Harley Quinn should not be confused with Harlequin (DC Comics).
| Character Name: | Harley Quinn |
| Real Name: | Harleen Frances Quinzel[1] [2] |
| Publisher: | DC Comics |
| First Series: | "Joker's Favor" (September 11, 1992) |
| First Comic: | The Batman Adventures #12 (September 1993, non-canon) Batman: Harley Quinn #1 (October 1999, canon) |
| Creators: | Paul Dini (writer) Bruce Timm (artist) |
| Homeworld: | Brooklyn / Gotham City |
| Alliances: | Suicide Squad Gotham City Sirens Quinntets Gang of Harleys Secret Six Justice League of Anarchy Justice League Batman family[3] |
| Aliases: | Dr. Harleen Quinzel Holly Chance[4] Dr. Jessica Seaborn |
| Partners: | Joker Poison Ivy Bud and Lou Catwoman Batman Deadshot Janet Mitchell The Carpenter |
| Powers: |
|
| Cat: | super |
| Subcat: | DC Comics |
| Hero: | y |
| Villain: | y |
Harley Quinn (Dr. Harleen Frances Quinzel, PhD) is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. She was created by Paul Dini and Bruce Timm for as a henchwoman for the Joker, and debuted in its 22nd episode, "Joker's Favor", on September 11, 1992. While intended to appear in one episode, Quinn became a recurring character within the DC Animated Universe (DCAU) as the Joker's sidekick and love interest, and was adapted into DC Comics' canon seven years later, beginning with the one-shot Batman: Harley Quinn #1 (October 1999). Quinn's origin story features her as a former psychologist at Gotham City's Arkham Asylum who was manipulated by and fell in love with the Joker, her patient, eventually becoming his accomplice and lover. The character's alias is a play on the stock character Harlequin from the 16th-century Italian theater .
Following her introduction to the comics in 1999, Harley Quinn was depicted as the former doctor turned sidekick and lover of the Joker as well as the criminal associate and best friend of Poison Ivy. Later stories depicted Quinn as an independent supervillain who has left her abusive and codependent relationship with the Joker behind, beginning with the publication of her ongoing series, Harley Quinn. After years of scarce appearances in comics, Quinn returned in a leading role in 2009 with the Gotham City Sirens series, as part of an unstable alliance with Poison Ivy and Catwoman. The character’s design was modernised in 2011 for DC's "The New 52" line-wide relaunch, with the character since regularly featuring as an antihero in the Suicide Squad and ‘’Birds of Prey’’ team books. Other changes included fronting her own light-hearted Harley Quinn comic book and being established in a new romantic relationship with Poison Ivy.[5] In 2021, DC's line-wide Infinite Frontier relaunch brought Quinn back to Gotham City and reestablished her as a superhero seeking redemption for her past actions.
Harley Quinn's abilities include expert gymnastic skills, proficiency in weapons and hand-to-hand combat, complete unpredictability, immunity to toxins, and enhanced strength, agility, and durability. Quinn often wields clown-themed gag weapons, with an oversized mallet being her signature weapon. Additionally, she has a pair of pet hyenas, Bud and Lou, who sometimes serve as her attack dogs.
Harley Quinn has become one of DC Comics' most popular and profitable characters. She has been featured in many of DC's comic books and adapted in various other media and merchandise. DC Comics Publisher Jim Lee considers Harley Quinn the fourth pillar of DC Comics' publishing line, behind Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman.
Originally voiced by Arleen Sorkin in the DC Animated Universe, she has since appeared in many other DC projects voiced by actresses such as Tara Strong, Hynden Walch, Laura Bailey, Jenny Slate, Melissa Rauch, Laura Post, and Kaley Cuoco. Cuoco provided the character's voice in the 2019 animated series Harley Quinn. Mia Sara, Margot Robbie, and Lady Gaga have portrayed the character in live action media.
Harley Quinn was created by Paul Dini and Bruce Timm for the 1992 episode entitled "Joker's Favor" while Dini was writing the episode.[6] Initially written as an animated equivalent of a walk-on role, Harley Quinn was intended to appear in just one episode. With this, her origin was not supposed to be more than it was, making her popularity unexpected and a surprise success.[7] [8] As Dini was putting together the story for the episode, he wanted to introduce a foil for the supervillain the Joker that would emphasize the Joker's comic book personality traits: funny, scary, and egotistical.[9] He then thought of giving Joker a henchwoman, inspired by the molls of the 1960s live-action Batman series,[10] [11] and then decided she would be a "funny counterpart to the Joker to maybe work up a little Punch and Judy attitude between them";[9] Dini stated, "[...] she could crack a joke and the henchmen would laugh, and the Joker would kind of glare at her". The character idea dated back in 1991, when Dini witnessed his college friend Arleen Sorkin play a jester in an episode of Days of Our Lives. Dini then based Harley Quinn on Sorkin, incorporating aspects such as her mannerisms and "snappy, wisecracking, bubbly blonde" personality.[12] [13] [9] Dini even decided to have Sorkin voice her.[9] [11] In recording Harley Quinn's voice, Sorkin spoke in her normal New York accent while putting in a "little Yiddish sound", since Dini made the character Jewish, another aspect of the character borrowed from Sorkin;[14] [15] [16] Dini described her voice for the character as having "a snappy blonde but also kind of a bad girl": "a little bit of Adelaide from Guys and Dolls, a little bit of Judy Holliday", and "a lot of Arleen", stating that it sounded "very close" to Sorkin's voice.
Dini had several names in mind while naming the character, such as Columbine, and eventually settled on the name "Harley Quinn".[17] Dini chose the name for the character to be in line with other Batman characters's names being puns, and also because he thought "Harley was a fun name for a girl".[18] [12] The name Harley Quinn is a play on Harlequin, a stock character from the sixteenth-century Italian physical comedy theater .
In designing the character, Timm did a "simplified supervillain version" of traditional Harlequin gear; from the original, he took the jester hat, ruffled collar, diamond pattern, and domino mask and put them on a red-and-black bodysuit, on which the diamonds were strategically placed for easier animation. Timm took Harley Quinn's red and black color scheme from the Golden Age comic book character Daredevil. Dini had previously made a rough design for the character, which Timm improved on.
