In honor of Mother’s Day, let’s talk about the greatest mothers in sci-fi and fantasy.

Sadly, thanks to cloning vats and a bias toward orphan heroes, there aren’t as many mothers out there taking care of protagonists as there ought to be.

So who does make the list?

Here are my top 5:

• Ellen Ripley (Alien/Aliens) – We don’t see much of her actual mothering, but she stood up to an alien queen.
• Helen Parr (Elastigirl, The Incredibles) – A superhero who wrangles superpowered minors when not saving the world.
• Molly Weasley (Harry Potter series) – Knits sweaters. Kills Death Eaters.
• Martha Kent (Superman) – While she doesn’t get a lot of press for her own doings, it’s hard to argue the job she did as a foster/adoptive mom to Clark. She raised a superpowered alien to be a better human than any of us.
• Sarah Connor (Terminator) – What do you do when you’re a frazzled 80’s girl who suddenly learns her not-yet-conceived son will be humanity’s last hope? If you’re Sarah Connor, you reforge yourself into a total badass to raise him to be that hero.

Who else can you think of who deserves a spot on the list? Who hasn’t gotten their share of hand-made cards and crayon-rendered refrigerator artwork?

Respond in the comments, or join in the Facebook discussion about the best mothers in sci-fi and fantasy: https://www.facebook.com/authorjsmorin/posts/2062341693892091