Posted in: Batman, Comics, Comics Publishers, Current News, DC Comics | Tagged: G.Willow Wilson, gardener, poison ivy

Rewriting Poison Ivy's Origin Again… Green With Envy ? (Spoilers)

Poison Ivy #20 by G. Willow Wilson and Marcio Takara continues the story of Poison Ivy's rewritten origin, which began in the Joker War.

Poison Ivy #20 by G. Willow Wilson and Marcio Takara continues the story of Poison Ivy's rewritten origin, which began in the Joker War over in the Batman books back in 2021, with the emergence of the character The Gardener, who had her own history with Poison Ivy and with Jason Woodrue.

Poison Ivy was created by Robert Kanigher and Sheldon Moldoff for Batman #181 in 1966.  Partly inspired by Bettie Page, and the titular character in Nathaniel Hawthorne's short story "Rappaccini's Daughter", she was originally a misanthropic botanist and biochemist who possesses a poisonous touch, enhanced physical abilities, and a supernatural control over plant life, which she uses for the purposes of ecoterrorism.

Gerry Conway and Jack Abel first gave her an origin in World's Finest #252 in 1978. Originally Dr. Lillian Rose, PhD, a promising botanist who is poisoned by ancient Egyptian herbs as part of a heist, she survives this murder attempt and discovers she has acquired an immunity to all natural toxins and diseases.

Following the events of the DC maxi-series comic Crisis on Infinite Earths, which massively retconned DC Universe history and continuity, Poison Ivy's origins were revised in Secret Origins #36 in 1988, by Neil Gaiman and Mark Buckingham.

Her previous origin was now a story she made up. Now Dr. Pamela Lillian Isley, PhD, a Gotham City botanist, she studies advanced botanical biochemistry at a university under Dr. Jason Woodrue, the future Florinic Man. Isley, depicted as a shy girl who is easily seduced by her professor. Woodrue injects Isley with poisons and toxins as an experiment, causing her transformation.

In Black Orchid #1 in 1989 by Neil Gaiman and Dave McKean, Alec Holland, the future Swamp Thing, and his wife Linda Holland, were added to the university research class, as well as Philip Sylvain.

She nearly dies twice as a result of these poisonings, driving her insane. Woodrue flees from the authorities leaving Isley in the hospital for six months. Enraged at the betrayal, she suffers from violent mood swings, being sweet one moment and evil the next, we learn that her parents died many years ago. But she is also an agent of The Green, just as Swamp Thing is its avatar.

In the New 52 reboot, in 2013's Detective Comics #23.1, Poison Ivy's story is rewritten again by Derek Fridolfs and Javier Pina. Pamela Isley was now born with a skin condition that prevented her from leaving her home. She spent most of her limited time outside in her family's garden. Her abusive father murdered her mother and buried her in the garden, she later kills him with a poisoned kiss. Later she landed an internship in Wayne Enterprises' Bio-Chemistry division developing pharmaceutical and cosmetic applications, fired after suggesting to Bruce Wayne that the company develop chemicals that could brainwash people, then accidentally spilling the chemicals she was working with on herself, giving her powers to control plant life and immunity to all poisons and viruses, an her relationship to The Green.

Then in Batman #117 and Batman: Secret Files: The Gardener, we got another new origin for Poison Ivy and a look forward at who she will be now. With The Gardener now part of the research team.

And a reference to Jason Woodrue's first appearance in The Atom #1 in 1962 as an exile from an interdimensional world, Floria, inhabited by dryads, before that would be retconned into him as a scientist using an experimental formula to transform his body into a plant/human hybrid.

Because the science research team is back… though some participants make an early exit.

With a hint to a changing origin for Alec Holland, the suggestion that someone else other than  the Conclave burned him? But Pamela Isley is now a part of the team as well again.

And rather than being a shy scientist taken advantage of, Pamela Isley is now far more of a protagonist in her relationship with Woodrue.

However it doesn't stop Woodrue from all but killing her with his experiments and restoring that Neil Gaiman/Mark Buckingham part of her origin.

As well as making Batman her chief opponent – and obsession – from the beginning.

As her powers begin to grow and expand to something far more… elemental.

And now, in Poison Ivy #20, Bella Garten, The Gardener appearing for the first time…

But Ivy seeing her as a threat to her relationship with Woodrue.

But also getting in there herself.

And that mixture of emotions and loyalties and rivalries mean that when the offer comes…

… she takes it.  It is her decision, her agency, her choice. But that choice is a complex one, with many factors. And it doesn't make it any more healthy… especially as one who will be connected to The Green. Something today's Birds Of Prey #7 also points out.

Poison Ivy… green with envy? Poison Ivy #20 byG. Willow Wilson and Marcio Takara, and Birds Of Prey #7 by Kelly Thompson and Javier Pina are both published by DC Comics today.

BIRDS OF PREY #7 CVR A LEONARDO FERNANDEZ
(W) Kelly Thompson (A) Javier Pina (CA) Leonardo Fernandez
Sin is alive and back with Black Canary in Gotham, and the world didn't get destroyed, but the cost was high and nobody's exactly sure what it means yet. Shocking revelations in the wake of the Birds' first mission lead Dinah to…a conspiracy against the Birds of Prey and a whole new mission. New mission, new team. Hold onto your butts. Retail: $3.99 In-Store Date:03/05/2024

POISON IVY #20 CVR A JESSICA FONG
(W) G. Willow Wilson (A) Marcio Takara (CA) Jessica Fong
ORIGIN OF SPECIES CONTINUES! Pamela Isley's world is spiraling out of control thanks to the influence of her professor, Dr. Jason Woodrue. But just as things seem to be at their worst, a promising new classmate arrives on the scene and threatens to steal away the few nice things left in Pam's life. Meet Bella Garten, a.k.a…THE GARDENER. Retail: $3.99 In-Store Date: 03/05/2024

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