10 Things Everyone Always Forgets About Harley Quinn
3. That’s Dr. Quinzel To You!
In the 1999 one-shot Batman: Harley Quinn, Dr. Harleen Quinzel was a psychiatric intern at Arkham Asylum. A model and gifted Gotham University graduate, she was fascinated with the inmates, especially the so-called “supervillains.” She became particularly interested in one specific patient and petitioned fervently for months to be allowed to treat the Joker. He drew her in with tales of parental abuse and she fell in love with him.
Dr. Harley helped the Joker escape on several occasions, causing her to lose her license and receive her own cell in Arkham until she was freed during the earthquake in Gotham City that resulted in the government declaring the whole city a “No Man’s Land.” Creating her own persona, she became the Joker’s sidekick, Harley Quinn.
The relationship between Harley and the Joker was one of the most abusive, manipulative, and volatile relationships in comics. As an almost complete dichotomy, he could be sweet and playful with Quinn as well. He used her body violently during their sexual encounters, but she is also the only one who Joker seems to have had any kind of intimate relationship with. Unable to process any complex emotions, the Clown would often try to kill the amorous henchwoman rather than engage with her in any human way.