It is hard to believe that Harley Quinn was once merely a henchwoman and lover for The Joker in her earliest inceptions. When she first stepped into the comic book world, there wasn't anything to her character beyond her association with her partner, but in recent years, a renewed interest in the character has compelled writers to help Quinn find her own independence and inner strength.
In more ways than one, Harley Quinn has proven to be much more than just Joker's old flame. Not only in how she has successfully stepped out of his shadow but in how she can fare in fights with DC's toughest heroes. As a henchwoman, she'd get tossed around with ease, but since becoming a strong independent woman,
10 Would've Killed Batman If Not For Joker
There is no better place to start off than with the central hero of Gotham City himself. The Joker himself struggled to beat Batman - especially physically - over the years. How did his then-girlfriend do the trick?
In "Mad Love," the Eisner Award-winning comic one-shot by Paul Dini and Bruce Timm turned BTAS episode after The Joker refuses to give her the love she desperately wants, she thinks the only way to get it is to kill Batman. So she does the unthinkable: she actually incapacitates and captures the World's Greatest Detective. If Joker didn't disapprove so strongly upon learning what she did, Batman would've been piranha food.
9 KO's Wonder Woman And Steals Her Costume
In Harley Quinn’s Little Black Book #1 by Jimmy Palmiotti and Amanda Conner, the first issue started with a bang by having her knock out another member of the Justice League. Literally. That member was Wonder Woman, who upon being greeted on her doorstep by a woman with flowers, she was too flattered at the gesture to realize that this woman was Harley Quinn in disguise.
When she least expected it, Quinn rolled in some trusty knockout gas that knocked the Amazon out cold, allowing her to take her costume to become the brand new Wonder Woman.
8 Harley Quinn Knocks Out Superman
So it's official: Harley Quinn has defeated every member of the DC Holy Trinity. Shocking, isn't it? She's already proven herself to be much stronger than most fans would give her credit for. Even more so for those who know that she knocked out the Man of Steel like his jaw was made of plastic.
The bout took place in Harley's Little Black Book #5, written by Jimmy Palmiotti and Amanda Conner with art by Neal Adams. The issue pulls double duty as a tribute to Muhammad Ali, who died six months earlier. Back in the '70s, a comic released where Ali boxed Superman for the right to defend earth vs. aliens. Now, those aliens have returned, this time with Superman and Harley Quinn fighting for that honor. With Superman's powers neutralized, they have a fair and square boxing match. And Harley beat Supes fairly decisively by pummeling him.
7 Harley Beats Hal Jordan The First Time She Wears A Lantern Ring
The Trinity aren't the only members of the Justice League to get annihilated by The Cupid of Crime. The second issue of Harley's Little Black Book is followed up with an encounter with Hal Jordan's Green Lantern.
When two slackers miraculously get ahold of three Lantern rings, two of which accidentally get merged by spilled milk, they sell them on WeBay, one of which is acquired by Harley Quinn. The Red and Black Lantern Ring unleashes her chaotic side on the world, putting her on a collision course with Hal. The two square off and surprisingly, the inexperienced Lantern Harley has the upper hand for much of the fight. If not for some interfering aliens, Harley might've killed Hal.
6 Almost Turning Catwoman Into Catnip
Catwoman and Harley Quinn have often teamed up together in the spirit of committing crimes like a couple of good ole gal pals, but in Batman: Hush by Jeph Loeb with art by Jim Lee, they were on opposite sides of the law. Well, both were doing pretty illegal things still, but Catwoman at least leaned closer to good as a comrade of Batman.
When Harley Quinn attempts to rob a theater, Batman fights her off and Catwoman whips in to help. The two ladies tango for a bit in an exchange that ends with the feline getting shot out of the air. If Batman wasn't there to catch her, Catwoman might've had her catnip splattered all over the stage.
5 Robin's Wings Get Clipped With Ease
Although it takes place in the confines of a parody comedy animated show, that does not make the win any less impressive. During the fourth episode of Harley Quinn, the title character - in her new escapades as a head honcho supervillain - is desperate to find an archnemesis. She immediately guns for Batman by stealing his Batmobile but falls into 12-year old Robin's crosshairs instead.
Because Robin's a 12-year old boy, she disposes of him with ease by hanging him on a hook. Although, in doing so, thanks in due part to Robin fabricating the story to make them sound more evenly matched, Quinn accidentally found a new archrival.
4 She Laid Out Nightwing On More Than One Occasion
By this point, Harley Quinn has beaten up every member of the Bat-Family. Of those in that family, it seems like she's landed most of her hits on Nightwing. One instance of Harley getting the better of Batman's original ward was in the Batman and Harley Quinn movie. The two square off in an alleyway fight that's pretty evenly matched until Harley spikes Nightwing with laughing gas.
Another instance that video game fans will be more familiar with is the DLC Harley Quinn Story Pack where the final boss is Nightwing and the player, as Quinn, is tasked with beating the tar out of him.
3 Low Blow To Lobo
Some of Harley Quinn's most shocking wins happen over the course of the Injustice comic book series, based on the popular video games. The so-called upset of the century happened in Injustice: Gods Among Us Annual #1 by Tom Taylor, Xermanico, Mike S. Miller, and Bruno Redondo.
There, Superman hires Lobo to track down an accomplice in Lois Lane's death, Harley Quinn. What follows is a cat and mouse game between Lobo and Harley that ends with the latter ingesting a super pill made by Lex Luthor to give her superpowers, using them to rip off the biker's head.
2 Made Black Canary Plead For Mercy
Not long after her encounter with Lobo, Harley Quinn asks the Green Arrow and Black Canary for some backup. Eventually, one thing leads to another and Superman winds up murdering Oliver Queen in cold blood. Sometime after, Harley winds up in the Arrow Cave with no place to go.
Furious, Black Canary fights her, and the two trade blows. Despite Canary's longer list of trained combat skills in her arsenal, Harley nearly beats her over the head with a giant mallet. She only backs off when Canary stops to puke and realizes that she's pregnant with the late Oliver's baby.
1 Beating Shazam In Injustice
An even more perplexing, yet simultaneously more impressive win for Quinn in Injustice came when she defeated none other than Shazam. Shazam has always been depicted as being strong enough to match Superman in terms of pure strength.
That strength was put to the test in an all-out battle between Superman's Regime and Batman's Insurgency. In the midst of this WWE-style WarGames battle, Harley Quinn locked horns with Shazam and what probably should've been an easy win for Shazam ended with him getting knocked down by her exploding mallet.