Poison Ivy (Dr. Pamela Lillian Isley, PhD) is a fictional supervillainess appearing in comic books published by DC Comics, commonly featured in Batman stories. She was created by Robert Kanigher and Sheldon Moldoff who made her debut in Batman #181 (June 1966).
Poison Ivy has been shown to be an occasional romantic interest of Batman. She has teamed up frequently with fellow antiheroes Catwoman and Harley Quinn; with Harley being a close friend and romantic interest. Partly inspired by the titular character in Nathanial Hawthorne's short story "Rappaccini's Daughter," Ivy is a Gotham City misanthropic botanist and biochemist who possesses a poisonous touch, enhanced physical abilities, and a supernatural control over plant life, powers which she uses for the sake of environmentalism. Her appearance is considered iconic; she is typically drawn barefoot in a one-piece costume adorned with leaves and vines, with occasional variations to her skin tone. She uses plant toxins and mind-controlling pheromones for her criminal activities, which are usually aimed at protecting endangered species and the natural environment from the careless actions of humans. She was originally characterized as a supervillain, but as of The New 52 and DC Rebirth, she has periodically been depicted as an antiheroine or a hero, often doing the wrong things for the right reasons.
Ivy is empowered by the interplanetary force known as the Green. In Neil Gaiman's short story "Pavane," she identifies herself as nature's daughter and the rightful ruler of the world. She is one of Batman's most enduring enemies, belonging to the collective of adversaries who make up Batman's rogues gallery. She has been featured in many media adaptations related to Batman. Uma Thurman portrayed the character in Batman & Robin, and Clare Foley, Maggie Geha, and Peyton List played her in Gotham. She has also been voiced by Diane Pershing in the DC animated universe, Piera Coppola on The Batman animated series, Tasia Valenza for the Batman: Arkham video game franchise, Riki Lindhome in The Lego Batman Movie, and Lake Bell in Harley Quinn.
