By Jim Beard
Send a woman to do a man's job? If she's a Lady Liberator—sure!
Four gorgeous gals hardly seem enough to stop an immovable object like the Red Hulk, but when said "gals" answer to the names of She-Hulk, the Invisible Woman, Thundra, and Valkyrie, well, it's anybody's guess at how it'll go down.
HULK #7, by Jeph Loeb, Art Adams and Frank Cho, and out October 22, aims to tighten up that speculation as the brand-new Lady Liberators see if the Red Hulk'll dare to hit a girl—or four. If that's not liberating enough for you, the Ladies also kick some major butt in SHE-HULK #34, by Peter David and Vincenzo Cucca and also due on October 22!
As with many a Mighty Marvel moniker, the Lady Liberators name possesses a bit of history. First appearing in 1970's AVENGERS #83, the Libs' initial roll call consisted of Valkyrie, the Scarlet Witch, Medusa, the Black Widow, and the winsome Wasp. With a battle cry of "Up against the wall, male chauvinist pigs!" they brought the so-called "battle of the sexes" to Earth's Mightiest Heroes—in spades.
How do today's Lady Liberators stack up? Do they have the chops to work better as a team than their predecessors? We asked SHE-HULK scribe Peter David to join us in exploring the organizational pros and cons of these lovely ladies!
She-Hulk
Cousin to the original Hulk, attorney Jennifer Walters' irradiated blood makes her a Hulk of a different stripe than Bruce Banner. Powerful in personality as well as muscle, this former member of both the Avengers and the Fantastic Four's a heroine without peer.
PRO: "A natural leader and the one whose vision and determination has forged the bond bringing the women together," notes David.
CON: "Because she's been burned by those whom she trusted, she tends to play things close to the vest, not always telling her allies everything they should know."
Invisible Woman
The premiere female hero of the Marvel Universe, Susan Richards possesses the incredible powers of invisibility and force field projection. As a founding member of the Fantastic Four, the Invisible Woman's smart, savvy, and a model for all other super heroines.
PRO: "The most experienced in the group when it comes to the world of super heroing," reminds David. "A mother figure and peacemaker with considerable resources."
CON: "Because of that long experience, her impulse will be to take charge of situations and possibly step on She-Hulk's toes."
Thundra
A genetically-enhanced Femizon from an alternate future Earth, Thundra's gone toe-to-toe with the Thing—and won. Strongly believing in the inherent strength of women, she's adventured through time as one of the Frightful Four, a professional wrestler, and a mighty warrior with a heart of steel.
PRO: "A woman of boundless strength and unwavering loyalty," David promotes.
CON: "Her intense dislike and distrust of all men can make serve as a liability if circumstances necessitate an alliance with any males."
Valkyrie
Endowed with the powers of the greatest and strongest of the mythical Valkyrior, Samantha Parrington fights as a one-woman army against all who would oppose her. The spirit and strength of the original Valkyrie, Brunnhilde, enables her to bring a little old school battle to the challenges of today.
PRO: "An immortal warrior who is the best strategist in the group," touts David. "[Also] absolutely unflappable since she has literally seen it all."
CON: "Immortals are hard to predict."
Check out the dynamic debut of the all-new Lady Liberators in HULK #7 and SHE-HULK #34, both hitting shelves October 22. Word to the Red Hulk: don't you go underestimating these ladies! And catch the first appearance of the original Lady Liberators on Marvel Digital Comics Unlimited!
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