Favorite Fictional Females Countdown #3: Captain Kathryn Janeway

Beam on in to the cafe and have cup of coffee, black, in honor of the stellar number 3 on the countdown, Captain Kathryn Janeway.




Name: Kathryn Janeway
Rank: Captain (later, Admiral)
Played by: Kate Mulgrew
Special Skills: Captain Janeway has intelligence, scientific knowledge, strategic abilities, and diplomatic skills in spades. These skills help Janeway keep her crew together (with remarkably few fatalities) throughout their journey home. Janeway also has a distinctly commanding presence and great skills as a leader. Both of these things help Janeway lead her crew through the long journey.
Why She Rocks: Of course, she is the FIRST FEMALE STAR TREK CAPTAIN EVER (in a serires, at least), so that gives her major points. But it isn't just that fact that she broke the gender barrier - she's also the best captain of them all (yes, I said it. I know the Kirk and Picard supporters will be screaming in outrage, but I stand by my opinion). Let's put it this way: If all the Star Trek captains had a winner take all, no-holds-barred fight, Janeway would wipe the floor with all of them. She combines sharp intellect with the gut instincts of a natural leader, the rational, skeptical thinking of a scientist, and fierce determination to get her crew home. Janeway is not one to second-guess herself. She is confident, strong, and determined, but she is also compassionate and caring especially when it comes to her crew. These last two traits are particularly important because Janeway is in the unique position of captaining an isolated crew that must work together and turn to one another for support and friendship. Other captains might not be up to turning a crew into a family, but Janeway is.
Of course, Janeway's awesomeness is not confined to her intellectual or emotional abilities. No, Janeway can definitely kick some ass when she needs to. Just watch the episode "Macrocosm" if you don't believe me. And Janeway's authoritative, commanding presence cannot be denied. The fact that she is able to communicate that commanding presence while still maintaining her femininity makes it even better. So what if she is a petite woman with soft blonde/brown hair? Janeway proves that women can be tough and authoritative too. There is not a moment on Voyager when it is not absolutely clear that Captain Kathryn Janeway is in charge, period.

My favorite Janeway moment, which also happens to illustrate my last point nicely - unfortunately, I don't know what episode it's from: Janeway is on the bridge, and a conversation via viewscreen with a hostile alien has just ended badly - the alien essentially hung up on the captain (baaaad move). A battle is imminent, but Janeway keeps her cool. She glares at the screen, then turns, walks in a slow, controlled manner back to her chair, and sits down very composedly. The entire bridge is silent. Then: "Battlestations." Instant action. The hostile aliens won't know what hit them. THAT is the power of Janeway, my friends.

Check out some kickass Janeway clips right here:



And this one is just for fun - it's all about the many hairstyles of Kathryn Janeway: