The HBO Max animated series Harley Quinn completed its third season with Harley ing the Bat Family. Her evolution from villain to antihero to now bona fide hero took many twists and turns, and the path wasn't always clear. But several moments in DC Comics over the years hinted at Harley's becoming the hero she is today.
Harley participated in many heroic acts in the comics, going back decades to when she was ostensibly a villain. Her actions always spoke louder than words, with her kindness for people and animals alike shining through the dark veneer she adopted as The Joker's sidekick and sometimes paramour.
Rescuing The Hyenas
Harley loves her pet hyenas Bud and Lou, and they represent her earliest heroic actions in DC Comics. In Harley Quinn #4 from 2001, not long after she formally became part of mainstream DC continuity, Harley put together a gang to free the hyenas from the Gotham City Zoo. This surprised the gang and the reader as it initially seemed she might be freeing the Joker from Arkham Asylum.
But this act showed early on Harley wasn't a simple villain. She never was. Harley Quinn counts among the few comic book characters created outside the medium. Her look and personality transferred into the comics from Batman: The Animated Series but her good nature was already evident there.
Freeing The Joker
Joker reigns among the greatest Batman villains as well as Harley's greatest nemesis. His actions toward her led to her arguably justified attempt to kill him in Gotham City Sirens from the early 2000s. She breaks into Arkham Asylum to kill him, but she realizes she's no different from him and lets him go.
This mercy, while debatable given the subject, proved Harley's humanity and heroism at a crucial juncture for the character. This particular moment recurs in later comics and other media, a powerful sign of her true character.
She Saves Robin From Poison Ivy
Harley and Poison Ivy form a powerful duo in most media these days, but that wasn't always the case. Harley's heroism emerged from the beginning though, as it did in Batman And Robin Adventures #8. This tie-in comic from 1996 sees her rescue Robin from Ivy, who has taken control of him with her unique pheromones.
Harley's frustration with Ivy's using Robin to give her foot massages can be read now as jealousy, but it remains a heroic act nonetheless. She gave Robin the antidote to Ivy's poison, freeing him. Harley's intervention in Ivy's criminal actions provides the strongest throughline for her heroism, as she strives to help Ivy overcome her worst self in the same way Harley tries to.
Fighting The Unsanity Collective
Harley s the Bat Family in her animated series, completing a fascinating arc begun thirty years ago in B:TAS. But she ed the group in the comics last year, if of her own volition. She helped the Bat Family including the new character Ghost Maker fight and defeat the Unsanity Collective in 2021's Batman #111.
Harley's journey proves unique in many ways, but she's not alone. Many DC Comics supervillains went on to become antiheroes or outright heroes, including Catwoman, a Bat Family member as well.
Ingesting Lex Luthor's Blood
Harley's exploits generally stay low stakes in Gotham but in DC Vs. Vampires, the whole world hangs in the balance. This alternate-reality tale shows Harley at the most heroic she's ever been. She ingests a vial of Lex Luthor's blood to protect it against the vampires threatening the world and giving humanity a chance at survival.
Though Lex Luthor ranks among the best Superman villains in DC Comics, his blood proves fatal to vampires in this universe. By ingesting it, Harley makes herself a poisoned pill for the vampires that would kill her.
Impersonating Wonder Woman
Harley's heroism sometimes requires some explaining. She once gassed Wonder Woman and stole her armor and weapons, but it was all for a good cause. This occurred in Harley’s Little Black Book #1 when Harley capitalized on her major Wonder Woman fandom to use her weapons to take down a criminal gang.
Though the methods proved wanting, Harley's heroism and instincts in this fun adventure evidenced her growing inclination to do good rather than simply work for herself or others.
She Stopped Poison Ivy
Comic book readers likely found Harley and Ivy's confrontation in the animated series' third season familiar. A similar scenario played out in Batman #43, where Ivy attempted to destroy the entire world. Harley talked her out of it, reaching beyond Ivy's hurt and anger to reach the vulnerable person inside. In doing so, she averted disaster.
Comic book fans know Poison Ivy began as a fairly standard villain in the 1960s but thanks in part to her relationship with Harley, she has evolved as well, becoming much more complex.
She Saved Poison Ivy
Ivy went through many ups and downs in recent DC Comics, including being split into two different beings. Her Queen Ivy form, among the most powerful Ivy variants in the comics, again threatened the world. But Harley saved Ivy's life by convincing Queen Ivy to reintegrate with the regular one, who possessed the character's humanity.
This saves both Ivy and the world and shows brilliantly how Harley sees the humanity in others. Her perception, while flawed with the Joker, benefits others and none more so than Ivy.
She Forgave Wally West
Harley's empathy knows no bounds. That includes forgiving Wally West for many unimaginable acts, including killing Poison Ivy. He also framed Harley for the murder of others. Her forgiveness benefited Wally in many ways, including helping him recover from his guilt and trauma.
Her capacity to forgive him for such cruelty speaks volumes about her mercy and charity, even if she leaves him with a parting kick that reminds him that she forgives, but doesn't forget.
She Stopped Being The Joker's Punching Bag
Harley's most heroic act in DC Comics didn't involve saving the world but herself. The dynamics for her eventual evolution existed from nearly the beginning and became evident in Mad Love, the 1994 comic book by Paul Dini and Bruce Timm detailing her origin. In this story, she learns to stop being The Joker's punching bag, even if it comes at a steep cost.
Harley benefits from love and from characters like Poison Ivy and sometimes even Batman, but for years, she struggled to break free from the Joker. Still, her early efforts proved heroic even if they didn't always succeed.