America caught its first glimpse of female superhero Jaime Summers when she appeared on a special two-part episode of the enormously successful series, The Six Million Dollar Man, circa 1975. The long-lost girlfriend of Steve Austin, they were just starting to rekindle that high school romance when she was crippled, thanks to a malfunctioning parachute. Horribly distraught, the six million dollar stud pleaded with his boss, Oscar Goldman, to use some of that same high-tech healing power on his lady friend. Rebuilding her with a similar array of bionic technology, all seemed right as rain until her body’s immune system decided to reject her robotic accessories, spiraling her into a coma.

This might have been the end for Steve’s limb-enhanced lady friend but nothing can pull a television character out of a come quicker than a surge in ratings. With the prospect of a hit spin-off series on their hands, thanks to overwhelming viewer response to the character, Jaime Summers would make a full recovery, thanks to some untested medical procedures, and actress Lindsay Wagner, who was only originally under contract for the one previous appearance, was miraculously saved from a trip to the unemployment line and given her very own series, in 1976's The Bionic Woman.

With her newly acquired super-abilities, Jamie is recruited into the Office of Scientific Information (OSI) much to Steve’s displeasure, who feels the job is too dangerous for her. But with her new bionic legs, a right arm to match and some powerful auditory abilities, thanks to a handy bionic ear, she’s up for the challenge. Given a new life, the former tennis star proceeds to pose as an instructor at a California Air Force Base while moonlighting as a secret agent.

And although her male covert counterpart always seemed to be able carry out whatever mission he was faced with in the same snazzy leisure suit, apparently female agents are required to dress as provocatively as possible (or at least as provocative as television of the 70s would allow.) At least that was the case with Jaime, who in the course of her duties would dress as a stewardess, belly dancer, pro-wrestler, country season, and of course, beauty pageant contestant (OK, to be fair, she did get to dress as a nun once.)

Always ready to lend a helping hand to Jaime were Dr. Rudy Wells, bionic makeover artist extraordinaire, Peggy Callahan who assisted Oscar Goldman, her parents Helen and Jim Elgin, and a new four-legged cyber-cohort - Max, the amazing bionic dog. And eventually Jamie would team up with her former flame, Steve, and together they would battle a few memorable adversaries, most notably Bigfoot and, for good measure, a herd of fem-bots.

The only battle the pair ever lost was against the formidable programming executives at ABC - which simultaneously canceled The Six Million Dollar Man and The Bionic Woman at the end of the 1978 season. But if you think that was the end of the bionic duo, think again. The couple would be reunited on numerous occasions throughout the 80’s and 90s in made-for-TV films such as The Return of the Six Million Dollar Man and the Bionic Woman in 1987, Bionic Showdown: The Six Million Dollar Man and the Bionic Woman in 1989 and finally, in Bionic Ever After in 1994, where, not only does Jamie get some nifty new abilities such as night vision - but also a bionic husband, as her and Steve finally tied the knot.

And finally, after 13 years of assumed retirement, The Bionic Woman (this time played by actress Michelle Ryan) came out of hibernation (cybernation?) for an all new-series that debuted in 1997. Eight episodes aired before The Bionic Woman finally met an unstoppable adversary ... in the form of a writer’s strike. Although her fate remained uncertain when the strike ended, the series was ultimately terminated. But after being rebuilt numerous times, you never know when The Bionic Woman may emerge again. In the world of television programming, stranger things have most certainly happened.