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Jade Nguyen is Cheshire, an assassin and mercenary who uses a wide variety of poisons. She has often fought the Titans, and was romantically involved with one of them, Roy Harper.

Origin

Born to a French father and a Vietnamese mother, Jade Nguyen had an unhappy childhood and was sold into slavery. This trauma ultimately drove her insane, and paved her way into becoming one of the world's most ruthless mercenaries.

After killing her master, Jade was informally adopted by Chinese freedom fighter Weng Chan, who taught her all he knew about guerrilla fighting. She acquired knowledge of poisons from Kruen Musenda, a famed African assassin known as the "Spitting Cobra" and to whom she was married for the two years prior to his death.

Teen Titans

She was a long-standing rival of the Teen Titans. However, when Roy Harper, the archer Arsenal, went undercover for the government in a mission to get her confidence and turn her over, the two fell passionately in love. Knowing he would not be able to turn her in, he walked out; Cheshire would not learn his true identity until years later. The result of their romance was a daughter, Lian, whom Roy raised. Despite her own shortcomings, Jade loved her daughter.

Deathstroke and Ravens

Returning to her mercenary ways after leaving Lian behind for Roy, Jade saved Deathstroke's life so he could help her in stealing nuclear weapons from Russia in an attempt to blackmail the world. To prove she was not bluffing, she obliterated the Middle Eastern nation of Qurac,[3] reasoning that since Qurac was a stronghold for terrorists, the Western countries would secretly be grateful. Cheshire's plans were foiled when her base came under attack and she was forced to flee. She later created her own team, The Ravens.

Birds of Prey: Sensei & Student

After Lady Shiva and Black Canary's sensei is poisoned to death both assume that the responsable is Chesire, a poison especialist considered by them the second most deadly assassin in the world. Shortly after questioning her about their sensei's murderer Jade is believed to be innocent and claims that she has been set-up by Senator Pullman. With this Shiva, Dinah and Jade decide to join forces to bring him down. Later is shown that Cheshire discovered that her biological father was Robert Pullman, the senator they were after, and she attempted to torture and kill him. To that end, she defeated Lady Shiva, and devised a plan to use her to fake her own death and flee the country with her daughter. Jade ties up Shiva, gags her and locks her in the trunk of her car (which was wired to explode), hoping that the authorities will find the charred body of an Asian woman in the flaming car wreck and believe that Jade was killed while fleeing the Senator's murder. Unfortunately for her, Catwoman and Gypsy show up and untie Shiva, while Huntress and Black Canary stop Jade from murdering the Senator, and then take her into custody. While escaping the scene of the attempted assassination, Jade is punched in the face and thrown out of the helicopter by Black Canary to avoid being beaten to death by an enraged Shiva.

Tartarus

Cheshire volunteered to join Tartarus, a group created by Vandal Savage with the objective of destroying the Titans. During a confrontation with the Titans and the H.I.V.E, Savage shot Cheshire to distract Arsenal. She recovered, but was taken into custody for her crimes including the devastation of Qurac. Sentenced to life imprisonment, she was broken out by the Ravens. Arsenal, however, forced her back into custody.

Secret Six

She later escaped custody and became a member of the Secret Six. At this time, she developed a relationship with Thomas Blake, a.k.a. Catman, and became pregnant. She later betrayed the Secret Six to their archenemies, "The Society." However, she was shot and critically wounded by Deathstroke shortly afterwards, who did not think the Society needed traitors like her in their ranks. Though apparently killed, she later resurfaced, living in a mansion in the Himalayan Mountains with her new son. Working with Vandal Savage again, she put out hits on the other members of the Secret Six except for Blake. Taking matters into her own hands, she stabbed The Mad Hatter, who was working with the Six. Her blade was poisoned and she later bartered the antidote to the poison to Catman in exchange for her safety.

She was later sent back to prison, but she received visits from Roy Harper and Lian occasionally.[4] Her incarceration was only temporary however, and Cheshire was soon back out on the streets as a member of the new Injustice League.[5] She was among the villains deported to the prison planet during the events of Salvation Run.

