FEMME FORCE
Membership: Agent 7, Agent 12, Agent 22, Sharon Carter, Valentina de la Fontaine
Purpose: To provide equal opportunities for female agents in S.H.I.E.L.D.
Affiliations: Captain America (Steve Rogers), the Falcon (Sam Wilson), S.H.I.E.L.D. (Dum Dum Dugan, Nick Fury, Eric Koenig), the U.S. President, U.S. Vice-President and U.S. Secretary of Defense
Enemies: Hydra (Kingpin/Wilson Fisk, Red Skull/Johann Schmidt, Supreme Hydra/Richard Fisk), the fifth Sleeper, the Viper
(mistakenly) Black Widow (Nastasha Romanoff), Spider-Man (Peter Parker)
Aliases: S.H.I.E.L.D. Strike Force
Base of Operations: Barracks aboard the S.H.I.E.L.D. Helicarrier, mobile in USA
First Appearance: Captain America I#144 (December, 1971)
History:
(Captain America I#144) - Femme Force was formed with Sharon Carter as its leader and Valentina de la Fontaine as second-in-command. They were given a demonstration over a video feed being observed by the U.S. President, U.S. Vice-President, U.S. Secretary of Defense and other officials from the Pentagon, in order to secure funding for them. To demonstrate their abilities, a squad dubbed "Femme Force One" were pit against a team of LMDs dressed as Hydra agents, assisting Captain America, Nick Fury and other agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. in the demonstration. Most of Femme Force (including Valentina de la Fontaine) flew upon the scene riding Floaters. They fired their pistols at the Hydra LMDs and when Sharon placed one of the LMDs into a hold she quipped, "If this doesn't make you a believer in the Women's Lib Movement... I don't know what will!" With the demonstration complete, Nick Fury asked the President what he thought. The President insisted he'd have to have a discussion with the Pentagon. After their call ended, the Secretary of Defense opined they should "certainly consider" funding for Femme Force.
(Captain America I#145) - Nick Fury summoned Femme Force for an assignment. As Sharon Carter was later, Valentina de la Fontaine assumed responsibility for the team. Fury was upset by Sharon's absence and when she arrived he berated her; Sharon accused Valentina of leaving ahead of schedule to show her up in front of Fury. Fury held a briefing with Femme Force, Dum Dum Dugan and Captain America, telling them S.H.I.E.L.D.'s enemies Hydra were operating in Las Vegas, Nevada. Claiming Femme Force was the only fully-trained unit he could spare, Fury ordered them and Captain America to invade Hydra's stronghold. Femme Force departed from the Helicarrier aboard a jet piloted by Eric Koenig.
On their way to Las Vegas, the S.H.I.E.L.D. jet was attacked by Hydra, who attached a boarding craft to the jet. Aboard the jet, Agent 22 proved to be a double agent working for Hydra and helped her fellow Hydra agents board the jet. Although Femme Force's agents didn't have their weapons they joined Captain America against the Hydra agents, but one Hydra agent knocked out Eric Koenig at the controls, causing the jet to dive. When a Hydra agent tried to shoot Captain America, Sharon leapt in front of him and was badly injured.
(Captain America I#146) - The rest of Femme Force defeated the Hydra agents and Captain America helped Koenig revive and pull the jet from its dive. Now armed with their guns, Femme Force took the Hydra agents prisoner as they landed at Nellis Air Base, Nevada. Sharon was brought to a hospital but Hydra agents abducted her from there, hoping to bait Captain America into a trap. When Captain America went to rescue Sharon, Val led Femme Force to follow him, using jetpacks so they could observe him from a distance. Femme Force followed Captain America as a Hydra craft brought him to their base; Femme Force burst into the base and joined Captain America in fighting Hydra.
(Captain America I#147) - The Supreme Hydra attempted to kill Sharon by electrocuting her; although she received a bad electrical shock before Captain America could wreck Hydra's machine, it only served to help revive her. When Val saw the Supreme Hydra trying to escape she ordered Agents 12 and 7 to follow him but Captain America insisted on giving chase himself. Femme Force successfully captured the Hydra base and its agents.
(Captain America I#148) - The Supreme Hydra proved to be Richard Fisk, working with his father the Kingpin to run Hydra, but when they discovered the true power behind them was the Red Skull they cooperated with S.H.I.E.L.D. to stop the fifth Sleeper the Red Skull had summoned to destroy Las Vegas. The Falcon contacted Val at the captured Hydra base and told her to let their captives go as all of Femme Force was needed to stop the Sleeper. Val ordered Sharon to sit out the fight while she recovered but Sharon insisted on resuming command of Femme Force. Although Femme Force was unable to damage the fifth Sleeper, Captain America and the Falcon boarded the robot and destroyed its control center, causing it to explode.
(Marvel Team-Up I#82) - Now called the S.H.I.E.L.D. Strike Force, Val de la Fontaine and seven other female agents were placed under the Viper's mind control and sent in pursuit of the Black Widow. Finding her defended by Spider-Man, the agents fought both heroes. The Black Widow knocked out all four agents but then Nick Fury arrived and fired a stun blast at both heroes that knocked them out.
Comments: Created by Gary Friedrich and John Romita.
In their debut, Femme Force were observed by President Nixon, Vice-President Agnew and Secretary of Defense Laird, but those are topical references.
Compared to the Liberators, Femme Force is not the most cringey use of "women's lib" in super hero comics.
In Captain America I#217, Nick Fury suggested Vamp should use the alias "Femme Force" but she rejected it. Fury was probably trying to maintain S.H.I.E.L.D.'s trademark on the name.
Profile by Prime Eternal.
CLARIFICATIONS:
Femme Force should not be confused with:
Agent 22 was an agent of Hydra who was sent to infiltrate S.H.I.E.L.D. She was a founding member of Femme Force. When Femme Force was sent aboard a jet to Las Vegas to combat Hydra, Agent 22 opened the cabin's door to a squad of Hydra agents who boarded the craft. Captain America tackled Agent 22, wondering whether she was making a mistake or working for Hydra; Agent 22 affirmed the latter by declaring, "Hail Hydra!"
--Captain America I#145
images: (without ads)
Captain America I#144, page 7, panel 1 (main)
Captain America I#144, page 6, panel 4 (supplement)
Captain America I#145, page 10, panel 4 (Agent 22)
Appearances:
Captain America I#144 (December, 1971) - Gary Friedrich (writer), John Romita (artist), Stan Lee (editor)
Captain America I#145 (January, 1972) - Gary Friedrich (writer), Gil Kane (breakdowns), John Romita (finishes), Stan Lee (editor)
Captain America I#146 (February, 1972) - Gary Friedrich (writer), Sal Buscema (penciler), John Verpoorten (inker), Stan Lee (editor)
Captain America I#147 (March, 1972) - Gary Friedrich (writer), Sal Buscema (penciler), John Verpoorten (inker), Stan Lee (editor)
Captain America I#148 (April, 1972) - Gary Friedrich (writer), Sal Buscema (penciler), John Romita (inker), Stan Lee (editor)
Marvel Team-Up I#82 (June, 1979) - Chris Claremont (writer), Mike Vosburg (penciler), Steve Leialoha (inker), Al Milgrom (editor)
First posted: 06/19/2026
Last updated:
06/19/2026
Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.
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