10. She-Thing
Marvel ComicsSharon Ventura got a totally bum deal. For a brief spell she was a big part of the Fantastic Four comics, only for her to eventually drop off the radar and never be seen again. She didn't start as a female foil to the ever-lovin' blue eyed Ben Grimm, exactly; she did end up being endowed with super strength, inspired by The Thing's performances in the Unlimited Class Wrestling Federation (yes, that's a wrestling federation for Marvel superheroes and yes, it is as awesome as it sounds). Not content with just cheering him on from the side of the ring, she submitted to an experimental - and, as it turns out, totally illegal - treatment to augment her strength. Once she was done with all the nasty criminal business that came with becoming entangled with a supervillain like the Power Broker, Sharon joined the Fantastic Four, because at times their revolving membership policy would make Mark E Smith baulk. Unfortunately for her, a trip to space with The Thing saw her bombarded with the sort of cosmic rays that gave the FF their initial powers. Ben's second dose made his rocks go all spiky, whilst Sharon was transformed into a craggy monster herself, becoming a true She-Thing. Once she accepted her new form (following a, er, botched suicide attempt), she threw herself into being a member of the Fantastic Four and a romantic interest for The Thing. Sharon's final form, though not particularly original - as acknowledged by her frequent scraps with fellow male hero-inspired She-Hulk - was actually really cool, a both figuratively and literally strong addition to a team whose only other female presence was Sue Storm, who was alternately treated as either a demure housewife type or a sex object (
this was Sue's costume around this time). Despite a tragic origin and romance with Ben Grimm, Sharon was eventually dropped from the team and comics entirely, only resurfacing over a decade later in a storyline where her very existence was a joke. Shame.
