Harleen Quinzel (New Earth)
From DC Database
Contents |
History
Described as having a genius-level IQ, Harleen attended Gotham State University on a scholarship for gymnastics, where she majored in Psychiatry under Dr Odin Markus. To get into the graduate program, she had Dr Markus meet with her in her dorm room, then outlined what she believed would be a good graduate thesis. The basis of which would be 'There are only two circumstances under which a person disregards the rules of society. When they commit a crime, or when they're in love.' To guarantee her position, she aimed to allow Dr Markus to observe an independent experiment on the matter. The test subjects: herself and her boyfriend Guy Kopski who had developed a 'Think Drink' to calm and centre himself. One day he came into the dorm and wondered why Harley wasn't laughing at any of his jokes. She explained she had driven through a red light, whilst driving a stolen car after blackmailing Dr Markus and possibly shooting him. Hearing this, along with the evidence of a recently fired handgun, made Guy run out with it when asked if he still loves her. When she found him in the gymnasium (where the 'shooting' took place) she found him laughing nervously stood over a homeless man he had just shot, believing him to be Dr Markus. He begged her to help him shoot himself, asking her to do it because she loved him. The gun went off, though it's unclear if she did help pull the trigger. It later turned out that Dr Markus spiked Guy's 'Think Drink' with diluted Joker Venom to counteract the stresses that Harley would put him through. If Harley had known at the time, it may have kept her from thinking everything was caused by chaos and nobody except Guy - and The Joker then on the news - knew that. She felt she understood Joker and declared to Dr Markus that she would do anything to get an internship at Arkham Asylum. To be with the one she deserved.
Upon graduating, and with a glowing reference from Dr Markus, Dr Harleen Quinzel began her first-year residency at Arkham. As soon as she was accepted by Dr Arkham, she requested to meet Joker. Claiming she was researching for a book on serial killers, she was allowed complete access to the clown prince of crime. In their first session together, she introduced herself as Dr Harleen Quinzel, stressing that he could refer to her as Harley Quinn, like the medieval jester Harlequin. Joker hadn't made a sound until then, where he began laughing and asking if she was flirting with him. She moved closer, whereupon he chose to strangle her. When he got a loving look instead of shock or fright, he ceased, stating it was a joke. The pair shared an affair with Quinn helping Joker escape from Arkham several times before being caught herself. Her medical license was revoked and she was committed as well, despite her plea that all of the releases were therapeutic.
Harley broke out of Arkham multiple times to join up with her "Puddin'" The Joker, before she finally wised up to his abusive behaviour and broke off from him. Deciding to become a crime boss on her own, she gathered a gang she named The Quintets. After a run in with The Riddler at Wayne Manor during looting, and a few other failed heists and lost "Fifth Quintet"'s, one of her henchmen decided to be rid of her but keep the gang. Word was put out that a price was on Harley's head, and many came to collect it. Killer Croc attacked her in her own secret hideout but was subdued thanks to her knowledge of the building. The traitor then arrived and would have shot her if not for the intervention of Matches Malone.
Publication History
DCAU
Harley Quinn first appeared in the Batman: The Animated Series episode "Jokers Favor" (episode #022, original airdate: September 11th, 1992) where she served as a humourous female sidekick to the Joker. In her first appearances she was depicted as a character completely devoted to the Joker, totally oblivious to his psychotic nature and his obvious lack of affection for her - a characterisation that has remained more or less consistent throughout her subsequent appearances.
The origin of the character was recounted in a 1994 graphic novel The Batman Adventures: Mad Love. Told in the style and continuity of Batman: The Animated Series and written and drawn by Paul Dini and Bruce Timm (two of the producers of the animated series and Harley's creators) the comic book revealed Harley's origins as an Arkham Asylum psychiatrist who fell in love with the Joker. The story was widely praised and won the Eisner and Harvey Awards for Best Single Issue Comic of the Year.
The Mad Love story was originally thought too violent for the animated series, though it was eventually adapted in The New Batman and Robin Adventures series episode "Mad Love" in 1999. This made it the first "animated style" comic book which was adapted for the series (the other being a holiday special adapted into the episode "Holiday Knights").
Harleen Quinzel was a psychiatric intern at Arkham Asylum. Despite possessing considerable intelligence and receiving high grades in college, she was not a particuarly intellectual or strong-minded woman, having only gotten through college by seducing her professor. While researching the lunatics at Arkham, she became fascinated with one particular inmate, The Joker. Ambitiously volunteering to analyze him, she fell in love nearly instantly with the Joker during their sessions. After helping him escape from the asylum more than once Harleen was suspected by the authorities, who revoked her license and placed her in her own cell. During an earthquake in Gotham City, she fled and became Harley Quinn, the sidekick to the Clown Prince of Crime himself, The Joker.
Quinn's relationship with the Joker could only be described as "abusive": he yells at her, hits her and abandons her whenever she becomes inconvenient or annoying, but she always comes back for more, convinced that he truly loves her and that his violence is "just a joke." The Joker, an expert manipulator, always knows just when to turn on the charm when he once again needs her.
