BOOKS / SUPERHEROES – Five Amazing Female Super-Spies of Sci-Fi and Fantasy

Female super spies are awesome. This post is about five of them and I didn’t write it.

My wife Alesha Escobar, author of The Gray Tower Trilogy, knows a bit about female spies. The protagonist of her book is one.  

There are a lot of female spies in fiction but not very many are fantasy or sci-fi based. Today Alesha is going to share some of her favorites in these particular genres. This means Modestly Blaise  is not going to be on the list. 

Okay, that’s enough from me, here’s Alesha…

She will karate chop your mad scientist and out-magic your evil warlock. Science fiction and fantasy stories provide great settings for the mysterious and intriguing character of a spy. I’ve jotted down four of my favorite female spies in particular who’ve wowed me with their wit, courage, and bad-assery.

1. Agent Carter

Peggy Carter graced the pages of several Captain America comics.

She’s a skilled shooter, trained fighter, and had helped the French Resistance sabotage Nazis during WWII. I enjoyed her character in Captain America: The First Avenger.

She wasn’t a primping damsel in distress that needed Captain America to carry her away from battle. She fought the baddies alongside Captain and could match enemy combatants step-for-step.

I thought her Agent Carter One Shot (short) film was awesome and not too far off from some of the real life female spies of that era. I’ve already got my popcorn ready for her upcoming TV series, Marvel’s Agent Carter.

2. Black Widow (Natasha Romanova)

This biologically and psychologically enhanced super-spy can roll with the Avengers and S.H.I.E.L.D on any given day.

She’s got a team of scientists who supply her with gadgets like her Widow’s Bite bracelets (which deliver an energy blast) and her uniform’s synthetic fabric that allows her to cling to walls and ceilings.

What I find so fun about Black Widow’s character is that besides having to hold her own among superheroes, her best asset isn’t a forged weapon, but her mind.

She’s had a tough life that’s taught her to use her wits and ingenuity in order to survive (which is a must for the super-spy).

Whether it’s extracting vital information during an interrogation or obtaining secrets, Black Widow knows how to get the job done, and she does it with style!

3. Emma Peel

Mad scientists?

Who can resist?

Emma Peel is partner to fellow spy John Steed where they foil dangerous plots and encounter the bizarre.

What’s cool about Emma is that she’s a genius, awesome at chemistry, and an expert fencer. Many of us remember this character from the popular ’60s TV show.

Whether you’ve read the comics or watched the movies (I’ve seen the one with Uma Thurman as Emma), I just think there’s a part inside us girls that roots for being an accomplished woman and a super-cool spy that has to deal with mad science experiments and shady villains.

Or is that just me?

4. Sydney Bristow

I’m a huge ALIAS fan.

I once went on a show binge with my grandma.

It was epic.

To me, Sydney is the “emotional” spy, the one who reminds us that amidst a sweaty and painful fist fight, that there’s a girl who wants to go on a date or be able to tell her closest friends what she really does for a living.

I liked the turmoil, the romance, and I especially enjoyed the fringe science/paranormal bent when the show delved into Milo Rimbaldi and his Renaissance prophecies surrounding Sydney.

If you haven’t seen ALIAS, I will come to your house and berate you, and then I’ll sit with you and watch it with you, because I am a good friend like that.

5. Isabella George

This WWII-era female spy from my fantasy series, The Gray Tower Trilogy, is like Agent Carter with dangerous magic mixed in.

Isabella George is a trained wizard, a dropout from the prestigious but aloof Gray Tower, who agrees to aid British intelligence in one last mission before retiring.

She has to bring down a rogue alchemist who has whipped up a deadly plague for a secret Nazi experiment, and the cost of failure isn’t pretty.

She’s already got to deal with her cover being blown, outsmart a vampiric warlock who’s stalking her in order to steal her powers, and uncover the secrecy within her own past.

There are of course several more amazing characters who could be added to the list (please feel free to comment below with listing your favorite sci-fi/fantasy spies). I hope you enjoyed reading about some of my picks, and I’ll leave you with the exciting new book trailer for The Gray Tower Trilogy (with the spy Isabella George).

Also, don’t forget to support The Gray Tower Trilogy’s current Thunderclap campaign! I’ve joined forces with author Devorah Fox to bring you all a special fantasy book event. Your single click of support will be added to nearly 100 supporters who’ll spread the word.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hZGl7JnvnZY

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