Do women in spy thrillers have to be Miss Moneypenny? Do superheroines have to be sexualized? And do femme fatales have to have hearts of gold? Michele Brittany (Spyfi & Superspies) discusses how Ed Brubaker's Velvet breaks the stereotypical spy story by leading with a strong female protagonist. Deanna Rodriguez (Texas State University) examines the letter pages of Captain Marvel to show that changing Carol Danvers' costume removes the power of the male gaze and empowers female readers. And Christine Ferguson explains why Catwoman's history as a sex worker doesn't mean, and shouldn't mean, she has to lose her edge.