Most powerful female in DC...

[Phoenixx9]

How strong is Barda supposed to be? She's usually depicted as being about equal to Diana, if only in warrior training.

Barda does have hundreds of years of warrior training. Strength-wise, I place her about Donna Troy level.

[cj619]

Powerful in Strength:
1. Wonder Woman
2. Supergirl
3. Power Girl
4. Big Barda
5. Crush
6. Donna Troy
7. Fury
8. Giganta

Powerful in Energy Output:
1. Miss America/Cosmos
2. Secret
3. Enchantress - June Moon
4. Lady Quark
5. Lady Lunar
6. Aquawoman - Marella
7. Mera
8. Jade

[Sacred Knight]

Considering she's Kryptonian, all things being equal, Power Girl being an adult should probably be more powerful than Diana. Superman is so why would a veteran hero like Karen not be? Supergirl I put below only because she's younger and they can use inexperience comparatively there. But whether Karen's even around or not varies these days. So that being off the table, its easily Diana #1.

[joebleau]

Wonder Woman 2006 serie number 41.


And Maxima should be in this short list too

[Phoenixx9]

Considering she's Kryptonian, all things being equal, Power Girl being an adult should probably be more powerful than Diana. Superman is so why would a veteran hero like Karen not be? Supergirl I put below only because she's younger and they can use inexperience comparatively there. But whether Karen's even around or not varies these days. So that being off the table, its easily Diana #1.

Naw. Wonder Woman is up there with Superman and is stronger than Power Girl, adult or not.

[Sacred Knight]

But the question would be why? Again, PG is basically just a female Superman. Similar age, similar experience level. And Superman is more powerful than Wonder Woman. Yes she's up there in his level but he's still more powerful, according to DC since forever. So why wouldn't Karen be? The internal logic doesn't make sense is all, unless they spun it that Kryptonians from her Earth aren't as powerful as Kryptonians from Superman's. And maybe they have, I'm not an expert in that arena. PG was mostly a JSA player in my heyday and I'm not a big JSA guy. I mean hey, I'm fine with WW being the most powerful, she's my favorite female hero, but its just me trying to make that internal logic fit (which I know can be a fool's errand in comics most times, but what can I say?)

[Flash Gordon]

Wonder Woman

(But you do not want to talk any **** to Mera, that's for sure)

[Phoenixx9]

But the question would be why? Again, PG is basically just a female Superman. Similar age, similar experience level. And Superman is more powerful than Wonder Woman. Yes she's up there in his level but he's still more powerful, according to DC since forever. So why wouldn't Karen be? The internal logic doesn't make sense is all, unless they spun it that Kryptonians from her Earth aren't as powerful as Kryptonians from Superman's. And maybe they have, I'm not an expert in that arena. PG was mostly a JSA player in my heyday and I'm not a big JSA guy. I mean hey, I'm fine with WW being the most powerful, she's my favorite female hero, but its just me trying to make that internal logic fit (which I know can be a fool's errand in comics most times, but what can I say?)

Because not all Kryptonians are at Superman level. There is no "female Superman"; neither Supergirl nor power girl is a Superman (not at his level at all).

Zod is close to Superman but under him, as is Ursa, a very powerful female Kryptonian with combat training and I remember Wonder Woman handling them both quite fine.

[WonderLight789]

There have been a few. And at least one Diana didn't win. And that one where Diana won, but suggested in her inner monologue that PG is at least as strong as her, (Diana herself), and possibly stronger.

In Post Crisis they only fought once as far as i remember, and Diana won. And Diana never say PG was stronger than her in the simone run where they fought.

[WonderLight789]

I can see Wonder Woman besting Power Girl with skill and strategy, but I always thought of Power Girl as more powerful.

I think WW is more powerful. Her feats aren't lacking compared to PG's feats.

[Sacred Knight]

Because not all Kryptonians are at Superman level. There is no "female Superman"; neither Supergirl nor power girl is a Superman (not at his level at all).

Zod is close to Superman but under him, as is Ursa, a very powerful female Kryptonian with combat training and I remember Wonder Woman handling them both quite fine.

Why would one Kryptonian from the same Earth under the same conditions not develop like another? That's never really made much sense. Whatever the rules are for Superman, should be the rule for any Kryptonian outside of a detailed explanation as to how there could be differences between individuals. I know at one time Superman developed his powers slowly as he charged, but that seems more or less out as a concept today.

And its untrue that PG and Supergirl aren't at Superman's level at all. They should and usually are right there. Especially Kara. Hell, while I don't subscribe to it, sometimes they try and boast Kara as being more powerful than Superman himself. Again, not something I support as it makes no sense (the same argument as above just reversed) but its an example of DC not going with the idea that at the least Kara isn't anywhere close to his level.

[Ascended]

Well, how are we defining "powerful?"

Diana's the strongest, and Power Girl and Supergirl are in that conversation as well, though they lack the feats to equal Diana.

Zatanna is probably the most all-around powerful, because "magic."

Granny Goddness, like all New Gods when written correctly, puts to shame all earth-based creatures and mortals.

Kismet is a literal manifestation of cosmic forces and universal law.

[Phoenixx9]

Why would one Kryptonian from the same Earth under the same conditions not develop like another? That's never really made much sense. Whatever the rules are for Superman, should be the rule for any Kryptonian outside of a detailed explanation as to how there could be differences between individuals. I know at one time Superman developed his powers slowly as he charged, but that seems more or less out as a concept today.

And its untrue that PG and Supergirl aren't at Superman's level at all. They should and usually are right there. Especially Kara. Hell, while I don't subscribe to it, sometimes they try and boast Kara as being more powerful than Superman himself. Again, not something I support as it makes no sense (the same argument as above just reversed) but its an example of DC not going with the idea that at the least Kara isn't anywhere close to his level.

That whole "Supergirl is stronger than Superman" thing has been explained 100 times now by DC as Supergirl having no self-control to control herself, so she just cuts loose always at full power, while Superman has self control and usually holds back, except at those times when he can and must go all out. This can lead some to assume supergirl is stronger than Superman, when in truth, she is not.

[WonderLight789]

Why would one Kryptonian from the same Earth under the same conditions not develop like another? That's never really made much sense. Whatever the rules are for Superman, should be the rule for any Kryptonian outside of a detailed explanation as to how there could be differences between individuals. I know at one time Superman developed his powers slowly as he charged, but that seems more or less out as a concept today.

And its untrue that PG and Supergirl aren't at Superman's level at all. They should and usually are right there. Especially Kara. Hell, while I don't subscribe to it, sometimes they try and boast Kara as being more powerful than Superman himself. Again, not something I support as it makes no sense (the same argument as above just reversed) but its an example of DC not going with the idea that at the least Kara isn't anywhere close to his level.

The same reason why not all amazons were at Diana's level in Golden Age, when all amazons had the potential to be as powerful as Diana or more.

I can agree with your notion that PG and SG are in SM's ballpark, but so is WW.

[seismic-2]

The same reason why not all amazons were at Diana's level in Golden Age, when all amazons had the potential to be as powerful as Diana or more.

Diana should be the most powerful Golden Age Amazon, because she was the one true, "pure" Amazon. All other Amazons were born of male-female coupling. Diana was created from the clay of Paradise Island itself, crafted by the Amazon Queen and given life by Zeus. She is uncontaminated by man's world. She is the uber-Amazon.