1. A deliberately lighthearted superhero in defiance of the genre’s norm of seriousness, Squirrel Girl is perhaps the most original comic book creation since the Golden Age
Created by Will Murray and Steve Ditko, Squirrel Girl was designed as part of a conscious effort by Murray to escape from the traditionally self-serious superhero genre. A college student with the power to communicate with squirrels, heightened reflexes dubbed “squirrelgility”, superhuman strength that enables her to jump between trees with ease, and buck teeth capable of chewing through wood, the character is deliberately designed as a style parody of other superheroes. Despite this, Squirrel Girl is legitimately a powerful superhero, capable of besting Wolverine in single combat and rescuing Iron Man during her initial appearance.
A never-ending source of originality, randomness, and humor, Squirrel Girl is also equipped with a four foot tail in addition to carrying a utility belt for nuts – referred to as her “nut sacks” – to give as snacks to her non-human companions. Offering a surprisingly nuanced range of story-lines, including against major villains such as Doctor Doom, Squirrel Girl later becomes the nanny to the child of Luke Cage and Jessica Jones. In sharp contrast to the prevalent post-Nolan trend of superhero movies, tending towards gritty realism over light-hardheartedness, Squirrel Girl would be a breath of fresh air in an otherwise increasingly stale genre akin to the wondrous Deadpool adaptations.
