Harley Quinn: The Supervillain who became Superhero

Harley Quinn: The Supervillain who became Superhero: Harley Quinn is one of the most talked about and liked female characters of DC. She has created a separated fan base for herself. Quinn’s layered character and grey shade attracts masses towards her. Many fans feel she’s one of the few characters in the current times who has the potential to pull and hook audiences towards cinema/web series or comics. The journey of Harley Quinn has been incredible, from a sidekick to villain, from villain to supervillain and finally playing the protagonist.

The Origin of Harley Quinn’s character 

Harley’s character first appeared in the 22nd (Joker’s Favor) episode of ‘Batman: The Animated Series’. Quinn’s character saw its first comic appearance in 1993 in ‘The Batman Adventures’. The character was developed by Bruce Timm and Paul Dini. The duo had initially planned Harley Quinn’s character for just an episode. But Harley’s impressive character made the producers revisit the character later.

Quinn had an iconic run with Joker in the comics but their relationship was toxic in nature. With all this happening, Harley also saw her independent storyline progressing. Which included a story line between Quinn and Ivy. It portrayed the friendship between the two. And after a point the duo came close to each other (romantically). The relationship made a great buzz and was controversial too at that point of time. With time Quinn popularity amongst the fans grew and she established herself in DC.

The Transition and Rebirth of Harley Quinn in Comics

By the mid 2000’s Harley had become popular amongst fans. And had developed as a major villain character in the DC universe. By now Quinn had several independent storylines both in comics and television. However, the characterization of Harley has been weird at times and has even caused controversies. Her back and forth love relationship with Joke and Quinn’s grey character is a never ending saga. In 2016 DC released a new line of comics. The relaunch saw a reboot for both Harley Quinn and Suicide Squad. It also gave the new and iconic look to Harley which included pink & blue dyed hairs and a jacket. 

In the 2021 relaunch of Infinite Frontier, things take a turn of events. Harley is sent back to Gotham city and is depicted as a superheroine. The comic book is the follow-up to the 2016 comic book ‘DC Rebirth’.

Controversies around Harley’s portrayal in Comics

Multiple times Harley Quinn’s portrayal in the comics have caught attention for the wrong reasons. The character has been often depicted in an oversexualized avatar. Her relationship with Joker and Ivy have also been dismissed by many. Harley’s toxic relationship with Joker was not taken in a good taste by many. People thought the act promotes violent relationships. While her relationship with fellow villain ‘Ivy’ drew people’s attention. Many believed that it was a progressive move but some thought the portrayal was vulgar and unacceptable. But a big controversy happened in 2013 when DC comics organised an art contest named “Break into comics with Harley Quinn!”. In which the contestants were needed to draw Harley in 4 different suicide scenarios. It drew more controversy because it was announced close to the ‘National Suicide Prevention Week’. With all these events taking place, The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, American Psychiatric Association, and National Alliance on Mental Illness wrote about their disappointment towards DC’s acts. After seeing all the reactions towards the contest, DC Comics gave clarification and apologised on the whole controversy.

Conclusion

The character has seen it all. This is the reason it is often regarded as the one of most versatile and layered characters in comics. Harley Quinn’s character has a lot of scope and potential to play around with. This fact creates a lot of buzz and hype around the character. Fans are eagerly waiting for the character’s new shade of grey.

Also Read: 10 Indian Superheroes Who Could Be a Part of Avengers