Happy 32nd Birthday, Dr. Harleen "Harley Quinn" Quinzel!

Some characters come and go. Others are so special that their initial short stint becomes a longer one. For the latter, there’s Hareen “Harley Quinn” Quinzel. Like Phil Coulson and Firestar, Harley is one of the few comic book characters that started on something outside of the pages of a comic.

Creators Paul Dini and Bruce Timm intended Harley to be a character fans saw once during Batman: The Animated Series. With that in mind, Dini had his friend Arleen Sorkin do her voice. Add a costume that fits with Joker's theme, let her be silly, and out of nowhere, Harley Quinn is a regular character in Batman: The Animated Series.

• First episode: Batman: The Animated Series "Joker's Favor"
• First quote: "It is to laugh, huh Mister J?"

During the Batman the Animated: Series episode “Mad Love” Harley Quinn’s origin story is revealed. Not only did viewers see how she came to be, but they saw the tragedy behind her affiliation with Joker. There were examples of Joker’s blatant neglect and abuse of her and how it alters her life too. As tragic as this was, this wasn't the moment when Harley Quinn became a fan favorite. That happened during "Harley's Holiday".

 "Harley's Holiday" proved that Harley Quinn isn’t necessarily bad. She needs help. We see her try her best to do everything right and suffer some…setbacks. In the end, even Batman understood what was going on. It's why he spent the day trying to keep her out of the crosshairs of a tank.

When Harley asked why he spent his day helping her, he said, “I know what it’s like to try and rebuild a life. I had a bad day too, once.” This doesn’t end with Harley becoming the antihero we see today, but it was the first big step in that direction.

Comic book characters have crossed over into pop culture, but Harley Quinn is different. Leaving her abusive relationship with Joker, embracing her bisexuality, and being a carefree spirit with morals are all things real-life people aspire to do. It’s nice to know that something like this started as something that wasn’t supposed to exist.

Harley Quinn can be a reminder that things can come out of nowhere. Harley Quinn wasn’t supposed to be a popular Halloween costume, Max show, or subject of being yourself in defiance of the world. Yet, here we are celebrating 32 years of greatness.

Cheers Harleen Quinzel. Here’s to another 32 years of laughs and bashes with a mallet.

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