Quinzel, Harleen

Harleen Quinzel AKA Harley Quinn is a flamboyant supervillain/anti-hero and an adversary of Batman usually recognized as the Joker's girlfriend and sidekick, although she has had her own strong solo career. She had been working as a psychiatrist at Arkham Asylum where she was assigned to the Joker and fell in love with him. This led to her adopting her own costumed persona, adapting the word *harlequin*, to assist him escape and cause further mayhem. Their relationship is passionate and continuously off-on, with Harley's best friend Poison Ivy constantly encouraging her to break up with him for good. However, Harley's love for the Joker eventually brings her back to his side with the Joker himself demonstrating a keen need for her despite himself. When not with the Joker, she has been working mostly on her own in Gotham City, sometimes teaming up with her other friends. Her special abilities include an enhanced physiology due to chemical experimentation, giving her increased strength, agility and durability.

## Harleen Frances Quinzel

### Aliases

Harley Quinn (criminal moniker), Batgirl, Doctor Seaborn

### Relatives

Nick Quinzel (father), Sharon Quinzel (mother), Barry Quinzel (brother), Fran Quinzel (paternal grandmother), Jenny Quinzel (paternal niece), Nicky Quinzel (paternal nephew)

## Biographical information

### Place of birth

Canarsie, Brooklyn, New York City, New York, United States of America

## History

### Early Years

Harleen Quinzel was born to Nick and Sharon Quinzel in Brooklyn, New York City.

### Origins

Described as having a genius-level IQ, Harleen attended Gotham State 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.

Guy, also a scientist, had developed a 'Think Drink' to calm and centre himself. 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. The gun fired, but it remains a mystery as to whether she had helped to pull the trigger.

It later became clear that Dr Markus had spiked Guy's 'Think Drink' with diluted Joker Venom, in hopes of counteracting the stresses that Harley would put him through. Harley, however, believed that the situation had been caused by chaos, and as such, she grew to feel that she understood The Joker, and declared to Dr Markus that she would do anything to get an internship at Arkham Asylum.

Upon graduating, and with a glowing reference from Dr Markus, Dr. Harleen Quinzel began her first-year residency at Arkham. As soon as she was accepted by Dr. Arkham, she requested to meet the Joker. Based on the claim that she was doing research for a book on serial killers, she was given complete access to the Clown-Prince of Crime.

In their first session together, she introduced herself as Dr Harleen Quinzel, but stressed that he could refer to her as Harley Quinn, like the medieval jester Harlequin. Joker had been silent until then, but he suddenly began laughing and asked if she was flirting with him. When she moved closer, he chose to strangle her. But, when he saw a loving look from Harley instead of shock or fright, he ceased, and stated that it was just a joke. The pair shared an affair, with Quinn helping Joker escape from Arkham several times before she herself was finally caught. Her medical license was revoked and she was committed, despite her claims that all of the releases were meant to be therapeutic.