After seeing Harley Quinn in the rough cut of "Joker's Favor", the producers of Batman: The Animated Series, which include Dini and Timm, were impressed with the result, with Dini wanting to bring the character back for more episodes.[19] Timm and another producer, Alan Burnett, were initially reluctant of this and thought that giving Joker a girlfriend "played more towards his comedic side" and would "humanize him too much", which contrasted their vision for Joker as a character who is "as serious a threat as possible to Batman". Nevertheless, months after "Joker's Favor", Harley made a second appearance on the show in the episode "The Laughing Fish" and became the Joker's love interest. Harley Quinn gained popularity with fans of The Animated Series, with the character being featured more on the show and eventually starring in her own episodes, such as 1993's "Harley and Ivy", which introduced a friendship between her and fellow supervillain Poison Ivy, and 1994's "Harlequinade" and "Harley's Holiday", which explored her life without the Joker.[20] [21] Harley Quinn then became a recurring character in the DC Animated Universe, appearing in The Animated Series sequel The New Batman Adventures, the direct-to-video film , and in non-Batman animation such as , Static Shock, and Justice League. In February 1994, she made her first appearance in a video game in The Adventures of Batman and Robin, an action platformer based on Batman: The Animated Series.[22] [23]
Because of her popularity, Harley Quinn was adapted into DC's comic books.[24] In September 1993 (cover date), a year following Harley Quinn's first appearance in Batman: The Animated Series, the character made her comic book debut in the 12th issue of The Batman Adventures, a series set in the universe of The Animated Series, and became a regular character.[5] In 1997, she appeared in the story , released under Elseworlds, a DC Comics imprint that published out-of-continuity alternate reality stories, as Hayley Fitzpatrick. In 1999, she became a canonical character with the release of Batman: Harley Quinn.
See main article: The Batman Adventures: Mad Love. In February 1994, the one-shot recounting Harley's origin was released. Written by Dini and drawn by Timm, the story marks their first comic book collaboration. Mad Love introduces Harley Quinn as a former psychologist named Harleen Quinzel who fell in love with the Joker during her internship at Gotham City's Arkham Asylum and details her transformation into the Joker's villainous accomplice Harley Quinn, as well as the Joker's lack of respect for Harley.[25] [26] [27] Widely considered the definitive Harley Quinn story,[28] [29] [30] Mad Love added dimensions to the character, with Dini introducing Harley Quinn's motivations as well as establishing her as a tragic and sympathetic figure.[31] [32] [33] [34] The story received wide praise and won the Eisner and Harvey awards for Best Single Issue in the same year and was later adapted into an episode of the same name in The New Batman Adventures in 1999.[35] [36]
Mad Love establishes Harley Quinn's full name to be Harleen Frances Quinzel. "Harleen Frances" was taken from Sorkin's first and middle name, Arleen Frances, while "Quinzel" came from one of Dini's former Emerson College instructors, who was surnamed Quenzel.[12]
Harley Quinn was adapted into the mainstream DC Universe with the 1999 one-shot graphic novel Batman: Harley Quinn, written by Dini and illustrated by Yvel Guichet,[37] which put her origin in the middle of the story line.[38] Dini changed Harley and the Joker's relationship to be darker to match the Joker's character in the comics; in the story, the Joker attempts to kill Harley at the first opportunity. Harley's immunity to toxins and enhanced strength and agility, which were gained from a special formula created by Poison Ivy, were carried over from Batman: The Animated Series, with Dini stating that they would give her a sort of "physical edge" over Batman and other heroes.
While pursuing new assignments at DC Comics' offices in New York City, Karl Kesel was approached by former DC editor Matt Idelson to create a pitch for Harley Quinn's first ongoing series, which Kesel accepted, being a fan of the character after having read Mad Love.[19] Kesel chose Terry Dodson as the artist for the series, whose art Kesel thought complemented the character's cartoonish roots and worldview.[19] [39] Kesel called Dodson and asked him if he was interested on working on the comic, to which Dodson agreed, and the two worked for a month on their proposal for the series, which was to make a comic about "love gone horribly, terribly wrong".[39] [19] The proposal was accepted by DC Comics, and the pair began work on the series, with Kesel and Dodson both being involved in the storytelling, and Dodson bringing in his wife, Rachel Dodson, to ink.[19] Kesel's run on the series began being published in December 2000, and was about Harley Quinn leaving the Joker and becoming a solo criminal, alongside a supporting cast of henchmen named the Quinntets.[19] Because of underwhelming sales, his 25-issue run ended in December 2002, and DC decided to change the creative team; the series was given to writer A.J. Lieberman and artists Mike Huddleston and Troy Nixey by Idelson, and took on a grittier and darker direction, contrasting Kesel's run.[40] The decision renewed interest in the character, but the sales remained lackluster and the series was cancelled in 2003.[40] [11]
See main article: Gotham City Sirens. After years of scarce appearances in comics, Harley Quinn resurfaced in a leading role in July 2009 with Gotham City Sirens, a team-up title created by Dini.[41] [5] [11] The series brought together Batman's most popular female villains, Harley Quinn, Catwoman, and Poison Ivy, in an unstable alliance.[42] [43] [44] The series also expanded on Harley Quinn's background and early life; in Gotham City Sirens #7, Dini established the character's hometown being Brooklyn, based on her accent and also introduced her dysfunctional family, with her swindling father being described as the main reason for her pursuing psychology.[45] [46]
The first several issues of Gotham City Sirens were written by Dini and illustrated by Guillem March. Other creatives who worked for the series include writers Tony Bedard and Peter Calloway, and artists David López, Andres Guinaldo, Peter Nguyen, Jeremy Haun, and Ramon Bachs.[43] The series was cancelled in August 2011 for The New 52, DC Comics' relaunch of their entire comic line.[44]
As part of the New 52 reboot in September 2011, Harley Quinn was reintroduced by Adam Glass as a prominent member of the supervillain team Task Force X in the relaunched Suicide Squad series.[25] The character was heavily redesigned to fit the tone of the book, and was inspired by Harley's designs in the video games and ;[47] her color motif was changed to red and blue, her jester costume was replaced with a revealing ensemble consisting of a corset and hot pants, her skin was bleached white, and her previously blonde hair was altered to half-blue and half-red.[48] [11] [49] Her personality had also been depicted to be more violent and psychopathic than her former iteration.[11] [24]
In the series, Glass separated Harley Quinn from the Joker and explored her "becom[ing] her own person", with the Suicide Squad becoming a family to her;[50] [51] Glass said: "Harley's always wanted to belong to something. And if not Joker, then the team – and she's finding herself in all this. She's finding her place in the world, that she's not just a sidekick".[51]
Suicide Squad was canceled in April 2014 to coincide with the conclusion of the "Forever Evil" storyline.[52]
In the seventh issue of Suicide Squad, Glass revised Harley Quinn's origin story, making it reflect the Joker's origins. In the story, the Joker takes Harleen Quinzel to the chemical plant where he originated and pushes her into a vat of chemicals against her will, which bleaches her skin and drives her insane, resulting in her transformation to Harley Quinn. This origin was received negatively by fans, who felt that its removal of Harley Quinn's choice to become the Joker's accomplice willingly, as depicted in her previous origin stories, took out an essential part of her character.
