Dangerous Minds: Ten kickass women from Sci-Fi TV who don't need no laser guns, magic or fisticuffs

Recently snicks gave us a list of Our Favorite Action and Fantasy Heroines and that list, combined with a catch-up marathon of Battlestar Galatica, got me thinking of women who are strong and formidable because of their intellects. Strong warrior women have a major presence in the gallery of gay icons, but we also love the women who outsmart the obstacles in their path. Since tonight marks the Battlestar Galatica midseason finale (and the last we'll see of President Roslin until 2009) here are some of sci-fi's smartest and most admirable women.

Mary McDonnell as President Laura Roslin
in Battlestar Galactica

Easily one of the most formidable minds in sci-fi TV is the woman left to keep humanity alive as it faces extinction after 42 people ahead of her for the presidency were killed in the holocaust. Initially she faced an army (almost literally) of skeptics who dismissed her as just a "school teacher" never meant to lead the twelve colonies. However, she quickly proved herself as a woman dangerous to underestimate, especially when she faced down a military insurrection led by Bill Adama. As played by Mary McDonnell, Roslin is someone whose mind is clearly always at work.

Amanda Pays as Theora Jones
in Max Headroom

Max Headroom gave us Theora Jones, who worked as reporter Edison Carter's controller, providing him with information as he questioned subjects and ventured into dangerous territory. Many times, Edison would have been toast if not for Theora's knack for quick research.

Catherine Tate as Donna Noble
in Doctor Who

With smart women like Martha Jones and Sarah Jane Smith, its hard to not make this list heavy on Doctor Who companions. However, Donna stands out for the way her first meeting with The Doctor transformed her. In her first appearance, she came off as intellectually lazy and demanding. However, she's also the first person (since the series was revived, at least) to work with The Doctor and have the insight to find his awesome powers to be something to inspire fear. She also became a stronger person all alone, turning into an investigator in order to reconnect with The Doctor. She's challenged The Doctor and his impulses from her earliest travels with him, contributing to the action instead of deferring to him.

Lisa Hayes
in Robotech (The Macross Saga)

For a lot of gay geeks who grew up in the 80's the animated serial Robotech was our afternoon soap. Not only did Robotech cheesily mix sci-fi and romance (how can you beat a story where aliens invade earth and are literally defeated by a love song?), it gave us plenty of strong women who succeeding by dismissing societal expectations. As the first officer of the SDF-1, Lisa's quick thinking saved the ship on several occasions and her tactical mind helped the ship's fighter pilots turn away various attacks.

Kristen Chenoweth as Olive Snook
in Pushing Daisies

While Ned, Chuck and Emerson go about trying to solve various murders, The Pie Hole's waitress Olive Snook solves the mystery of what those three are up to all on her own, discovers Chuck's family and realizes that she's officially dead. Olive is a sharp interrogator, often forcing Ned and Chuck to change the subject to avoid her questions. As hard as it would be to believe, I wouldn't be surprised if she figures out Ned's secret soon enough.

Greyson Hall as Julia Hoffman
in Dark Shadows

There was one person in Collinwood who vampire Barnabas Collins trusted with his full secrets: psychologist Julia Hoffman. Julia worked with Barnabas trying to find a cure for his vamprism, initially treating him as a dangerous rival who was ready to murder anyone who knew his secret. In time, however, she turned out to be in important ally as Barnabas fought the various schemes of Angelique.

Salli Richardson-Whitfield as Dr. Alison Blake
in Eureka

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As the head of Global Dynamics, Alison has to be smart enough to manage some of the country's greatest scientific innovators, speaking their language while also balancing that logical expertise with an empathic and practical knowledge that scientific minds sometimes miss.

Meera Syal as Miranda Calendar
in Jeckyll

When private investigator Miranda Calendar is asked to look into an unexpectedly intriguing case of a suddenly absent husband, she is offered a significant bribe to give up the case, something that make the case even more irresistible to her. She uncovers the conspiracy to take advantage of Tom Jackman's transformation into Mr. Hyde and manages to hold her own against the dangerous organization, setting up safeguards for her own safety and her pregnant partner.

Caroline Dhavernas as Jaye Tyler
in Wonderfalls

When underachiever Jaye Tyler is kicked out of her rut by talking animal totems, she turns her mind from snarky retorts to helping people get out of bad situations. As much as she feels helpless in regards to the voices of the animals, they actually empower her quite a bit feeding her with information only she can her ... because she will listen and understand.

Gates McFadden as Dr. Beverly Crusher
in Star Trek: The Next Generation

It's hard to take a look at the smart women of sci-fi TV without mentioning the woman who helped to start the ball rolling for smart women put in positions of command. As the Enterprise's Cheif Medical Officer, Captain Jean-Lu Picard frequently turned to her expertise in his decisions and Crusher even took command of the Enterprise for a short stint.