Death Analysis: The Maid of Mischief, The Cupid of Crime, the Clown Princess, Harley Quinn
Dr Harleen Quinzel grew up in a rough perpetually chaotic family, where she began to develop strange fascinations with the criminal mind alongside a hidden instability within her. Harley graduated Psych School top of her class and was assigned where she desired to go, Arkham Asylum. Believing she could be the one to finally crack the greatest psychological mystery of the modern age, The Joker. But as she began to psychologically interview him, he spoke to her deeper instability that she had and she began to fall hopelessly in love with him. It wasn't long until she donned her new identity as the Harley Quinn to break him out of Arkham and entered an ever-turbulent relationship with the Clown Prince of Crime, assisting him on his crime sprees.
Eventually the Joker, befitting his insanity, abandoned Harley and tried to have her killed leaving her alone and despondent. Poison Ivy nursed her back to health, initially only sympathizing with her scorned heart and gave her a special concoction giving her low superhuman abilities. She joined the Birds of Prey with fellow Gotham Villainesses Ivy and Catwoman and was forcibly recruited into the Suicide Squad alongside a large amount of villains. In these two groups Harley began to make legitimate friendships with people who didn't want to kill her and she began to reform herself, eventually starting her own gang with the mission to protect people from street crime called the Harleys. That said while she may be fighting for the good guys, she still is as crazy as ever.
Strength:
Harley is strong enough to carry this giant bundle of stuff on her back casually. She can well use this strength in combat. She has threatened to tear people's hearts direct from this ribcage and with only a plunger was able to beat up some guards strong enough to hurt Poison Ivy, a metahuman comparably durable to Harley. Harley completely unarmed was able to beat up an alien enforcer wearing armor. She was able to completely beat up The Joker and has managed to out-strength Batman who has managed to move a large boulder after not eating or drinking for a month and kept a building from collapsing with his strength. She is strong enough to knock out Killer Croc who can survive the pressure of deep underwater and who has tanked a train crash and is barely affected by bullets. When the two were under a Red Sun for a short time, Harley one-shot Superman. If you want to be funny about it, feel free to remind people that even in New 52 Superman was able to fight in Krypton's Core under a Red Sun and Krypton's Core is as hot as it's Star Rao or that Post-Crisis Superman fought Superboy Prime through a Red Sun.
Harley's leg strength is similarly enhanced, able to knock a zombie's head off and knock out one of Joker's tough goons Buster for days with a single kick. Her kick has even knocked the head of the Building-Sized Cereberus away. Harley can use her leg strength to superleap even able to jump from story to story.
Durability:
Harley is well tough enough to get into fights with the Batfamily. While dressed at Batgirl she took a Batarang from Cassie to the back of the head without issue. To protect "Mistah J" with an open palm she blocked a strike from Batman. Harley is pretty hard to keep down. While Dressed as Batgirl, Harley survived a motorcycle crash through a warehouse's ceiling. Harley survived colliding into a building with Bizarro and a subsequent explosion.
Speaking of which Harley has on numerous occasion survived point-blank explosions, such as this one right next to her face and this car explosion next to her. She even survived this explosion that left her under a pile of metal before being enhanced by Ivy. She has also survived the heat of re-entry
And that's not even getting into the really crazy stuff. Harley has survived gravity so heavy that it caved the ground under her and the vacuum of space with only a helmet. She has survived Bizarro throwing across Metropolis and if you want to be funny about it, she survived this energy-blast from a hyper-advanced alien race and the same energy-blast one-shot Hal Jordan.
Poison Resistance:
Harley Quinn was exposed to the same venom that Joker was and so has the same Joker Venom immunity that Joker has. However Harley has a lot more resistance then this. When Ivy boosted her, she also gave Harley general resistance to her poisons, to the extent that Harley can actually kiss Poison Ivy (their first kiss) without any issue when normally that is enough to kill most people. Harley was also able to briefly resist paralysis and later fought through a paralyzing cocktail.
Healing Factor:
Unbeknownst to most but Harley has a healing factor. She quickly regenerated from a bullet wound and a slash to her hand. While the full extent of her Healing Factor is unknown, it is said she bounced right back from being flattened by an eye witness.
Speed:
Harley is known as "little miss roadrunner" in part due to her ability to leave dust trails where she goes. Harley's speed is very impressive in general. Harley was able to afterimage without hours of first being physically boosted by Ivy. She has afterimaged to an entire audience and fought Catwoman at similar speeds. Harley is called "faster then a speed bullet" and by all accounts this is not at all an exaggeration. She shot three shots before any of the bullets moved at all from where she fired any of them. She also avoids bullets from a close range to point-blank. Like.....A LOT. (1) (2) (3) (4) (5) (6). She's dodged dodged machine gun fire at a few meters away and even done the same while blinded.
