Poison Ivy (Comics)

Poison Ivy is a DC Comics supervillain, an enemy of Batman. Created by Robert Kanigher, she first appeared in Batman #181 (1966).

Description

Dressed in a form-fitting, green costume, Poison Ivy is obsessed with botany. She draws toxins and potions from plants, which she uses for her crimes. Ultimately, she seeks to destroy human life and create a world ruled by plants. She is usually portrayed as a seductress and uses her sex appeal to her advantage. Poison Ivy did not immediately catch on after her first appearance, but slowly rose to stature, with further appearances in the Batman comic book series and in Suicide Squad.

Character history

Creator Robert Kanigher modeled Poison Ivy after Bettie Page, giving her the same haircut and Southern drawl as Page. In her first appearances in 1966, no origin was developed; she was merely a temptress. At her first appearance, her costume was a one-piece, strapless green bathing suit, covered with leaves. Leaves also formed her bracelets, necklace and crown. She also wore green high heels and yellow-green nylon stockings with leaves painted on them. These particulars changed somewhat when she re-appeared. Failing to catch on as a character, she was not heard of until the rise of feminism brought the need for a greater number of more independent female villains in the series. Then her origin story was concocted. Dr. Pamela Lillian Isley, a botanist from Seattle, was once a very intelligent scientist who knew just about everything about plants. That is, until a scientist named Jason Woodrue (aka Floronic Man) conducted experiments upon her. The experiments placed toxins in her blood stream that make her touch deadly and allow her to be immune to all poisons, viruses, bacteria, and fungi. They also made her barren, and she has treated her plants as children, mothering them, ever since. Thus, she became Poison Ivy. Poison Ivy is a very attractive red-headed woman who is known to be able to seduce men and women alike with useful plant toxins. She specializes in hybrids and can create the most potently powerful toxins in Gotham. She has been known to carry a cross-bow and a vine whip which she also has used as a lasso. At times, the vine has had thorns on it. She also occasionally uses hand thrown and blowpipe launched poisoned darts. She also has been friends with The Joker's offsider Harley Quinn.

In other media

 

<< PreviousWord BrowserNext >>
scarecrow (comics)
jason bonham
east german mark
battle of helena
united states territory
battle of buena vista
yokoi shounan
cameco
saskatoon public school division
james e. casey
john brown's body
wilfred bigelow
nicholas meyer
10 yard fight
the battle hymn of the republic
deficit
list of jurists
uss harvard
john j. mccloy
globus alliance
uss harvard (1888)
wto meeting of 1999
juan juan
the anarchist cookbook
winnuke
poison ivy (the cramps)
riddler
queen elizabeth way
classic car club of america
mutually exclusive
richard wawro
fremantle football club
autistic savant
gate
cih virus
mechanosynthesis
harlem world
jacques hadamard
footpath
nanofactory
national statistical service of greece
silvia cartwright
cornelia
cornelia africana