Poison Ivy (comics)
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Poison Ivy is a DC Comics supervillain, an enemy of Batman. Created by Robert Kanigher, she first appeared in Batman #181 (1966).
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Description
Dressed in a form-fitting, green costume, Poison Ivy is obsessed with botany. She draws toxins and potions from plants, which she uses for her crimes. Ultimately, she seeks to destroy human life and create a world ruled by plants. She is usually portrayed as a seductress and uses her sex appeal to her advantage.
Poison Ivy did not immediately catch on after her first appearance, but slowly rose to stature. This was on accounted of the rising need for more major active female characters and to replace the increasingly sympathetic Catwoman as a clearly antagonistic female supervillain foil for Batman in further appearances in the Batman comic book series and in Suicide Squad.
Character history
Creator Robert Kanigher modeled Poison Ivy after Bettie Page, giving her the same haircut and Southern drawl as Page. In her first appearances in 1966, no origin was developed; she was merely a temptress. At her first appearance, her costume was a one-piece, strapless green bathing suit, covered with leaves. Leaves also formed her bracelets, necklace and crown. She also wore green high heels and yellow-green nylon stockings with leaves painted on them. These particulars changed somewhat when she re-appeared.
Failing to catch on as a character, she was not heard of until the rise of feminism brought the need for a greater number of more independent female villains in the series. Then her origin story was concocted.
Dr. Pamela Lillian Isley, a botanist from Seattle, was once a very intelligent scientist who knew just about everything about plants. That is, until a scientist named Jason Woodrue (aka Floronic Man) conducted experiments upon her. The experiments placed toxins in her blood stream that make her touch deadly and allow her to be immune to all poisons, viruses, bacteria, and fungi. They also made her barren, and she has treated her plants as children, mothering them, ever since. Thus, she became Poison Ivy. She would become more plantlike later during a confrontation with Catwoman, when one of her formulas fell on her giving her green skin.
Poison Ivy is a very attractive red-headed woman who is known to be able to seduce men and women alike with useful plant toxins. She specializes in hybrids and can create the most potently powerful toxins in Gotham.
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She has been known to carry a cross-bow and a vine whip which she also has used as a lasso. At times, the vine has had thorns on it. She also occasionally uses hand thrown and blowpipe launched poisoned darts.
She also has been friends with The Joker's offsider Harley Quinn. Unlike most villian team-ups, their partnership seems to be genuinely rooted in friendship, and Ivy really wants to save Harley from her abusive relationship with The Joker even though she finds her friend's flightyness annoying.
Another positive side of her was shown when she took care of some children after an earthquake that leveled Gotham City left them orphans.
Poison Ivy recently came to believe that her powers were killing the children she looked after, so she got Batman to reverse her powers and make her a normal human being once more. Soon after she was convinced by Hush to take another serum to restore her powers and apparently died in the process. However, when her grave was visited it was covered with vine and ivy, leading to believe her death will be shortlived (what happens to a plant when it's put underground?). A short time later Ivy returned in Gotham Central #32 , killing some corrupt cops who killed one of her orphans, though whether this takes place before or after the aforementioned storyline remains to be known.
In other media
- In Batman: The Animated Series and spin-offs, Poison Ivy was voice-acted by Diane Pershing.
- Uma Thurman played Poison Ivy in the film Batman and Robin.
- Piera Coppola currently plays Poison Ivy in the animated tv show, The Batman
External Links
The Flora Lounge (http://members.aol.com/PlantBoy73/index1.html)fr:Empoisonneuse (Batman) it:Poison Ivy