Harley Quinn's second ongoing series, written by husband and wife Jimmy Palmiotti and Amanda Conner, with the interior art illustrated by Chad Hardin and John Timms, explored Harley Quinn leaving Gotham City and starting her own life in her hometown of Brooklyn, depicting her as a landlord in Coney Island, where she shares an apartment building with a supporting cast of "sideshow freaks".[53] [11] [54] [55] [56] Considered to be the most defining writers to work on the character since Dini and Timm, Palmiotti and Conner reinvented Harley Quinn as an antihero who has left her controlling relationship with the Joker behind.[25] [57] [58]
In contrast to Harley Quinn's depiction in Glass' Suicide Squad, Palmiotti and Conner wrote Harley Quinn with a lighthearted, cartoonish, and humorous tone. Her costume has also been changed with a roller derby-inspired costume designed by Conner, which incorporates Conner's favorite aspects of Harley Quinn's early costume and her costume in Glass' run of Suicide Squad.[55] [59] [53] The series also brought back Harley Quinn's red and black motif.[60]
The series began being published in November 2013, starting with Harley Quinn #0, which brought together 17 comic book artists, including Harley Quinn co-creator Bruce Timm, to illustrate a fourth wall-breaking story about Harley thinking of the artists that could illustrate her in her own comic book series.[61] The rest of the series details Harley Quinn's adventures in Coney Island with her supporting cast. In Harley Quinn #25, Palmiotti and Conner reunited Harley Quinn with the Joker; the story depicts Harley Quinn returning to Gotham City to confront the Joker and end their relationship.[62] [63]
With Harley Quinn's longtime friend Poison Ivy being a recurring character in the series, Palmiotti and Conner built on their relationship and hinted at romantic feelings between the two characters; Poison Ivy is shown kissing Harley Quinn multiple times throughout the series, and a sexual relationship between them was alluded to in issue #25.[58] When asked regarding their relationship in a Twitter Q&A, Palmiotti and Conner replied: "Yes, they are girlfriends without the jealousy of monogamy".[27]
The New 52 Harley Quinn series received positive reception, and was also one of DC Comics' top-selling series, inspiring multiple spin-offs.[59] The series was ended for the DC Rebirth relaunch of DC's titles.[64]
The cover of the first issue of the New 52s Suicide Squad title drew controversy for its sexual depiction of Harley Quinn.[11] This also caused some fans of the character to send Adam Glass hate mail and personal threats.[65]
In September 2013, DC Comics announced an art contest entitled "Break into comics with Harley Quinn!", in which contestants were to draw Harley in one of four different suicide scenarios. This contest drew controversy not only because it was announced close to National Suicide Prevention Week, but also because of the sexualized portrayal of Harley Quinn in the fourth scenario, in which the character attempts suicide while naked in her bathtub, which was highly criticised. The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, American Psychiatric Association, and National Alliance on Mental Illness all responded to the controversy in an emailed group statement to the Huffington Post: "We are disappointed that DC Comics has decided to host a contest looking for artists to develop ways to depict suicide attempts by one of its main villains – Harley Quinn". After seeing the reactions to the contest, DC Comics apologized, saying they should have made it clear it was a dream sequence that was not supposed to be taken seriously. In the final version, the bathtub scene was cut and replaced with Harley Quinn sitting on a rocket while flying in space.[66] [67] [68]
In June 2016, the DC Rebirth event relaunched DC Comics' entire line of comic book titles. Both Harley Quinn as well as Suicide Squad were rebooted, with the latter starting with the one-shot issue Suicide Squad: Rebirth #1 (October 2016). Harley Quinn's DC Rebirth design included pink and blue dyed hair tips and a jacket inspired by Margot Robbie's portrayal of the character in the 2016 film Suicide Squad, a change established in the last issues of her New 52 series.[69] [70]
Harley Quinn returned as a regular character in the relaunched Suicide Squad series, written by Rob Williams. The series was canceled in January 2019.[71]
Harley Quinn's relaunched ongoing series is a direct continuation of the former, with Conner and Palmiotti still writing for the character, and Hardin and Timms illustrating the interior art.[72] After having written 64 issues of Harley Quinn's ongoing series, Conner and Palmiotti's five-year run ended with the 34th issue of the series in December 2017, with writer Frank Tieri and artist Inaki Miranda taking over the title.[73] [74] [75] Tieri's run on the series ended with the series' 42nd issue, followed by a two-issue storyline written by Christopher Sebela and illustrated by Mirka Andolfo. By issue #45 in July 2018, Sam Humphries was the new writer for the series, with John Timms returning to provide art.[75] [76] The series ended in August 2020.[77]