One time, the Joker grew tired of Quinn, and he sent her off on a rocket. She crash landed in Robinson Park in the center of Gotham and was found by Poison Ivy. Ivy took her back to her lair in a toxic waste dump and nursed her back to health. This included injecting Harley with a serum that Ivy had developed which has given Harley an immunity to all toxins and poisons as well as boosting her immune system, giving her almost superhuman agility and strength. Quinn and Ivy teamed up and conducted a number of successful capers. When Quinn and The Joker made up soon afterwards Ivy dissolved the partnership in disgust. Ivy remains, however, her usual first point of call when she and The Joker are going through a rough patch. Ivy adopted the role of older sister and teller of harsh truths to Quinn about her helpless infatuation with The Joker. When Ivy demanded during one episode that Quinn stand up for herself, Quinn said "I'm nobody's doormat—am I?" Ivy replied, "If you had a middle name, it would be 'Welcome'."
She frequently refers to the Joker as "puddin" and "Mr. J." and she refers to Poison Ivy as "red" (a reference to her red hair).
In the animated series Quinn often teamed up with Poison Ivy to take on Batman. Quinn's friendship with Ivy was one of the few villianous team-ups in the animated series seemingly rooted in genuine friendship, and half-serious speculation and jokes exist among some fans as to potential lesbian undertones of their relationship.
Her eventual fate is shown in the movie Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker. She disappeared, and was presumed dead, after falling into a deep crevasse during Batman's final showdown with the Joker; however, bottomless pits are a notoriously unreliable means of death in fiction. Indeed, a scene toward the end of the film reveals that she survived to start a family, with her granddaughters (Delia and Deidre Dennis) eventually joining the Jokerz Gang as Dee-Dee. This scene exists primarily because Harley is Paul Dini's admitted favorite character (not to mention being his main original addition to the Batman mythos), and he was unsettled by having to kill her off, so he snuck that scene into the script on his own. It survived thanks to Bruce Timm, who felt the lighter moment was a perfect relief after the intensity of the climax.
DC Universe
The character proved so popular that a version of her was eventually added to the more serious Batman comic book canon. The comic-book version of Quinn, like the comic-book version of The Joker, is more dangerously psychotic and less humourously kooky than the animated-series version.
Quinn's DC Universe comic book origin, revealed in Batman: Harley Quinn (October, 1999) is largely an adaptation of her animated origin from the Batman Adventures: Mad Love graphic novel.
A Harley Quinn ongoing series was published monthly by DC Comics for 38 issues from 2001 to 2003. Creators who contributed to the title included Karl Kesel and Terry Dodson.
Harley Quinn continues to appear in other DC comic books. She should not be confused with Harlequin, a distinct Teen Titans character originally appearing in the seventies.Powers and Abilities
Powers
Superhuman Agility
Superhuman Strength: Strong enough to block a weak punch from Batman without effort.
Toxin Immunity: immunizes her to various assorted toxins and Ivy's own poisonous touch.Abilities
Psychologist: Trained as in the field of psychoanalysis.
Olympic level Gymnast: She is also a spectacular gymnast, probably even exceeding the ability of Dick Grayson
Paraphernalia
Weapons
Various firearms, oversized wooden mallet and boxing glove gun.
Trivia
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- Comic book fanatic and film-maker Kevin Smith named his daughter "Harley Quinn" Smith after the character.
- Arleen Sorkin, the voice of Harley Quinn, starred in a soap opera which included a dream sequence where she wore a jester costume. Paul Dini used this scene as an inspiration for the character, writing her specifically so Sorkin could voice the character.
- In Harley Quinn's first appearance, in the early ninties Batman: Animated Series episode Joker's Favor, her sole purpose was to walk into a police banquet with a giant cake. She did not have her trademark costume on for most of the episode, dressing instead as a police officer in a mini skirt.
- In the "Batman" (first series) episode 'Harley's Holiday', it's is revealed that she is not a natural blond.
See Also
- Discuss Harleen Quinzel (New Earth) on the forums
- Appearances of Harleen Quinzel (New Earth)
- Character Gallery: Harleen Quinzel (New Earth)
- Fan-Art Gallery: Harleen Quinzel (New Earth)
- Quotations by Harleen Quinzel (New Earth)
- Images featuring Harleen Quinzel (New Earth)
Links and References
- Harley Quinn profile at Wikipedia
- Harley Quinn profile at the Unofficial Guide to the DC Universe
- Harley Quinn profile at Comicbookdb.com
- Harley Quinn from Batman the Animated Series
- Harley's Haven
Footnotes
  Batman Villain(s) |
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| This page uses content from Wikipedia. The original article was at Harley Quinn. The list of authors can be seen in the page history. As with DC Database, the text of Wikipedia is available under the GNU Free Documentation License. |
