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

10. Gamora – Guardians of the Galaxy

Who plays her: Zoe Saldana

Powers/Abilities: Superhuman strength and agility, faster healing abilities

Why she’s so empowering: Gamora isn’t the most traditional superhero. In fact, there are many others people will think of before her but that’s part of the reason she deserves to be in the top 10.

First coming to our screens in 2014 in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 1, not many knew what to expect. Those who had read the comics knew more, but even then, would this incarnation of her be the same?

What we got was a flawed superhero who wants the best for the world – and the galaxy. As the adopted daughter of Thanos, we immediately held back on liking her. After all, she was raised to be a living weapon and expertly trained to ensure she could take down almost anything in the galaxy. However, she chose a path of good.

When everything was against her, Gamora wanted a path of redemption. She joined with Quill and the others to help protect the world from her father. And when it came to it, she was willing to sacrifice herself to keep the world safe.

Little did any of us know that she would be the key to Thanos’ success. His love for her overpowered everything and she was sacrificed but not for the reasons we wanted.

It was Gamora’s inner strength that made her so empowering. Of course, she was physically strong and capable, but she was also independent and focused on her mission. She used her training for the greater good, showing that there is a sense of nature in the “nurture vs. nature” argument.