Cheshire is an assassin whose Vietnamese mother was raped and left to birth Jade alone. Jade became one of the deadliest assassins in the DC universe, an expert on both martial arts and poisons. Always switching from the good to bad side, she has constant on-off relationship with Speedy. She sometimes battles the Justice League and Batman, since she has history with Catman, and defends him.
History[]
Origin[]
Roy's and Jade's Daughter, Lian
Jade's mother was raped by either a French man or U.S. Senator Robert Pullman, it is not clear as of yet. She had a traumatizing childhood as she was sold into slavery. This made her psychotic, beginning her path to become one of the world's most ruthless mercenaries. She killed her master and was adopted by Weng Chan, who taught her all he knew of guerrilla fighting. She was taught poisons by the African assassin, Kruen Musenda, a.k.a. Spitting Cobra. She was married to Kruen for two years, before his death.
Starting Out[]
She was a rival to the Teen Titans, but when Roy Harper was ordered by the government to infiltrate her confidence and bring her in, the two fell passionately in love. She did not know his identity at the time, but he walked out on her because he could not turn her in. She gave birth to a daughter, Lian Harper, who Jade loved but could not care for. She left Lian with Roy and returned to her mercenary ways, saving Deathstroke so he would aid her in a plot to steal nuclear weapons from Russia to obliterate the Middle East country of Qurac. These plans failed when her base was attacked and she had to flee. But she later created her own team, the Ravens.
Cheshire was a volunteer joining Vandal Savage's team, Tartarus, a team focused on destroying the Titans. But in a fight, Vandal Savage shot her to distract Arsenal. She recovered, but because of her crimes, such as destroying Qurac, she was imprisoned. The Ravens broke her out but Roy forced her back in.
She later worked with the Secret Six and had sexual relations with Catman, becoming pregnant. But when she betrayed the team to Lex Luthor's society she was shot and critically wounded by Deathstroke. Though she seemed to be dead, she showed up alive in the Himalayas with her and Blake's son, Thomas Blake, Jr.
She then worked with Vandal Savage again, putting hits on the members of the Secret Six, minus Catman. Eventually she took matters into her own hands and stabbed the Mad Hatter with a poisoned knife. She bartered the antidote with Catman for her own safety. She was later seen in prison receiving a visit from Roy and Lian. She was then seen as a member of the Injustice League Unlimited, but then disappeared.
Justice League: The Rise of Arsenal and Deathstroke's Titans[]
In then events of Justice League: Cry for Justice, Star City was destroyed by Prometheus, killing Lian. Cheshire is outraged and blames Roy for not being able to protect their daughter. She tracks him down and attempts to kill him. After a fairly even battle where they both suffer some minor injuries, they eventually stop fighting and surrender to their urges. However, Roy could not pleasure her, leaving them both frustrated.
It was later revealed that Cheshire is a member of Deathstroke's new team of Titans. She appears battling Ryan Choi. While on the team, her and Roy restarted their relationship. She later convinces Roy to betray Deathstroke when the time is right.
Cheshire at Lian's Grave
Cheshire's son by Catman, Thomas Blake, Jr., is kidnapped, chronologically taking place after the death of Lian. Catman goes on a murderous rampage believing the child to already be dead only to find that the man who orchestrated the kidnapping has given the boy to a loving childless couple and that the kidnapping itself was an act of revenge against Cheshire for murdering his family. Catman after realizing the child is better left where he is, informs Jade that their son is dead which sends her into a sorrowful rage, while Blake tells his son to rest in peace after killing all the kidnappers involved. Cheshire has now lost both her children.
Currently, Deathstroke and his team arrive at South Pacific island to kill the cult leader, Drago who overlooks the production of blind warriors. However, Cheshire and Arsenal betray him, revealing that they had been working with Drago. That alliance is short lived however when Drago soon turns on Cheshire and Aresenal as well. Drago offers Jade to become his so that she can provide him an heir. She plays along until Arsenal is able to break out along with the other Titans and Deathstroke. Deathstroke spares Drago and the Titans depart from the island.
Cheshire Leaving Speedy
En route, they run into the Justice League of America, but manage to allude the league and make their way to Kahndaq. However, the league shows up afterwards, and a battle ensues. Jade engages Donna and the two exchange words and insults about their relationship with Roy. Donna proves to be too much for Jade and breaks Jade's arm. The battle proves to be in favor of the League at the start, but that quickly changes with the arrival of Tattooed Man, and Deathstroke's kryptonite laced sword. Isis quickly intervenes and demands that both parties cease.
The Titans return to the Labyrinth where Deathstroke reveals that he can revive the dead, including Jade's daughter Lian. Cinder is the only one to object to Deathstroke's machine and attacks the rest of the Titans, Roy objects to the use of such an object and sides with Carla as well. Carla manages to detonate the machine by seemingly sacrificing herself, and Jade stands idly watching in agony as she now loses any chances of bringing back Lian. Roy quickly pulls Jade out of the way of the explosion. Outside, Jade tells Roy she wants to leave everything that has happened recently behind her, including him.
