The 20 Sexiest Sci-Fi Babes Part 1

Well, these top ten lists seem to be real popular. So after winnowing down a long list, here are my top 20 sexiest sci-fi babes from live-action film and television.

When you're finished, be sure to read part two!


20. Carmen Ibanez (“Starship Troopers” 1997)

Okay, sure, you couldn’t buy Denise Richards as a tank-top-and-hot-pants-wearing nuclear physicist in “The World Is Not Enough.” But as a hotshot starship pilot and, eventually, captain? Sure, why not?

One of the main plot points of Heinlein’s original novel was that all the experienced officers were killed off, leaving only the kids in charge. And at least Carmen had the sense to dump goofy hunk Casper Van Dien for slightly-less-goofy hunk Patrick Muldoon – right? And she did look spectacular in those Nazi-esque uniforms.


19. Padmé Amidala (“Star Wars” prequels 1999-2005)

It speaks volumes to the utter asexuality of the six Star Wars films that the hottest moments are (1) Princess Leia in the gold bikini and (2) Princess Leia’s mom with her tummy exposed. Yikes.

Formerly the World’s Sexiest Jew (but knocked down to third by Rachel Weiss and Scarlett Johansson), young Harvard-educated hottie Natalie Portman was the only reason to see the Star Wars prequels, apart from Ewan McGregor’s amusing Alec Guinness impersonation. Padmé is beautiful, smart, and takes full advantage of her planet’s inexplicable custom of electing teenage girls to rule over them.

Why doesn’t she rate higher on the countdown? (1) Her atrocious taste in men and (2) inexplicably dying of “grief” and abandoning her kids to be raised by Jimmy Smits and Phil Brown, respectively (both of whom get killed by the Empire for their trouble, by the way.)

18. Jet Girl (“Tank Girl” 1995)

I knew who Naomi Watts was seven years before any of you did. So back off.

“Tank Girl” is one of the great bad movies, and Jet Girl was the best reason to watch. Tank Girl’s young, sexy, Aussie-accented sidekick in the aviator goggles and read polka-dot bandana was naïve, but kicked ass. Lori Petty as Tank Girl was great, but Jet Girl stole the show. (No love for Sub Girl, but she was mostly edited out anyway.)




17. Sil (“Species” 1995)

If woman is going to rip your heart out and leave you a lifeless husk, she might as well look like Natasha Henstridge. Hell, even in her H.R. Giger-designed alien form, the murderous human-alien hybrid Sil was pretty hot. The best thing about Sil was that she didn’t want to be a homicidal sex machine – she was just cloned that way. Giger’s usual “Metamorph” “Alien”-franchise alien rarely elicits sympathy, but Sil was just too cute to eject out the airlock.





16. Mystique (“X-Men” franchise 2000-2006)

Sci-fi makeup often takes a beautiful actress and ruins what Darwin gave her. I’m looking at you, Marina Sirtis. The “X-Men” movies feature Dutch-American supermodel Rebecca Romijn running around NAKED, but no one really notices her under all that blue paint and latex. But Raven “Mystique” Darkholme still kicks ass and takes names, as Magneto’s ever-loyal and efficient sidekick. (I know, they turn on each other in “Last Stand,” but I’m pretending that movie never happened – shelve it with “Star Trek V.”) She’s smart, she’s dangerous, she’s bisexual, and her eyes glow yellow. Plus, when she takes “human” form, it’s as Rebecca Romijn! And as far as I know, Mystique never let John Stamos stick his penis in her.

15. Space Girl (“Lifeforce” 1985)

“Lifeforce” is one of the great underappreciated science fiction films of all time, Tobe Hooper’s 1985 paean to old-school Sci-Fi horror classics like “The Quatermass Experiment.” Astronaut Steve Railsback is seduced by alien space vampire Mathilda May, who desires only to feed on the bioelectric energy of every person in London. The Space Girl doesn’t have much of a personality, but she spends the whole movie stark naked and has one of the most amazing racks in cinema.

Oh, and she gets to melt Patrick Stewart’s face.


14. Emma Peel (“The Avengers” 1965-67)

A master of martial arts and fencing. A trained chemist and scientist. A painter, sculptor, and businesswoman. A high couture fashionista with the looks of a supermodel. Oh and, incidentally, an international superspy. What’s not to love about Mrs. Emma Peel? Well, she did give up espionage to go live a respectable life with her husband. Please. Once you’ve had Steed, he’s all you’ll ever need.






13. Robin Lefler (“Star Trek: The Next Generation” 1991)

Second-most annoying “Star Trek” character of all time Robin Lefler, meet most-annoying “Star Trek” character of all time, Wesley Crusher. Now flirt awkwardly for 52 minutes.

Still, Robin Lefler was by far the sexiest woman to ever appear on “Star Trek: The Next Generation,” because Ashley Judd was by far the sexiest actress to ever appear on “Star Trek: The Next Generation.” Maybe Mr. Data can explain how Judd can be so unbelievably beautiful, while her mother and sister look like lab experiments.

Anyway, one can assume that Ashley Judd would have a much easier time getting cast in a “Star Trek” film than poor, beleaguered, underappreciated Wil Wheaton. Robin Lefler’s Rule #2: Always look smoking hot in a Starfleet uniform.

12. Xev Bellringer (“LEXX” 1997-2002)

As proved by numbers 17, 16, 15, 10, 5, 4, sometimes 3, 2 and 1 on this list, there is something incredibly appealing about a super-sexy female who is as likely to kill you as sleep with you. And when that female was raised to be socially submissive but sexually aggressive, and then transformed by a machine called a “Lusticon” into a beautiful sexual killing machine – well, you can’t go wrong there. Zev was the second of LEXX’s “Bellringers,” but Xenia Seeberg can ring my bell any day. Get it? "Ring my bell?" It's kind of a sexual innuendo.




11. Trillian (“The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy” 2005)

Ah, Zooey Deschanel. Sure, she’s cute and smart and funny. But why is she so damn hot? She’s like Rachael Ray – you can’t explain the attraction, it’s just there.

Now turn Zooey into a smart space-trotting sidekick to a two-headed G.W. Bush-channeling alien madman, and add a silly white spacesuit, a pair of pet mice, and an inexplicable American accent. Voila, you have Tricia “Trillian” McMillan, the second best thing in the HG2G movie. (The Vogons were the best thing.) If I was the last surviving human, but Trillian was around, I think I’d be okay.



That's not the whole thing, Francis! Read Part Two!