With pure intellect. She new how to decipher codes and figure out clues. She was like a sorta Superman, Batman, and Green Hornet, only all wrapped up in a pretty girl in a blue convertible.She is quite a heroic figure, one that in our culture we're more accustomed to seeing portrayed as a boy than as a girl: she's incorruptibly honest, steadfast, and courageous. Nancy works alone, facing every terror on her own, although with the support, encouragement, and appreciation of the grown-ups. It reminds me of mythic initiation rites, where the young person is challenged, with the full backing of the adults, to prove herself.