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Most people know about the sensual villain Poison Ivy, who uses her control of plants to persuade and combat her enemies. The classic Batman related movies and television shows made this character even more familiar to fans. However, few may know her true name as Pamela Isley. From the start, she had used her beauty and mysterious nature to lead a life of crime. Her first appearance fails to explain her origin, which is told in Secret Origins 36.
We see her for the first time in Batman 181, published in 1966. The issue starts out with Bruce Wayne and his young ward Dick Grayson in an art show. Pictures on display show off beautiful villains like Dragon Fly, Silken Spider and Tiger Moth. Their pictures indicate that they are the top public enemies. They are all wearing outfits that show off their long legs. Bruce tells Grayson to stop drooling moments before we see Poison Ivy for the first time behind them. She calls the men fools, as she is not only more beautiful, but a more successful criminal as well. Pretty quickly, our playboy millionaire puts his hand on her wrist and implies taking her to the police. Ivy quickly uses the flash of bright lights to escape, which also allowed Bruce to quickly change into his Batman outfit without anyone seeing.
Paid criminals outside the museum try to stop the caped crusader, who of course pummels them into oblivion. Our bombshell villain slips out and notices how Bruce Wayne is cute, but Batman is a real he-man, and thinks that she can’t choose between them. Batman remarks about how cute Poison Ivy is, and would hate to put such a beautiful doll behind bars. His sidekick Robin tells him to take a cold shower and to forget about her. Meanwhile, Ivy hatches up a plan to send the criminals Dragon Fly, Silken Spider and Tiger Moth letters pitting them against each other.
Batman had been invited as well, parachuting into the location along with Robin. While the other lady criminals are distracted from an electrified golden crown, she takes the opportunity to seduce our hero with a kiss. Robin quickly deduces that her lipstick had chloroform in it. Although his head continued to spin, Batman manages to prevent Ivy from climbing up a wall, and lands her in jail.
The story ends here, although we had learned a lot about her character by reading this story. Of course, the best part was when we saw Batman kissing Poison Ivy, a sight that would get the blood flowing for any reader of this story. Finding this book (Affiliate Link) and story is not hard, but you need deep pockets to own the real thing. Luckily, there were many reprints and facsimile copies that anyone can afford.
Character Psychoanalysis
Pamela Isley is a complex and intriguing character from a psychology standpoint. She is a skilled botanist and toxicologist, with the ability to control and manipulate plants and people through her pheromones. Her deep connection with nature and her troubled past make her a fascinating subject for psychological analysis.
One of the most prominent psychological theories that can be applied to her is the psychoanalytic theory proposed by Sigmund Freud. According to Freud, human behavior is driven by unconscious motives and desires, which are often manifested through our conscious actions. Poison Ivy’s character demonstrates this theory in several ways. Her obsession with plants and her ability to control them can be seen as a reflection of her desire for control and power. As a child, she was neglected and abused by her parents, leading her to develop a strong attachment to plants as a source of comfort and safety. This attachment is further reinforced when she is exposed to a deadly plant toxin, which transforms her into Poison Ivy. This can be seen as a manifestation of her repressed anger and desire for revenge against those who have hurt her.
Her use of pheromones to manipulate and control others can also be analyzed through the lens of psychoanalytic theory. According to Freud, the id is the part of the psyche that is driven by instincts and desires, while the superego acts as a moral compass. Poison Ivy’s use of pheromones to manipulate others can be seen as a way for her to satisfy her id’s desires without feeling guilty. She believes that she is using her powers for the greater good, to protect nature from human destruction. However, her actions also reveal her deep-seated anger and desire for revenge against humanity, which can be seen as a manifestation of her superego’s repressed feelings.
The concept of cognitive dissonance can also be applied to Poison Ivy’s character. Cognitive dissonance refers to the discomfort experienced when an individual’s beliefs or actions conflict with each other. Poison Ivy’s beliefs about the importance of protecting nature and her actions of using her powers to manipulate and harm others can create cognitive dissonance within her. This inner conflict is evident in her constant struggle between her desire for revenge and her attempts to justify her actions as a form of protection for nature.