Origin of her powers

Just wondering what other people's fave way for a woman to gain superpowers is. Born with them? Developed later under a yellow sun? Accidentally received from another superhero? Brought back from the point of death by advanced medical science, better and stronger and faster than before?

I think my favourite scenario would have an ordinary woman empowering herself simply because there's no other option. She works out 'me + superpowers = I can save those people / move that heavy object' and chugs that magic serum down without thinking about anything else. It's only afterwards that she realises just how much her life is forever changed by that one simple action

Second place scenario is similar, except this has an ordinary woman (teenage girl, massive Supergirl fan) who knows exactly what's going to happen to her when she drinks that potion / has that injection / gets zapped by that machine, and is so unbelievably excited by the thought of what she's about to become and all the things she wants to do...

Not born with. In the scenarios I prefer, the girl may acquire her powers suddenly or over a period of days, weeks, even months -- but there has to be a divide between her life before and after empowerment. I like stories that explore the girl's sheer exhiliration as she realizes that she posseses powers far beyond those of ordinary men ...

As for methods, my personal fave (though oddly enough, I don't think I've used it in any of my stories -- yet) is empowerment through immersion -- by diving into a magic pool or pouring that secret formula into a hot tub.

Transfer of power -- accidental or deliberate -- from a male super-hero is another favorite of mine. That's the basis of "The Supergirl of Smallville" (the story I've been writing in collaboration with ace) and of another tale I'm working on at the moment.

How about a nerdy mad scientist girl inventing a machine or serum to give herself super powers?

Yes, but then her popular, pretty, dominating older sister makes the nerd use in on her as in Lois and Clark's Ultrawoman.