Heroes and Villains: The Miniseries Episode 2

Look who’s back!!!!!!

Hey, guys.

How was your week?

Mine was definitely a long one.

I want to start by thanking those who read and sent their reviews for the last episode. Even if you didn’t send in a review, I hope you enjoyed the episode premiere of the miniseries that will be running weekly throughout July and probably August.

If you’ve not read episode 1 of the miniseries, I’ll be sure to attach the link at the end of this episode.

So for the first timers reading this, The Heroes and Villains Miniseries is something that I came up with, a way to learn something new and refresh our memories on some of the things we know and love about some of our favorite heroes and yes I said it, favorite villains.

Every episode we’ll be looking at one Hero and Villain or Antihero as the case may be.

So, you excited for today’s duo yet????

Let’s get right to it.

The duo for this episode …

WONDER WOMAN

&

HARLEY QUINN

Talk about some girl power…

WONDER WOMAN

• The character first appeared in All Star Comics in October 1941 with her first feature in Sensation Comics #1 in January 1942.

• Publisher: DC comics.

• Wonder Woman was created by the American psychologist and writer William Moulton Marston (pen name: Charles Moulton), and artist Harry G. Peter.

• The character is a founding member of the Justice League.

• Place of Origin: The Island Nation of Themyscira (Earth).
• Species: Amazonian-Olympian Goddess
• Team affiliations: Justice League, Department of Metahuman Affairs, Justice League Dark
• Abilities: Superhuman strength, speed, stamina, durability, endurance, agility, reflexes/reactions, dexterity, intelligence, senses, and longevity, Regenerative healing factor, Near-Invulnerability, Master tactician, strategist, field commander, hand-to-hand combatant and martial artist, Master armed and unarmed combatant, Excellent warrior, Expert swordswoman, Flight, Magic, Electrokinesis, Divine energy manipulation and projection.
• Origin: Wonder Woman’s origin story relates that she was sculpted from clay by her mother Queen Hippolyta and was given a life to live as an Amazon, along with superhuman powers as gifts by the Greek gods. In recent years, DC changed her background: She is the daughter of Zeus and Hippolyta, jointly raised by her mother and her aunts Antiope and Menalippe.
• Weapons: Wonder woman is most often associated with possessing an arsenal of technology: Lasso of truth, indestructible bracelets, projectile tiara, sword, shield, and invisible jet.

Now, let’s move to the less known stuff:

• Wonder Woman’s Creator Also Invented the Lie Detector Test: William Moulton Marston, who went by Charles Moulton was a Harvard Graduate turned psychologist and lawyer turned inventor turned comic writer. He was also a noted polygamist and cites his wife (Elizabeth Hollaway) and the main woman they lived with (Olive Byrne) with influencing Wonder Woman. All of this and he invented the polygraph test. The Lasso of truth that detects lies kind of makes even more sense.

• Wonder Woman’s character was created during World War II.

• She’s Worthy of Wielding Thor’s Hammer, Mjolnir.
• 

• She has more weapons than just the Lasso and bracelets: Plus the projectile tiara, she rocks battle axes, spears, mystic armor, and a magical sword, along with the mythical sandals of Hermes, gauntlet of Atlas and an array of superpowered earrings.
• She Was the First Mainstream Female Superhero Ever, debuting just three years after Superman and two years after Batman.

• She’s a Founding Member of the Justice League of America and was the only female member of the team for years. [I remember sitting clued to the screens and swooning anytime it was time for the cartoon(Justice League).] Good times.

• I’m sure you already know she’s an Amazonian princess. Themyscira (originally called Paradise Island) is a whole island of Amazonian women who have existed beyond the influence of men and the world as we know it.

• Her Big Weakness Isn’t Kryptonite, It’s Bondage. (Her creator was way into bondage stuff, so…)

• Long before the Justice League was formed there was another super group at DC, the Justice Society of America. And Wonderwoman was it’s loyal secretary.

• She and Superman Have Been an Item: Though in the classic Wonder woman mythos, her main love interest is Steve Trevor ( a pilot who crashes on the Amazonian island of Themyscira), in some continuities, she and Superman are an item (swoon…) After sharing a kiss in Justice League #12 it’s not long until their officially a couple in Superman/Wonder Woman #3 (just imagine it, Man of Steel/Henry Cavill and Wonder woman/Gal Gadot … I’m already screaming.)
• 

• October 21 is Wonder Woman Day.

Wonder woman has appeared in a number of formats besides comic books. Genres include animated television shows, direct-to-DVD animated films, video games, and of course television shows and movies.

Below are the movies and television shows that have starred/featured this female hero.

• The Lego Movie (2014)
• Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016)
• Wonder Woman (2017)
• Justice League (2017)
• The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part (2019)
• Wonder Woman 1984 (2020)

• Wonder Woman (1974)
• Wonder Woman (1975–79)

I don’t know if it’s just me but don’t you just love Gal Gadot for her stellar portrayal of Wonder Woman. Let’s not even talk about how she speaks like an ancient warrior princess and how she looks in that battle armor.

Wonder woman 1984 comes out this year, so fingers crossed as we anticipate it’s release.

HARLEY QUINN

I don’t know what to say about Harley, but I grew from being disturbed watching her to absolutely fangirling and I’m sure a lot of folks are right there with me (I guess).

• Created by Paul Dini and Bruce Timm to serve as a new supervillain and a romantic interest for the Joker in Batman: The Animated Series in September 1992, she was later adapted into DC Comics’ Batman comic book canon, beginning with The Batman Adventures #12 (September 1993).

• Publisher: DC comics

• Alter ego: Dr Harleen Frances Quinzel

• Team affiliations: Suicide Squad, Birds of Prey, Justice League, Gotham City Sirens, Secret Six, Secret Society of Super Villains.

