#13 - Poison Ivy
First Appearance: Batman #181 (Jun 1966)
Poison Ivy is a paradox that, no matter what you think of her, offers an interesting dichotomy between life and death. Ivy's desires for a world devoid of the destruction of man and the serenity of nature results in her utilization of wild, untamed nature to destroy, effectively employing her means to do the very thing she wishes to end. It's a great case study in how you can grow to become the thing you hate and never even realize it. Honestly, every time I see Ivy, this is the first thing that comes to mind, and it ultimately results in me realizing how tragic of a character Ivy truly is.
Nevertheless, one of the aspects of Ivy most people love (aside from her rockin' bod) is her ability to occasionally play well with the right villains, such as Harley Quinn and Catwoman. Together, the three ladies comprise one of the best groupings of baddies you could ever ask for, their personalities mixing in a perfect combination of antagonism and friendship and creating amazing stories. I think everyone especially loves Harley and Ivy together, as it's definitely Batman's two craziest femme fatales working together, often on the side of the angels, often for an agenda you'd never expect. It's just great comics.
Ivy's schtick of hypnotizing is sometimes criticized as overused, but honestly, it's really only overused outside of comics. Within comics, it isn't used as often, but when it is, it's usually really when done. I love how Ivy simply cannot comprehend the effects of her actions. In many ways, she's a child again, incapable of understanding the world around her, and that's great. Every now and again, Batman and Ivy can work together and it usually results in Ivy learning a little bit about the hope of what a good man can be. One amazing example is during No Man's Land, where Ivy is protecting the orphans of Gotham in Robinson Park and eventually needs the Bat's help. Batman sees that Ivy is an asset in a world without rules; however, when Gotham is rebuilt and it's time for the park to be ceded back to the the city, Ivy refuses to give up her safe haven. It's a really sad, harsh moment that simultaneously makes you empathize with Ivy and also realize that in some small respect, she may not be wrong.
And to make you question the world in the way of a villain, that's the sign that the villain is doing something right.
Greatest Poison Ivy Story Ever Told:Gotham Central #32 - There's no better interpretation of how scary Ivy can be. I have no words to describe what truly is the terror of Ivy. Just read it.