Harley Quinn and Power Girl: The Story Behind DC’s Most Unlikely Duo

Back in the New 52, Harley Quinn managed to convince Power Girl that they were a superhero team, and it went as well as expected.

Harley Quinn has teamed up with plenty of heroes and villains. Whether these partnerships are long term or for a brief stint, Harley isn’t afraid to work side by side with some of the best and worst of DC.

Included in her long list of “teammates” is Power Girl; however, the start of their partnership in Amanda Conner, Jimmy Palmiotti and Chris Hardin’s New 52 run is rocky to say the least.

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Power Girl’s “Sidekick”

In Issue #11, Harley, along with her crush Mason and friend Tony, come across a passed out Power Girl in a crater. The crew brings Power Girl back to Harley’s apartment, where they discover she’s lost her memory. With this revelation, Harley decides to pose as Power Girl’s sidekick, complete with her own red and black version of Power Girl’s costume.

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In classic Harley fashion, she justifies this as a means to make sure the confused Power Girl is put on the right path, with Harley guiding her through recovery and superhero antics. However, as the cover of the issue states, “this comic book contains no actual super-heroics.” While this is true for the most part, the two come across a pair of C-list villains, Clock King and Sports Master. While Harley and Power Girl charge into action in Issue #12, the villains manage to send the pair into space.

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Harley Quinn and Power Girl Vs. the Galaxy

Issue #12, which has John Timms take over for a majority of the art, gets weird, complete with a giant talking dog, a sentient pizza the size of a Star Destroyer and discount Thanos, aka Manos, Ruler of the Infinity Rings. The New 52 Harley Quinn run isn’t afraid to have fun with the absurdity of comics, and that’s expertly seen here.

The two eventually return home, but while it’s been seconds in Brooklyn, it’s been weeks for the pair, and they’re space adventure didn’t end with Manos. The main storyline doesn’t explain what happened to them aside from mentioning an almost wedding between Power Girl and the mysterious Vartox. For those answers, fans can turn to Harley Quinn Power Girl, a six issue series written by Conner, Palmiotti and Justin Gray, with art by Stephanie Roux, Elliot Fernandez, Moritat and Flaviano and colors by Paul Mounts and Alex Sinclair.

While trying to get home, Harley and Power Girl end up on the Moon of Lustox, where they face the aforementioned Vartox, his Ex-Girlfriend Force and a robotic, housewife version of Power Girl. Once again, Harley embraces the strange, with the series feeling like a 70s, sci-fi B-movie right up until the end, which picks up where Issue #12 leaves off.

The Return of Power Girl

Now back on Earth, the two finally pursue Sports Master and Clock King. While there are setbacks, Harley and Power Girl manage to apprehend the villains, arrest a mugger and avoid Power Girl regaining her memories despite several head injuries.

After spending weeks together, the two share a genuine moment where Power Girl expresses her desire to know who she is. Harley attempts to create a beautiful backstory, but this goes south after a bird poops on Power Girl’s head, remarkably jogging her memories back. Power Girl is furious at Harley for lying; however, Harley apologizes while reminiscing over the fact that they accomplished some good and had fun. Even Power Girl can’t stay mad; although, she abandons Harley on the Eiffel Tower after Harley gets one more flirt out of her system at the end of Issue #13.

The pair, while unexpected, take fans on a fun ride that embraces the weird of the characters. While their friendship is built on lies, Power Girl seems to have no bad blood with Harley, as she appears in Conner, Palmiotti and Mount’s Harley Quinn and the Birds of Prey, Book One, taking time out of her schedule to let the anti-hero vent about her problems. They disagree in many areas, but they have each other’s backs in the end, making Power Girl and Harley an entertaining team up.

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About The Author Caitlin Chappell (143 Articles Published)

Caitlin Sinclair Chappell is a features writer and junior editor for CBR. After graduating from Lewis & Clark College, with a honors in Rhetoric & Media Studies, she worked as a film school director and a theatrical assistant director in California before moving to New York and working for Forbidden Planet. An avid tea enthusiast, horror fanatic and comic lover, Caitlin focuses on femme and LGBTQ representation.

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