In 2017, Harley Quinn co-creator Paul Dini wrote a backup feature for Harley Quinn's Rebirth monthly series entitled Harley Loves Joker, co-written by Palmiotti and illustrated by Bret Blevins, which ran for 9 issues.[78] The story brought back Harley Quinn's classic characterization and focuses on her past with the Joker. Unlike her characterization in Batman: The Animated Series, Dini and Palmiotti wrote Harley Quinn in the story as less of a "doormat", with Harley Quinn and Joker being on equal footing in their relationship.[79] The story concluded with the two-part limited series of the same name, which also expanded on Harley Quinn's past as a former intern in animal research at S.T.A.R. Labs, where she met her pet hyenas Bud and Lou.[80] In the second part of the story, Dini and Palmiotti explained Harley Quinn's change in costume, establishing the character's modern design as a reflection of her having left her relationship with the Joker.[81] [82]
For the 2021 Infinite Frontier relaunch, Harley Quinn is moved back to Gotham City as a superheroine, where she frequently interacts with and aids the Batman family, and she is given a new design by Riley Rossmo. Harley Quinn's fourth ongoing series, written by Stephanie Phillips and illustrated by Rossmo, depicts her "actively looking to make up for her past sins", alongside a former Joker henchman named Kevin.[83] [84] Harley Quinn also has a prominent role in the "Fear State" crossover event.[85]
In January 2022, Phillips confirmed Harley would be resuming her previous career as a psychologist.[86]
Harley Quinn possesses multiple superhuman abilities, having won a gymnastics scholarship at Gotham City's Gotham State University.[87] [88] [19] Following her transition to the main DC canon in 1999, Harley Quinn was established as having immunity to toxins and enhanced strength, agility, durability, and reflexes, which she received after having been injected with a serum concocted by Poison Ivy.[87] "Vengeance Unlimited, Part Five" (Harley Quinn vol. 1 #30) revealed that it also gave her the ability to breathe underwater.[89]
Harley Quinn is skilled in using various weapons, often employing weaponized clown-themed gag items, including pop guns, rubber chickens, and a gun that shoots a boxing glove, as well as oversized pistols and mallets, the latter being her signature weapon.[90] [91] [92] Other weapons she uses include: unconventional weapons, such as a baseball bat; explosive weapons such as bazookas, customized bombs, and dynamites;[93] firearms, such as pistols, assault rifles, and machine guns;[93] Harley Quinn also has a pair of pet hyenas, Bud and Lou, which she can order to attack her opponents.[87]
Despite being mentally unstable and sometimes distracted, Harley is highly intelligent. Her intellect extends to her psychological, tactical and deception abilities, but she does not stand out for particular strategic or scientific skills and often remains subordinate to the Joker, who between the two is the genius and the inventor. Harleen Quinzel earned a bachelor's degree in psychology and as a former Arkham psychologist, was highly qualified in psychoanalysis, criminology, and forensic psychiatry. While not on par with Joker, she is still an expert tactician, deceiver and escapologist, and still shows traces of her psychological experience. Harley Quinn is the only person besides the Joker to concoct Joker Venom, the Joker's signature weapon, and is shown to have reverse-engineered its formula and developed an antitoxin.[94] [95] She also has an indomitable pathological will.
Just like Poison Ivy, sometimes and not as much, Harley uses her feminine charm to attract men but only to manipulate them. Unlike the Joker, she is able to simulate sanity, thus being able to pretend to be a "normal" person. In this way, she disguised herself as a security guard, a lawyer and even Poison Ivy and Batgirl.
Harley Quinn has had several love interests, the most notable being the Joker and Poison Ivy. Other love interests include Mason Macabre, a character created by Conner and Palmiotti.[96] Plastic Man was initially intended to be a love interest for Harley Quinn by Kesel, but was not approved by DC.[97]
The Joker is Harley Quinn's former lover. Harley's solo comics often explore her former association with the Joker through "flashbacks of their past exploits, present-day conflicts", or through Harley as she "laments his absence". Harley often refers to him as "Mistah J" and "Puddin'".[98]
Their relationship is known for its abusive and codependent nature, first established in Harley's first origin story Mad Love.[19] The Joker habitually abuses Harley, and despite the abuse, Harley Quinn returns to him.[99] In the 1999 one-shot comic Batman: Harley Quinn, the Joker decides to kill Harley, after admitting that he does care for her, that their relationship is romantic, and that these feelings prevent him from fulfilling his purpose. Dini describes their relationship as abusive,[100] and empathizes with Harley's feelings of abandonment, with Dini basing most of Harley's dialogue on his past experiences.[101]
The Joker's controlling and codependent relationship with Harley Quinn has been analyzed as a means of the Joker reinforcing his own belief in his power in a world where he may be killed or neutralized by another villain or Batman. Joker mirrors his identity through Harley in her appearance, and even though he may ignore or act indifferent towards her, he continues to try to subject her to his control. When Harley successfully defeats Batman in Mad Love, the Joker, emasculated by his own failure, severely injures her out of fear of what the other villains will think of him; however, while Harley recovers, the Joker sends her flowers, which she accepts, reasserting his control over her.