• Notable aliases: The Cupid of Crime, The Maiden of Mischief

• Abilities: Trained psychiatrist, Expert gymnast, Immunity to various toxins, Utilises weaponised props

Harley Quinn is a frequent accomplice and lover of the Joker, who was her patient when she worked as an intern psychiatrist at Gotham City’s Arkham Asylum. She has also teamed up with fellow villains Poison Ivy and Catwoman, the trio being known as the Gotham City Sirens; Ivy is a close friend of Harley.

Since The New 52 comics, she has been depicted as an antihero and a recurring core member of the Suicide Squad who has left her abusive relationship with the Joker behind; however, in other media the character is still depicted as a supervillain and the Joker’s girlfriend.

Long story short:

Harleen Quinzel becomes fascinated with the Joker while working at Arkham Asylum and volunteers to help treat him. She falls hopelessly in love with the Joker during their sessions, and she helps him escape from the asylum more than once. When Batman returns a severely injured Joker to Arkham, she dons a jester costume to become Harley Quinn, the Joker’s sidekick. The Joker frequently insults, ignores, hurts, and even tries to kill Harley, but she always comes back to him, convinced that he genuinely loves her.

What do we not know about Harley Quinn?

• Harley Quinn Was Inspired By A Daytime Soap Opera: When Paul Dini, one of the creators was developing the character, he was watching an episode of daytime soap opera, Days of Our Lives. He watched an episode where Arleen Sorkin’s Calliope Jones Bradford is in a dream sequence dressed as a court jester. Thus, Harley was born.
• 

• Harley is a notorious animal lover and her choice breed of pets are not cats or dogs; they’re hyenas.

• Contrary to Harley Quinn’s sometimes ditz behavior, she’s an incredibly intelligent character. Interestingly enough, her early skill in gymnastics lands her a scholarship at Gotham State University. Due to her adoration for animals, she originally wanted to major in Veterinary and Biological Sciences, but ultimately decided on Psychiatry. She earned a PhD in her field and it would someday lead her to Joker.
• 

• Harley Quinn Is Wonder Woman’s Biggest Fan. (Didn’t know that, did you?): The pair have a really interesting history in the comic books. Harley Quinn loves Wonder Woman to a fangirl level. She devotes a shrine to her in her place… and I can’t blame her, honestly.
• Harley Quinn hooks up with Poison Ivy, her best girl (from time to time). Opposed to her iconic relationship with Joker, her affair with Ivy creates a much healthier dynamic. Even if Harley keeps crawling back to her puddin’.
• Harley Quinn originally didn’t have powers until the relaunch of DC comics known as “The New 52”, which saw Harley with powers. Poison Ivy gives Harley a curious serum that gives her immunity to toxins, such as Ivy’s own poison manipulations and Joker’s Venom. Additionally, Harley has added strength, speed and an ability to heal that certainly ups her power as a character in the DC Universe. (Margot Robbie’s Harley Quinn doesn’t currently have those superpowers.)
• 
• Harley Quinn’s Closest Confidant Is A Dead Beaver: After a breakup with a fellow named Bernie Bash, Harley nabs the dead Beaver as a keepsake and names him after him. Her ex-boyfriend is incarcerated, but Bernie the Beaver becomes a close confidante to Harley that she frequently talks to. You know, when she’s not with her hyenas…
• When you think of Harley, the first weapon that comes to mind is probably her oversized wooden mallet, right? While the hammer is certainly partially for comical effect, she also knows how to whack her opponents with it and leave them bloodied and battered. However, the mallet is far from the only offense that Harley has. She’s also been known to carry around a pistol that has a cork stuffed in it. Of course, she has no problem toting real guns, knives, bombs, bats and laughing gas.
• 

• She Was Once An Amazon: In one of the comics, she ends up in the Amazon on a secluded island with women inhabitants. Oh, and she’s an Amazonian warrior for a while too.

• In the comic book series “Injustice: Gods Among Us”, Harley is fighting with Black Canary when the hero has to stop because she’s having a bout of morning sickness. Harley puts two and two together and then sits down, having forgotten about the fight. In a tearjerker moment, she describes her daughter Lucy, who lives with Harley’s sister and thinks it’s only right to put ballerina tutus on toy cars. She also mentions that the Joker has no idea that the child exists (thank God for that.)

• On a lighter note, Did you know that Harley once went on a date with Batman in the comics? (Haq haq haq)
• 

Catch Harley Quinn in any of these productions:

• Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker (2000)
• Lego Batman: The movie-DC Super Heroes Unite (2013)
• Batman: Assault on Arkham (2014)
• Lego DC comics Super Heroes: Justice League – Gotham City Breakout (2016)
• The Lego Batman movie (2017)
• Suicide Squad (2016)
• Batman and Harley Quinn (2017)
• Batman vs Two-Face (2017)
• Suicide Squad: Hell to pay (2018)
• Batman Ninja (2018)
• Batman vs Teenage mutant Ninja turtles (2019)
• Batman Hush (2019)
• The Lego movie 2 (2019)
• Birds of Prey (2020)
• Justice League Dark: Apokolips War (2020)
• The Suicide Squad (2021)
• Harley Quinn (TV series)

Let me say what many people are obviously thinking (I love Margot Robbie’s portrayal of Harley Quinn)

Sadly, this is where I wrap things up tonight.

Here’s the link to the first episode of the miniseries:
https://thesiennadrive.wordpress.com/2020/07/06/heroes-and-villains-the-miniseries-episode-1/

See you next week and don’t forget to update with things you do know about these characters that I didn’t list.
We learn everyday.

Ciao.