Two badass women come to the rescue!  First, Catwoman arrived early one morning, but somebody snagged the rock by the time the artist looped around our pod and revisited the bench.  Darn it! 

This photo is from the artist:

Catwoman is Batman’s lady superwoman friend.  A jewel thief from Gotham City, she steals jewels in order to survive.  (At least she does it in style!)  She learned martial arts and trained extensively to perfect her skills in cat burglary.  Her criminal activities are often tempered by a reluctant altruism, so she is an occasional ally to superhero Batman.  She regularly eludes capture by the Dark Knight and maintains a complicated, adversarial relationship with Batman that frequently turns flirtatious and occasionally, legitimately romantic.

Selina Kyle was the original and most widely known Catwoman and first appeared in Batman #1, in 1940.  Back then, she was known as “The Cat” and was an adversary of Batman.  She carried a whip during her high-stake thefts.  Modern writers have attributed her activities and costumed identity as a response to a history of abuse.

Since the 1990’s, Catwoman has been one of Batman’s most enduring love interests and has been featured in most media adaptations related to Batman. 

Next up on the Sun City Peachtree bench?  Wonder Woman!  A DC Comics superhero, the character first appeared in All Star Comics #8, in 1941.  I missed her, too, so here is the artist’s picture:

As a civilian, Wonder Woman is known as Diana Prince; but, when she is in her homeland, the island nation of Themyscira, her official title is Princess Diana of Themyscira.

The superwoman was created by the American psychologist and writer William Moulton Marston (pen name: Charles Marston) and artist Harry G. Peter, during World War II.  The character was initially depicted fighting Axis forces as well as an assortment of colorful supervillains.  Over time, though, her stories came to place greater emphasis on characters, deities, and monsters of Greek mythology.  Many stories depicted Wonder Woman freeing herself from bondage, which counterpointed the “damsel in distress” trope that was common in comics in the 1940’s.

Wonder Woman is a powerful and strong-willed woman who commands respect; and, she never backs down from a fight or a challenge.  What a badass!

If you want to watch a modern-day badass in action, check out Queen Latifah in The Equalizer on CBS.  She rocks!