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By Jason Bourgeois
Have I mentioned how awesome redheads are lately? Of course I have, because what else would Grey Matters be about but the awesomeness of the awesomest hair colour of all?
But while I go on and on about redheads, I've never made the official, canonical list of them, so this month I give you the top ten comicbook redheads of all time!
Starting with an honourable mention of Jimmy Olsen. Yeah yeah, he's a guy, but still. He's Superman's pal, he's been around forever, and from him all other redheads have sprung. Or something. You can't have this list without at least giving a nod to the guy with the bowtie and the signal watch. Plus, he's cross-dressed often enough to be a honourary girl.
- Let's just get this one out of the way, right away. The Phoenix/Jean Grey. I dunno why, but everyone seems to think she'd be a lot higher on my list, but she's not THAT great. Sure, she is the embodiment and purest example of the fiery redhead, but what else is there to say about her? But still, she is one of the first redheads in comics that really hit it big, and paved the way for redhead rights, so she gets a spot on this list.
- Cheryl Blossom - This one probably needs some explanation. Over in the land of Riverdale, Archie has his two love interests, the good girl blonde Betty, and the mischief maker, the dark haired Veronica. At some point, someone decided that triangle needed a fourth point to really mix things up, what with Archie being pretty happy just chasing the two girls, so they dropped in the redheaded Cheryl. Now, she was even more of a bad girl than Veronica. Flirty, borderline sexual for the age group Archie comics aim for, and she really brought a whole new dynamic to the books whenever she appeared. But sadly, everyone wants to see the story of Archie and the two girls, so Cheryl is oft forgotten.
- Miss Martian - How do you not love Miss Martian? She's a white Martian death machine with a heart of gold, that wants to be better than her genetics. She's adorkable, nice, and the girl everyone would love to be friends with. So of course she gets erased with the continuity reboot.
- Red Sonja - Red is right in her name! How can I *not* include her? She's a total badass, can take on Conan, and is not afraid to walk around in a chainmail bikini through snowy mountains. Now that is awesome.
- Fairchild - Caitlin Fairchild mixes the rare combination of brains and brawn. She is the Wildstorm Universe's own version of the Beast, but less hairy, and easier on the eyes overall. She's a pretty face, but she's a big brain, and probably would have cured the common cold if she didn't end up making punchy instead. Nothing is more awesome than smarts.
- Mary Jane - The redhead that tied down Peter Parker, no matter what that OTHER redhead Mephisto might have to say about it! MJ helped humanise Spidey, gave him a ray of sunshine in his otherwise crappy life of "Parker luck" and gave hope to geeks everywhere that someday, they too could get the supermodel. So of course Marvel retconned their wedding out of existence.
- Kinetix - Oh, poor, forgotten Zoe Saugin. Much like Miss Martian, she was a bubbly bit of crimson joy in comicbooks. Unlike M'Gann, she was a bit more mischievous, a bit more ambitious, and that made her a bit of a unique voice amongst the sea of Legionnaires. Sadly, she was erased from history several reboots ago, and has yet to return in any sort of way. Leaving most of the Legion to be blonde, brunette, or black haired.
- Black Widow - The Avengers' token redhead, and she can kick all their asses. Cap? Better stay behind that shield. Hawkeye? Not enough arrows to stop her. Thor can call down all the rain he wants. Natasha is the bad-ass Russian spy the Black Widow who defected and came over to the red white and blue. Don't get in her way, or you'll encounter a fiery temper without the Phoenix. And she can kill you 13 different ways before you hit the ground.
- Batwoman - You know what's more awesome than a hot redhead? A hot redheaded lesbian. Kate Kane came on the scene a few years ago and caused a stir for her sexual orientation. This almost seems quaint now, since it is almost a complete non issue to the comics, and any relationship is mostly treated like any other relationship. Kate brings a new viewpoint to the batbooks, not just because of her lifestyle choices, but because of her upbringing. Bruce is well-trained, but Kate is a soldier, born and raised. Her "Alfred" is her father, a general, and the tone is just different enough to be a unique voice amongst the sea of pointy eared rodents in Gotham.
- Batgirl - But as awesome as Kate is, Babs is the awesomest redhead that ever did awesome. And it is LONG past time that DC got around to undoing 25 years of a mistake by getting her out of that wheelchair and back into the cowl. The DCU needed a redheaded caped crusader. That was a clear gap that needed filling, and they had a lack of female bat-characters to boot. She never flourished as Oracle, and she can truly grow as a character now that she's Batgirl again.
And as I wrap up for another month, let's not forget the awesomest redhead working in comics today, and for the past 20 year, Rob Liefeld! He changed the industry, and has done nothing but awesome since blasting onto the scene years ago!
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