Cheshire

Cheshire, real name Jade Nguyen, is one of DC Comics' most dangerous and morally complex characters, debuting in The New Teen Titans Annual #2 in 1983. That first appearance is a genuine key issue — it introduced a villain whose lethal combination of assassin training, exotic poisons, and unapologetic ruthlessness set her apart from nearly every other antagonist in the DC universe at the time. Her origins tie into a divine and eternal lineage, lending her an almost mythic quality that writers have explored across decades of storytelling. Collectors hunting that 1983 annual are chasing one of the more underrated keys from the Bronze Age, and demand has only grown as the character's profile has risen.

Jade Nguyen's story is defined by contradiction — she is a world-class assassin and sometime villain who has also fought alongside heroes, most notably through her complicated history with Roy Harper (Arsenal/Red Arrow), with whom she shares a daughter, Lian. That relationship, explored through New Titans and Green Arrow storylines across the late 1980s and 1990s, gave Cheshire a emotional depth rare for a character of her archetype. Her tenure with the Secret Six under Gail Simone is widely regarded as a career highlight — those issues showcased her lethal skill set and her ability to walk the razor edge between antihero and outright villain. The Secret Six series remains a collector favorite, and Cheshire's presence in that book is a significant part of its appeal.

Her villainous credentials are equally impressive. Cheshire has aligned herself with the League of Assassins, the Brotherhood of Evil, the Injustice League, and the Legion of Doom, among others — a resume that reads like a who's who of DC's most dangerous organizations. One of her most shocking story moments came when she single-handedly destroyed the nation of Qurac using a stolen nuclear weapon, cementing her status as a genuine threat on a global scale rather than a street-level rogue. That arc remains one of the most talked-about moments in her history and is essential reading for anyone diving into her back catalog.

For collectors, Cheshire represents exactly the kind of character whose key books remain accessible but are steadily climbing in recognition. The New Teen Titans Annual #2 is the crown jewel, but her appearances across Green Arrow, the various Secret Six volumes, and Teen Titans titles round out a collection beautifully. Her ties to so many major DC teams and story lines mean she keeps resurfacing in relevant books, and any future animated or live-action adaptation could send those key issues soaring. Getting ahead of the curve on Cheshire is a smart move for the modern DC collector.