I’ve noticed over the years that Harley Quinn is suddenly a very competent fighter. I’ve always been a fan of her since her introduction but I think it’s a bit silly to have her holding her own against the likes of batman or nightwing. Does anyone know when this transition happened? Im cool with her growing but it seems she got a huge boost haha.
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I think the idea with characters like Harley Quinn and the Joker is that they are so chaotic and unpredictable that their opponent can never tell what’s coming next. This boost of power probably is a result of Batman becoming gradually more powerful over the years.
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My favorite Harley moment is when she tries to bash an ATM with her mallet, and Ivy just shrugs.
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The greatest super power is getting your own series. At that point, writers have to give you greater and greater challenges and they have to make you win at the end of every story arc, so you soon get super OP.
If we are going to question Harley’s skill set, then why is she gymnastically talented anyway? Is that part of becoming a psychiatrist?
I agree with YoYoFro’s take. Harley and Joker are unpredictable and therefore dangerous. This applies to hand to hand as much as crazy plans. In the context of comics, Harley picking up fighting skills by virtue of her experience with Joker, Suicide Squad and her own adventures isn’t far fetched
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Comic book magic.
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Harley as a villain FTW?
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As I recall, in the comics, when Ivy took Harley in after the Joker strapped her to a rocket, she necessarily treated her in a way that made her immune to poison, and the process also enhanced her physical abilities. Not to superhuman levels, but more than you’d expect from her size.
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Again, I think writer’s laziness proves the most powerful. When did Harley become an awesome fighter? As soon as the writer thought it’d be cool for her to be an awesome fighter. The writer didn’t even spend two pages on a montage of training. It just happened.
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Harley is 5’9, which means she’s got some length and reach in both arms and legs. And she’s “leggy”.
She’s also been around for quite a while. I’m sure she’s trained and learned quite a bit. You don’t become that skilled a gymnast or a psychotherapist as young as she was without understanding how to be focused and driven. Bringing chaos to a fight helps. It’s easier for a well trained combatant to match up with someone with a known fighting style.
I can see her, especially with her reflexes, flexibility and gymnastics training to use jeet kin do (sp?) the style that Bruce Lee made famous. His quickness and adaptability made him a great fighter. Harley was is no Bruce Lee, but Bruce Lee didn’t walk around with a 10 lb weight in a purse either. (See Batman & Harley Quinn) that type of randomness is not something most people expect.
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Personally, I’d rather see the character growth instead of making assumptions. I’ve known driven people my whole life. I’ve known guys and gals who are well educated and they’re successful in their jobs. A friend of mine had been on the police force for a number of years. She’s a multi-degree black belt in a couple different martial arts. She’s a weapons instructor for the police force. And even she agrees, people don’t just become masters between the panels.
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When did Harley go from team member to leader?
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I figure some tours under Waller came with some feild training.
I figure Waller is extremely budget conscience. So no, I don’t think they’re being much training at all.
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I suppose the bigger question is what is the source for the reasoning she is a martial arts master?
Lazy writing.
Ha! I’ve struck again!
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Unless you can provide a relevant run.
Yes, you have struck again…with…lazy writing.
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Hey, wait a minute…
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It’s all part of the ridiculousness of Harley Quinn… which is why I love the character.
In a medium where nothing sense… She makes the least sense.
I would be surprised if it’s not above but after she and Ivy teamed up, Pamela gave her some kind of enhancement that made her more athletic. Also the reason Tim Drake, Carrie Kelly, and Stephanie Brown went from average high school students to Robin in a day. “Creative liberties” I believe their called.