The growth of female-led action films after the success of "Aliens" reflects the increase in women assuming non-traditional roles and the divide between professional critics (who perceive a masculinization of the heroine) and audiences which, regardless of gender, embrace, emulate and quote Ripley. The hyper-masculine heroes played by Schwarzenegger, Stallone and Jean-Claude Van Damme were replaced by independent women capable of defending themselves and defeating villains in films such as "The Silence of the Lambs" (1991) and Cameron's "" (1991). These female characters often perform stereotypical male actions, however, and have muscular physiques rather than feminine "soft" bodies. When Ripley has seized command of the marines and is no longer a passive outsider in "Aliens", the traditional male hero (Hicks) instructs her in the use of their weapons. The comparison of Ripley to Rambo conflates her with the male, musclebound, gun-wielding action hero. To balance her masculine traits, Cameron gives Ripley maternal instincts; this counters homophobic audiences, who might see a masculinized female as lesbian or butch. These traits are further offset by the more-openly-masculine Vasquez, a minor character. Vasquez (who has short hair and bigger muscles) is introduced to the audience by working out, and is asked if she has ever been mistaken for a man. Weber appreciated the change in female characters between the films, contrasting "Alien" hysterical Lambert with the tough Vasquez (who sacrifices herself for her team, not only for the protagonist).