Suicide Squad #6: Harley's DCnU Origin

[aeka]

Just like before, Dr. Harleen Quinzel meets the Joker at Arkham for the first time:





And then, he does the one thing that makes her fall in love with him:





And then Harleen breaks down and cries upon seeing the severed pinky finger of the slain crime lord(?).

All in all, with a few differences (such as the apparent chemical bleaching of her skin), Harley's DCnU origin is more of the same.

Comments

[charlieijoker]

This in no way makes Harley Joker's equal. He's messing with her head, per usual. He also took her victory away from her (over her father's killer).

[fifthie]

It's so much more empowerful for the Joker to talk Harley evil than for her to make an active (crazy) choice about what she believes.

[charlieijoker]

Actually no, it was a way to crush her like I said. It was the only thing she had. It was her deep motivating factor. He ripped that away leaving her empty and her drive meaningless.

[fifthie]

To clarify: I was using "empowerful" as a term of criticism of the writing, to indicate my agreement with you.

[jlbarnett]

I thought it was a typo, I don't think I've heard the term before.

[jlbarnett]

I find evil to be massively weaker than crazy.

[fifthie]

I agree!

[darkknightjrk]

Perhaps "equal" might not be the most accurate term, but the way he's talking to her does feel different. In Mad Love, he was basically making himself appear sympathetic so that Harley would fall in love with him; here, it looks more like he's trying to convince her that his way of looking at things is best. In Mad Love, he was conning her to be with him, but here he's inviting her.

[charlieijoker]

You're looking at it through the same "love goggles" as Harley Quinn. It is most definite in the BTAS origin, she had erotomania, and he was just telling his stories to amuse himself, which it is later confirmed that he tells those stories a lot. Hence Batman's words to Harleen. It had nothing to do with wanting to seduce her. Joker is Joker, he will amuse himself, and she took this out of context as some sign of affection. Here he is telling her she has no power. He is giving a display of power, and crushing her completely. It isn't an invite, it is a blatant taunt. "I have the power, and you can't have any of it." Hence. he took away her victory her only driving force.

[gerardotejada]

Mmm... Maybe you are right, about messing with her head. But about taking her victory away from her.. She wasnt going to take revenge, not now not ever, not like that.

Joker could have her confront her father murderer and "help" her to take the desition of killing him (Joker's present beign the facte he presented her the oportunity) But that would have taken too much pages.

[charlieijoker]

Confronting and defeating her father's killer somehow was her ultimate goal, it was the one thing she wanted but couldn't have that he was talking about. It's what was giving her fuel to become a psychiatrist and behave this way. Joker was going to be her step to this final victory. Hence, using him to defeat and understand the criminal psyche and then move on to final resolution with her father's killer. It's what got her there. When he took away what she was working towards, he crushed her. She realized she could not attain her power back and become like him, because he already took away the one thing that would give her that. All those years wasted.

As far as suddenly becoming some magical fairy godmother to assist and do what ever one wants, because you throw some caustic words at him. No. That does not sound like the Joker. He is striking her for that. He always has an ulterior motive. He is vicious. This is revenge.