The Mule Tamer and Margarita Neri; Another Truth is Stranger Than Fiction

Photo Source ~ DoubleTalk, Cheryl McMullen In The Mule Tamer III, Marta's Quest we see both Marta and Rebecca engaged in many heroic and martial endeavors.
During the period of our story's setting there were many real women soldiers who carried out remarkable feats in support of their cause.
"One of the most famous female soldiers was Margarita Neri, who became a legendary Zapatista commander. 'So many legends surround Neri that she is portrayed as both commanding Zapatistas in Morelos and as cutting off the ears of Zapatistas sent to recruit her. Despite the mass of contradictory accounts, it seems that Margarita Neri was a capable and respected guerrilla commander,' (Soto, 45). Macias recounts the not unusual difficulties of officer La Coronela María de la Luz Espinosa Barrera's unusual mannerisms and problems adapting to a socially acceptable lifestyle after the Revolution: 'A restless soul, La Coronela became an itinerant vendor of clothing and found it impossible to conform to the accepted female role of passivity and timidity. La Coronela smoked, drank, gambled, and feared no man.' (75). Although many female soldiers fought bravely and were killed in battle, and others continued to wear men's clothing and carry pistols long after the Revolution ended, La Coronela was one of the very few who received a pension as a veteran of the Mexican Revolution (Macias, 75). Unlike the Soldaderas, most female soldiers were registered in the army rosters and could climb up in the ranks (Reséndez, 546), but similarly to the Soldaderas, few female combatants were recognized for their contribution, either through military pensions or otherwise, and most died in poverty (551). "
Source ~ Revolutionary Women:
From Soldaderas to Comandantas
The Roles of Women in the Mexican Revolution and in the Current Zapatista Movement, Diane Goetze