It’s not easy being a female supervillain. When you’re not dealing with the boys’ club that is arch-villainy, you’re probably placating the egos of your homicidal peers — and all while donning a form-fitting, sometimes-translucent negligee. This career path certainly isn’t for everyone, but it seems especially difficult for women.
From Fiona Volpe to Xenia Onatopp, of the fifty-some “villainous women” in the 007 films, for example, James Bond himself ensures most of the women stacked against him die (but not before sleeping with them). Others less committed to the causes of Evil survive by switching sides, like Goldfinger’s Pussy Galore and the eponymous villainess in Octopussy. And if the big leagues of fictional espionage and adventure struggle to represent women as capable villains, the young female antiheroes are a lost cause entirely. Take Jonny Quest’s Jade Jasmine. A freelance baddie in the truest sense, her skills include witty banter and an intimate knowledge of Race Bannon’s lips. The only things that make her more than an ingenue are her exotic genealogy and lusty spirit. These women are written through a 1950s/1960s male lens, and because of that, they are portrayed as wild and unpredictable — women who need (and want) to be tamed. While that might have been perfectly acceptable fifty years ago, it won’t suffice now.
So where is the modern female villainess? Dr. Girlfriend/Dr. Mrs. The Monarch (née Sheila) from The Venture Bros. brings something of a new meaning to the concept. The show, the oldest mainstay in Adult Swim’s current lineup, originated as a parody of Jonny Quest, but grew to be more about the failures of the adult heroes and villains. While both the Guild of Calamitous Intent (the baddies) and the Office of Secret Intelligence (good guys) are boys’ clubs, Dr. Girlfriend holds her own — and her gruff timbre, voiced by showrunner Doc Hammer, proves it. More than capable, she can hotwire a car or analyze biodata to create antidotes. Plus she’s a weapons expert when it comes to ray guns and defense shields, and a Trekkie to boot. Even more impressive, she’s a master of manipulation and negotiation, constantly finding loopholes in Guild doctrine. She’s so knowledgeable about Guild rules that she’s offered a prestigious position as a part of the Council of Thirteen, the Guild’s leadership body, in Season Five.
Yet she struggled as a lone villain working her way up the literally “evil” corporate ladder, until everyone’s favorite out-of-sight narcissist Phantom Limb extended her his number two spot. Although the pairing initially seemed ideal considering their past love life and student/teacher relationship, Phantom Limb underutilized her assets. Tired of playing second fiddle to a man with no visible arms, legs, or respect for her, Dr. Girlfriend is driven to make something of herself after meeting The Monarch, a vindictive, emotionally driven but relatively minor arch-villain. She both admires his passion for evil-doing and is drawn toward promises of a partnership that makes use of her skills. In “Shadowman 9: In the Cradle of Destiny”, she and The Monarch post-coitally discuss her plans for his cocoon ship, retractable wing costumes and the double entendre opportunities of his namesake. Swept up in the excitement of the moment, she falls for him, and, as she remarks in a later episode, “You can’t do better than a man you adore and who needs you.”
While her strengths are triple that of the bulk of her colleagues, she does acknowledge her weaknesses — unlike her male counterparts. She states that part of the reason she wasn’t able to relish her position as a single villain is that she’s too practical, and lacks the flair for the dramatic of other antagonists. Rather than be bitter about it, she embraces the opportunity to work with someone who loves and relies on her. Dr. Girlfriend is comfortable enough in her own skin that she can freely admit that she wants and needs a partner in villainy. The inflated egos of her male peers would never allow them to admit any shortcoming, especially one that would diminish their standing among other villains. Yet her strength of self, lack of ego, and honesty about who she is make her more robust and capable than all of them combined.
This season, Dr. Girlfriend (now Dr. Mrs. The Monarch) enjoys a new position on the Council of Thirteen, where she guides the course of villainy for all Guild supervillains. She’s already had to fight for respect in that community and with Monarch lying to her and Wide Wale putting his hands on her in meetings, that won’t stop anytime soon. But we believe in Sheila. While her relationship with The Monarch may have galvanized her into becoming the villainess she always wanted to be, perhaps it will be the end of that relationship that solidifies her standing among her peers. Either way, it’s exciting and satisfying to see a female villain who owns her faults, her talents, and herself.
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