20 Girl-Power Characters to Introduce to Your GeekGirl

This list immediately began forming when I was sitting next to two college girls on the subway. One girl was incredulous that the other had never seen 9 to 5. Overhearing this, I shared her incredulity. How can a young woman make it in this world if she lacks the historical and pop-culture awareness that only a screening of *9 to 5 *can bring?

Here are 20 characters that every geek girl should be introduced to before they leave for college, in order from characters you can introduce to young children to ones where you pretty much want to wait until they're college-bound. These characters all persevere against hardships of one form or another, and they all play a starring role (with apologies to fabulous supporting players like Hermione, Elastigirl, and Lisa Simpson).

1. Olivia - Whether on the page or the TV screen, this diva for the preschool set always dreams big, imagining herself in a wide array of fantasy situations to get through the nuisances of everyday life.

2. WordGirl - Designed as an educational superhero, WordGirl is hilarious, unafraid, and her big words are mightier than the villains' swords (or cuts of meat).

3. Kiki from Kiki's Delivery Service - At 13, Kiki is ready to strike out on her own, figuring out how to become a real witch (and quite an entrepreneur). See also: any other Miyazaki girl character.

4. The Powerpuff Girls - So adorable, yet so capable of kicking butt all over Townsville.

5. Pippi Longstocking - Who wouldn't want Pippi next door, with her horse, her monkey, and her world without limits?

6. Wonder Woman - Her Superfriends self is great for the younger kids, but save the awesomeness of the Lynda Carter twirl and the comic world for the older ones.

7. Nancy Drew - She's gone through many changes over her long history, but you can always count on Nancy's intelligence as she cracks the case. See also: Harriet the Spy.

8. Meg Murray from A Wrinkle in Time - An awkward heroine makes her way through a sci-fi world to save her family. What more do you need?

9. Daria - Daria is the perfect role model for coming up with intelligent zingers in the face of stupidity.

10. Buffy from Buffy The Vampire Slayer - I really don't have to explain the awesomeness of vampire slaying to GeekMom readers, right? Add Willow, Faith, and Anya and you've got a show every girl should see.

11. Billie Jean from The Legend of Billie Jean - Three words: fair is fair! (Note: this should be disqualified for the makeover-to-be-powerful, but it's too awesome not to include.)

12. Katniss Everdeen from The Hunger Games - Katniss is flawed, complex, rebellious, and powerful, and my need to root for her is what keeps me reading and rereading The Hunger Games trilogy.

13. Violet, Judy, and Doralee from 9 to 5 - Yes, they inspired this list, but they also overthrew a corrupt and sexist corporate structure to become the head honchos. See also: Murphy Brown, Mary Tyler Moore, and J.C. from Baby Boom.

14. Natalie, Dylan, and Alex from Charlie's Angels - I'm going to go with the McG movie version of the angels over the classic TV show, simply because of the angels' amazing action sequences. Bad taste in men, though.

15. Dana Scully from The X-Files - Always grounded in science and logic, Scully held her own against Mulder's ongoing conspiracy theories. See also: Temperance Brennan from Bones.

16. Charly from The Long Kiss Goodnight - Geena Davis blossoming from Samantha the schoolmarm to Charly the killer spy is nothing but fun to watch. (Note: this movie also gets the Billie Jean makeover exemption.)

17. Sydney Bristow from Alias - Sure, every episode is a makeover for Sidney, but the combination of her amazing ability to take on different personas with her fighting and technical abilities with her love of family and friends make her a complex character to be reckoned with.

18. Starbuck from Battlestar Galactica - The best thing they did when they revamped Battlestar Galactica is make Starbuck into a woman and put her at the very center of the path to Earth.

19. Beatrix Kiddo aka The Bride from Kill Bill: Vol. 1 and Kill Bill: Vol. 2 - Does anything say perseverance more than the relentless training Black Mamba endured that enabled her to punch her way out of a coffin buried six feet under? Plus, there's the unforgettable sword fight against O-Ren Ishii. See also: Jackie Brown and Shosanna from Inglorious Basterds.

20. Marge Gunderson from Fargo - My favorite movie character of all time, pregnant Marge is able to take down the über-violent bad guy single-handedly. Bonus points for her pregnancy having nothing to do with the movie's plot.

This is the list I can't wait to work my way through with my daughter (and my son, for that matter). Who am I missing? Who's on your list?