They say that 'behind every brave man there has to be a brave woman' and for a superhero this is no different.But today's supporting women are strong and independent being more than just a helping hand to the hero who is trying to save the world.Helping this summer's heroes are some of cinema's biggest names including Maggie Gyllenhaal, Gwyneth Paltrow and Liv Tyler.
Rachel Dawes - The Dark Knight
Taking over from Katie Holmes, who appeared in 2005's batman Begins, Maggie Gyllenhaal's Rachel Dawes is a childhood friend of Bruce Wayne.As a lawyer at Gotham City's D.A. Office Rachel is committed to fighting crime in the city in the best way that she knows how, making an enemy of Mafia boss Carmine Falcone who wants her dead.Despite their mutual attraction Rachel tells Bruce that they cannot be together while he is leading this double life as Batman.
In The Dark Knight the character of Rachel returns as the live interest of new District Attorney Harvey Dent as well as coming face to face with The Joker.
Virginia 'Pepper' Potts - Iron Man
The character of Pepper Potts has been a supporting character in the Marvel Comic Iron Man since the 1960s.
Played by Gwyneth Paltrow, her first movie in four years, in the big screen adaptation of the comic Pepper is Stark's personal assistant who deals with Stark's everyday needs to getting rid of his one night stands.
having worked for Stark for a number of years she is perhaps one of the very few people that Stark actually trusts as he asks her to hack into his office computer to find the shipping records for Stark industries.
There's a romance angle to there relationship but Pepper resists the temptation to change their boo-assistant relationship.
Betty Ross - The Incredible Hulk
Betty Ross, played by Liv Tyler, is the longtime love interest of scientist Bruce Banner. As a scientist herself she is his key ally in trying to rid himself of The Hulk.
But The Hulk has placed a great strain on their relationship and Betty decides to put the past behind her leaving Bruce.
But Banner is pursued by the United States Army led by General 'Thunderbolt' Ross, Betty's father, and Betty once again finds that Bruce Banner is part of her life as she tries to protect him.
Marion Ravenwood - Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull
Marion Ravenwood, played by Karen Allen, first appeared in Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark in 1981.
Marion's father Dr. Abner Ravenwood was mentor to a young Indiana and it has been suggested that the pair embarked on an affair when Marion could have been as young as sixteen.
Jones tracks down the tough, self reliant woman years later in Nepal looking for an artifact her father found.
Together they go to recover the Ark of the Covenant, to stop it from falling into the hands of the Nazis.
By the end of Raider of the Lost Ark it is implied that they have rekindled their romance, but Marion does not appear in Temple of Doom.
After twenty seven years Allen will reprise the role of Marion in Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull.
FemaleFirst Helen Earnshaw