Warning! Contains spoilers for Batman #146!

Summary

• Harley Quinn's past as a villainous murderer is being acknowledged by both Batman and DC.
• Despite being on the Justice League, Harley Quinn has killed innocent people, which is being highlighted.
• DC is forcing Harley Quinn to confront her dark past as a criminal, despite her recent hero persona.

Few characters have had more explosive popularity than Harley Quinn. She went from the sidekick to one of comic book's greatest serial killers — to somehow ending up in the Justice League. A lot of people have pointed out over the years how this doesn't make sense due to her crimes, and now both Zur-En-Arrh — the Dark Batman — and DC are calling her out for her crimes.

Now that Zur-En-Arrh is Batman, he's begun rounding up criminals from all around Gotham, and that includes Harley Quinn — as depicted in a scene from Batman #146 by Chip Zdarsky and Jorge Jiménez. While hanging out in her apartment, Harley is suddenly attacked by Zur and Damian Wayne. While trying to fight them off, she expresses her shock, even going as far as calling herself practically a "Justice League member."

While it's true Harley Quinn has been on the Justice League, she's also killed numerous innocent people. Zur specifically calls her out for these murders by mentioning the lives she helped the Joker take. But even on her own, Harley Quinn was once a vicious serial killer.

Harley Quinn notably ed Jon Kent's version of the Justice League after the original Justice League went missing during the events of Dark Crisis on Infinite Earths by Joshua Williamson and Daniel Sampere.

Harley Quinn's Villainous Past as a Murderer Needs to Be Acknowledged

s from Detective Comics #23.2 by Matt Kindt, Neil Googe, Wil Quintana, and Taylor Esposito

It's no secret that Harley Quinn is an extremely popular character; because of this, DC has pivoted from depicting Harley as an anti-hero to trying to make her a full-blown hero. In recent years, Harley Quinn has even ed the Bat-Family. But looking at her history of crime, this never really made any sense. Harley Quinn started as a victim of the Joker and many people are willing to dismiss the crimes she committed because of the Joker's influence. But during the controversial New 52 reboot, she was free of the Joker and still proved to be a fairly evil character.

That both Batman and the Justice League overlooked her crimes really never made any sense. In Detective Comics #23.2 by Matt Kindt and Neil Googe, Harley attacks a police station, killing everyone inside. She also begins handing out a free handheld video game console. Naturally, a ton of children grab one and happily head home. Once all the consoles have been handed out, Harley activates the bombs in them, killing potentially hundreds of children and young adults. She does this for no reason other than to cause chaos. The Joker didn't put her up to this killing spree; she chose to do it on her own.

Harley Quinn's Long History Means Fans Need to Her Crimes

Harley Quinn has had a long character history. She started as a victim, a villain, then became an anti-hero, and finally, DC pushed her as a hero. But that period where she was a villain shouldn't be forgotten. Some might argue that Harley paid her dues to society by being on the Suicide Squad, but it's up for debate whether service on the Suicide Squad should excuse the deaths of hundreds of innocent people. It's unlikely that the Joker would be offered the same leeway if he ed the Squad, after all. While many may have forgotten Harley Quinn's villainous past, it seems Zur-En-Arrh and DC are finally forcing her to confront it.

Batman #146 is available now from DC Comics!