Poison Ivy is Harley Quinn's current love interest and best friend, and Harley often refers to her as "Red".[102] Ivy was first introduced as a new friend to Harley by Dini in the 1993 Batman: The Animated Series episode "Harley and Ivy".[103] The episode came from Dini wanting to make Harley a stronger character and write a story where she leaves the Joker; Dini decided to pair her up with Ivy because she was "the strongest contrast to Harley".[103] The two later became close friends within the DC Animated Universe. Dini stated that he could see a romantic relationship between the two happening the more he worked with the two characters, but the impossibility of properly portraying their relationship in a kid's cartoon at the time prevented it from happening.[32]
Prior to the New 52 reboot, Ivy is shown as having teamed up on occasion with Harley with Harley being her best friend and recurring ally. Unlike most villain team-ups, their partnership is based on genuine friendship and mutual respect. Ivy sincerely wants to save Harley from her unhealthy abusive relationship with the Joker. Accordingly, Poison Ivy despises the Joker, and the two exchange vicious banter at every opportunity. In the final storyline of the Gotham City Sirens series, Harley suggests that Ivy may be in love with her, an accusation that stuns her.[104] The following issue has Poison Ivy acknowledge that she may indeed love Harley, but the details of her love are never specified, and the series ended with the New 52 reboot before their relationship could be addressed.[105]
Conner and Palmiotti hinted at a romantic relationship in the New 52 Harley Quinn series,[58] and later confirmed that Harley and Ivy are in a non-monogamous relationship.[106] [27] 2017's Harley Quinn #25 marked their first canonical kiss.[107]
See main article: DC Animated Universe. Harley Quinn first appeared in (1992–1995), voiced by Arleen Sorkin, who subsequently reprised her role in other DC Animated Universe series, including (1996–2000), The New Batman Adventures (1997–1999), Static Shock (2000–2004), and Justice League (2001–2004), as well as the film (2000).
Originally a career-oriented psychologist, Dr. Harleen Quinzel's life took a radical turn when she chose to take an internship at Arkham Asylum for a semester of college. Convinced by the Joker himself to do it, Harleen interviewed him and learned he was abused as a child by his alcoholic father (later learning this backstory to have been one of several different stories he had told to others, some with different details each time), and after more interviews, determined Batman was the primary source of the Joker's anger and was to blame for his actions, but that she also had fallen in love with him. Harleen helped the Joker escape and, renaming herself Harley Quinn, became his sidekick in hopes that she could win his love, going on a crime spree across the United States of America.[108]
After assisting Joker in attempting to assassinate Commissioner James Gordon by planting a bomb at a dinner in his honor, she was subdued by Batman, and subsequently an accomplice in virtually all of Joker's criminal schemes.[109] On occasion, she would be kicked out of Joker's gang when unintentionally upstaging or annoying the Joker, on one of these occasions teaming up with Poison Ivy, with the two becoming close friends and a successful crime duo independently.[110] While imprisoned on her own in Arkham Asylum, Batman offered her a pardon in exchange for helping him track down the Joker after he had stolen a nuclear bomb.[111] The day she is declared rehabilitated and paroled, Harley's hyperactivity and unfamiliarity with the "real" world leads to her accidentally kidnapping someone and being returned to Arkham yet again.[112]
In the 31-episode Gotham Girls web series, Harley joins forces with Poison Ivy and Catwoman in a co-starring role.
After several failed attempts at rehabilitation, Harley returns to the Joker's side. However, after another failed attempt to kill Commissioner Gordon leads the Joker to forget their anniversary, Harley re-examines her life and decides that as Batman was the cause of the Joker's obsession, she should capture and kill him herself, doing so by falsely pretending to have found sanity and luring Batman into a trap. Recognizing Harley to have come closer to killing him than Joker has ever done, Batman tricks her into facilitating his escape by making her call the Joker and tell him what she has done, knowing that he would not allow anyone other than himself to kill Batman, pushing her aside and unknowingly knocking her out a window. Recovering in Arkham, Harley decides that the Joker will never truly love her, before returning to her devotion upon seeing that he has left her a rose in a vase by her bedside table, with a note hoping that she gets better soon. Harley later references having convinced the Joker to attend couple's counseling with her.[113]
In the film , flashbacks reveal Harley's apparent final actions after returning to the Joker again were assisting him in kidnapping Tim Drake and torturing him into insanity to transform him into their son "J.J", so that they can start a family together. She later fought Batgirl who angrily chastised her for even helping Joker commit a heinous act but fell deep into an abyss, leading to the latter presuming her dead, though she survived as depicted in the present, where she appears at the end of the film, revealed to have reformed and become the grandmother of the Jokerz members, the Dee Dee Twins, who address her as "Nana Harley".
See main article: DC Universe. Harleen Quinzel was a psychologist at Arkham Asylum, and after meeting the Joker, she became his frequent accomplice, took on the name Harley Quinn, and got into an abusive codependent relationship with him. She eventually splits up with him, and becomes a solo criminal, forming a criminal gang called the Quinntets. Following the Quinntet's dissolution, Harley Quinn moves to Metropolis with her best friend Poison Ivy, where she works as a love columnist in the Daily Planet under the alias Holly Chance. She then moves back to Gotham City, where she then voluntarily incarcerates herself in Arkham.[4] Harley Quinn then spends a year applying for parole, only to see her request systematically rejected by Bruce Wayne, the layman member of Arkham's medical commission. She is kidnapped by Peyton Riley, the new female Ventriloquist, who offers her a job; Harley turns the job down out of respect for the memory of Arnold Wesker, the original Ventriloquist, who attempted to cheer her up during her first week in Arkham while the Joker was still on the loose. She then helps Batman and Commissioner Jim Gordon foil the impostor's plans. Although Riley escapes, Bruce Wayne is impressed with Harley's effort at redemption and agrees with granting her parole.[114] She then briefly joins the Secret Six, then decides to quit.[115]
During Countdown to Final Crisis, a reformed Harley Quinn resides in an Amazon-run women's shelter. Having abandoned her jester costume and clown make-up, she now only wears an Amazonian stola or chiton. She befriends the former Catwoman replacement Holly Robinson and then succeeds in persuading her to join her at the shelter, where she is working as an assistant. They are both brought to Themiscyra by "Athena" (really Granny Goodness) and begin Amazon training. Holly and Harley then meet the real Athena and encounter Mary Marvel. The group reveals Granny's deception, and Holly, Harley, and Mary follow her as she retreats to Apokolips. Mary finds the Olympian gods, whom Granny had been holding prisoner, and the group frees them. Harley is granted powers by Thalia as a reward. Upon returning to Earth, the powers vanish, and Harley and Holly return to Gotham City.
