Let’s be real for a second. If you grew up watching the neon-soaked chaos of the 2016 Suicide Squad or scrolling through "relationship goals" edits on TikTok, you probably have a very specific image in your head. It’s that scene. The chemical vat. The bleached skin. The dramatic music swelling as we see Harley Quinn and Joker kissing in a swirl of toxic waste and smeared makeup. It looks like a dark fairy tale.
But honestly? That’s not the real story. Not even close.
For decades, the dynamic between Harleen Quinzel and the Clown Prince of Crime has been the most misunderstood "romance" in pop culture. People see the kiss and think passion. They see the matching outfits and think loyalty. In reality, that kiss is usually the start of a nightmare, and the history behind it is way more disturbing—and fascinating—than a three-minute movie clip can show you.
The "Chemical Wedding" and the Myth of Consent
In the movies, particularly the David Ayer version of Suicide Squad, the vat scene is framed as a choice. Harley jumps. Joker hesitates, then dives in to save her. They kiss. It’s presented as this weirdly beautiful moment of mutual madness.
But if you look at the source material—specifically the New 52 comics or the original Batman: The Animated Series—the context shifts. In the comics, Joker often pushes her. There is no romantic dive. There’s just a man remaking a woman in his own image because he’s bored.
Why the Suicide Squad Kiss Changed Everything
Before 2016, most people knew Harley was a victim. After that movie, she became an icon of "crazy love." The filmmakers leaned hard into the Bonnie and Clyde aesthetic, stripping away the more overt physical abuse from the comics to make the relationship "palatable" for a mass audience.
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- The Deleted Scenes: Fans have spent years hunting for the "Ayer Cut" because it reportedly contains scenes where Joker is much more aggressive.
- The Slap: In one leaked bit of footage, Joker actually strikes Harley before they kiss.
- The Dynamic: By removing the violence, the movie created a version of Harley Quinn and Joker kissing that felt aspirational to people who didn't know better.
It’s kind of a mess, truthfully. You have a generation of fans who think the Joker is a misunderstood protector, when his entire "love" for Harley is actually an extension of his own ego. He doesn't love her; he loves that she reflects him.
The Folie à Deux Factor: Lady Gaga and Arthur Fleck
Fast forward to 2024 and 2025. We get Joker: Folie à Deux. This isn't the "Mr. J" of the comics. This is Joaquin Phoenix’s Arthur Fleck—a broken, pathetic man—and Lady Gaga’s "Lee."
When they kiss, it’s not about crime sprees or Batman. It’s about a shared delusion. The term folie à deux literally means "madness of two." It’s a real psychological condition where two people reinforce each other's hallucinations.
In this version, the kiss is a weapon. Gaga's Harley isn't a submissive henchwoman; she's often the one driving the madness. She falls in love with the idea of the Joker, not the man Arthur Fleck. When the face paint comes off, the "romance" dies. It’s a brutal, cynical take that actually gets closer to the truth of their toxicity than the 2016 version ever did.
What Most People Get Wrong About "Mad Love"
The most famous story in their history is Mad Love by Paul Dini and Bruce Timm. If you haven't read it, you should. It’s the gold standard for understanding why these two are the way they are.
There’s a moment in that story where Harley captures Batman on her own. She thinks this will finally win Joker’s heart. She expects a kiss, a hug, a "well done, Harl."
Instead, Joker is furious.
He can’t stand that she "got the joke" better than he did. He throws her out of a window. He nearly kills her. And yet, at the end of the story, when she’s bandaged up in Arkham, she sees a flower he left her and falls right back into the trap.
That is the cycle. Harley Quinn and Joker kissing is usually the "honeymoon phase" of an abuse cycle. It’s the breadcrumb he throws her to keep her from leaving.
Why We Can't Stop Watching
Psychologically, there’s a reason this imagery sticks. It’s the "Beauty and the Beast" trope turned inside out. We want to believe that love can change a monster. We want to believe that Harley is the only one who truly "sees" him.
But as the Harley Quinn animated series on Max brilliantly points out, the best thing Harley ever did was stop waiting for that kiss and start hanging out with Poison Ivy.
The Evolution of the Kiss
- DCAU Era: The kiss was rare and usually a manipulation tactic.
- Arkham Games: It was dark, grimey, and felt like a hostage situation.
- DCEU (Robbie/Leto): It was stylized, neon, and "romanticized."
- Elseworlds (Phoenix/Gaga): It was a desperate attempt to stay inside a shared fantasy.
What to Keep in Mind Next Time You See the Fan Art
If you’re a fan of the aesthetic, that’s fine. The costumes are cool. The makeup is iconic. But don't mistake the kiss for a healthy relationship.
Expert psychologists often point to Harley as a textbook case of "Shared Psychotic Disorder." She’s a brilliant doctor who got too close to the sun. The tragedy isn't that they can't be together; the tragedy is that she ever thought they should be.
Next time you see a clip of Harley Quinn and Joker kissing, look at the eyes. In almost every version of the story that isn't a "sugar-coated" Hollywood edit, Harley is looking for validation, and Joker is looking for an audience.
Moving Forward: How to Engage with the Lore
If you want to understand the real Harley, stop looking at the Joker era. Check out the Birds of Prey movie or her solo comic runs by Stephanie Phillips. You'll see a character who realized that the "Puddin'" she was kissing was just a guy with a God complex and a bad sense of humor.
Start by watching the first two episodes of the Harley Quinn animated series. It deconstructs the "kissing" myth within the first twenty minutes. It shows the moment she realizes she was never his partner—she was just a prop. Once you see that, you can't go back to seeing them as a "power couple."
Stick to the stories that treat Harley like a human being, not just a sidekick waiting for a kiss from a clown.
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Actionable Insight: If you're analyzing this for a media studies project or just curious about the tropes, compare the vat scene in Suicide Squad (2016) with the courthouse scene in Joker: Folie à Deux. One is a fantasy; the other is a autopsy of a breakdown. Understanding that difference is the key to knowing why Harley Quinn has become such a complex feminist icon in recent years.