why she’s so empowering: The Gifted delivered us a female superhero to follow for a mixture of good and bad reasons. Polaris, also known as Lorna Dane, is the daughter of Magneto (some of the time, anyway, depending on the comic/iteration) and has an affiliation with a number of different organizations.

All she wants is a world that’s safe for mutants. Fed up of the hatred against her kind, she just wants to live in peace. That doesn’t mean she wants humans gone, but there are times that she will side with the wrong people to get her way, like the Inner Circle. Yet, at the end of the day, Polaris will always attempt to do the right thing.

That can include giving up her daughter. Knowing that she could never keep her daughter safe, she leaves her with her aunt. Hidden from other mutants, she knows that there’s a chance her daughter will grow up good and loved, even if her daughter hates her.

It’s sometimes hard to find a positive in flaws, but Polaris is one that is empowering. She shows that it’s okay to want something so badly that you’re willing to make sacrifices. We also see that mistakes can happen and it’s what you do afterward – that redemption storyline.

This is a character that reminds young girls and women to be true to themselves. That you can love – it doesn’t make you weak. In fact, love can make you the strongest person in the world.