See main article: Gotham City Sirens. Harley Quinn then joins forces with Poison Ivy (Pamela Isley) and Catwoman (Selina Kyle) in the series Gotham City Sirens. In Gotham City Sirens #7, Harley Quinn visits her family in her hometown of Bensonhurst, Brooklyn, during the holiday season. Harley's father is a swindler who is still in jail, and her brother, Barry, is a loser with dead-end dreams of rock stardom. Her mother, Sharon, wants her to stop the "villain and hero stuff". The dysfunctional, "horrible" experience while visiting family causes her to return home to the Sirens' shared Gotham City hideout where Harley, Catwoman, and Poison Ivy spend the rest of Christmas together. Following several adventures with Catwoman and Ivy, Harley betrays them and breaks into Arkham Asylum, intending to kill the Joker for his years of abuse towards her. However, Harley ultimately chooses instead to release the Joker from his cell, and together the two orchestrate a violent takeover of the facility that results in most of the guards and staff members either being killed or taken hostage by the inmates.[116] Harley and the Joker are eventually defeated by Batman and Catwoman, and Harley is last seen being wheeled away while bound in a straitjacket and muzzle.[104] Shortly afterward, Poison Ivy breaks into Harley's cell and attempts to kill her for her betrayal, but instead offers to free her if she helps her kill Catwoman, who had left both of her fellow Sirens behind in Arkham. Harley agrees, and the two set out to trap Catwoman.[105] During the ensuing fight, Catwoman says she saw good in them and only wanted to help. As Batman is about to arrest them, Catwoman helps the two of them escape.[117]
Like her previous incarnations, Harleen Quinzel was still the Joker's psychologist, but before she becomes Harley, the Joker pushes her into a vat of chemicals, bleaching her skin white and driving her insane. Harley Quinn is forced to join the Suicide Squad by Amanda Waller. Harley Quinn then leaves Gotham City and moves back to her hometown of Brooklyn and resides in Coney Island.
Harley Quinn moves back to Gotham City in an attempt to reestablish herself as a hero, aiding the Batman Family and trying to make up for her past "where she often enabled the Joker".[84]
Harley Quinn has become one of DC Comics's most popular characters.[118] The 2016 relaunch of her comic shipped more copies than any other DC Rebirth title and was one of the best-selling comics of the year.[119] DC Comics Publisher Jim Lee refers to Harley Quinn as the fourth pillar in their publishing line, behind Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman.[120] [18] [59] Harley Quinn currently stars in four separate ongoing series — three eponymous titles and Suicide Squad. Only Batman and Superman have comparable numbers of monthly appearances, making Harley Quinn the most prominent and profitable female character.[120] Kevin Kiniry, vice-president of DC Collectibles, says Harley Quinn is always a top-seller and she "can go toe-to-toe with Batman and the Joker as one of the most fan-requested and sought-after characters".[120] In 2016, Harley Quinn's Halloween costume ranked as the most popular costume in both the United States and the United Kingdom and it remains a popular subject for cosplay.[121] [122] To celebrate the character, DC Comics declared the month of February to be Harley Quinn Month and published 22 Harley Quinn variant covers across their line of comic books.[123] IGN's 2009 list of the Top 100 Comic Book Villains of All Time ranked Harley Quinn as #45.[124] She was ranked 16th in Comics Buyer's Guides 2011 "100 Sexiest Women in Comics" list.[125] Joker voice actor Mark Hamill attributes the success of Harley Quinn to Sorkin's performance in Batman: The Animated Series.[126] On Twitter, he stated: "In the script she was just an unnamed Joker "hench-wench" [with] no discernible personality. When [Sorkin] began reading her lines in that unforgettable voice so poignant [and] full of heart I nearly fell off my chair! She brought SO much more than was on the page [and] a legend was born".
This section lists the collected editions, from trade paperbacks to omnibus editions, of various comics in which Harley Quinn is mainly featured.
| Vol. # | Title | Material collected | Pages | Publication date | ISBN | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Harley Quinn (2007–2014) | ||||||
| 1 | Preludes and Knock Knock Jokes | Harley Quinn #1–7 | 192 | |||
| 2 | Night and Day | Harley Quinn #8–13 and Harley Quinn: Our Worlds at War | 190 | |||
| 3 | Welcome to Metropolis | Harley Quinn #14–25 | 288 | |||
| 4 | Vengeance Unlimited | Harley Quinn #26–38 | 314 | |||
| Deluxe Editions | ||||||
| 1 | Harley Quinn by Karl Kesel and Terry Dodson: The Deluxe Edition Book One | Harley Quinn #1–8 | 224 | |||
| 2 | Harley Quinn by Karl Kesel and Terry Dodson: The Deluxe Edition Book Two | Harley Quinn #9–19 | 288 | |||
| Harley Quinn (vol. 2) (2014–2016) | ||||||
| 1 | Hot in the City | Harley Quinn (vol. 2) #0–8 | 224 | |||
| 2 | Power Outage | Harley Quinn (vol. 2) #9–13; Harley Quinn Futures End #1; Harley Quinn Invades Comic-Con International San Diego; material from Secret Origin #4 | 208 | |||
| 3 | Kiss Kiss Bang Stab | Harley Quinn (vol. 2) #14–16, Annual #1; Harley Quinn Holiday Special #1; Harley Quinn Valentine's Special #1 | 168 | |||
| 4 | A Call to Arms | Harley Quinn (vol. 2) #17–21 and Harley Quinn Road Trip Special #1 | 176 | |||
| 5 | The Joker's Last Laugh | Harley Quinn (vol. 2) #22–25 and Harley Quinn: Be Careful What You Wish For | 144 | |||
| 6 | Black, White and Red All Over | Harley Quinn (vol. 2) #26–30 | 144 | |||
| Harley Quinn (vol. 3) (2016–2018) | ||||||
| 1 | Die Laughing | Harley Quinn (vol. 3) #1–7 | 168 | |||
| 2 | Joker Loves Harley | Harley Quinn (vol. 3) #8–13 | 144 | |||
| 3 | Red Meat | Harley Quinn (vol. 3) #14–21 | 168 | |||
