So, not Catwoman.

[seriousfic]

I was just thinking. Given the underlying demonification of female sexuality that can run through the femme fatale archetype, wouldn't it be refreshing to have a female villain whose villainy not only stems from something other than her seductiveness (ironically, the last one I can think of is Lilith from Supernatural. Chiefly because she likes to inhabit the bodies of little girls), but whose move towards the Light Side is heralded by her becoming more open and comfortable with her sexuality.

Admittedly, I understand why most villainesses are femme fatales. It's a lot easier to make a seven foot two bruiser with a bad attitude intimidating as a physical threat than it is to do the same for a five foot four ballerina. But given how much media these days is about characters who, one way or another, have superpowers, that's just begging to be subverted. Plus, I'd really like a scene where the henchmen discuss villainess fashion.

"Does she always go into battle dressed in a skintight leather catsuit? Just the other day I saw her in jeans and a labcoat."

"No, it's only because she's laid a diabolical trap for Awesomeman."

"Is that why it's unzipped to the navel?"

"You catch on quick."

Comments

[angel-gidget.livejournal.com]

I can only thing of two examples, and none of 'em from epic adventure tales, I'm afraid.

School of Rock--The strict school principal gets a little girlier as Jack Black cracks her stressed-out shell.

Shrek--The scary dragon goes good and exerts her feminine wiles on an unsuspecting Donkey.

[mcity.livejournal.com]

I'm workin' on a novel-in a roundabout fashion every way like the Family Guy episode I just referenced-and an idea came to me for the second book; the female super-person carries a whip and wears tight, slinky black clothing on occasion.

When someone asks about it, she admits she has no intrest in that kinky stuff, but just looking the way she does reliably causes the baddies to vastly misjudge her threat level(in both directions), or assume she's one of them. She never actually uses the whip.

(While not Genre Savvy herself, she does hang around with two guys who are.)

a five foot four ballerina.

You write Sarah Connor fic, rememeber? I've seen you.

[seriousfic.livejournal.com]

When someone asks about it, she admits she has no intrest in that kinky stuff, but just looking the way she does reliably causes the baddies to vastly misjudge her threat level(in both directions), or assume she's one of them. She never actually uses the whip.

That's good, because a whip is a pretty crap weapon as far as weapons go. Even Indy prefers his revolver and fists.

You write Sarah Connor fic, rememeber? I've seen you.

Did you comment? There's no proof if you didn't comment!

[mcity.livejournal.com]

Exactly. They either assume she's really bad and shoot her, or really good, and give up. Since her primary power is shapeshifting, hilarity ensues.

Did you comment? There's no proof if you didn't comment!
Ah, the dreaded quantum fanfic.

[outtheairlock.livejournal.com]

Gah! I wish I could remember the exact quote, or at least the guy (a professional writer IIRC) who originally upchucked said quote. It was something along the lines of, No female villain can ever be taken seriously unless she's hot.

It really would be nice to see a female villain whose looks were completely irrelevant to her villainy. Won't be holding my breath though. :P

[v5-vendetta.livejournal.com]

Here's an idea. A female villain who is actually the complete picture of innocence. Other than being an unabashed criminal, she is completely and utterly "a good girl." She can barely drink soda, cigarette smoke near her makes her cough violently, and she turns into a puddle if a guy smiles at her in a nonthreatening fashion at all. More than a few less-than-scrupulous "heroes" have thought of what she'd be like if they could get her in bed and "unleash her hidden wild side," but that's unlikely to happen as a number of her villainous cohorts have taken up the role of her "overprotective older brothers," despite the fact that she could kick their asses easily. For all her capacity for cold-blooded violence and cutthroat self-advancement, she is really quite the innocent when it comes to how men and women relate to each other outside the battlefield of hero vs. villain or inter-villain politics.

And cue the "Romeo & Juliet" story, only not quite as stupid and pointless. The heroes send a neophyte, a newly promoted former sidekick to infiltrate the Black Rose's organization, figure out what sort of deadly scheme she's up to this time around, and drop a dime on her back to the heroes. Except, the longer this former sidekick spends in her company, the more conflicted he finds himself, because she's really, really sweet, for a lady who could kill someone in six different ways before even a minute passed, and he can't help but fall in love. Of course, when there are villainous "overprotective older brothers" on the scene . . . and a mission our "hero" is becoming less and less certain he wants to complete weighing down on him . . . will it end in marital bliss? Or in bloodshed?