It might not be ‘super’ but one power of Harley Quinn’s was able to simultaneously save Harley’s soul and plant the seeds for her eventual redemption.
Years before she ever left the life of villainy behind, Harley Quinn proved she had what it took to be on the side of the angels by annoying the hell out of Hell itself.
When Harley Quinn was first introduced, she was known as the Joker’s sidekick who gleefully went along with his many crimes and cruelties. But over time, the character appeared to soften, especially whenever she wasn’t in the presence of the Clown Prince of Crime. Eventually, she left the Joker’s side and went on her own path. Despite her past as a villain, Harley Quinn joined the Justice League and has had plenty of superhero team ups. While she might not be the textbook definition of ‘heroic,’ Harley takes her redemptive arc quite seriously.
In fact, the seeds for Harley’s redemption were planted years ago, back during the heyday of her villainous years. In Harley Quinn #22 by Karl Kesel and Brandon Badeaux, Harley is still trying to break out of Hell and, unfortunately, it’s not going great. Though she and her gang are able to make it past Hell’s defenses, they fail once Highwater, the best bounty hunter in Hell, catches up with them. Harley Quinn remains in Hell for the time being, until she gets an idea for one final escape attempt. She gives Hell’s guards the slip again and waits for Highwater to catch up to her. Before he can send her back, Harley attempts to give him information. Highwater has been seeking out a man he believes “corrupted” his son, but Harley has discovered the two are actually in Heaven together. Quinn attempts to trade Highwater her information in exchange for safe passage, but Etrigan interrupts and has Harley banished from Hell for spreading love.
This wouldn’t be the first time Harley Quinn fought over love, but it is the first time she’s escaped a predicament like eternal damnation using the concept. In addition to that, Harley’s tendency to be a nuisance came into play during this storyline. With her repeated escape attempts, bad jokes and general trouble-making Harley’s gone beyond being a pest. She’s managed to figure out how to turn being annoying into a superpower that beat literal Hell.
While going to Hell isn’t the most ringing endorsement for Harley, she demonstrated that even the almighty is capable of mistakes. For all her quirks and gimmicks, there’s two things important to Harley Quinn: love and jokes. Harley isn’t a bad person, and the fact that she could hold onto love even in Hell proves it. And it’s that same devotion to love that gives Harley her wacky persona and endless capacity for annoyance. Being irritating enough to actually get kicked out of Hell may be an insult to some, but the entire misadventure showed that Harley has a soul (an annoying one but a soul all the same). So, it’s no wonder that Harley Quinn was able to find her way to the side of heroes, because evil is just much too bothered by her.
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