The portrayal of female characters in comic books has been subjected to many controversies. When they started appearing in comic books back in the 1930s, they were mostly stereotyped and were given supporting character roles. However, over the years, the women's freedom movement has caught the fancy of comic book creators, who then made their female characters appear more lifelike and as potential leaders. Some of the best superheroes of our time are female. Deciding which one is the best, may be difficult, but you can make your own choice. Nellie the Nurse: Nellie the Nurse first appeared in comics in the 1940s. Her character was based on the good girl, bad girl categorization. She was depicted as a good looking woman, but naive. Her character was usually involved in fending off the romanticizing doctors and patients. Betty: Lovable and intelligent, and the girl-next-door Elizabeth "Betty" Cooper, is a fictional character of Archie Comics. Betty was created in 1941, her quintessential, 17-year-old, blonde haired won many hearts. Betty was shown as intelligent, sporty and a cheerleader, a character many girls could easily associate with. Veronica: With Betty around, Veronica's mention is inevitable. Veronica "Ronnie" (super rich) Lodge was created in April 1942. Her creator Bob Montana fashioned her after actress Veronica Lake and her rich, plenty of air image behind the political family, the Lodges. She is tall, slender with long, shiny, black hair, and plenty of designer wear for clothes. She and Betty are best friends, and are constantly shown vying for the attention of Archie Andrews. Wonder Woman: Wonder Woman is one of the most popular female superheroes of our time. She was created by William Moulton Marston in 1941 for DC Comics. She is shown as a highly intelligent woman, proficient in hand-to-hand combat and tactical warfare and a member of an all-female tribe of Amazon. She can talk to animals, and is seen fixing many wrongs right with her ideals of love, peace and sexual equality. Storm: Storm a.k.a Ororo Iqadi T'Challa was the first black female character published by Marvel Comics. She was created by writer Len Wein and artist Dave Cockrum in 1975, as a member of the X-Men group. She is currently the reigning queen of Wakanda, and now appears in many animated television series, video games, and live-action X-Men film series. Batwoman: Bob Kane and Sheldon Moldoff created Batwoman as a female counterpart to the superhero Batman. She was introduced as the wealthy, glamorous woman, Kathy, a love interest of Batman. Her role as a Batwoman was created as an alter ego for Katherine "Kathy" Kane. Her sexual preference brought her under attack from many conservatives. Lois Lane: A creation of writer Jerry Siegel and artist Joe Shuster for DC comics, Lois Lane iss the primary love interest of Superman. Her image has been depicted in varied fashion over the years. Earlier, she was shown as more of a frivolous character, metamorphosing as a tough-as-nails reporter for the Metropolis newspaper, The Daily Planet and an intellectual equal to Superman and his alter ego Clark Kent. Female characters in comic books were more or less projected as the image of women in the society, though some say it still remains largely stereotyped, either as a Ms. Goody or a Superwoman, but never the real portrayal. Whatever the argument, female characters in comic books have always remained as source of joy, and reading about them, a cherished childhood memory.