By Siera Schubach, Staff Writer

Published in print Jan 14, 2015.

“What’s your name, darlin’?”

“Agent.”

In a media world obsessed with superheroes and sequels, “Agent Carter” seems like nothing new – except for the fact that this hero holds no special powers (unless you count being able to fight with a stapler) and wears high heels to work instead of a spandex suit. This is no ordinary hero.

“Carter” debuted in the first “Captain America” film back in 2011. Beginning the film as an obvious love interest, Agent Peggy Carter (Hayley Atwell) quickly transformed into a capable, professional woman who was more than just a flimsy love interest. Her no-nonsense attitude and quick wit were arguably the best part of the first “Captain America” film.

It is not often that a hero’s love interest gets her own story, heck, it’s rare for a female superhero to star in her own movie (Wonder Woman, anyone?). So it was to great surprise, and excitement, that “Agent Carter” debuted Tuesday night. Carter finally gets her own story, but is it any good?

The pilot begins with flashbacks to the film franchise, reminding anyone who might have forgotten just who Agent Carter is, and, perhaps more importantly, her link to Captain America. It then progresses to a rather shoddy montage that flips between Carter wielding a gun and putting on lipstick, jumping from an explosion and putting on her nylons.

This is a blatant reminder to the audience that Agent Carter is a badass woman (emphasis on woman). Although some may find this link commendable as it shows a capable woman, it also leads the viewer to once again view Carter as a romantic interest, eternally tied to Captain America.

This misstep aside, “Agent Carter” starts with a pretty fun entrance, setting up the action and principle characters in a snappy manner. Carter is an agent for the Strategic Scientific Reserve but is often treated like a secretary by her male coworkers, despite her obvious competence. Carter longs for bigger and better things and when fugitive Howard Stark (Dominic Cooper) asks for her help, she jumps at the chance. Stark’s most dangerous inventions have been stolen and it’s up to Carter (assisted by James D’Arcy’s amusing butler Jarvis) to find the thieves and retrieve the goods before they fall into the wrong hands, all while clearing Stark’s name. This is a risky business, requiring Carter to work behind her boss’s back, and potentially label herself a traitor.

The first of the two episodes that aired Tuesday set up the action but focused too much on Carter moping around thinking of her lost love Captain America. However, by the end of the episode, Carter came into her own and even found the strength to put an end to a misogynist’s rant at a diner. Filmed with the 1940s in mind, the artistic direction of “Carter” falls a little short. Perfect in its comic-book glamour, the set lacks a true vintage feel.

How “Carter” is received by an audience currently obsessed with male superheroes should be interesting. Although never without lipstick, Carter is more than just a beautiful set piece. Independent, intelligent and resourceful, she has all the qualities of a male action hero just with less machismo. Her current struggles; getting close to someone only to lose them, being unwilling to ask for help and determined to prove her worth are all tropes of the male action hero. She even has a tragic past.

Yet she isn’t superwoman, a point in Carter’s favor. Atwell brings a level of vulnerability to the character that not only makes her more likable, but also more real. She is multi-dimensional and does not fall into the trap of “strong female character” i.e. she doesn’t have to act like a man to be strong.  In fact, most of the time she is expertly outsmarting her male coworkers, and firing back at their more misogynistic comments.

If there is anything bothersome about Carter’s depiction, it is the unsettling emphasis that is put on her femininity. Nearly all the men are blatantly sexist; as era-appropriate as that may be, it creates a strange “battle of the sexes” environment. Furthermore, this reviewer was personally bothered by the scene in which Carter uses her feminine wiles to gain important information, as if that is her only resource. Luckily, this tactic isn’t used again in the second episode and here’s hoping it never resurfaces.

As Marvel’s first female superhero outing, a lot is unfairly riding on the success of “Agent Carter”. Not without its faults, “Carter” is a step in the right direction, a promising example of why women deserve their own stories in the Marvel universe.

Agent Carter airs Tuesdays at 9 p.m. on ABC.