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Summary
Harley Quinn’s acrobatic expertise and mental sharpness make her a formidable opponent for Batman and other heroes.
Superman acknowledges that Harley Quinn is on par with Batman in terms of might, skill, and intelligence.
Harley Quinn is no joke – at least not when it comes to her fighting skills, since she’s been beating Batman for decades. For the first half of her career, she was sidelined as the Joker’s sidekick and girlfriend, but Harley Quinn continues to prove that she can keep up with DC’s Trinity and even leave Batman himself breathless. But that’s not a recent development; Harley Quinn out-fought the Dark Knight in her very first appearance.
Harley Quinn first appears in DC’s canon in Batman: Harley Quinn #1 by Paul Dini, Yvel Guichet, Aaron Sowd, Richard Horie, Tanya Horie, and Willie Schubert. She makes sure to show the Batman (and the Joker) that she isn’t a pushover like some of his villains. In a race to get to the Joker, Harley Quinn easily blocks a punch from Batman that would have knocked the Joker unconscious.
The Joker’s surprise told the comic world just who this new character was at the time and how unheard of it was to not get knocked down by Batman. This shifted the dynamics not only in Gotham, but in DC Comics forever, as feminine characters were finally accepted to be just as good as the masculine ones.
Harley Quinn’s Very First Costume was a Huge Rip-Off of Joker’s Design
Fans may be surprised to learn that Harley Quinn’s first costume in comics was a complete knock-off of Joker’s design; luckily, it was short-lived.
Harley Quinn Is a Match for Batman
The Clown Princess of Crime Whack-A-Mole’s the World’s Greatest Detective
In Batman: Harley Quinn #1, Harley and Batman continue their battle for the Joker. To the surprise of every Batman fan accustomed to the good guy winning, Batman gets the short end of the stick. Surprising the Bat with her randomness and trickery, Harley smacks him with her signature and cartoonishly-large mallet, allowing her and her “puddin’” to get to safety. Harley’s hilarious defeat of Batman reveals one of his weaknesses: taking everything too seriously.This weakness is her core strength and what makes her so light as an acrobat.
Harley Quinn is one of the iconic DC characters to have been created in a different medium and then moved to the comics. She was first seen in
Batman: the Animated Series
(1992-1995)!
And that’s only Harley Quinn’s first DCU canon appearance. She goes on to not only match Batman in physical capacities as the years go on, but she outsmarts him mentally just as consistently. In a world of many continuities shifting and characters changing or being erased from the timeline, Harley Quinn is the one character who, time and again, proves to be a worthy opponent of Batman.
Harley Quinn Easily Topples DC’s Trinity
Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman in Heroes in Crisis
In one of the latest examples of Harley Quinn’s physical and mental prowess, Harley Quinn took on Batman, Wonder Woman, and Superman all at once in Heroes in Crisis by Tom King and Clay Mann. She didn’t just use brute force either; in a sly move, she snatches Wonder Woman’s Lasso of Truth, and showing that nimble stage presence, lassos Batman around the neck. Compelled by the truth, he informs Harley that he’s got Kryptonite in his Batbelt.
Harley Quinn is one of the few DC characters who can face Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman and come out unscathed.
As simple as that, Harley Quinn easily handles the celebrated Trinity. Superman falls to the Kryptonite; Wonder Woman has no Lasso of Truth; and Batman is almost choked out. In a nod to that first appearance, she says goodbye to the heroes she’s just outsmarted in a cheery way, leaving them to look on, defeated. Harley Quinn is one of the few DC characters who can face Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman and come out unscathed.
Harley Quinn Is the Acrobatic Expert of Gotham City
Nightwing Has Some Competition
Harley Quinn’s successes are partially due to her veteran acrobatics and skills as a former gymnast. At the time of her conception, she was the perfect foil for Batman, considering the Joker has never been known for his fighting physique but only for his comical tricks, like a hand-buzzer or poison spewing from the flower in his lapel. So he employs henchmen — like Harley Quinn — who can get the job done.
Not only is Harley Quinn one of the first characters to transition from hero to villain, she’s also one of DC’s key LGBTQ+ figures because of her relationship with fellow villain-turned-hero Poison Ivy!
As seen in Heroes in Crisis, if Harley didn’t also have the physical prowess, she wouldn’t have been able to escape from Wonder Woman. She might even be a better acrobat than Nightwing, whose main skill is physical agility. However, Nightwing’s heroic mentality keeps him from being as random as Harley in a fight. It’s that unpredictability that heroes like Nightwing just don’t have. Thankfully, Harley has been accepted into the modern Bat-Family, so we likely won’t be seeing them face off any time soon.
Harley Quinn Is an Accomplished Psychiatrist
Panels from Suicide Squad #6 by Adam Glass, Clayton Henry, Scott Hanna, Val Staples, Hi-Fi, and Jared K. Fletcher
Harley fights like a psychiatrist: know your enemies and use that knowledge against them.
In addition to being an expert gymnast and acrobat, it’s important to remember that she’s also Harleen Quinzel, a professional psychiatrist. She’s not just another angry guy with a freeze ray. Harley is an actual doctor who understands the mentally ill and, ever since getting away from her abusive relationship with the Joker, is as mentally sharp as she was before she ever turned to a path of crime. Not many Bat-foes have a doctorate. Harley fights like a psychiatrist: know your enemies and use that knowledge against them.
Harley Quinn knows how to mentally handle Batman. The reason he keeps winning against the likes of Bane and Deathstroke is because of his willpower and stamina. No matter how many times you hit him, he will keep getting up. That’s why Harley knows she must be smarter than the World’s Greatest Detective and, like a psychiatrist examining a patient’s greatest fears, Harley analyzes Batman’s decades-long weakness: his distrust of his allies and friends. After all, the amount of times Batman has destroyed the Justice League with a “contingency plan” is too many times.
Harley Quinn Is as Good as Batman
From the Mouth of Superman Himself
The most important moment of Harley Quinn’s development happens when she’s out of the room. In Heroes in Crisis, after her grand exit, Superman tells Batman that she’s “as good as you.“ While it’s been shown from the very beginning in her first appearance, Harley Quinn being a match for Batman has never been so explicitly said. Superman is the voice of all of DC at this moment, finally acknowledging what has been overlooked for far too long: the supremacy of one Harley Quinn.
Instead, what has been said ad nauseam is that Batman can beat any hero or villain in the DC Multiverse if he has enough prep time. Yet these examples show that Harley Quinn can do the same – and without prep time. Harley Quinn is on par with Batman in might, skill, and intelligence, and truly, DC has been saying this for years. Some things may change, but one thing is for sure: Harley Quinn can stand up to Batman any day.
Batman: Harley Quinn #1 and Heroes in Crisis are available now from DC Comics.
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