Brightest Day

Cheshire returned as a member of a small army of villains attempting to collect massive bounties on the heads of the Secret Six. She manages to poison the meals of her targets, but is defeated by Jeannette. Later, Star City is destroyed by Prometheus, and Lian is apparently killed. Jade had joined Deathstroke's new team of Titans and was later seen fighting Atom (Ryan Choi) and kills him. After finding out about her daughter's death; Cheshire attacks Roy, outraged at not keeping Lian safe: injuring him and threatening to do worse as revenge.

Titans

At some point after the death of Lian, Cheshire took a job to assassinate a cult leader, but was unsuccessful. Her target began to pursue her. Slade told her that she had lost her edge after her daughter's death. He offered to take care of her pursuer and help her get her edge back. She accepted membership in Deathstroke's new team of Titans.[6]

Their first assignment was murdering Ryan Choi.[6] She later contacted Roy, forcing him into joining Deathstroke's team so the two of them can kill Deathstroke. Cheshire rationalizes that Roy "owes" her for Lian's death, but while it appears Roy double-crossed her, it is part of Cheshire's plan.[7] Afterward, Deathstroke and his team arrived at South Pacific Island to kill cult leader Drago over the arena production of blind warriors; however, his team, Cheshire, and Roy betray him, revealing that they had been working with Drago.[8] Cheshire and Roy's plan backfired, as Drago never intended to give Cheshire her freedom back. Their attempt to defeat Drago and escape failed miserably. Later, Drago explained to Cheshire that he needs an heir, and she was going to provide him with one.[9] Drago tries to convince Cheshire to succumb to him, but Drago was reading her mind and using her thoughts against her, but she is ultimately rescued by Slade and his Titans.[10] Drago was defeated, Deathstroke allows him to live and the Titans then leave from his island but Cheshire and Roy choose to re-join the Titans.[11] Upon returning to the labyrinth, Deathstroke reveals to them that his proceeding items were used to create a healing machine called "Methuselah Device" for his dying son, Jericho.[12] After healing Jericho, Deathstroke claims the machine can also resurrect the dead, offering Cheshire and Roy the chance to revive Lian. Cheshire accepts, but Roy refuses, tells that he has punishing himself for his daughter's death and that Lian is in a better place. Joined by Tattooed Man and Cinder, Cheshire and Arsenal fought the other Titans to destroy the Methuselah Device.[13]


Abilities

  • Hand-to-Hand Combat (Advanced): Cheshire excels at hand-to-hand combat, and is proficient in various acrobatic and martial arts skills.
  • Acrobatics: Her joints are extremely flexible, making her a skilled acrobat.
  • Poison Specialist: In addition, she is also an expert on poisons, preferring to douse her fingernails into a vast variety of deadly chemicals.
  • Driving[14]
  • Seduction: Cheshire is an attractive woman and knows to how to utilizing it.

Equipment

  • Poisons

Weapons


  • Although this character was originally introduced during DC's Earth-One era of publication, their existence following the events of the 1985–86 limited series Crisis on Infinite Earths remains intact. However, some elements of the character's Pre-Crisis history may have been altered or removed for Post-Crisis New Earth continuity, and should be considered apocryphal.
  • Black Canary once called her the second most deadly assassin in the world, only topped by Lady Shiva.[15][16]
  • Jade routinely poisons her nails.
  • While on an assassination mission, Cheshire contemplated her relationship with Roy Harper, who was getting in the way of her mission as Speedy. While she decided she should probably kill him, Jade noted that it would be a shame since he was "so, so good" of a lover.[17]

Related

Footnotes


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Injustice League member
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Secret Society of Super-Villains member
This character is or was a member of the Secret Society of Super-Villains, a cadre of super-villains who band together to accomplish feats no one super-villain can do alone, in any of its various incarnations. This template will categorize articles that include it into the "Secret Society of Super-Villains members" category.

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