Batman #567, p. 4: The First Appearance Page of Cassandra Cain.

The first page appearance of Cassandra Cain. When I learned of the background of this character, I was reminded of the language deprivation experiment alleged by the historian Herodotus, conducted by Egyptian Pharaoh Psamtik I, in order to deduce the original human language (it was an interesting failure). I was immediately taken with the idea of it being successful, and the subject internalizing body language as their first language. As the stellar and character-accurate writing of Kelley Puckett and the evolving style of Damion Scott pulled me in, I picked up what key pages and covers I could.

Here is her first page appearance in the No Man's Land storyline, as the rare successful courier in Barbara Gordon's employ after a massive earthquake hits Gotham City, leaving only the heartiest of souls to navigate its gang-controlled territories and broken infrastructure.

She delivers communications, and an apple to Barbara, who would become less her teacher than a beloved ally and loyal friend, but an essential part of Cassandra's world which, until then, had been defined by abuse by her father to make her into the perfect weapon.