New 52[]
Cheshire is a member of the League of Asassins and battled with the Outlaws. It has been revealed that as of the reboot she never had a child with Roy Harper. She does, however, have a clear crush on him, and is very flirtatious through all their interactions, even go as far as freeing him to help Starfire and Jason Todd when they were betrayed by the League.
Rebirth[]
Cheshire returns to mercenary work and is hired on several assignments to kill members of the Batman Family. She is among the assassins hired by Penguin, Black Mask and Great White Shark to attack Batman and Two-Face whilst the former attempts to cure the latter.[1] Cheshire also joins the League of Assassins on a city-wide attack on Blüdhaven, but is stopped by Nightwing, Robin and Arsenal.[2] Cheshire also appears as one of the many assassins hired by Penguin and "the Designer" to kill Batman, alongside Deathstroke, Merlyn, Gunsmith and Mr. Teeth. She is defeated twice, first by Batman,[3] and later by both Catwoman and Harley Quinn.[4] As the Joker War begins, she flees Gotham with the other assassins.
Infinite Frontier[]
With the Universe once again altered, Cheshire's relationship with Roy Harper and their daughter, Lian, is restored. After her daughter is almost killed by the Electrocutioner and pursued by unknown assailants, Jade places her in the care of an unnamed Gotham Church. Year later, Lian is taken under the wing of Catwoman as her sidekick, Cheshire Cat.[5]
Powers and Abilities[]
Cheshire is an expert in several forms of existing and arcane forms of martial arts, and is also triple-jointed and a skilled acrobat, which she uses to her advantage to move quickly and unexpectedly. Deadlier still are her artificial and elongated finger nails, which she dips in a variety of deadly poisons. All of Cheshire's weapons receive the same treatment as her nails. In Birds of Prey #63, Black Canary describes Cheshire as "the second most deadly assassin in the world", second only to Lady Shiva. She also runs the all-female assassin organization called the Ravens, who are recurring foes to the Birds of Prey and serve as their dark parallel.
In Other Media[]
Television[]
Teen Titans Animated Series[]
Cheshire in "Teen Titans."
Cheshire makes several appearances in the fifth and final season of the Teen Titans animated series as a younger version with a cat mask, where she is drafted into the expanded Brotherhood of Evil and proves herself to be a valuable asset to the team.
She first has a cameo in "Homecoming Part 2" when the expanded Brotherhood of Evil is first seen as she stands amongst dozens of fellow Titan foes.
Later, in "Calling All Titans", she is sent out by The Brain to take out Speedy, and attacking him in the forest she remains in the shadows much like a Cheshire Cat. However, when she decides to show herself, she uses her kimono sleeves to easily deflect Speedy's arrows and uses her hair and nails to take him out with ease bringing him back to the Brotherhood headquarters, where he is flash-frozen.
She makes her final appearance in "Titans Together", where she helps capture Beast Boy's team when they arrive at the headquarters but when reinforcements arrive she is not seen for the remainder of the battle and presumably flees before being frozen. She appeared briefly in the spin-off comic series, developing a romanitic relationship with Speedy and even unmasking in front of him (her face is not seen by the reader). The mask Cheshire wore in the Teen Titans animated series has become popular with fans and has been featured in all subsequent media incarnations of the character, though it has not been added to the comics.
Young Justice[]
Film[]
Justice League: Crisis on Two Earths[]
While neither the original or a heroic version of Cheshire appears in the animated film Justice League: Crisis on Two Earths, the Crime Syndacite version of Katana wears a mask similar to Cheshire's from Teen Titans, and resembles her current design in the Young Justice series.
Batman: Soul of the Dragon[]
Jade Nguyen in the film, voiced by Jamie Chung. Alongside Bruce Wayne, Richard Dragon, Shiva, Ben Turner and Rip Jagger, she is tutored by O-Sensei to protect the world from Nāga. Though not villainous as her comic counterpart, Jade is portrayed as inquisitive and questioning her mentor. She is eventually murdered by Jagger, a member of the Kobra Cult, to open the gate and unleash Nāga.
Catwoman: Hunted[]
Cheshire appears in Catwoman: Hunted, voiced by Kelly Hu. Working for Roman Sionis and the League of Shadows, she tries to kill Catwoman and Batwoman with the aid of Nosferata but fails when she is knocked unconscious by Catwoman.
Video games[]
Batman: Arkham Origins[]
Although Cheshire herself doesn't appear in person, she is briefly referenced in Sionis' Steel Mill, where a folder with a "rejected" stamp bearing her name on it was seen, indicating that she was considered to be among the assassins hired to kill Batman, but never made the cut.