It seemed like the writers realized that up until that point she'd been a pretty lame superhero (her primary trait was being shallow; which, I mean, is fine for someone who's a comic relief sidekick, that's what they're for; but it's seriously impaired efforts to present her as one of the original Avengers Big Five), but they were in a hurry so they skipped ahead to the end. That was why I could never buy it, whenever she's doing stuff like ordering Captain America around and everyone gushes how she's such a great leader.