Harlequin (comics)
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- For The Joker's sidekick, see Harley Quinn
The Harlequin is the name of four clown-themed DC Comics characters.
The original Harlequin was a foe of the Golden Age Green Lantern, and later became his wife. The second Harlequin originally debuted as the Joker's Daughter, and was a member of the Teen Titans. The third Harlequin was a member of the Injustice Unlimited super-villain team, and battled Infinity, Inc.. The fourth Harlequin has only appeared on a few occasions, and is an enemy of Alan Scott.
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[edit] Molly Mayne
The original Harlequin was a woman named Molly Mayne who appeared in stories alongside the Golden Age Green Lantern Alan Scott.
Mayne developed a crush on Scott and, donning a colorful costume (which included horn-rimmed glasses, a birthday hat, and a mandolin), started a life of crime to attract his attention. Her crimes tended to be harmless and mostly for show, although the two clashed on several occasions in the late 1940s.
Years later, after the death of his first wife Rose Canton, Alan Scott realized that he had loved Molly all this time and they were married.
[edit] Duela Dent
Duela Dent is the second character to use the Harlequin name. Originally appearing as a villain, she called herself the Joker's Daughter, and soon claimed to be the daughter of numerous other villains. She eventually revealed her true father was Two Face, and soon joined the Teen Titans and renamed herself Harlequin.
In current continuity, the identities of her true parents have not been revealed. She is considered a delusional former member of the original Teen Titans, and is a member of Titans East.
[edit] Marcie Cooper
As a youth Marcie Cooper was recruited by the Grandmaster to join the Manhunters. Her grandfather, Dan Richards (aka, Manhunter I), also encouraged her to join the group as he had years ago. The Manhunters gave her a job working at KGLX radio in Gotham City, alongside Molly Maynne Scott, who was a former agent called Harlequin. Marcie began dating Northwind, and later Obsidian, both of Infinity, Inc., and infiltrated the superteam from within.
Single-minded in her attempt to destroy Infinity, Inc., she joined Injustice Unlimited and masterminded the assassination of Skyman.
Posing as Jade, she used Solomon Grundy as her pawn in killing Skyman. When he realized he had been manipulated he savagely beat her. Harlequin has not been heard from since (though Roy Thomas has stated she was not killed).
[edit] Harlequin IV
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A mysterious new Harlequin debuted in issues #5-6 of Green Lantern Corps. Quarterly, and battled Alan Scott.
As a little girl, she discovered she had illusion-casting powers. She learned all about the first Green Lantern, and how the first Harlequin became his lover. She knew it was her destiny to become the next Harlequin and to be with Green Lantern.
She created illusions of Icicle and Solomon Grundy for Alan Scott to battle, and then revealed herself to him. During that encounter, Scott mysteriously regained his youth. Though at first he thought this an illusion, he later learned that the original consciousness of the Starheart had been reawakened, and M'La had been tortured and slain.
During her battles with Scott, she eventually attacked his wife, Molly Mayne-Scott (the first Harlequin). She created illusions of a decrepit version of Molly, while she flooded Scott's head with visions of them together (in space, as barbarians, as detectives and eventually as medieval warriors). Scott was able to break free when he unleashed his simmering rage against her, and showed her a world where he ruled over Hell, and she was his captive slave. She stopped the battle, and fled away shouting that he had ruined everything, and instantly disappeared into the air.
She returned and made an appearance in Alan's dream sequence in Underworld Unleashed: Abyss - Hell's Sentinel #1. She also appeared in Hell alongside the other villains called by Neron in Underworld Unleashed #1.
Some readers have speculated that Marcie Cooper may be the mysterious Harlequin IV who appeared in Green Lantern Corps Quarterly and Underworld Unleashed. However, since both women appeared in the group of villains in Underworld Unleashed #1, it is doubtful they are the same person.
During Underworld Unleashed, a character named Fay Moffit became the new Spellbinder, and she bears a striking resemblance (both physically and in terms of powers) to Harlequin IV. Although very similar, they appear to be two separate characters.
[edit] Powers
She has illusion-casting powers similar to her predecessors. However, her illusions are much more intense and powerful than the illusions cast by Molly Mayne and Marcie Cooper. When casting her illusions, if the victim has any minor doubt or little qualm in their mind, they will feel the pain her illusion is inflicting on them.
[edit] Other versions
[edit] Infinity Inc. - Gay Male Harlequin
In the original pitch for the Infinity, Inc. series, creators Roy Thomas and Jerry Ordway had planned on using a young gay male as a new Harlequin.
In an interview with Alter Ego, Ordway explains: "Northwind is shown--but at his side (see P. 33) is a new, young, male Harlequin, who Jerry's notes suggest might become "comics' first 'gay' character. Or we could just assume it." Not a bad idea, and maybe we should have played it that way; but we were already going to have two Green Lantern-derived heroes in Infinity, Inc."
[edit] Kingdom Come - Joker's Daughter II
In Kingdom Come, there is a new Joker's Daughter. Joker's Daughter II is unofficially called Harlequin III, according to Alex Ross (Marcie Cooper has apparently been overlooked in the KC timeline). The card set calls her "one of many to follow the Joker's chaotic style."
The Kingdom Come Revelations supplement adds the following:
"Along with Batman's apparent influence on others to follow his style, so has the Joker inspired a few to take after his chaotic clown style. The original Joker's Daughter (who actually turned out to be Two-Face's Daughter) was a former member of the Teen Titans and has no direct relation to this new "riot girl" version, nor is there a true familial relation to the Joker."
Joker's Daughter II is modeled on Jill Thompson, a writer/artist; Thompson is Chicago-based, as is Alex Ross. Austin Loomis adds that Thompson has occasionally drawn herself into stories that she was illustrating for Vertigo.
It is noted throughout this series Joker's Daughter II is always quite dour and serious, quite the change from her father, and another example of the generational-clash theme of Kingdom Come.
Following the death of Von Bach, Ex1Machina points out that Joker's Daughter II has undergone a drastic makeup change, with a tear now tattooed beneath her eye. This in turn might be a reference to the modern tradition of female gang members bearing a tattoo teardrop for each loved one who has died; it may be that Joker's Daughter II felt that way towards Von Bach.
She is one of the few characters to survive the final battle in #4. She later reappeared in The Kingdom: Offspring # 1.
[edit] See also
[edit] External links
Molly Mayne
- All-American Comics #89 (First Appearance)
- Comic Book Database: Harlequin I
- GA Villain Checklist Profile
- The Unofficial Harlequin 1 Biography
Duela Dent
- Comic Book Database: Harlequin II
- Comic Book Database: Joker's Daughter
- Duela Dent History
- Obscure Characters: Card Queen
- Titans Tower: Duela Dent
- The Unofficial Harlequin 2 Biography
- Unpublished Duela Dent story from Vixen #1
Marcie Cooper
Others
- Harlequin Profiles
- Kingdom Come Annotations 1
- Kingdom Come Annotations 4
- Secret Originis of Infinity, Inc.
Categories: Batman supporting characters | Batman villains | DC Comics heroes, non-superpowered | DC Comics supporting characters | DC Comics superheroes | Fictional clowns | Fictional characters with the power to create illusions | Fictional detectives | Fictional murderers | Fictional vigilantes | Green Lantern villains | Justice Society villains
