Summary

  • Harley Quinn's past as a villain still haunts her, with some Justice League doubting her heroism.
  • The shift from villain to hero for Harley Quinn has been gradual, with onscreen appearances shaping her portrayal.
  • Despite doubts, key DC heroes like Superman and Batman believe in Harley Quinn's transformation into a hero, showing their trust and .

Warning: Spoilers for DC's Spring Breakout #1!The validity of Harley Quinn's new leaf on heroism is still up for debate among some of the Justice League. Harley Quinn has spent years trying to walk the straight and narrow lifestyle, but even longer than that, she served the Joker as his sidekick, servant, and romantic partner in crime. Much of that past is too damning for some heroes to erase in their minds.

That certainly seems to be the case in DC Spring Breakout #1's "Field Trip" by Joey Esposito, Vasco Georgiev, and Jame, where multiple heroes address Harley Quinn as if she were still a supervillain. Two prominent of the Justice League - Zatanna and Hal Jordan's Green Lantern - outright refer to and address Harley Quinn as if she is still a criminal. Then again, in their defense, they do catch her red-handed in some criminal activity.

harley quinn breaks king shark out in dc spring breakout

All things considered, not everyone in the DC Universe trusts Harley Quinn. It's important to analyze her hero journey to determine if they're justified in their assertions.

When Did Harley Quinn Officially Become a Hero?

How Long Has She Been a Hero?

It's hard to pinpoint exactly when Harley Quinn officially made the transition from villain to hero, at least as far as on- moments are concerned. Dating as far back as her earliest appearances in Batman: The Animated Series, Harley Quinn was always depicted as someone who could be redeemed if not for her unhealthy affinity for the Joker. Harley Quinn becoming a hero can't be broken down to a singular moment as much as it can be boiled down to a shift in the culture regarding her.

Harley Quinn first struck out on her own after breaking up with the Joker in 2000's Harley Quinn vol 1 #1 by Karl Kesel and Terry Dodson.

Over the years, thanks especially in large part to onscreen appearances like the Suicide Squad movies and her self-titled animated show, Harley Quinn's popularity has continued to grow. As her fanbase expanded, there was a growing desire from audiences who wanted to see Harley depicted in a more flattering light, and such a light doesn't normally exist for villains. It's the DC equivalent to what happened with Venom from Marvel. The Big Bad became too beloved to boo, so the company started taking steps to showcase them as good.

Some Critics Still Doubt Harley's Heroism

Is the Doubt Warranted?

As time went on, Harley Quinn would be showcased more often, starting with multiple ongoing series that would play with Quinn coming to grips with her nefarious past and seeking redemption in a world that wouldn't be as forgiving to her. Of course, the road to redemption can be paved with a bed of nails. As a result, sometimes in Harley's attempts to be good, she would find herself doing a little bad every now and again. Case in point, the aforementioned one-shot for DC's Spring Breakout #1.

Not only do the Justice League's Zatanna and Green Lantern call out Harley Quinn's lingering villainy, but the subject comes up again in an encounter with Mr. Mxyzptlk later in the issue. In the defense of both Zatanna and Green Lantern, most heroes don't break notorious supervillains out of captivity. That's exactly what Harley does moments before running into the League, when she busts King Shark out of the Belle Reve Penitentiary. In Quinn's mind, she is doing this for a good reason - to help her friend celebrate his birthday for a single, temporary day on the outside.

Still, regardless of the reasoning, bad is bad, and breaking someone out of prison is a bad thing to do. As the saying goes, old habits die hard, and the same could not be more true for Harley Quinn. This has been consistently the case for her ever since she started becoming a hero. For so long, villainy has been the only path she knows and, as such, she is still conditioned to do bad things. She's done bad for so long that she practically only knows how to do bad when she wants to be good. No wonder the JLA still thinks she's bad news.

Some DC Heroes Still Believe in Harley Quinn

Superman and Batman Remain Harley's Biggest ers

Despite some heroes expressing their doubt, that doesn't mean none of the Justice League's trust Harley Quinn. In fact, one of the most important leaders of the Justice League co-signs for her. Superman shows he trusts Harley Quinn enough to cover for her breakout of King Shark in this very issue. Furthermore, he advises Quinn that she has the potential to do so much more as a hero than others give her credit for. He even promises to let his "Justice League jabronis" know exactly that on her behalf.

Praise like that doesn't come out of nowhere from someone like Superman, and Harley Quinn has more than earned it. As she corrects Green Lantern in this issue, she's saved the world at least once, but an unexpected voice of reason at times when even the leader isn't being reasonable.

Harley began (reluctantly) working on the side of heroes when she ed the Suicide Squad in 2011's Suicide Squad vol 4 #1 by Adam Glass and Federico Dallocchio.

Not to mention, the good deeds that she's committed in Gotham have helped her earn the trust of Batman, who has gone as far as to adopt her into his Bat-Family officially. Batman's trust isn't an easy thing to gain, and given his status in both the DC Universe and in the Justice League, it's not an endorsement that should be taken lightly. Batman and Superman together comprise the DC World's Finest, effectively making them the most important superheroes in the company's universe.

Considering their importance in the hierarchy of the DC Universe, the fact that Batman and Superman believe that Harley Quinn should be honored so heavily is a sign that she has earned the right to be viewed as a hero. Her redemption arc is complete by now, and she's fully on the side of the heroes at this point. Yes, she slips up sometimes and her methods of heroism can be questionable, but her heart is in the right place. It's still a fresh turn, so not every hero in the Justice League is going to be onboard yet, but Harley Quinn's villain days are long behind her.

DC's Spring Breakout #1 is on sale now from DC Comics.