14. Hermione Granger from J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter series.

It may have taken Ron Weasley three and a half years at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry to realize Hermione Granger is a girl, but we readers always loved her. We identify with her because, like us, she was raised by Muggles. Yet she has made herself invaluable to the magical world, from her school friends to the Order of the Phoenix. Snape calls her "an insufferable know-it-all," but Professor Lupin's less biased and more accurate assessment is that Hermione simply is "the cleverest witch" of her age.

Who else can solve a mystery while completely petrified, blackmail the leading Daily Prophet journalist, or organize subversive Defense Against the Dark Arts training under Dolores Umbridge's nose, all the while reminding us repeatedly of every footnote in Hogwarts: A History?

Face it: She's the brains of our favorite Hogwarts trio, and without her the other two would still be trying to figure out which is the working end of a wand.

But there's more to Hermione than grey matter or a prefect's badge. Just ask Bulgarian Seeker and Durmstrang Champion Viktor Krum. He could have had anyone as his date to the Yule Ball, but he chose "Herm-own-ninny," and a year later he's still her penpal.

As the climactic clash with the forces of Lord Vold — um, I mean, You-Know-Who — grows ever closer, it's good to know the wizarding world has loyal, outspoken, in-your-face witches like Hermione on its side. Everyone, including Draco Malfoy, had better stay out of her way. Go Gryffindor! [Amy]

13. Molly from Neuromancer

It should come as no surprise that the prototype for the current explosion of ass-whuppin' leather-clad sci-fi babes — Trinity from The Matrix, Aeryn Sun from Farscape, even Max from Dark Angel — was created by the man who invented their entire genre. William Gibson's seminal cyberpunk novel Neuromancer was ostensibly about burnout console cowboy Case, but Case would have been whacked messily inside the first couple of chapters if it weren't for Molly. Molly was a jacked-up, hard-wired, laconic, and very hot bodyguard hired to protect Case during his all-important cyberspace run.

Though she didn't get a lot of "screen time" (hey, it was Case's story, after all), we certainly liked what we saw. From snapping arms to threatening to beat up dickweed holographers to shooting old guys in the eye with neurotoxin darts, Molly kicked ass, the original cyberpunk babe.

She was so hardcore that her cool sunglasses were implanted directly into her face.

Let's see Max do that. [Kevin Pezzano]

12. The Powerpuff Girls

Most of the heroines on this list are of a . . . venerable vintage, shall we say, coming from our collective misspent youths. That only makes sense; we're all too aware of the heroines we were enamored of as we grew up, and those that had the strongest influence on heroines today. But what about the next generation? Who will be the heroines that today's youngsters will be enamored of and influenced by?

There can be only one answer: the Powerpuff Girls — smartie Blossom, cute Bubbles, and hardcore Buttercup, three kindergarten-aged girls with ultra-super-powers, defending the City of Townsville from various villainous supermonkeys, rampaging giant monsters, backwoods aliens, and even the Devil himself, all between homework and bedtime. And they do it without any help whatsoever (okay, so maybe they do get a bit of help with their homework sometimes, but that's it).

They were accidentally created by the brilliant scientist Professor Utonium, who was trying to create the perfect little girl in his lab (and the less said about that, the better), but their surprise entry into the world was the best thing that could have happened. Not just for Townsville, but for future fangirls (and, let's be honest here, fanboys too) the world over. The Powerpuff Girls aren't bimbos, or sidekicks, or love interests, or even eye candy. They're three ass-kicking little girls, who are fully capable of handling whatever life or megalomaniacal monkeys can throw at them. This makes them true role models for fangirls-in-training, who really don't need to be learning any lessons from T'Pol or Lara Croft or other "heroines" of that ilk. Sisters doin' it for themselves!

Plus, come on . . . they're kindergarteners with superpowers. That's just cool in anyone's book. [Kevin]

11. Dr. Zira from The Planet of the Apes

A zoologist (with a human specialty) and wife of controversial archaeologist Cornelius, Dr. Zira (as beautifully portrayed by Oscar-winner Kim Hunter) is the backbone of the two best films in The Planet of the Apes sequence. Her compassion and intelligence are a significant and important counter to the raging testosterone of the first film.

After her token and largely insignificant role in the disappointing Beneath the Planet of the Apes, Escape from the Planet of the Apes centers around Zira and Cornelius after they are transported to 20th century Earth (don't ask). In the 20th century, Zira and Cornelius become media stars, but not until after they are given tests by curious human scientists.

Zira delivers one of the few intentional laugh-out-loud moments of the entire series. She and Cornelius have yet to speak to the humans and the scientists are trying to determine the apes’ intelligence. From a top of their cage hangs a banana above several large blocks. Zira makes a pyramid and sits on its peak, but doesn't touch the easy-to-reach fruit. The confused scientists do not understand. Perhaps she is not hungry? Or does she not realize she can grab the banana? Finally, the frustrated Zira says her first words to the humans: “Because, I loathe bananas.” That scene with Zira stating the obvious and seeing the big picture sums up her role and personality. She is a woman who knows what she wants and likes.

Although an ape from a post-apocalyptic society, Zira is a significant and positive example of a modern woman. She is intelligent and knows her mind. Cornelius is clearly her partner and best friend. Throughout the first three films, the couple share in the decisions and dangers. Sadly, Escape would be her last appearance in the Ape pictures, and the later films suffer from this deficiency. But Zira's legacy lives on. She was the mother of the first great ape leader, Caesar. [Rick Klaw]

Continued in Part V!