DC History: What Teams Has Harley Quinn Been On?

Harley Quinn is Gotham’s beloved Cupid of Crime. She started off working alongside The Joker, and fighting against their archenemy Batman. And she also had quite the notorious relationship with The Joker, with Mistah J being incredibly protective and possessive of her.

But what some fans might not know is that Harley Quinn has a whole life outside of The Joker now and she has teamed up with other people in the DC Universe quite a few times. Sometimes she teams with other heroes, and sometimes other villains.  Sometimes, she even needs her own harlequin-themed posse. Here are just a few of our favorite teams that Harley has had a hand in, all throughout DC media.

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Arkham Asylum Staff

Before she was Harley Quinn, Gotham’s Maid of Mischief was known as Dr. Harleen Quinzel. She was, and still is, an absolute genius. The first team that she was ever a part of was the staff of the Arkham Asylum. Because of her extreme intelligence, she was even trusted to handle the complicated case of The Joker.

This, of course, led to the creation of a terrifying crime couple. The Joker and Harley were inseparable. In one storyline, Batman: White Knight, Harley is brilliant enough to make a pill that makes The Joker sane. She is a competent and capable doctor, even at her most insane.

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The Suicide Squad

Amanda Waller has run the Suicide Squad with an iron fist. The Suicide Squad is a group of villains under the control of the DEO, sent out on special missions due to their unique capabilities. There have been many different iterations and members of the Suicide Squad, but most of them include Harley Quinn.

She is one of the most competent and valued members of the Suicide Squad, due to the high mortality rate of the Squad. In fact, the DEO hardly cares at all if these villains die, because they’ll simply find a replacement. But no one can replace Harley Quinn.

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Gotham City Sirens

Harley Quinn is one-third of the powerful group called the Gotham City Sirens. Harley, Poison Ivy, and Catwoman have supported each other in one way or another throughout the years. Poison Ivy and Harley Quinn are actually particularly close friends, and using her plant powers, Ivy was able to make Harley Quinn immune to most poisons and toxins.

More than a team, the Sirens are a support system. Any time one of them needs help, the other two are there. When Selina Kyle was kidnapped, they rescued her. When Harley had problems with The Joker, Ivy and Catwoman were there. When Ivy got too caught up in her “activism,” then Harley and Catwoman were there. Even when Harley Quinn is on other teams, she’s always a Siren.

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Gang of Harleys

In one storyline, Harley Quinn finds herself frustrated with the state of her hometown Brooklyn. So, after talking with Poison Ivy, she puts out a flyer:

HELP WANTED. Looking for a few brassy lassies willing to make the world a better place, take a bite out of crime, and be part of something bigger than themselves… There will be no background check, as experience with insubordinance will only work to your advantage in the hiring process.

After she got the most skilled of the applicants, she trained them and got them ready to clean up Brooklyn, and actually do some good for once! This team included members like Harlem Harley, Harley Queens, Harvey Quinn, and Carli Quinn.

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DC’s Bombshells

Earth-24 is a historical alternate reality in which super hero women team up to protect the planet during the World War II era. Many DC favorites, including Wonder Woman, Zatanna, Batwoman, and Supergirl, are redesigned with retro pin-up styles. Their adventures span a wide variety of genres, blurring the lines between history and heroics and uniting DC women who don’t always get the chance to work together.

Plus, this is the first place that Harley Quinn and Poison Ivy officially kiss in a DC comic book panel!

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Birds of Prey

Freshly emancipated from Mistah J, live-action Harley Quinn gets mixed up in some serious business with Black Mask. Fortunately, her antics assemble a ragtag group of Gotham misfits — not exactly the Birds of Prey from the comic books, but this ensemble manages to take down Roman Sionis in the end.

Harley’s reluctant allies include Black Canary, Huntress, Renee Montoya, and Cassandra Cain, all with their own unique characterizations that give this group a compelling (and hilarious) dynamic.

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HBO’s Harley Quinn Animated Series

This animated version of Harley Quinn is arguably one of the most unhinged we’ve met thus far. She bops around between villain, hero, and antihero faster than you can say “hammer time” and, once again, she concocts a group of truly odd Gothamites who wouldn’t make sense any place else than under Harley’s not-so-watchful eye.

Harley’s Crew includes Clayface, King Shark, Doctor Psycho, occasionally Catwoman and Sy Borgman, and of course her true love, Poison Ivy. It’s a motley crew for sure but somehow they get the job done — for better or for worse.

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The Bat-Family

Most recently, in Batman #111, Harley took on her most challenging team role yet: a member of the Bat-Family! Even though she can be quite vexing, Harley has been feeling a bit heroic as of late. Following the cataclysmic Joker War and leading into Fear State, this is yet another era of turmoil for Gotham City.

Fortunately, Harley’s patience with The Joker finally runs out and she joins the Bat-Family. If you really squint your eyes, you can even see her in the above image! It’s not a perfect fit. Her methods aren’t always Bat-Family approved, but like Ghost-Maker, she becomes an invaluable ally against Scarecrow. Alongside Batman, Nightwing, and the rest of the Bat-Family, Harley Quinn is finding her place as a hero. At the very least, it gives her the opportunity to beat up Punchline and take down The Joker — which is always a win in Harley’s book!

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What’s your favorite Harley Quinn team-up?

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