Warning: Contains spoilers for Poison Ivy #25!Sam Ivy is one of Batman’s most accomplished rogues, but the science behind her powers is too often dismissed. Pamela Isley doesn’t just have an affinity for plants; She has a deep understanding of them rooted in her hybrid abilities and advanced studies. One encounter with Batman offers a glimpse into her genius and how she manages to instill fear in Gotham’s caped crusader.
Sam Ivy #25 Contains the short story “Beat the Surface” by Joanne Starer and Haining, in which Batman attempts to confront Ivy in a greenhouse. He is immediately taken over by a familiar smell of roses and wet earth that marks her presence, but that is hardly the only thing waiting for him.
When Bruce’s hallucinations begin, including visions of his parents’ deaths, he is able to recognize all the steps Pam took to fight him. It’s an account. Clever list of hallucinogens and poisons that even Batman’s intense preparations cannot fully combatReinforcing the idea that Poison Ivy’s genius makes her one of his most powerful enemies.
Poison Ivy is the perfect combination of science and other worldly power
Her academic background increases her plant-human hybrid status
Intelligence is necessary in order to go toe to toe with Batman, let alone become a real threat, but Poison Ivy takes this idea further than most. Where certain villains, like Scarecrow, also twist their academic background into their villainous persona, Pamela Isley was the thing that fascinated her. She has an intimate understanding of nature and plant life beyond what even the most profound study can give, and it means she has no real equal in that realm. Even as Batman breaks her attack down into its individual parts, Ivy weaves them together so seamlessly that he is still overtaken.
Pamela Isley’s mind is as sharp as you need to save the planet.
Batman accurately calls Isley a “Ph.D. fight for a cause,“And that’s it Exactly what makes you so dangerous. Becoming “Poison Ivy” was never her intention, but that’s the hand she’s been dealt, and she lies in both sides of her life as they serve her. Some part of you will always be the botanist and scientist. The academic element is clear as she combines the Jimsonweed, Death Caps, Wolfsbane, and more to attack Batman, but it was just as present as she worked on a cure for the lamia spores earlier in the same series. Pamela Isley’s mind is as sharp as you need to save the planet.
Poison Ivy’s intelligence furthers her commitment to her cause
Her smarts make her one of Batman’s most dangerous foes
A crucial (and unfortunate) part of Pam becoming Poison Ivy was her take on all of nature’s suffering. What she knew intellectually as a graduate student, she began to feel with her body and soul after Woodrow’s experiment. She is guided by the planet screaming and taps into every means and bit of information available to end it – whether that means destroying a polluting plant or just getting the bat out of the way. She mixes her heart with her mind, and that’s what really makes her dangerous. Poison Ivy’s Genius and vast bank of knowledge can make you a living nightmare, and Batman knows that best of all.
Sam Ivy #25 is available now from DC Comics.