The "Women in Refrigerators" syndrome was first noted by writer Gail Simone in 1999. It refers to the fact that it is far more likely for a female heroine (I know, "female heroine" is a little redundant) in a comic book to be killed, maimed, or lose her superpowers (if any) than a male character. Usually, the victim is the girlfriend or coworker of a male superhero and suffers the violence at the hands of an archvillain who just happens to be the superhero's nemesis.
Unlike male superheroes, whose deaths, injuries, or loss of powers are often only temporary, the women are rarely restored to their original condition.
A partial list of the relevant females and their fates can be found here.
The term was originally coined in reference to Alexandra DeWitt, the girlfriend of the Green Lantern. She was murdered and stuffed into a refrigerator in 1994.
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Interesting field of research
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