She-Hulk Reveals The Truth Behind Harley Quinn’s Iconic Weapon

Warning! Spoilers for Avengers: Curse of the Man-Thing #1!

DC Comics’ Harley Quinn is well known for her iconic baseball bat, but unexpectedly, Marvel’s She-Hulk might have just let fans in on a secret truth as to why Harley likes using one so much. Starting off with a lethal oversized mallet back in her Joker-obsessed heyday, Harley has graduated to a more refined and simpler version of that weapon, one that has become her go to choice whenever she feels the need to partake in a little batting practice on someone’s face.

And while Harley has accomplished both good and bad over her time using her iconic beating utensil, Avengers: Curse of the Man-Thing #1 by Steve Orlando and Francesco Mobili reveals a truth via She-Hulk’s own choice in using the same weapon that could shed some light on Harley’s mindset in why she uses hers. She-Hulk might have stolen Harley’s weapon of choice, but Harley has patented the use of an object that has become an important extension of her character over the years.

Helping the Avengers to beat back a version of Man-Thing that has unleashed spore stalks across the globe due to the evil machinations of the villainess Harrower, She-Hulk arrives on the scene in New York City to help Captain America save the people on the street as chaos ensues all around them. Not only spontaneously bursting into flames should they touch one of the stalks, the citizens of NYC are also being terrorized by flying creatures that emerged from the stalks themselves, raining down their own form of violence on the unsuspecting populace. And it’s here as She-Hulk begins to lay the smack down on these creatures that she inadvertently reveals Harley’s reason for using her own bat in the first place.

Responding to Captain America when he asks, “Where’s your ax?” after She-Hulk handily hits a few homeruns with the flying creature’s heads, She-Hulk says, “Bat more fun,” immediately and succinctly revealing why Harley – given her bubbly personality and all-around amusing outlook on things – would be so obsessed with using her own. Easily understandable considering Harley is equal parts insane and realistic in her role as a non-powered anti-hero, Harley’s need to use something “fun” while on the streets of Gotham is an obvious reason for a character that usually gets lost in the thrill of her highly questionable antics.

Though not nearly as high-tech as her fellow villains’ repertoire of weapons and far from being anywhere close to matching the gadgets and gizmos the Bat-Family uses on a nightly basis, Harley’s bat has become synonymous with her style and fighting technique over the years, especially now with the added idea that it’s simply just fun for her to use. On top of being a realistic weapon for her to wield, the fact that She-Hulk is having a blast utilizing such a simple tool to bash and swing her way to victory as well is an easy extrapolation in terms of why Harley does the same thing.

So although Harley Quinn is currently trying to turn over a new leaf by trying to become something more than her past villainous deeds, her need to continue to use a weapon deemed as “fun” could be a hint that she still hasn’t shaken off all of that residual darkness from being a villain steeped in clown theatrics. Either way, her choice to continue to use her tried and true baseball bat and the truth that she might only use it for kicks and giggles is another intriguing look into the psyche of a character that has more layers than She-Hulk could shake a bat at.

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