12 DC villains who are better than most DC heroes

9. Cheetah

Wonder Woman was born of the blood of a god, gifted with all the abilities of the divine. She’s presented as a beautiful woman on top of that. Meanwhile, Cheetah had to go through hell. Okay, it was partly her fault, but still. Her beauty is marked by her sleek, feline-inspired look that is a combination of alluring and scary. It’s a very distinctive look that has made her unforgettable as one of the few were creature-like characters in DC.

Knowing what Cheetah has been through and what she overcame makes her easy to like. Barbara Ann Minerva, a curious archaeologist, got in over her head. In the jungle, Minerva’s team was betrayed. Only she and Dr. Tom Leavens escaped to find a lost city during a ritual. One team member was sacrificed by the high priest, Chuma, who intended to heal an ailing woman, the avatar of their cheetah god.

As the outsiders attacked, only Chuma survived thanks to Minerva. Later, buried by a grenade blast, Chuma explained the ritual’s purpose was to transform the old woman into a cheetah god. Minerva demanded power, and she killed Dr. Leavens as her blood sacrifice. She drank his blood and became Cheetah. After slaughtering the returning invaders, she actually took Chuma to England.

While she’s made to evoke fear, we can’t help but empathize with her. Her curse, to forever desire human flesh, is a reminder that even villains can have tragic pasts that lead them down dark paths. Gotta love Cheetah.