While there are lots of femme fatales throughout cinema history, Sigourney Weaver & Linda Hamilton in T2 were the Sci Fi heroine extraordinaires that are still hard to beat to this day IMO. Theron's Furiosa probably deserves to occupy the #3 spot on the tough-as-nails female roles.

What about Aeon Flux?

Furiosa got the advantage because I'd rank Mad Max Fury Road much higher than Æon Flux The Movie. Even though I like Æon more than most critics, that movie's not distinct (dystopian?) enough.

But I'm biased as I saw the original animated series first and it was objectively far superior - very arthouse experimental in its day for an American production. Æon is the movie is just the stock ass-kicking comic heroine in the DC/Marvel vein. Æon in the animated series & the latter comics is something... far more interesting.

Absolutely the animated series was far superior, and the movie somewhat bland…but the character was still a bad ass action heroine.
Wasn’t it on MTV’s liquid tv first? I remember having to stay up until 1am or later to watch it back before DVRs, even before most people had VCRs.

Edit: not that I disagree about Furiosa.

I'd have zero qualm calling Theron's Aeon #3 pre-MMFR's Furiosa. But it's Theron, man... she can make a librarian look bad ass.

I don't think my wife & I have missed any movies with her as lead since Monster. Theron's just the creme de la creme in our book.