Harleen Quinzel

[Source]

"*At what point did my life go Looney Tunes? How did it happen? Who's to blame? Batman, that's who. Batman! It's always been Batman! Ruining my life, spoiling my fun! Coming between me and my Puddin' from the very beginning...*"
―Harley Quinn[src]
**Harleen Quinzel** (better known as **Harley Quinn** or **Harlequin**) was a Human female who at various point in her life was a comedian, psychiatrist and criminal noted for her faithful service to the Joker's Gang.

## Biography

### Early life

Harleen Quinzel was born in Brooklyn, New York on June 13, 1956 to Nick and Sharon Quinzel. She had one older brother named Barry and her father went to prison for trying to con local families out of their savings when she only nine. Her mother from then on had to take several jobs to keep ends meet. Quinzel's brother would have a son and a daughter with his girlfriend and later wife before the age of twenty-one.

Described as having a genius-level IQ, Harleen attended Columbia University on a scholarship for gymnastics, where she majored in Psychiatry under Dr Odin Markus. To get into the graduate program, she had Dr Markus meet with her in her dorm room, where she outlined what she believed would be a good graduate thesis: 'There are only two circumstances under which a person disregards the rules of society. When they commit a crime, or when they're in love.' To prove this thesis, she aimed to allow Dr Markus to observe an independent experiment on the matter. The test subjects: herself and her boyfriend Guy Kopski.

One day, while meeting with Harley, he noticed that she wasn't laughing at any of his jokes. She explained that she had driven through a red light in a stolen car, right after blackmailing Dr Markus and possibly shooting him. She asked if he still loved her, but after noticing evidence of a recently fired handgun, Guy ran out with it. Harleen found him in the gymnasium (where the shooting had supposedly taken place) laughing nervously, and standing over a homeless man he had just shot, believing him to be Dr Markus. He begged her to help him shoot himself, asking her to do it because she loved him. When she didn't oblige, he killed himself. Ironically after all that, Quinzel worked as a comedian for the rest of her time at the university.

### Criminal career

#### Meeting The Joker

After graduating, and with a glowing reference from Dr Markus, Dr Harleen Quinzel began her first-year residency at Arkham Asylum. Upon meeting Dr. Joan Leland for the first time, the more senior doctor warned the eager and vastly inexperienced Harleen to be careful around the inmates. Originally drawn to the "glamor" of the inmates, she was unexpectedly intrigued by the Joker. She organized regular therapy sessions with him, during which the Joker manipulated the inexperienced Harleen by telling her tales of a cruel father and an abusive childhood, mixed in with his attempts at comedy. He made her laugh as much as he made her cry, and she fell hopelessly in love with him largely based on sympathy. The pair then began a passionate, if not unhealthy, romantic relationship. Shortly after, Dr. Quinzel would help break the Joker out of Arkham Asylum and adopted the clownish persona of Harley Quinn. Thereafter she was his semi-constant companion and lover. She occasionally broke away from him, but always ended up going back to him in the end. For the Joker's part, while he had found her to be an annoyance some of the time, he was able to skillfully manipulate her to serve his needs.

## Personality and traits

"*Lighten up, sourpuss. This is fun.*"
―Harley Quinn[src]

## Relationships

### Romances

#### Joker

"*Aww come on Puddin'. Don't you want to rev up your Harley?*"
―Harley Quinn to The Joker[src]
Harley's relationship with Joker was very strange. At various times, she explained her feelings for him as sympathy for his abusive childhood, tender feelings based on their therapy sessions, or simply that he made her life fun, after a stressful career as a psychiatrist.

Her devotion was inexplicable because Joker frequently insulted and abused her. Occasionally she would break away from him, but these moments of clarity never lasted very long, and but a moment's kindness from Joker was enough to bring her back. Nevertheless, Joker found her a useful accomplice, and was often surprised by the depth of her devotion.

## Powers and Abilities

### Powers

**Toxin Immunity**: Immunizes her to various assorted toxins.

### Abilities

**Psychologist**: She was trained in the field of psychoanalysis.

**Olympic level Gymnast**: She was also a spectacular gymnast, almost on par with Dick Grayson.

## Paraphernalia

### Weapons

Various firearms, oversized wooden mallet and boxing glove gun.