The Doctor Donna!

I don't know if it's the biggest. But it might be the first time I jumped out of my seat at a theater.

I mean, we all cheered for this, right?

'It's the Enterprise!'

Seeing him dodge bullets like a maniac is one of the most iconic visuals of the first MATRIX movie, but the part toward the end where he realizes he doesn't need to dodge bullets... that's massive.

I took my dad to see The Avengers. When this scene happened, he literally stood up out of his seat and said YEAAAAAHH!!! and clapped.

"Well, personally, I kinda wanna slay the dragon. Let's go to work."

And of course "I'd like to test that theory."

This what came to mind for me. Death Proof.

"You're all clear, kid, now let's blow this thing and get outta here!"

Puny god.

Here's a good one for the kiddos/kiddos at heart:

River Song subverted the idea by doing it in reverse order... a bad-ass, enigmatic archeologist/adventurer who dies heroically when we meet her, to prisoner, to psychotic, to love interest...all the while while keeping her bad-assery.

Xena was an enemy/love-interest on Hercules before she got her own show and became a pop-culture icon.

Angel comes to mind.

Rose Tyler: Her first introduction, she's running from plastic mannequins . She then kinda becomes a vengeful god (Bad Wolf) and when last we really see her, chronologically speaking, she's shooting every Dalek who crosses her!

Cordelia Chase from Buffy and Angel.

Yes, this is a love interest. If you really watched the show, you know what is up. Amirite.