Thursday, July 19, 2007

Sexuality

Although Poison Ivy's sexuality has never been directly identified in comic books, she indicates an attraction to both men and women.

Men
She says numerous times that she is in love with Batman and even expresses a sexual attraction for his "perfect physique". Although these occurrences are placed close to the beginning of Batman's career, Ivy reveals that she still harbors feelings for Batman.
At one point, she is drawn to Two-Face and attempts to seduce him. She kisses him without an intent to poison him, but is rebuffed by a Harvey Dent who is still pining after his estranged wife Gilda.
During a gathering of female super villains, she calls Deadshot, a former teammate from the Suicide Squad, a "stud-muffin".
During her time working with Hush, she can be seen considering a relationship with him when offered and grows closer to Bruce Wayne.


Women
After manipulating Catwoman, Ivy states to her, "No man or woman can resist me."
She forcibly kisses Supergirl (her first on-panel kiss with another girl). However, this is to determine whether Supergirl is susceptible to Ivy's poisons as Superman had been.
Her relationship with Harley Quinn has frequently been used as a point of reference to support her lesbianism, due in part to the pinups Bruce Timm drew of the two characters hugging, the visual innuendos in the Batman: the Animated Series episode "Harley and Ivy", and the Batgirl one-shot by Paul Dini in which Barbara Gordon asks Harley about the "close friendship" that she and Ivy share (to which Harley sarcastically responds that people say the same rumors about Batgirl and Supergirl). In the Harley and Ivy miniseries, written and drawn by Paul Dini and Bruce Timm, the two appear to be sleeping in the same bed.


Plantlife
The character's passionate affinity with plants is sometimes suggestive of chlorophilia, a sexual attraction to plantlife. She is more protective of plants than any human being.

In one issue of Harley and Ivy, she is shown displaying possible sexual arousal while being caressed by tree branches.


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