And, I'll be honest, "Agents of SHIELD"'s Agent May (Ming-Na Wen) really came to mind while reading this.
Actually, it's not the kicking (makes a certain measure of sense, given disparities in body strengths) as the rest of the package. The (literally) kick-ass female action hero is a much better stereotype than the damsel-in-distress or ditzy-blonde, but it is still a stereotype.
(h/t +Daniel Swensen)
(One can, of course, comment on the male stereotypes in the action-adventure team — the wise-ass, the psycho killer, the hard-shelled hero, straight-laced orders-follower, the nerdy techno-geek, the grizzled vet, the callow newbie, the untrustworthy outsider, etc. — but it's at least a broader array of stereotypes than what women get to do.)
(It also occurs to me that one of my own written characters, Chrys Donne, has mighty kicking powers. But she throws a mean punch, too.)
As the Token Female Member of This Action-Adventure Team, My Job is to Kick.
I wear black leather pants. I wear spike-heeled boots. When I kick, I pivot like a Goth ballerina and drive a heel into a villain’s face.
But …
I did notice that Yvonne Craig did a lot of kicking as Batgirl. Gee, I wonder why.
Trying to recall if Mrs. Peel did much kicking, or if it was mainly judo throws and the occasional karate chop.