Warning - This article contains spoilers for Harley Quinn Season 4.
Harley Quinnpays homage to a legendary graphic novel. Season four of Max’s animated streaming series has been all about Harley (Kaley Cuoco) and her girlfriend Poison Ivy (Lake Bell) adjusting to their new roles as part of the Bat-Family and leader of the Legion of Doom, respectively. But the ninth episode’s cliffhanger tips its hat to Alan Moore’sThe Killing Joke.
In 1988, Barbara Gordon, aka Batgirl, is infamously shot by the Joker during the events ofMoore’sThe Killing Joke. Sadly, the vicious attack leaves Barbara’s spine damaged, and she’s paralyzed from the waist down. Flash forward to 2023’sHarley Quinn. Episode nine, which is titled thePotato-Based Cloning Incident, sees the Bat-Family member suffer an eerily similar fate.
Harley tells Batgirl (Briana Cuoco) that her now potato-mashed clone murdered Nightwing (Harvey Guillen) after the faux Harley falls to her death. Suddenly, a gunshot resonates! And Batgirl collapses after being shot bythe Joker(Alan Tudyk) on the rooftop of the community center. The episode fades to black with a bloody Barbara lying in Harley’s arms.
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Batgirl is Shot By the Joker
Harley Quinn’sshout-out toAlan Moore’sThe Killing Jokepays homage to the famous crime perpetrated by the Joker 35 years ago, but it’s definitely not a carbon copy of what happened back in 1988. Barbara is shot whilewearing her Batgirl costumeatop the community center in thePotato-Based Cloning Incident. However,The Killing Joke’smuch more brutal assault happens when the Joker shows up unannounced, takes Barbara by surprise and then kidnaps her father, Commissioner Gordon, after the shooting. Barbara’s not even wearing her costume when the Clown Prince of Crime guns her down in cold blood.
In both versions of the Barbara Gordon shooting, the Bat-Family member is hit in the stomach. During thePotato-Based Cloning Incident, Batgirl passes out almost immediately in Harley’s arms. DuringThe Killing Joke, Barbara is wide awake and writhing in agony as the Joker relishes his appalling accomplishment. Moore’s 1988 graphic novel celebrates its 35th anniversary in 2023. ‘88 was a particularly devastating year for the Bat-Family.The Killing Jokesaw Barbara Gordon paralyzed by the Clown Prince of Crime. But the Dark Knight’s deadliest enemy wasn’t done by a long shot.
In December of ‘88,A Death in the Familystoryline began its four-issue run inBatmanNo. 426. At the conclusion ofBatmanNo. 427, Robin (Jason Todd) is caught in an explosion set off by Mr. J after he beats the Boy Wonder bloody with a crowbar. Batman finds Robin’s broken body in issue No. 428, and the teen’s demise leads to one of the darkest periods in the Bat’s life.
