2. Peggy Carter
There's a moment in Marvel's Captain America: The First Avenger when I knew I was going to love Agent Peggy Carter forever. When she inspects the new recruits, including a weak pre-serum Steve Rogers, one particularly gross soldier mocks her, saying: "Are we gonna wrestle? Because I got a few moves I know you'll like." Peggy then proceeds to knock him down literally and figuratively. No one else in the rest of the film questions her abilities after that. This moment demonstrates not only Peggy's toughness and professionalism, but it also shows the constant sexism she had to deal with as a woman in her position in the 1940s. The recent Marvel One-Shot: Agent Carter further illustrates this point, along with just how good she is at her work. While almost all of the women mentioned have moments in which they are not taken seriously, a huge part of Peggy's story is her struggle against sexism and the erroneous predetermined notions the men in her work environment have about her. What I particularly love about Peggy is how she uses these stereotypes against the very people perpetrating them. While her prim English accent, her perfect hair, lipstick, and heels distract them, she is gathering vital intelligence or straight up punching them out. She is a woman working in the military, but she still employs extremely feminine signifiers to demonstrate her difference from the men around her. Rather than making her weak or ineffectual, these only heighten her desire and ability to succeed in her field.