When you think about superhero friends, who comes to your mind first? Nagraj’s friend Nagu? Or Super Commando Dhruva’s friend Dhananjay? Or perhaps Doga’s friend Cheetah, Parmanu’s Probot, or Angara’s friend Sajuki?
Everyone knows about these friendships, and there’s one thing common among them — they are all male duos. This makes sense because most comic book superheroes are male, and it wasn’t surprising at all, especially during the 1980s and 1990s when the common belief was that only men could be superheroes. That’s why female friendships were rarely portrayed.
And even when women were included, their relationships were usually based around male-female dynamics. However, in Indian comics, some publishers gave female characters a strong platform. Not only were they given the chance to fight villains alongside superheroes, but some of them even became lead superheroes themselves.
Here, we will talk about such characters — whose sharp minds and fighting skills have at times saved superheroes from dying, and when it came to facing off against the heroes themselves, they stood their ground with great courage.
Chandika
Super Commando Dhruva has many friends — some outside and some within his own family, including his sister Shweta. However, she approaches Dhruva disguised as Chandika because she knows that if Dhruva found out that Chandika is actually Shweta, he might refuse her help. He loves his sister deeply and would never want her to be in danger.
Shweta understands this very well, which is why she supports Dhruva in every possible way — not only as Chandika but also in her real identity. She is sharp and skilled in engineering and gadget-making. Many of the gadgets she invents are used by Dhruva himself and even play a crucial role in defeating his enemies.
Shweta first appears as Chandika in Swarg Ke Kaher (“Wrath of Heaven”). As Chandika, she relies on her agility and intelligence to fight enemies. The only person who knows her true identity is Dhruva’s love interest, Natasha.
Pralayanka
Pralayanka makes her debut in the Parmanu universe in a gangster-centric comic, where she aids Parmanu at the request of a mysterious Professor. Initially appearing only briefly, Pralayanka continues to assist Parmanu in later comics, while her identity remains shrouded in mystery.
The revelation of Pralayanka’s backstory takes place in the pages of Angara comics, offering readers a deeper understanding of Mamta’s journey. Her story begins at Delhi’s Hindu College, where Mamta and her friend Rama set out on a joint Mount Everest expedition through the NCC (National Cadet Corps). However, their lives take a dark turn when the sinister Killer Army plants drugs in Mamta’s bag, leading to the tragic death of Rama.
After uncovering the truth, Mamta confronts Rama’s killers and discovers her latent explosive powers. Recognizing the threat posed by the Killer Army, she vows to avenge her friend’s death. Seeking help from the Professor, Mamta undergoes a transformative process and emerges as Pralayanka.
Equipped with a special mask that alters her face and identity, she takes on the guise of a journalist by day. But whenever duty calls, she answers the Professor’s summons as Pralayanka.
Natasha
Natasha — once known as the Queen of the Underworld, daughter of Grand Master Robo, and the commander of his army — was widely feared and respected under the title Commander Natasha.
She first entered Dhruva’s life in the comic Grand Master Robo, where she was introduced as a research student enrolled in a journalism course focused on “India and Geothermal Energy.” However, her connection with Robo took a dark turn after an encounter involving Chandika, which forced her to rethink her path. When Chandika risked her life to save Natasha’s, she had a profound realization about the value of life. This prompted her to join forces with Dhruva to destroy Robo’s underwater base.
Natasha’s story continues amid Dhruva’s fight against crime, where she is repeatedly confronted by the reality of being a criminal’s daughter. On the other hand, Robo is unwilling to let her go and uses various manipulative tactics to draw her back into his world.
Due to a misunderstanding — believing that Dhruva is betraying her for Richa — Natasha loses her composure and returns to the world of crime, once again becoming its commander. Dhruva considers this his greatest failure. Still, Natasha never stops loving him. Even when ordered, she refrains from harming Dhruva or his family.
Recognizing Robo’s growing obsession with Dhruva, she intervenes, leading Robo to ask Natasha to leave the world of crime. These developments are portrayed in the comics Dhruva Hatyara Hai (“Dhruva is a Murderer”) and Shahenshah (“Emperor”).
Lomadi
Lomadi, also known as Monica — a woman who loves Suraj and despises Doga. Monica was introduced in Doga comics for this very conflict. A sharp and fearless fighter as well as a social worker, Monica believes in operating strictly within the boundaries of the law. This belief stems from her being the daughter and sister of police officers — in fact, she is Cheetah’s sister.
She completely disapproves of Doga’s brutality and his disregard for the law, even though she knows he only punishes criminals. Still, Monica strongly believes that the right to punish lies solely with judges and the legal system. That’s why she adopts the identity of Lomadi, determined to catch Doga herself.
However, once she puts on the mask and becomes a crime fighter, she realizes that the violence within her has begun to mirror that of Doga. At that moment, she questions what difference remains between the two of them — and so, she immediately removes the Lomadi mask and steps away from that identity.
Later, in the comic So Jaa Doga, Monica returns as Lomadi — but this time to save Doga, because she has discovered that the man behind the mask is none other than the one she loves — Suraj. Since then, she has stood by Doga’s side.
Faceless
Nagraj has many enemies, but he also has several allies. In his quest to protect humanity, he has made countless foes — yet he has also built strong friendships. One such friend and ally is Bharati, the daughter of Guru Vedaacharya and granddaughter of his son Shiladitya.
Vedaacharya passed on to Bharati the knowledge of tantra and tilism (mysticism and magical arts), the same teachings he once gave to Nagraj. Bharati has helped Nagraj many times, often in a hidden form known as Faceless. This mysterious persona, created using enchanted garments crafted from mystical rituals and spells, allows her to remain invisible and secretly aid Nagraj.
