The 20 greatest women in the Marvel Cinematic Universe
By Mark Lynch
3. Madame Gao
This one may come as a shocker, but she’s been one of the most thorough people in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. While you have the crime bosses like Wilson Fisk, Cottonmouth, and Black Mariah, Madame Gao was leading and making moves behind the scenes. She understood that being in the spotlight was bad for business, a rule kept her alive and in charge longer than most. She was easily the calmest of the villains in any MCU project, never letting her emotions distract her from her real goal.
The seemingly frail woman was more powerful than anyone knew. She had a power that could knock over the biggest guys with a slight gesture from her hands, a power she saved for extreme circumstances or when she had to make a point. Gao was strong enough to take on Luke Cage by herself and hurt him, and bullets bounce off of Luke like pebbles.
Why she’s No. 3
More than anyone on this list, she’s exemplified what it means to be the best at what she does. Gao’s been alive longer than we know and has had her hands in more than just New York crime. Whenever she popped up on screen, something significant was going to happen. She will be missed.