Attention: contains spoilers for the game DC vs. Vampires: Killers #1!
In the limited series DC vs. Vampires: Killers Harley Quinn’s long-obvious story armor is finally becoming literal with a new awesome power. As every other living DC hero and villain fights for survival against an undead army, Harley’s new ability makes her one of the strongest resistance assets.
In DC vs. Vampires The heroes of the DC universe are fighting the threat of the undead, as in the popular TV series DCeased. When the vampire threat begins to destroy the Justice League one by one, Batman tries to get to the bottom of it, knowing that anyone can already be turned into a vampire. After Dick Grayson unexpectedly turns out to be the King of Vampires and kills several members of the Bat Family from the inside, the heroes are defeated, and the vampires reign supreme. In an expansion titled “DC vs Vampires: Killers #1”, resistance member Jim Gordon delivers a vial of Lex Luthor’s blood, one of the few things capable of killing a vampire, to Harley Quinn, now the leader of an underground criminal network.
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DC vs. Vampires: Killers #1 from Matthew Rosenberg, Mike Bowden and Eduardo Mello, which takes place after the sixth issue of the main title, focuses on Harley Quinn and her new role as a crime boss. When Catwoman turns out to be a vampire and tries to bite her ex-boyfriend, Harley makes a discovery that could change the rules of the game: she injected herself with Lex Luthor’s blood. This gives her immunity to being infected by vampires and actually kills Catwoman when she tries to feed on Harley.
Harley’s new ability is an important advantage in the resistance effort against vampires, as she now has proof that Lex’s blood can destroy them. Moreover, it means that she cannot be killed by a vampire bite like the rest of humanity. This invincibility plays off the overall image of Harley in the events of the alternate universe, as her popularity as a character often means that she survives even in apocalyptic situations. Harley is currently one of the last surviving heroes in the DCeased universe, staying close to her partner Ivy while she guards the Green. Incredibly, Harley also manages to be one of the last heroes standing in the Injustice universe, despite being instrumental in Superman’s turn to darkness. As for cinematography, Harley is the only active participant who survived both “Suicide Squad” films, once again proving his resilience in deadly situations.
Harley’s survival has become the butt of jokes among fans of these alternate universe stories, and DC vs. Vampires: Killers #1 continues this trend by giving her a power that literally makes her immune to the central threat. By injecting herself with Lex Luthor’s medicine, Harley Quinn codified her usual story armor as a real ability, surviving in a world where even Batman and Superman couldn’t survive.
