With a new year on the horizon and the holidays upon us, it’s a good time to take a look back at 2014 to remember and remark upon a few of its key DC Entertainment moments. Some of these moments played out on the comic book page or the screen, others were real-life happenings that shaped what we’ll be reading and seeing over the years ahead. If you’re a DC Comics fan or just an entertainment fan in general, they all mattered. It’s been a great year full of both ups and downs, but these are the big ones. These are our DCComics.com “Ten Moments that Mattered” for 2014.

There’s a rarified list of DC characters who have not been created in the pages of comic books but have nevertheless become breakthrough stars thanks to you—the fans.  Harley Quinn was born on Batman: The Animated Series. John Diggle was originally created for Arrow. This year a new villain joined the ranks of hot new favorites—the Crime Queen of Gotham as brilliantly portrayed by Jada Pinkett Smith—Fish Mooney. And in so doing, she further demonstrated that a DC character doesn’t need to be born on the comic page to become a fan favorite, and that even within a Rogues’ Gallery as rich as Batman’s there’s always room to climb to the top.

Deadly, merciless, ruthless and… nurturing?  It’s the rare villain who likes to be called “Mother” and refers to her protégés as her children. First among these was Oswald “Penguin” Cobblepot, whose betrayal cut Fish so deeply that her plan for revenge is still unfolding. Next up was the lounge-singer-turned-spy Liza who literally fought to earn the trust of Ms Mooney. Like a master strategist, Fish has placed this beautiful pawn right beside Gotham’s Kingpin, Falcone.

We’ve also become Fish fans because of her fabulous taste in fashion (metallic dresses and nails), music (Tom Waits has echoed through her nightclub), and stand-up comedians. She’s warmly given encouragement to an up-and-coming jokester while he’s nervously watched Cobblepot viciously beaten in front of him.

On a show that’s discovered a whole new way to visit Gotham, Fish Mooney is a star attraction. In a city known for its flamboyant villains, her glamour gives her schemes a level of unexpected panache. We love her because she’s so good at being bad. And judging by the buzz behind the character, it’s clear we’re far from the only ones!