Harley is easily fast enough to dart around the batfamily such as moving fast enough to surprise Catwoman and Cassie and managed to evade both Nightwing and Tim Drake Robin. She had even avoided Batman in melee and nimbly leapt from grave to grave out of a graveyard before Batman started to pursue. For comparison Batman is able to move comparable to missiles and outpaced an explosion
Harley has also blitzed the futuristic robot Perun and avoided it's lightning vision at close range.
Flexibility/Agility:
Harley is heavily flexible, having described herself as "double-joined where it counts", easily able to escape bindings like handcuffs. This helps boost her already highly impressive flexibility.
Harley is a world class gymnast and can balance her whole body on one hand or on Deadshot's shoulders. Harley can bounce off the walls and use her acrobatics well in combat. She has avoided a lot of tripwires and maneuvered around a lot of lasers while talking on the phone. Harley has also landed perfectly falling from the ceiling or from a multi-story fall.
Stealth:
As Harley puts it, "Me am Stealthy"
Harley is a master of disguises and hiding in plain sight but can also use more traditional subterfuge. She has managed to get the jump on Captain Carrot, leader of the Zoo Crew and his universe equivalent of Superman despite his super senses. She has managed to steal the possessions of a cosmic entity Manos. All while THIS is her idea of not suspicious.
Related to this is her ability to use distractions in combat. Which brings me too...
Harley's Butt
I can not believe I am making this section :P but it's seriously relevant
Gotham Villainesses are known for pragmatically using their sexuality as a distraction weapon. And Harley is shameless indeed. Specifically she likes using her butt as a distraction weapon.
Harley's butt makes the common man spout poetry. She has claimed to have the cutest little butt in Gotham and the most "bodacious badonk in the business". She gets mad if someone makes fun of it. She can also crack a coconut with it.
Skill:
Harley is skilled enough to easily take down a large group of armed thugs or beat up a large group of zombies though that is only really scratching the surface. Harley seems to have a basic knowledge of pressure points and has gotten the edge over heavily skilled fighters like Huntress, Thorn, Strix, and Deadshot.
Harley is so skilled that the Goddess Athena herself saw potential in Harley and offered her the change to become an Amazon. Harley received combat training from the Amazons and was able to fight evenly with Mercy, Lex Luthor's Amazon Bodyguard.
Harley's Amazon Training might explain how she is skilled enough to battle beings with far more raw power then her. She had avoided the attack of the New God Big Barda, fought against Wonder Girl without being stomped, and somehow off-panel managed to get the upperhand over Superwoman, the Evil Earth-3 Counterpart to Wonder Woman.
Harley Senses:
Harley apparently has 360 degree vision she calls her "Harley Senses" which she got by.....growing up in Brooklyn apparently. She can also sense ghosts.
Oh Hiya Reader!
Hey Readers, it's me your cupid of crime Harley Quinn! I'm here to tell you about probably my least known powa, breaking the fourth wall
It's a popular theory that old Mistah J from the Joker venom gained super-sanity and knowledge that he's in a comic book. While I can't speak for puddin' I am have the real deal no lie sham-wow fourth wall powers! Isn't this fun?
See contrary to them popular beliefs, I know what the script was supposed to be ahead of time and when the artist was being an ol palooka and drew something else in. I know when a cliffhanger's about to show it's face and call it every time. Guess you could say, I'm ahead of the game? I can even tell yas when a page is reprinted or all about the issue numbers. I'm a smart gal, you see and so I read my own comics to get the low-down. And because of that I actually know what's gonna happen next issue! Pretty sneaky sis, amiright?
If I need ta, I can always just stop time and explain to tha audience what's going on, very useful for coming up with a plan on the spot I tell ya. I also have one of those little mes, whatchamacallem to help out, though that loudmouth can really get distractin'. Learned from the best.
Just like I'm talking to yas all right now, I can strike up a friendly chat with my own writer and artist. Are you there writer? It's me, Harley! I can tell what the artist is drawing me in and I tell ya sometimes the screwballs draw me in tight spot. If they're not drawing your ol' Harley just right I tell em off and pick the artist and writer myself. I actually been to the DC Offices before and those screwballs were messing me up so bad that I sent to them make their maker. It was self-defense, I swear officer, they were drawing me all wrong. I'm innocent. Besides we're all just mental constructions made to approximate hypothetical people but with capacities outside the normal range of everyday people to stimulate the adrenaline and imagination of readers.....or somethin silly like that. Those writers know that even they could not stand between me and puddin'
Of course under tha threat of bashin their skulls in, writers often agree to draw me how I like giving me a fun little source of reality-warping. I can change the art style to somethin more accomomodatin or I can live out one of my fantasies but it's real fun comes in changing my form to somethin cool. I can turn into a Sexy Ninja, just some sketches which I can retain consciousness as or even a Large Building Sized Mecha, the "Harleyzilla". How cool is that? I can also become my Tiny Toons Version, which isn't even a real thing, and it's actually canon (though I never wanna go back there....that world is SCARY with a capital.....everything). Yous all may know my best from my appearances in Batman: The Animated Series. Well believe me or not, that was the same me. Auditioning for that role was not easy, but it was definitely me.
