Batman’s rogues gallery is one of the most formidable in comic book history. Aside from Spider-Man, no other rogues gallery even comes close to the number of iconic villains; with knaves such as Joker, Riddler, and Penguin being some of the most well known. However, one villain that doesn’t get the respect she deserves in Poison Ivy.
Since her debut in 1966, the character has gone through several incarnations and even appeared in live-action, albeit it did come in Batman and Robin.
10 Changed: Wayne Enterprises
In the New 52 continuity, Poison Ivy was a Botanist who started working as an intern at Wayne Enterprises where she helped to develop cosmetics and pharmaceuticals under the Bio-chemistry division.
However, she was eventually fired from the company after she suggested to Bruce Wayne that the company starts creating mind-controlling substances.
9 Same: Mental Instability
As with many Batman villains, it would be a huge exaggeration to suggest that they are all mentally sound. While villains such as the Penguin, Ra’s al Ghul (sometimes), and Bane shouldn’t necessarily be admitted to Arkham, Poison Ivy certainly deserves to be.
Poison Ivy is known to have an extreme hatred for humanity, with the character associating more with plant life. However, she is also known to have a mood that depends upon the season, making her more volatile in some months.
8 Changed: Birds Of Prey
One of the clearest changes made by the New 52 era is Poison Ivy’s change in colleagues. In the New 52, Poison Ivy received an offer from Black Canary to join her newly established Birds of Prey team.
While other members of the team had their reservations due to Poison Ivy’s violent past, Poison Ivy would ultimately accept the offer and join the heroes.
7 Same: Plant Powers
Naturally, one immediately associates Poison Ivy with her plant powers and the New 52 didn’t alter that. Poison Ivy is still shown to possess some influence over plants, as well as the ability to heal in a different way to humans.
That being said, not every version of Poison Ivy has plant abilities. Notably, the version from Batman: The Animated Series had no magical influence over her plants.
6 Changed: Costume
Perhaps due to the nature of her character, Poison Ivy’s costume has typically been revealing, to say the least. The most notable example of this was in the Arkham games, where the character appears in her underwear most of the time.
However, the New 52 gave her an entirely new costume. This black and green bodysuit was no longer revealing, giving a completely new design to the character.
5 Same: Seduction
Anyone who has seen Batman and Robin will know that one of Ivy’s trademark abilities is her seduction. Using plant pheromones, she is able to seduce both males and females. Furthermore, she is also capable of seducing Superman if she has access to kryptonite.
This makes her a very difficult foe to face, as she is more than capable of turning your friends against you, or even making you act in unthinkable ways.
4 Changed: Origin
Poison Ivy’s origin story typically involves either an accident or some kind of experiment that leads to her receiving her plant powers. However, the New 52 gave her an entirely new backstory.
In the New 52, Ivy was born with a skin condition, an aversion to sunlight, and an abusive father. This gives a unique and tragic backstory to the character that wasn’t as overt previously.
3 Same: Pro-Climate
Due to her plant powers, it comes as no surprise that Poison Ivy is very pro-climate. In most iterations of the character, Poison Ivy is seen to be taking vengeance on those who destroy the environment, with corporate big wigs being the usual target of her rage.
While in the past her motives and goals were seen as insane and dangerous, the climate crisis has led more and more people to sympathize with Poison Ivy’s ends.
2 Changed: Antihero
Perhaps as a result of the prior entry, the New 52 opted to make Poison Ivy into more of an antihero than a villain. It was this shift in character dynamic that allowed Poison Ivy to join the Birds of Prey, giving readers a new insight into the character.
The current climate has certainly allowed for a new scope on the Poison Ivy character, one that would be difficult to contain purely to the realm of the villainous. While Ivy can certainly go too far with her goals, there’s no denying that she does have a point.
1 Same: Harley Quinn Relationship
It is shocking to learn that, before Batman: The Animated Series, Harley Quinn didn’t even exist as a character. Since her appearance in the show, Harley Quinn has gone on to appear in the wider DC Comics universe and even appear in her own live-action movies and her own animated TV series.
One aspect of the character laid down in the animated series was her relationship with Poison Ivy. While the two showed the pair as close, it didn’t necessarily imply romantic involvement. However, over the years, their relationship matured into romance and this was carried on into the New 52.