Since her debut in the 1960s, Poison Ivy had had an unconventional trajectory in the DC universe. The character has transformed from a true villain to an unpredictable antagonist, who regularly fights on the side of the good guys if the situation (and her views on the environment) allow it. While Ivy has had a tumultuous past couple of years after dying and being revived amid the events of Heroes in Crisis, a recent story in Batman: The Joker War Zone took the fan-favorite character to some surprising new heights. Spoilers for Batman: The Joker War Zone below! Only look if you want to know!
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One of the stories in the anthology one-shot, Sam Johns and Laura Braga’s “Ashes of Eden”, opens with Ivy coming face-to-face with a bunch of The Joker’s goons while she revisits her lair. She quickly and succinctly proceeds to use her powers on them, trapping them in vines and using a nearby bonfire that they lit to engulf them in flames.
Afterwards, a female Joker goon arrives and asks what happened, and Ivy proceeds to trap her in an envelopment of vines. Ivy then monologues about Harley, and about how she’s upset at what the Joker War – and her recent appeal to humanity – have distracted her from paradise. Ivy argued that the only move forward for her was to raise hell against humanity. She raised a significant amount of vines and plants from the ground, and proceeded to dub herself “Queen Ivy”, after the plant of the same name.
She then used her powers to rise roots and vines throughout Gotham City, which she could use to destroy buildings or cripple other parts of the city in mere seconds. The story ended with an image of the Gotham City skyline, with vines lurking below the surface.
The story proclaims that Ivy’s new power move will be followed up on in 2021, which will certainly be a pleasant surprise for fans of the character. While Ivy has transitioned more into an antagonist territory in recent years, this story really shows how powerful of a villain she can be — especially if the humans around her continue to ignore environmental issues.
What do you think of Poison Ivy’s status quo change in Batman: The Joker War Zone? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below!
