Harleen Quinzel was a psychiatric intern at Arkham Asylum. While researching the lunatics at Arkham, she became fascinated with one particular inmate, The Joker. Ambitiously volunteering to analyze him, she fell in love nearly instantly with the Joker during their sessions. After helping him escape from the asylum more than once Harleen was suspected by the authorities, who revoked her license and placed her in her own cell. During an earthquake in Gotham City, she fled and became Harley Quinn, the sidekick to the Clown Prince of Crime himself, The Joker.Harley Quinn has joined forces with Poison Ivy and Catwoman in the recent title Gotham City Sirens. Having moved in with Poison Ivy at The Riddler's townhouse, she meets up with Catwoman and the three then agree to become a team.The character proved so popular that she was eventually added to the Batman comic book canon (although she had already appeared in the Elseworlds mini-series Thrillkiller in 1997).Harley Quinn first appeared in the Batman: The Animated Series episode "Joker's Favor" (episode #22, original airdate: September 11, 1992), as what was originally supposed to be the animated equivalent of a walk-on role. The comic book version of Quinn, like the comic book version of The Joker, is more dangerously psychotic and less humorously quirky than the animated series version.
