I remember an old Batman the animated series episode where Batman is explaining how Harley Quinn got involved with The Joker. In one of the scenes it has The Joker and the not yet crazy Harley Quinn talking. The Joker begins calling the normal chick Harley Quinn, then she says something that i can’t remember explaining something about Harlequin. So, who is that and why does The Joker call her that?
Harlequin was a villian and foe of the pre-Crisis on Infinite Earths Green Lantern (Alan Scott, the one with blond hair) of Earth 2. She later reformed and there was a storyline involving her that ran in the Infinity Inc. comic. The storyline revealed that the Harlequin was the mother of Jade and Obsidian who were both members of Infinity Inc. and that Green Lantern (Alan Scott) was their father.
I’m sure Fenris will be along shorty to either chastise me harshly for giving out incorrect info or to give me a pat on the head and say, “Nice job. Pie?”
Though your details about the first DC character to bear the name Harlequin are correct, there is no relation between her or any of the other Harlequins and Harley Quinn.
A Harlequin is a type of clown traditionally known for wearing a mask and tights. Harley Quinn’s real name is Harleen Quinnzel. Joker started calling her Harley Quinn because it was a play on her name that was similar to the name of a type of clown. That’s all.
Odd; I thought Everett C. Marm was the Harlequin.
…mrmee, mrmee, mrmee, mrmee…
Harle Quinn wa a psycotherapist at Arkham, think. She kept trying to help the Joker and he… “helped” her. She’s utterly in love with him. She was originally made in the TV show, but was so appropos and nifty that they added her to the comic. That may be the first time that ever happened.
Actually, The Thorn was Jade and Obsidian’s mother(Infinity Inc Annual #1).
She married Alan Scott in the identity of Alex Thorin.
Jade inherited her mother’s plant control abilities. Obsidian seems to have inherited his mother’s insanity.
The original Harlequin was Molly Maynne, Alan Scott’s secretary.
The second Harlequin was supposedly Duela Dent, the daughter of Two Face.
The third Harlequin was Marcie Cooper, who was an agent of the Manhunters.
I’m siding with Fibber McGee and smiling bandit. But being a huge fan of Harley Quinn, and having studied this history of the theatrical Harlequin, I can perhaps offer a bit more.
The theatrical Harlequin was orginally a commedia dell’arte character, known as Arlecchino. He was identifiable by the diamond shapes, or lozenges, on his costume. He was a servant character who was full of energy and wit. Although he was constantly coming up with various schemes, he was actually quite a stupid character, with no education. The character developed over the years and is still seen as a stock character in many comedies today. Universally, the Harlequin clown is seen as a symbol of performance entertainment, especially theatre.
Harleen Quinzel was a psych student, at college on a gymnastics scholarship. She had poor grades, but used her professors to slept her way to graduation. She had studied The Joker and was intrigued, and so weaseled her way into Arkham. Once she actually met Joker, she fell head over heels in love with him. She became Harley Quinn and broke Joker out of Arkham. She believed that she and her “Mistah J” would live the life of crime and insanity, and that they would lovingly live happily ever after. But the Joker only used Harley. In her own series of comics, Harley realizes this and breaks away from Joker to become her own crime boss.
So, uhhhmmm…yah. Any questions? 
Harlequin puts out an endless amount of crappy romance novels and – oh, wait. Never mind.
OK, how about this: Crime boss? Her? I can’t see the average Gotham City muscle thinking: “Well, she’s got no real leadership, planning, or fighting skills, and she’s got no money. And she’s pissed off Batman. Buy, hey! There’s that weird laugh and the costume. So yeah, working for her would really be a step up in my career.”
OK, so maybe I’m over-thinking the career-planning skills of the average Gotham grunt. But she really doesn’t project much menace, does she?
paperbackwriter, heh, no, she doesn’t really. I mean, she’s ballsy and all. She somehow managed to woo a bunch of people to her side. I only read the first few issues of her comic, but it was rather silly, all in all. I think the best part was when she had a Girls Only sleepover. Teeheehee.
Harley Quinn was also augmented by a potion from Poison Ivy so she’d have augmented strength, speed, and agility.
She has to take boosters of some sort, without which she gets sick and would probably die. Though as this aspect is within the last few issues of the comic book, we have yet to see if it will remain within continuity.
Now… about “Duela Dent.”
Pre-Crisis, she was a member of the Teen Titans, and had a brief heroic career with Robin.
She appeared in early issues of Batman Family in the 1970s, originally as the Joker’s Daughter.
Over her next few apperances, she was Catwoman’s Daughter, Scarecrow’s Daughter, and a few others.
Her arsenal was mostly Joker inspired, yet when she took the name Harlequin, she went for the Commedia Dell’arte look with the lozenge type of costume.
After Teen Titans, her next pre-Crisis appearance was in Tales of the Teen Titans #50 when Donna Troy was married. In that issue she looked matronly, leaving Dick Grayson(Robin/Nightwing) to mention to her that her story about being Two Face’s daughter never washed. She pinched his cheek and playfully razzed him on his inability to figure her out.
Post-Crisis, she appeared in the Team Titans book briefly, and then appeared in a few panels of the Titans/JLA 3 issue mini, claiming to be Wildebeest’s daughter.
This has been one of the bigger enigmas of DC which has never been explained.
Anyone have more info on this?
Are you talking about the relatively new animated series?
Mark Hamill is the Joker. MARK HAMILL!!! I <3 Mark Hamill!
Harlequin is an annoying immortal elf who life seems to be destined to fuck your run up somewhere with his own reas…
Oh sorry, thought you meant the Shadowrun Harlequin.
Thank you. I should have been clearer but this is all I wanted to know.