From her love story with the Joker, to her costumes and origins, Harley Quinn is a legend. And she is making her grand return in Joker: Folie à Deux by Todd Phillips, we are lifting the veil on a mythical character of the DC Comics universe.
The Joker is coming back to our screens in the second chapter from director Todd Phillips.
The Origins of her name
A recurring character in DC Comics, the eccentric Harley Quinn was originally a psychiatrist named Harleen Quinzel sent to psychoanalyze the Joker. She meets him in Arkham Asylum and ends up falling in love with him. She then takes the name Harley Quinn, in reference to the commedia dell'arte character Harlequin. Known for his buffoonery and his diamond costume, Harlequin has been the comic element in every play since the 16th century. Harley Quinn quickly adopts the colors and patterns of the mythical character in a trashy and sexy version. The Joker's companion is lively and has a strong comic potential just like Harlequin. Harley Quinn adds her own personal touch to her character with details reminiscent of the lady of checks, in reference to her name (Quinn - Queen) and her status as the companion of Gotham's prince of crime.
Her debuts
Harley Quinn didn't make her debut in the DC Comics universe by starting in the comics like it is usually the case. In fact, Her first appearance was in an episode of the animated television series Batman: Joker's Favor, back in 1992. She was introduced as a sidekick of the green-haired criminal and one of his girlfriends, supposedly for a single appearance. But the craze was so great that Paul Dini and Bruce Timm decided to officially introduce the character in the comic book. In 1993, Harley Quinn made her first appearance on paper in comic #12 of the Batman Adventures series. Harley-mania continued and the authors had fun creating a past for her and making her a recurring character in their universe.
The inspiration
For the creation of her character, Paul Dini and Bruce Timm were inspired by a funny reference: the actress Arleen Sorkin from the soap opera Days of Our Lives. Arleen Sorkin, also playing an antagonist, wears a harlequin outfit in a scene dreamed up by her character. In a court jester's outfit covered in sequins, Arleen Sorkin has that touch of madness and mischief that will feed the imagination of Dini and Timm. From that moment on, the two authors created a character that was supposed to look and sound exactly like the actress. They even managed to get her to be the voice of their antihero in some productions up until 2011.
Her love life
Her obsession with the Joker didn't stop the fierce Harley Quinn from looking elsewhere when she got fed up with his madness. She notably fell in love with the hitman Deadshot, with whom she teamed up in the Suicide Squad. Another of her adventures led her into the arms of Nightwing, aka Richard Grayson, the first Robin -Batman's ally-, who fell under her charm. Nightwing had a brief but tumultuous affair with Harley Quinn in the animated film Batman and Harley Quinn. In some comics, she had a relationship with Poison Ivy, Batman's sworn enemy.
Her powers
In the dark world of Batman, heroes and villains are ultimately just human beings with superior mental and physical abilities. Not the kind of heroes like Wonder Woman or those with the superhuman powers of Captain Marvel! Harley Quinn's strength is her brain. Despite the madness she plunged into when the Joker pushed her into a vat of acid, the antihero uses her knowledge of psychiatry to get into the brains of her victims, manipulating and torturing them for her pleasure. As the queen of chaos, she is also extremely violent in the comics. With her legendary mallet, Harley Quinn is extremely skilled with weapons of all kinds. Athletic and seductive, she is a formidable villain when she puts her mind to it. She also has an unbeatable immune system and incredible agility thanks to a toxic antidote by Poison Ivy she had injected.
Her relationship with the joker
Harley Quinn and the Joker form one of the most legendary couples in pop culture, thanks to their lethal potential and the violence of their supposed love. While Harley is madly in love with the man she calls Mistah J and Puddin, the Joker uses this obsession to manipulate her to his will with physical violence and mental abuse. The most popular antagonist of the DC Universe does not deny himself anything. He distills here and there small tokens of affection to keep her by his side. Fun fact: The duo even had a child together! In the comic “Injustice: Gods among us”, Harley Quinn reveals to her enemy Black Canary that she got pregnant by the Joker. To protect her daughter, she preferred to entrust her to her sister, never revealing to Puddin that he is a father. It was not until 2020 with the release of the film Birds of Prey that the newly single Harley Quinn began her quest for independence.
Her career as a singer
Like any comic book character, there are many versions of Harley Quinn. One of them presents her as a folk singer in a duo with Poison Ivy, with Lex Luthor as a producer, a character from the Superman universe.
The actors who played her
The character of Harley Quinn will celebrate 31 years of existence in 2023. In fact, she has been played by several actresses over the years. The best known is obviously Margot Robbie, who brought her to life in David Ayer's Suicide Squad in 2016. The character would go on to get her solo movie in 2020 with Birds of Prey. She reappeared in James Gunn's standalone sequel The Suicide Squad in 2021. She was played by Mia Sara between 2002 and 2003 in the television series Birds of Prey (TV series). Harley Quinn also made an appearance in episode 16 of the second season of Arrow. Tara Strong was the main voice in animated films and video games. But the Harley Quinn that we are waiting for is undoubtedly the one that will be played by Lady Gaga. The most sensational American star of her generation has been chosen by Todd Phillips to play alongside Joaquin Phoenix in the sequel to The Joker, scheduled for release on October 4, 2024.
Translated by Abdel Benakki
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