Standard Equipment:
....sorry about that readers.
Anyway, Harley's standard equipment includes her trademark weapon, her comically oversized hammer which she can use equally well on an assassin, a large robot, or a zombie robot's head. She has accidentally knocked out Deadshot with her mallet accidentally and knocked out Batman with it. It's also been used to knock around Supergirl and the Black Lantern Black Mask. While I wouldn't exactly suggest scaling it to their durability or anything, it does suggest that the hammer is pretty hard to actually break since it didn't break against them.
In terms of standard equipment Harley also has shuriken up her sleeves and her hair tassels double as explosives.
Non-Standard Equipment:
I believe this is a statement suggesting Harley has a hammerspace (either that or it's an innuendo I'm totally missing which means she might actually have access to some of this stuff although most likely it would just be some of the weaker stuff.
- Her Two Pet Hyenas Bud and Lou
- Guns: Including an AK-47 and Machine Guns. Harley is a good enough shooter that she can incapacitate three guards with a single rubber bullet
- Blades: Harley's Sword can slice through metal and Red Tool's arm. Also has a dagger.
- Explosives: Has explosives capable of destroying a maximum security door and part of a wall or create low building level explosions. Her grenade gum can also stop a bullet.
- Other Grenades: Confetti Grenades (1) (2). Also has Gas Grenades that can knock out Ivy and Catwoman, or knock out Wonder Woman. Her flash bang grenade has briefly incapacitated Big Barda, my guess is by overloading her godly senses as has happened to Superman on occasion.
- Rocket Launchers: Has a normal rocket launcher and also has an Acme Rocket Launcher. The Notes directly mention that it's a Looney Tunes Rocket Launcher.
- Boxing Glove Launcher that can punch through a wall
- Sticky String Weapon
- Zillion Volt Electrical Yo-Yo Weapon
- Gas Gun that shoots hypnosis gas
- A Can of Joker laughing gas
- Acid-Spraying Flower
- Vehicles including a Harley, a Jetpack, and a Harley Mecha that can use two train cars as nunchucks and shoot dozens of missiles from it's butt
- Has used Diana's Amazonion Armor and along with her Lasso of Truth.
- Became a Yellow Lantern. Yellow Lantern Harley.
- Even more impressive, Harley was actually able to use two rings at once, functionally impossible for most people. Behold Red and Black Lantern Harley. In this form she can read minds and was overwhelming even Hal Jordan.
- When she was falling with an unconscious Hal Jordan, to save them both Harley actually took Hal's ring off his finger showing a superhuman will and briefly became Green Lantern Harley. Bear in mind that even in the New 52 Canon, All Lanterns could create a black hole that would eventually destroy the universe.
- Harley stole the Infinity Rings from The Cosmic Being Manos (a parody of the Thanos and the Infinity Gems) and obliterated him with it. Notably these have the power to destroy the universe.
Rage Harley:
Deep within side her past the jokes and smiles, Harley has a secret rage and if pushed too far she can lose her comedic veneer. This doesn't necessary make her any stronger but it does focus her completely.
Mental:
Harley Quinn might act silly but she's actually quite brillaint. She has a genius level IQ and is called the girl genius. She is an award winning director who almost always gets final jeopardy and does sudoku in ink and gives great love advice. She is adept at using the environment to her advantage. Her cunning is well known; she thinks to bring pills to counter the gas-based weapons the police were going to usage against her and Wonder Woman has mentioned she would rather fight the Erinyes of Hades then match wits with her. She can make a clever escape and has also controlled a rocket just by manipulating it's wires from inside.
However her specialty, as befitting her psychological background is in psychology. Harley understands human desires. She is a good actress (1) (2). She is very good at manipulating people (1) (2), and was even able to psychologically manipulate a demon and manipulate a reptile monster into killing itself. She learned from Bugs Bunny cartoons how to make a bad guy untie her and was able to even outwit the insane genius of the Joker. Oh and she was able to manipulate people into a treaty for universal peace!
Outside of raw intelligence, Harley's mind also has a few neat features. Her willpower was strong enough to overcome the Green Lantern Ring as mentioned before and she was able to finally kick her addiction to the Joker. Harley's insanity gives her a limited defense against mental manipulation. Also she was able to look into the face of the King of Tears which is supposed to cause instant death without any negative effects because...well here's her explanation.
