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

3. Jessica Jones – Jessica Jones

Who plays her: Krysten Ritter

Powers/Abilities: Superhuman strength and durability, skilled in combat, excellent detective skills.

Why she’s so empowering: Whatever the fate of Jessica Jones in the coming months/years, there’s no doubt that the titular character is one of the most empowering female superheroes to grace the small screen. She shows that despite everything going on, you can still do good. Your past doesn’t make you who you are, but it can contribute to growth and development in a good way.

Jessica’s story is one of tragedy. When she was a child, her parents were killed in a radioactive explosion, causing her superhuman abilities. After being adopted by the Jones family, she was ostracized by much of her class, but Peter Parker was there as a kindred spirit. Some of that story has been adapted and changed for the TV series, but it’s still important to show the type of woman this character has become.

One of the most empowering elements of the Netflix series is the post-traumatic stress disorder storyline. The majority of shows and movies struggle to tell PTSD storylines well. They fail in balancing storytelling with the true depiction of mental health, but Jessica Jones does that.

Jessica isn’t perfect, making her human. She has her faults and her mental health certainly contributes, but she doesn’t allow it to define who she is.

There are times that she’s definitely cold and distance. She can be your worst nightmare, but deep down, she’s a good person just trying to survive in a dark and dangerous world. After all, if she wasn’t, there’s no way she would have become the private detective she is.