Poison Ivy has been an important part of the Harley Quinn animated series since the beginning. Despite this, the series never delved into Dr. Pamela Isley’s background or how she became the infamous flora femme fatale. Her history is finally revealed in the second episode of Harley Quinn Season 5. However, it has changed somewhat from her classic origin in the comic books.
“Back To School,” the second episode of Harley Quinn Season 5, finds Poison Ivy starting a new job. The season premiere saw her impressing Lena Luthor and accepting a position leading the Metropolis Green Initiative. It’s a dream come true that quickly becomes a nightmare as Ivy is introduced to the Dean of the Botany Research Center she’s expected to work with, a scientist named Dr. Jason Woodrue.
Comic readers will recognize Dr. Woodrue as the scientist who eventually became the villain called the Floronic Man. However, before he transformed himself, he experimented on a young Pamela Isley. Depending on the retelling, Pamela is portrayed as either a naïve victim or a manipulative seductress who used Woodrue toward her own ends. In every case, however, she was transformed into Poison Ivy against her will.
How the new origin improves Poison Ivy
Harley Quinn Season 5 changes the Poison Ivy origin in two important respects. First, while Pamela does enter into a romantic relationship with Woodrue, her intentions are honest. The romance seems to be one of professional peers bonding, though Dr. Woodrue’s dating one of his lab workers is ethically questionable. This foreshadows his trying to steal Pamela’s work.
The other notable change is that Pamela Isley is confirmed to be a brilliant scientist who chose to become Poison Ivy. Her transformation came after Dr. Woodrue tried to claim credit for her creation of a human-plant hybrid. When Pamela refuses to stay silent, he assaults her, before locking her in a lab full of toxic fumes. With no way to escape, Pamela injects herself with her own formula, transforming herself into a human-planet hybrid that can survive the poisonous clouds surrounding her. Thus, Poison Ivy is born.
This update improves on the original origin in several respects. First, it increases the agency of Poison Ivy as a character by making her an active agent in her own empowerment. It also affirms her transformation as the result of a serious scientific effort rather than as the result of a lab accident. Finally, it eliminates the negative feminine stereotypes that previously portrayed her as a helpless damsel or wicked seducer.
New episodes of Harley Quinn Season 5 are released weekly on Thursdays through March 20 on Max.
