“Behind every great man there’s a great woman.” Or so the ancient proverb goes. But in the case of the great 007 (aka James Bond), there are countless women behind him (and in most cases, under him). Some good…and some not so good. But if there’s one thing that we can all agree on, it’s that every single Bond villainess is incredibly stunning and memorable in her own way. And let’s face it – men don’t just watch the Bond movies for the car chases and the super cool guns and gadgets. If that were the case, they’d just watch any old action flick. What sets the James Bond franchise apart from other action movies is the women. Or rather, the caliber of women that are featured in the films. They’re sophisticated, sexy and seductive. One minute they’re got their long legs wrapped around Bond. Then the next they’re trying to gun him down or poison him. But he always escapes unscathed…and that’s why it works. Here’s a guide to some of the more memorable femme fatales from the world of Bond.
Fatima Blush – Played by Playboy cover girl Barbara Carrera, Fatima is by far my favorite Bond villainess. She starred in Never Say Never Again alongside Sir Sean Connery (my favorite Bond), and she was most memorable for her flamboyant fashion choices. Adding new meaning to the term ‘dressed to kill,’ Fatima was never to be seen without her wide brim hats, long scarves, plunging one-piece swimsuits, and heck – she even made parachute pants look sexy. Carrera earned a Golden Globe nomination for her role as Fatima. Does anyone else remember the provocative scene in the film where she dons the sexy nurse outfit and seductively tortures the hospital patient? Sadly, this Bond girl met her untimely death via an exploding pen.
Pussy Galore – Perhaps the most memorable name out of the entire series, Pussy Galore was the head of an all-female organised crime gang. They all happened to be trapeze artists who operated as cat burglars at night. They also participated in other schemes, like trying to kill all of the soldiers at Fort Knox by poisoning their water supply, then obtaining nuclear weapons to blow open the U.S. Bullion Depository so that they could steal a billion dollars. You know, the usual. Unlike other Bond villainesses, Pussy did not get killed. She instead got sent to prison, and her last words to Bond were, “Will you write to me in Sing Sing?”
May Day – Looking like she walked straight off the runway, May Day is what you would get if you were to combine ’80s rocker David Bowie with Somalian supermodel Iman. She appeared in the 1985 Bond film A View to a Kill and served as the chief bodyguard and enforcer for the film’s villain, Max Zorin. She led a group of all-female bodyguards (every villain’s dream) and possessed superhuman strength – the gal could toss a guy over her head without blinking an eye. And even when she was climbing the Eiffel Tower or parachuting off it, her bright eyeshadow and red lipstick always look flawless. She ended up dying in a mine explosion while holding onto a speeding car. What a woman.
Xenia Innatop – This bad Bond girl was the definition of a femme fatale. She derived her pleasure from killing, engaging men in violent sexual intercourse, then reached orgasm when the men died. She was a member of a crime syndicate and used her background experience as a former officer and fighter pilot to her advantage. She and Bond engaged in lots of violent foreplay through the movie as she aggressively attempted to seduce him. Their most memorable session of bedroom antics consisted of Xenia biting Bond’s lip, Bond hurling her towards a wall, followed by her crushing Bond between her thighs. She eventually met her demise when she flew into a tree after falling out of a helicopter and was crushed to death by her safety harness. It just goes to show that Karma will get you. Even if you’re hot.