| 4 | Surprise, Surprise | Harley Quinn (vol. 3) #22–27 and Harley Quinn 25th Anniversary Special | 168 | |||
| 5 | Vote Harley | Harley Quinn (vol. 3) #28–34 | 168 | |||
| 6 | Angry Bird | Harley Quinn (vol. 3) #35–42 | 192 | |||
| Deluxe Editions | ||||||
| 1 | Harley Quinn: The Rebirth Deluxe Edition Book 1 | Harley Quinn (vol. 3) #1–13 | 304 | |||
| 2 | Harley Quinn: The Rebirth Deluxe Edition Book 2 | Harley Quinn (vol. 3) #14–27 and Harley Quinn 25th Anniversary Special | 384 | |||
| 3 | Harley Quinn: The Rebirth Deluxe Edition Book 3 | Harley Quinn (vol. 3) #28–42 | 392 | |||
| Harley Quinn (vol. 3) (2018–2020) | ||||||
| 1 | Harley vs. Apokolips | Harley Quinn (vol. 3) #43–49 | 168 | |||
| 2 | Harley Destroys the Universe | Harley Quinn (vol. 3) #50–54 and 56 | 160 | |||
| 3 | The Trials of Harley Quinn | Harley Quinn (vol. 3) #55 and 57–63 | 208 | |||
| 4 | The Final Trial | Harley Quinn (vol. 3) #64–69 and Harley Quinn: Villain of the Year #1 | 208 | |||
| 5 | Hollywood or Die | Harley Quinn (vol. 3) #70–75 | 176 | |||
| Harley Quinn (vol. 4) (2021–present) | ||||||
| 1 | No Good Deed | Batman: Urban Legends #1 and Harley Quinn (vol. 4) #1–6 | 168 | |||
| 2 | Keepsake | Harley Quinn (vol. 4) #7–12, Annual 2021 | 168 | |||
| 3 | Verdict | Harley Quinn (vol. 4) #13-17 and Harley Quinn 30th Anniversary Special | 144 | |||
| 4 | Task Force XX | Harley Quinn (vol. 4) #18-21, 2022 Annual #1 and Shadow War Zone #1 | 168 | |||
| 5 | Who Killed Harley Quinn? | Harley Quinn (vol. 4) #22-27 | 168 | |||
| 1 | Girl In A Crisis | Harley Quinn (vol. 4) #28-32 and Knight Terrors: Harley Quinn #1-2 | 196 | |||
| 2 | Eye Don't Like Me? | Harley Quinn (vol. 4) #33-37 | 176 | |||
| Title | Material collected | Pages | Publication date | ISBN | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Harley Quinn Omnibus by Amanda Conner and Jimmy Palmiotti Vol. One | Harley Quinn (vol. 2) #0–16, Annual #1; Harley Quinn: Futures End #1; Harley Quinn Invades Comic-Con International San Diego; Harley Quinn Holiday Special #1; Harley Quinn Valentine's Special #1; Harley Quinn and Power Girl #1–6; material from Secret Origin #4 | 768 | |||
| Harley Quinn Omnibus by Amanda Conner and Jimmy Palmiotti Vol. Two | Harley Quinn (vol. 2) #17–30, Harley Quinn Road Trip Special #1, Harley Quinn: Be Careful What You Wish For – Special Edition, Harley Quinn and Her Gang of Harleys #1–6 and Harley's Little Black Book #1–6 | 864 | |||
| Harley Quinn Omnibus by Amanda Conner and Jimmy Palmiotti Three | Harley Quinn (vol. 3) #1–34, Harley Quinn 25th Anniversary Special #1 and material from Batman Day Special #1 | 800 | |||
| Harley Quinn & the Gotham City Sirens Omnibus | Gotham City Sirens #1–26 and Catwoman #83 | 648 | |||
| Harley Quinn: 30 Years of the Maid of Mischief Deluxe Edition | The Batman Adventures #12, Detective Comics #831, The Batman and Robin Adventures #18, Batman: Gotham Adventures #10, Batman: Gotham Knights #14, Harley Quinn #3, Gotham City Sirens #20–21, Harley Quinn Holiday Special #1, Harley Quinn: Be Careful What You Wish For Special Edition #1, Harley Quinn 25th Anniversary Special #1, Harley Quinn: Make 'em Laugh #3, Harley Quinn Black + White + Red #14, Batman #98 and a story from Harley Quinn 30th Anniversary Special #1 | 336 |
| Title | Material collected | Writer and artist | Pages | Publication date | ISBN | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Batman: Harley and Ivy | Batman: Harley and Ivy #1–3; Harley and Ivy: Love on the Lam; a story from Batman: Black and White Vol. 2 | Paul Dini, Judd Winick (story) Bruce Timm, Joe Chiodo (art) | 136 | July 2007 | ||
| Batman: Mad Love and Other Stories | The Batman Adventures: Mad Love, Batman Adventures Annual #1–2, Batman Adventures Holiday Special, Adventures in the DC Universe #3 and Batman Black and White #1 | Paul Dini, Bruce Timm, Glen Murakami (story) Bruce Timm, Mike Parobeck, Matt Wagner, Dan DeCarlo, Klaus Janson, and Glen Murakami (art) | 208 | |||
| Batman Adventures: Mad Love Deluxe Edition | The Batman Adventures: Mad Love | Paul Dini (story) Bruce Timm (art) | 144 | |||
| Harley and Ivy: The Deluxe Edition | Batman: Harley and Ivy #1–3, Batman Adventures Annual #1, Batman Adventures Holiday Annual #1, Batman: Gotham Knights #14 and Batman: Black and White #3 | Various | 176 | |||
| Harley Quinn and Power Girl | Harley Quinn and Power Girl #1–6 | Amanda Conner and Jimmy Palmiotti (story) Stéphane Roux (art) | 144 | |||
| Harley Quinn's Gang of Harleys | Harley Quinn and Her Gang of Harleys #1–6 | Frank Tieri and Jimmy Palmiotti Mauricet (art) | 152 | |||
| Harley's Little Black Book | Harley's Little Black Book #1–8 | Amanda Conner and Jimmy Palmiotti (story) Amanda Conner, John Timms, Mauricet, Joseph Michael Linsner, Billy Tucci, Flaviano, Neal Adams, and Simon Bisley (art) | 256 | |||
| Harley Loves Joker | Harley Loves Joker #1–2 and backstories from Harley Quinn (vol. 3) #17–25 | Paul Dini and Jimmy Palmiotti (story) Bret Blevins and J. Bone | 128 | |||
| Old Lady Harley | Old Lady Harley #1–5 and Harley Quinn (vol. 3) #42 | Frank Tieri (story) Inaki Miranda, Tom Derenick, and Mauricet (art) | 152 | |||
| Harley & Ivy Meet Betty & Veronica | Harley & Ivy Meet Betty & Veronica #1–6 | Marc Andreyko and Paul Dini (story) Laura Braga (art) | 160 | |||
| Harley Quinn and Poison Ivy | Harley Quinn and Poison Ivy #1–6 | Jody Houser (story) Adriana Melo, Wade Von Grawbadger, and Mark Morales (art) | 152 | |||
| Harley Quinn Black + White + Red | Harley Quinn Black + White + Red #1–17 and two new original stories published here for the first time ever[127] | Various | 224 | |||
| Harley Quinn: The Animated Series Vol. 1: The Eat. Bang! Kill. Tour | Harley Quinn: The Animated Series Vol. 1: The Eat. Bang! Kill. Tour #1–6 | Tee Franklin (story) Max Sarin and Erich Owen (art) | 144 |
Harley Quinn stars in various series under DC Comics' adult-oriented Black Label imprint.
