Harley Quinn Continues Inclusivity Streak With Introduction of Vixen's Girlfriend
Warning: Contains spoilers for Harley Quinn: The Eat. Bang! Kill. Tour #6!
The comic spin-off of the Harley Quinn animated series has been on a roll lately by being more inclusive in its characters and world-building, and the latest issue introduces a character that continues its impressive streak. Over the course of the series' six-issue run, the Harley Quinn: The Eat. Bang! Kill. Tour team of Tee Franklin, Matt Sarin and Marissa Louise has been doing a fantastic job exploring new angles of familiar characters and introducing new ones. By including the relationship between Harley Quinn and Poison Ivy, the on-screen introduction of Queen of Fables as a woman of color and more, this interpretation of Harley Quinn and the world around her has become one of the most open and inclusive versions in the DC character's history. Now, a new character has entered the story, and with her comes a spotlight for those in the disability community.
The sixth and final issue in the series picks up with Ivy discovering that Harley has been kidnapped by the newest supervillain on the block, Mephitic. Unsure where to go and what to do, she seeks help from the one person she can think of: Vixen, the superhero she tangled with back in the fourth issue. At first, she is entirely skeptical about teaming up with her. After all, they just fought not too long ago after Ivy poisoned a group of CEOs who polluted the environment and attempted to control Vixen. It's not until Elle, Vixen's girlfriend, steps in that things take a turn for the better both in terms of story and representation.
Elle was originally introduced with Vixen in Eat. Bang! Kill. Tour #4, but this final issue is where she really shines and plays a much bigger role. Stepping in at the sound of Vixen and Ivy awkwardly conversing, Elle questions what's going on. When she discovers that Harley has been kidnapped, she convinces Vixen to work with Ivy and leads the two upstairs to suit up for the rescue mission. The interesting part about Elle's appearance though is that she's missing her right leg. Her appearance is never brought into question by either Vixen or Ivy. It's just a part of who she is, which is a huge step forward for people in the disability community. By casually introducing a person with a limb difference, the writers and artists are reinforcing the fact that all humans come in many shapes and sizes and walk multiple different paths in life.
What's even more exciting is the decision to make Elle the catalyst for the final act. Without her, it's possible that Vixen could have turned Ivy away to rescue Harley on her own. It would have been so easy to just make Elle a background character to show that Vixen has a love life, but no. The writers cleverly integrate her into the story to show that a person with a disability has every right to be a part of the plot and can do anything to help. Yes, her disability may not play a role in how she persuades Vixen, but the inclusion of it is what's important. It represents a largely overlooked group of people, showing that they're just as capable as anyone to benefit society. The point is to show that her disability isn't a hinderance, and doing so breaks what has become a common negative stereotype in popular media.
The inclusion of Elle in this final issue of Harley Quinn: The Eat. Bang! Kill. Tour is a welcome introduction in this series. With the comic coming to an end, it makes the future for this series bright as it continues to open new doors for everyone. Hopefully Elle will make her small screen debut in the upcoming third season, but for the time being, this was a brilliant way to showcase her character. Elle is one of many reasons why this iteration of Quinn great, and she sets up a positive path for the show and comic's inclusivity streaks to continue as Harley Quinn and Ivy drive back to Gotham.
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