Strong Female Protagonist
Strong Female Protagonist is a dramatic superhero webcomic series written by Brennan Lee Mulligan and drawn by Lee Knox Ostertag. It ran online from 2012 to 2018.
The story follows Alison Green, a super-strong ex-superhero who retired from her teen role as Mega Girl. Now 21, she is a college student who fights for justice by protesting and volunteering. Her celebrity status makes it hard to connect with classmates, and her superhero past keeps affecting her life.
The series describes itself as the adventures of a young, middle-class American with super-strength, invincibility, and a crippling sense of social injustice.
It received praise and attention: Io9 named it one of the best new and short webcomics of 2012, noting its focus on real-world problems like social injustice and government issues. Ostertag’s art is highlighted for improving over time, and the world it depicts is made to feel ordinary yet extraordinary when superpowers appear. ComicsAlliance also praised the humor, characters, and fights, saying the story thoughtfully questions whether superheroes are really making a difference without becoming cynical. Green is portrayed as immediately likable, and her former teammates are shown as a range of people, not simply villains.
Strong Female Protagonist won the 2015 Autostraddle Favorite Webcomic — Serial award and has been recognized for exploring morality, relationships, and young adulthood through a strong female lead.
The series was collected into a book by Top Shelf Productions in November 2014 after a Kickstarter that raised over $60,000. A second book was funded by a 2017 Kickstarter, which raised more than $70,000.
In 2018, the comic went on hiatus as both creators pursued other projects.
This page was last edited on 2 February 2026, at 14:36 (CET).