| Title | Material collected | Writer and artist | Pages | Publication date | ISBN | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Harleen | Harleen #1–3 | Stjepan Šejić (story and art) | 200 | |||
| Harley Quinn & the Birds of Prey: The Hunt for Harley | Harley Quinn & the Birds of Prey #1–4; a short story from Harley Quinn Black + White + Red #12 | Amanda Conner and Jimmy Palmiotti (story) Amanda Conner and Chad Hardin (art) | 160 | |||
| Joker/Harley: Criminal Sanity | Joker/Harley: Criminal Sanity #1–8 and Joker/Harley: Criminal Sanity Secret Files (the 2022 edition adds a story from Harley Quinn 30th Anniversary Special #1) | Kami Garcia (story) Mico Suayan, Jason Badower, and Mike Mayhew (art) | 304 312 |
See main article: Harley Quinn (TV series).
See main article: Harley Quinn (DC Extended Universe). Margot Robbie portrays Dr. Harleen Quinzel / Harley Quinn in the DC Extended Universe.[170]
Harley Quinn appears as an unlockable character in DC Universe Online, initially reprised by Arleen Sorkin before being replaced by Jen Brown starting in 2016.
Harley Quinn appears in the franchise, voiced initially by Arleen Sorkin and subsequently by Tara Strong.[190] [191]
Harley Quinn appears in (the sequel to ), voiced by Laura Post.[199] This version was driven insane following her father's long bout with mental illness and eventual suicide. Attempting to avoid her father's fate, she joins a criminal organization called the Pact to steal a virus able to cure her hereditary condition. This depiction initially reverses the dynamic between Harley and the Joker. Quinn manipulates and abuses her former patient at Arkham Asylum, named "John Doe", who is infatuated with her. As the series progresses, John's confidence will increase, and depending on the player's choices, he will either aid Bruce Wayne in capturing Quinn or transform into the traditional version of the Joker. In the latter outcome, Harley becomes the Joker's girlfriend, and the two use the virus to threaten Gotham City.
Harley Quinn has her own novel adaptation from comics as part of the DC Comic Novels series. Mad Love was released in November 2018 and written by Pat Cardigan and original co-creator Paul Dini and published by Titan Books.
In 2022, Penguin Random House launched a Harley Quinn line of their young adult DC Icons series, authored by YA author and neuroscientist Rachael Allen.[210]
Pauline Ketch, a character based on Harley Quinn who goes by the supervillainous alter ego Pretty Polly, appears in The Refrigerator Monologues.[211]
| Actor | Animated television | Animated film | Video games | Web series | Live-action television | Live-action film | Live performance | Podcasts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| data-sort-value="Sorkin, Arleen" | colspan="4" | |||||||
| data-sort-value="Sara, Mia" | colspan="3" | |||||||
| data-sort-value="Walch, Hynden" | colspan="6" | |||||||
| data-sort-value="DeLisle, Grey" | colspan="5" | |||||||
| data-sort-value="Strange, Meghan" | colspan="7" | |||||||
| data-sort-value="Jaud, Janyse" | colspan="4" | |||||||
| data-sort-value="Tierney, Poppy" | ||||||||
| data-sort-value="Strong, Tara" | colspan="3" | |||||||
| data-sort-value="Bailey, Laura" | colspan="5" | |||||||
| data-sort-value="Alex, Cassidy" | colspan="3" | |||||||
| data-sort-value="Robbie, Margot" | colspan="2" | |||||||
| data-sort-value="Rauch, Melissa" | colspan="6" | |||||||
| data-sort-value="Irwin, Sirena" | colspan="6" | |||||||
| data-sort-value="Kang, Ji young" | colspan="6" | |||||||
| data-sort-value="Slate, Jenny" | colspan="6" | |||||||
| data-sort-value="Kugimiya, Rie" | Rie Kugimiya | colspan="5" | ||||||
| data-sort-value="Post, Laura" | colspan="5" | |||||||
| data-sort-value="Root Dodson, Francesca" | colspan="3" | |||||||
| data-sort-value="Rubin, Margot" | colspan="6" | |||||||
| data-sort-value="Cuoco, Kaley" | colspan="7" | |||||||
| data-sort-value="Buckland, Kira" | colspan="5" | |||||||
| data-sort-value="Jacobs, Gillian" | ||||||||
| data-sort-value="Wahlgren, Kari" | colspan="5" | |||||||
| data-sort-value="Ricci, Christina" | ||||||||
| data-sort-value="Lady Gaga" | colspan="2" | |||||||