Weaknesses:
Harley has her own share of weaknesses. She is very bad with money (1) (2) and bad at pronouncing names. Her bladder also gets easily over-excited from frantic fun (1) (2)
More seriously Harley is definitely not a soldier and has poor discipline, being rather impuslive. While Harley is amazing at manipulating other people, she is emotionally gullible and fairly easily manipulated herself. She has a bad habit of forgetting what side she's supposed to be fighting on and needs to breath, making her vulnerable to inhaling gas.
Personality:
Harley at different times is a different person it seems, an innocent childlike personality, a sexy vixen, a violent sociopath, a love-strung obsessed girl, a violent pragmatist, and more...but these are all mental defenses to whom Harley is. Harley's personalities at times are how she adapts to what she sees around her as she tries to hold in her own anger and insanity, her levity and humor used to keep herself sane. She uses her anger, her sexiness, her innocence, her false unintelligence as weapons to disorient and get her way and once annoyed a Demon into sending her back to Earth in less then 24 hours when he was supposed to have her for a week. Despite her inner anger, and her lack of discipline so intense that she was kicked out of the girl scouts, Harley has been reformed into being a rather noble person. She is empathetic, helps people she likes and the Joker has tacitly admitting that Harley does heroic things.
Harley grew up in a dysfunctional home and I think perhaps she fell originally for the Joker because he was the first person to show her love, even if it was twisted. Harley has an inner rage from the absence of love but it is the love that she learns from her new friends and lovers that is able to overcome her rage. Harley is such a force of love, insane though it may drive her, that one of her henchmen said she would do anything for love and even infinite Hell itself could not contain her love.
Summary:
Italics denotes Non-Standard
Tier 14, Tier 5 with Full Equipment
+Building Level Strength, Large Building Level as Harleyzilla, Higher as Lantern
+Universal Energy Projection with Infinity Rings and Lantern Black Holes
+Building Level Durability, Large Building Level as Harleyzilla, Star Level+ with Amazonian Armor or Lantern Forcefields
+Hypersonic Speed, likely MHS Reflexes, MFTL flight speed as a Lantern
+Regen (At least Low, Possibly Low-Mid)
+Superhuman Flexibility and Agility
+Superhuman Flexibility and Agility
+Superhuman Stealth
+Mid-S Tier Skill
+High Tier 4 Intelligence, Higher Manipulative Intelligence
+Seductive Abilities
+360 Degree Vision
+Can sense ghosts
+4th wall manipulation
+Can attack the absolute plane (can attack her own writer and artist)
+Semi-Reality-Warping (can force the artist to draw what she wants)
+Limited Time Stop (Can seemingly stop time but can't do anything while time is frozen)
+Alternate Forms
+Precognition (knows what is gonna happen in future issues)
+Semi-Duplication (can make a little her during time stop to talk to audience)
+Giant Mallet (Building Level)
+A Few Shuriken
+Two Tassel explosives
+Superhuman Willpower and Stamina
+Limited Mental Plane Resistance
+Death Manipulation Resistance
+Rage can focus her
+Potential Resistance to Dimensional BFR (Hell itself could not contain her love)
+Potential Hammerspace
+Hyenas
+Various other Weapons and Vehicles
+Projectile Nullification (Building Level with Grenade Gum)
+Elemental Manipulation (Electrical with her yo-yo)
+Laughing Gas
+Mental Manipulation (Hypnosis Gas)
+Acid Attack (Acid-Spraying Flower)
+Lasso of Truth (Energy Manipulation, Soul Manipulation, Magic Manipulation, Elemental Manipulation (Fire and Air Manipulation), Restoration and Regeneration, Reveals the Truth)
+Standard Lantern Powers with Lantern Ring (Energy-Matter Manipulation, Space-Time Manipulation, Flight, Mental Manipulation, Sealing, Energy Constructs)
-Impulsive and Undisciplined
-Easy to manipulate
-Forgetful
-Needs to breath
Possible Opponents:
All 3 of the opponents were actually suggestions from my friends so thank you for the suggestions. I'm not an expert in any of these characters but it seems like they are thematic and even enough from their descriptions.
Harley Quinn vs Cerebella
Similar Backstory, Similar Personality, Similar living arrangments :P and Loyalty to an Evil Boss
Harley Quinn vs Tira
Similar Mindset, Loyalty to an Evil Boss and Fighting Styles.
Harley Quinn vs Genocider Sho
Both are somewhat erotic-minded and comedic sociopathic killer criminals and secret masterminds and manipulators.
Next Time:
My Thanks to Thor for making his great next time for my next death prediction
