The following contains spoilers from the Harley Quinn 30th Anniversary Special.
Sex and comic books are not at all unknown bedmates, especially as it relates to Catwoman. One of her most famous appearances on-screen gave her a role as Michelle Pfeiffer's leather-clad and whip-wielding BDSM interpretation. She's not unfamiliar with it as relates to Harley Quinn, either, with a recent controversy putting her sex life (and Batman's more so) at the forefront of Harley's self-titled animated show. With such a character in the midst of Poison Ivy and Harley Quinn's fan-favorite relationship, it was only a matter of time until the trio had a tête-à-tête as regards their relationships, and a story from the Harley Quinn 30th Anniversary Special, "Submissive" by Stjepan Sejic, finally does so.
The story takes place shortly after Harley's final breakup with Joker, and Poison Ivy is worried for her. She is beginning to long after Joker and showing signs of returning to him. During separate discussions, Ivy and Harley are both told by Catwoman that the jester is "submissive," meaning that she wants someone to command to her in order to become sexually excited. She cites Harley's referring to Joker as "Mistah J" and her complete deference to his demands as evidence.
They both react in a way that puts them on a collision path. Harley, for her part, determines that she must defy what Catwoman has said and prove that she is beyond Joker's domination as sexual attraction by becoming dominant herself, overthrowing The Penguin's Iceberg lounge. Naturally, being a team member for the entirety of her career up to this point, Harley is unprepared to go up against Penguin's well-supplied miniature army with only her bat and somewhat scattered wits.
Her salvation comes in the form of Ivy, who is acting on the advice of Catwoman and showing Harley that she is, in fact, acting on her sexuality when she wants Joker present. As Ivy saves the day and routs Penguin's men, saving Harley and keeping her safe, she gives Harley an order not to call her Ivy and threatens to keep Harley on a leash. Harley immediately refers to Ivy and "Pammie" a la "Puddin." She quickly realizes what's taking place and that Catwoman was, in fact, right. Her obsession with Joker was in part because of her sexual preference.
This short story is intriguing because of how it approaches the sexuality of its characters. Harley isn't shamed for her preferences, nor for wanting to go back to Joker. Catwoman's expertise in the area of sex actually proves to empower her and Ivy to make the changes necessary to keep Harley out of the clutches of Joker and maintain her independence. In recognizing her own sexuality, Harley finds her way to empowerment—even if that is through realizing that she prefers to be treated as if she's powerless.
Comic books don't shy away from sex and sexuality, and Harley Quinn is no exception. Joker's hold on her is frequently explored through their intimacy. However, it is rare that comics are Frank and honest about sex, let alone giving sex workers (whom this version of Catwoman represents) an important role in a character's self-actualization. In "Submissive," fans learn an important reason for why Harley acted as Joker's puppet for decades, but creators learned a way to explore sexuality without making it solely about sex.