What do people look for when selecting a suitable Avatar?

The reason I ask this question is simple - when selecting your Avatar what were you hoping it would say about who you are? I mean, we have Angels, movie-stars (Robert Duvall, Harpo Marx) Goats, an Octpus etc. etc. in our midst. Seeing how I'm the one asking this question, I suppose I should go first - the first one I chose depicted a somewhat pleasant-looking, innocent and rather angelic lass which, at the time, I thought would go rather well with my moniker. However with each post that I wrote the replies I received suggested that I was more "naive" than anything else - so I looked to see what else was available and came across the one which I am using now, which says (a) this is how I look (a truer likeness I could not possibly have found), (b) I'm not the mindless/naive person which you thought I was, and (c) [in a friendly but firm manner] "don't mess with me"!!

So what do you think your Avatar says about you?

(Anonymous Cowards are welcome to comment about the efficacy or otherwise of the Avatars in use)