It was Bharati who gave Nagraj his human identity and played a key role in turning Mahanagar into his home. She also has a brother named Agraj (also known as Agradut), who was first introduced in the Nagdweep comic. In that story, Agraj helps save Nagraj from a deadly attack in Kentucky.
Tureen
Tureen first appeared in the comic Khaufnaak Khel (The Terrifying Game), and like Bhokal, Shootan, and Atikrur, she arrives with a special purpose. Her backstory is revealed in the comic Tilism Toot Gaya (The Tilism Has Broken), where it is uncovered that the warriors Gajobajo, believed to have been killed by Fuchang in Khaufnaak Khel, were actually alive. They reveal that Fuchang had murdered King Garboch of Osak Grah and taken over the throne. He then dispatched spies all over the universe in search of Princess Sophia and Queen Rasiya, but failed to trace even their shadow.
Princess Sophia was being raised in a secret location under Queen Rasiya’s protection. Once grown, Rasiya sent her to Earth to Gajobajo so that, with their help, she could reach Tilismi Olympak and avenge her father’s murder. Gajobajo gave Princess Sophia a new identity —Tureen — and sent her to Olympak with the mischievous feline warrior Kapala.
To protect her mission, Gajobajo created a replica of Sophia, wrapped it in a carpet, and delivered it to the royal palace, where the imposter was killed. A fake talisman was made and given to Fuchang, while the real talisman remained with Tureen. Tureen went on to acquire the legendary crown known as Prahara, which was Fuchang’s true objective all along.
With Prahara and her alliance with Bhokal, Tureen ultimately kills Fuchang. Though she returns to Osak Grah unwillingly, she later comes back to Earth because of her love for Bhokal.
Tureen is not just a fierce warrior who fights alongside Bhokal — she is also a vital part of his life, as the two share a deep and powerful love.
Kali Vidhwa
Kali Vidhwa first appeared in her own comic series, where she aimed to bring justice to a woman by eliminating a mafia boss named Black Boss. In the process, she crossed paths with Doga, and due to a misunderstanding, the two ended up fighting each other. Kali Vidhwa enters Doga’s life like a storm, playing a significant role in one of the most pivotal moments of his life. Her story begins with the comic Scream Doga Scream, where the entire saga starts. In this comic, Monica, who despises Doga, transforms into “Lomadi” (Fox) to uncover his true identity. However, before she can learn the truth, a mysterious figure knocks Doga unconscious and leaves him at Lion Gym.
In the next comic, Kali Vidhwa, her real name is revealed to be Sonika. Suraj mistakes her for his beloved “Sonu” and even proposes marriage to her. However, in the comic I Love You, Suraj realizes that Monica is his true Sonu, and once again, Sonika, aka Kali Vidhwa, begins to harbor hatred toward men.
The backstory of how Sonika became Kali Vidhwa is not fully shown. All we know is that she was the daughter of a wealthy father, who was deceived and married by Ritesh. Ritesh tricked and killed her father, and later attempted to murder Sonika by poisoning her. However, Sonika managed to eliminate him instead. The name Kali Vidhwa is a Hindi adaptation of Marvel Comics’ character Black Widow, but apart from the name, there is no connection between the two. Kali Vidhwa solely helps women oppressed by injustice and possesses no supernatural powers, only physical strength and agility. The character is kept grounded in reality.
Kali Vidhwa was last seen in the comic Danger of Blood. After that, she did not appear alongside Doga but did feature in the Sarvnayak series, where she was shown with all the villains.
Lori
Lori is an expert in magic, spells, and mental powers. Dhruv first met Lori in the Vampire comic when he went to Pokhran for a case. There, he encountered a vampire, and Lori helped him during that time. Lori had come to Rajasthan from London as a tourist, searching for her past. She discovered a palace belonging to her ancestors, where she found a secret room containing ancient and rare books on magic, spirits, and supernatural powers. She stayed there for two years, studying those books alone and practicing what she learned, which led to the development of various mental powers. Lori has assisted Dhruv multiple times with her abilities, but the writer has not revealed much more about her life beyond this.
Jane
Jane is a significant character in the Bhediya comics, not because she loves Kobi Bhediya, but because all the jungle dwellers know that Jane is the only one who can handle someone with Kobi’s animalistic instincts, reason with him, and make him listen. However, Jane’s first encounter was not with Kobi and Bhediya separately; it was with Bhediya when Kobi and Bhediya were one entity. To understand more about Kobi and Bhediya, you’d need to read the comics Janwar and Kobi aur Bhediya.
Jane was trying to catch her father’s killers, who were murdered by a group called Bhura Billa. Although Jane knew her father was an underworld leader, she didn’t grieve his death. Instead, she wanted to eradicate crime. It was during this pursuit that she found Bhediya trapped under the rubble of a destroyed site. With Jane’s help, Bhediya was able to return to India, as Bhura Billa had taken him to France to seek revenge for the death of his brother, Kala Baccha. Kala Baccha was the one who tried to steal Bhediya’s idol and was killed by Bhediya in the process.
Jane walks side by side with Bhediya, protecting the animals and tribes of the jungle. With her sharp intellect, she has saved Kobi and Bhediya multiple times.
Visarpi
The relationship between Visarpi and Nagraj is caught between love and conflict. Visarpi cannot leave Nagdweep, as she is its queen and her primary duty is to care for her subjects. Similarly, Nagraj cannot abandon Mahanagar, as he has vowed to protect its innocent people. This creates a strange dilemma between them, and as a result, their marriage has broken off multiple times. However, when it comes to fighting, Visarpi is a master. As an Icchadhari Nagin (shape-shifting serpent), she can take any form and is also well-versed in urban life. She and Nagraj have teamed up several times to face their enemies together.
