Warning! Spoilers for Batman Fear State Alpha #1 by DC Comics below
In their latest encounter, Harley Quinn proved she might be the cure to helping Poison Ivy overcome the darkest version of herself. As Pamela Isley, currently known as Queen Ivy, shuts herself out from the outside world after being experimented on, Harley managed to have a personal breakthrough with her despite warnings she's changed - and love is the reason why.
Poison Ivy has been put the wringer in recent DC Comics stories, as she was captured by the Magistrate's Simon Saint and experimented on to create a new drug. However, when Catwoman saved Ivy, she returned with her memories fractured, as the overwhelming trauma seriously damaged her mind. In turn, Poison Ivy split up into two different personas, Ivy and Queen Ivy - with the latter being a dark version of the longtime villain and sometimes hero. Despite Ivy's current state, Harley Quinn is still trying to connect with Ivy and seek her help.
Batman Fear State Alpha #1 by James Tynion IV, Riccardo Federici, Chris Sotomayor, and Clayton Cowles tells the story of how Simon Saint managed to recruit Scarecrow in his quest to change Gotham City. Meanwhile, Harley Quinn leads the Unsanity Collective, currently the Magistrate's number one target, to safety by bringing them to Eden deep under Gotham. Going deep inside the grounds Queen Ivy has created, Harley is confident their previous relationship will lead to her assistance. The Gardener warns Harley that Ivy has changed and there's still a missing piece of her somewhere. Queen Ivy attacks the Unsanity Collective, but she's met with a hug when she tries to wrap up Harley.
Harley tells Queen Ivy she loves her and that she misses her. Queen Ivy tells her she can't let anyone back in her life, but Harley doesn't rush trying to renew the relationship. Instead, she asks Queen Ivy to allow the Unsanity Collective to stay underground in her domain. Despite Queen Ivy not wanting to interfere with the war in Gotham happening above her, she agrees to assist after Harley after being asked. As Queen Ivy fades into her giant garden, the Gardner admits she's surprised Harley could sway her and that her love shined through her anger.
It's heartwarming to see that even when Poison Ivy is in her darkest state as Queen Ivy and doesn't want anything to do with the outside world, her love for Harley shines through. She easily could have said no, but reconnecting with Harley sparked something inside her that's been missing as she evolved into Queen Ivy. As Fear State begins, Harley Quinn's main mission now turns to finding the missing piece of Poison Ivy and bringing her back in one piece.