DC Comics’ villain-turned-antihero MCU’s most insidious villain. Zebediah Killgrave aka the Purple Man made his live action debut in the Netflix-Marvel series Jessica Jones as Killgrave (played by David Tennant). The show is presumed to have taken place within the Marvel Cinematic Universe given the inclusion of fellow Netflix-Marvel characters Daredevil and Kingpin in recent Marvel Studios projects. In one of Harley Quinn’s latest comic book adventures, fans learn that Killgrave’s terrifying powers would have no effect on her.
In Harley Quinn: The Animated Series - The Eat. Bang! Kill. Tour by Tee Franklin and Max Sarin, Harley has been captured by the villain Mephitic. Mephitic is a disgusting blob of filth that uses his toxins to control people’s minds and turn them into his own personal zombie slaves. Before any real damage can come to Harley, Poison Ivy tracks her down and rescues her from Mephitic’s evil clutches. However, before Ivy arrives, Mephitic attempts to use his mind-control chemicals on Harley and is shocked to discover that doing so didn’t work.
When Mephitic tries to mind-control Harley with his toxins, she tells him, “toxic s*** doesn’t work on me.” No further explanation is given in this issue but it is assumed that Harley became immune to mind-altering toxins after her forced exposure to chemicals courtesy of the Joker. Based on that logic, Killgrave would not be able to control Harley Quinn with his powers based on how he is able to manipulate people into doing his bidding. Killgrave uses pheromones to control his victims, toxins in his skin cells that secrete psychoactive chemicals that force people to do whatever he suggests. Since Killgrave’s powers are nearly identical to Mephitic’s abilities, and considering the explanation behind Harley’s immunity, Harley Quinn would not be impacted by Kilgrave’s powers.
Not only is Harley Quinn immune to chemically induced powers of suggestion, but she would be immune to Killgrave’s influence in another way as well. People with a strong enough will cannot be controlled by Killgrave, as Jessica Jones proved in her Netflix television series. When Harley Quinn broke away from the Joker, she showed immense amounts of mental strength as she completely turned her back on the person who so heavily abused her and made her completely dependent on him. In leaving the Joker, Harley Quinn proved that her willpower is exceptional which would also protect her from Killgrave along with her immunity to mind-control toxins.
Harley Quinn’s exposure to the mind-altering chemicals that transformed her into Harley Quinn in the first place (along with her incredibly strong willpower) is enough to fight off any influence Killgrave would assume he had over her. Plus, with her impressive fighting ability and no moral quandaries about killing, she would be able to take Killgrave out no problem once he realized his powers don’t work on her. Because of her established abilities highlighted in her latest comic adventure, Harley Quinn is totally immune to ’s most insidious villain.
