1 Gotham Villain’s first appearance confirms that they can easily counter Batman

Harley Quinn Is no joke – at least not when it comes to her fighting skills, since she was hit 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 out of breath. But this is not a recent development; Harley Quinn fought against the Dark Knight in her very first appearance.

Harley Quinn first appeared 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 Batman (and the Joker) that she’s not 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 exactly who the new character was at the time and how unheard of it was not to be knocked down by Batman. This shifted the dynamic not only in Gotham, but in DC Comics forever, as female characters were finally accepted to be just as good as the male ones.

Harley Quinn is a match for Batman

The clown princess of crime Khmal-A-Mole is 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 toughness and trickery, Harley smacks him with her signature and cartoonish-sized mallet, allowing her and her “Pudding“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.

And that’s just Harley Quinn’s first DCU canon appearance. She goes on to not only match Batman in physical capacities as the years go on, however She mentally scares him just like that constantly. 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 tops 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 Heroes in crisis By Tom King and Clay Mann. She didn’t just use brute force either; In a cunning 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 has kryptonite in his batbelt.

as simple as this, Harley Quinn easily handles the celebrated trinity. Superman falls to the Kryptonite; Wonder Woman has no lasso of truth; And Batman nearly choked. In a nod to that first appearance, she says goodbye to the heroes, who she just distinguished herself in a cheerful way, letting them look at, 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 Gotham City’s acrobatic expert

Nightwing has some competition

Harley Quinn’s successes are partly due to Her veteran acrobatics and skills as a former gymnast. At the time of her performance, she was the perfect foil for Batman, considering the Joker was never known for his fighting physique but only for his comic tricks, like a hand-buzzer or poison spewing from the flower in his lapel. So he hires handymen – like Harley Quinn – who can get the job done.

As seen in heroes in crisis, If Harley didn’t also have the physical strength, she wouldn’t have been able to escape from Wonder Woman. She might even be a better acrobat than Nightwingwhose 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 probably won’t be seeing them face off anytime soon.

Harley Quinn is an accomplished psychiatrist

Panels of Suicide Squad #6 by Adam Glass, Clayton Henry, Scott Hanna, Val Staples, Hi-Fi and Jared K. Fletcher

In addition to being an expert gymnast and acrobat, it is important to remember that She is also Harlene Quinzel, a professional psychiatrist. She’s not just another angry guy with a freeze ray. Harley is a real doctor who understands the mentally ill and, since leaving 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-enemies have a Ph.D. 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 stop. This is why Harley knows she must be smarter than the world’s greatest detective and, as 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 number 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 is out of the room. in heroes in crisis, After her grand exit, Superman tells Batman that she is “As good as you.“ Although it was shown from the beginning in her first appearance, Harley Quinn’s match for Batman was never so clearly stated. Superman is the voice of all of DC at the moment, finally recognizing what has been overlooked for far too long: the supremacy of one Harley Quinn.

Instead, what is said AD Newsom 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 with no prep time. Harley Quinn is on par with Batman in power, skill and intelligence, and truly, DC has been saying this for years. Some things may change, but one thing is certain: Harley Quinn Can stand up to Batman No day.

Batman: Harley Quinn #1 And Heroes in crisis are available now from DC Comics.