Warning: contains spoilers for DC: Love is a Battlefield #1
If any couple has been stealing the DC spotlight lately, it's the fan pairing turned canon romance between DC superstars an official Vegas wedding. These two hot-headed characters may have a chance at a loving, healthy relationship, but that doesn't mean there haven't been some rough patches along the way. The two managed to sneak their way into DC: Love Is A Battlefield #1, where fans can now see a bit more detail regarding the earlier stages of their partnership.
Everyone knows Harley's origin story and how it revolves around the Joker, but her real glow-up happened when she left him behind to forge her own path. Doing so led her to get in bed with Poison Ivy...literally. Revisiting their past, the two fondly look back on past crime sprees, such as blowing up the Waynetech Automated Distribution Facility together (clearly a very common, romantic date). It didn't take long for Batman and Nightwing to show up to the scene.
In front of the bat boys, Poison Ivy jokes that she can't wait to finish up so she can go home and "crawl into bed" with Harley. As she often does, Harley may have taken the joke a bit too far. She decided to faithfully follow Ivy's statement, snuggling up close with her that same night. There's just one thing she forgot to consider before doing so; Poison Ivy's mantle is quite accurate. The encounter left a naïve Harley vulnerable to her ive poisonous powers in an unfortunate, uncomfortable way.
The next morning, Harley woke up with a rash covering her entire body. While it seems like no big deal, Harley claims it felt like she was experiencing anaphylaxis. Luckily, Ivy found a way to make Harley immune from then on. This action actually shows a lot of romantic affection on Ivy's behalf. Her ability to keep others from touching her by causing their skin to react has long since been a defensive tactic for the villain. In making Harley immune, she is letting her guard down, which is something Ivy has not done much of in the past.
Though they may have gotten off to an awkward beginning, with skin reactions and killer clown ex-boyfriends, the two have come quite a long way since they met back in Arkham Asylum. Their relationship shows not only character development for themselves but big progress on behalf of DC Comics. It looks like someone's finally getting LGBTQ+ relationships right. These lovers may seem incompatible at first, but their dynamic somehow works beautifully. Besides, if its between an emotionally toxic relationship with Joker or a small reaction to Ivy's toxic abilities, it's safe to assume Harley would choose Ivy every time.
