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Joker's Daughter |
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Formerly: Joker's Daughter, Harlequin
Alias: Duela Dent |
Titans Member
Joined: Teen Titans [first series] #46 [1976] |
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| Joker's Daughter Quick Bio: Duela Dent is the daughter of Earth-3's heroes, Jokester and Three-Face. Initially vexing Robin as The Joker's Daughter, Duela later joined the Teen Titans as Harlequin. A true wild card, Duela shuffled between good and evil before being slain by a rogue Monitor, who believed world-jumpers should be eliminated. |
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Duela's Dad:
Earth-3's
Jokester |
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Duela's Mom:
Earth-3's
Three Face |
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Duela's Step-Dad:
Earth-3's
Riddler |
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The Joker's Daughter makes her madcap debut
in BATMAN FAMILY #6 [1977] |
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The Joker's Daughter makes her madcap debut
in BATMAN FAMILY #6 [1977] |
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Duela Dent is reunited with her true father in COUNTDOWN PRESENTS: THE SEARCH FOR RAY PALMER: CRIME SOCIETY #1 [2007]. |
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Take My Earth, Please
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| Duela tries to keep her own history straight in COUNTDOWN PRESENTS: THE SEARCH FOR RAY PALMER: CRIME SOCIETY #1 [2007]. |
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| Talon and the Joker's Daughter reveal their secret love in COUNTDOWN PRESENTS: THE SEARCH FOR RAY PALMER: CRIME SOCIETY #1 [2007]. Duela's dad doesn't take the news well. |
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Duela Dent makes her modern-day debut in JLA/TITANS #2 [1999]. Another wild claim is made in the pages of JLA/TITANS #3, shown here. |
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| Duela in COUNTDOWN #51 [2007]. |
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After a rooftop chase with Jason Todd, Duela meets her end at the
hands of a Monitor in COUNTDOWN #51 [2007]. |
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Harlequin [Duela Dent] Chronology |
Crisis Ripples in the Titansverse
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THE TEEN TITANS: PRE-CRISIS |
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The Crisis on Infinite Earths: It was the end of everything! Countless universes were erased from existence in a spreading tide of antimatter unleashed by the Anti-Monitor, a being of undiluted hate birthed at the moment of creation. Watching helpless as the otherworldly Spectre grappled with the Anti-Monitor, those heroes witnessed the rebirth of a single universe, with one Earth and one unified reality. In the final conflict, the Anti-Monitor sent this reborn Earth to the antimatter universe, where the greatest assemblage of super-humans ever known ended his threat for all time - though continuity in the DC Universe was forever altered in his wake.
Many TITANS characters' histories were altered by continuity-changing CRISIS ON INFINITE EARTHS. Most notably, Donna Troy. Also affected were Dick Grayson, Lilith, Mal Duncan, Harlequin, Gnarrk, Bat-Girl/Flamebird, Golden Eagle, and Kole. Other characters have had elements of their back stories refined, but nothing has been severely altered or negated [such as additions like the Flash Year One arc or speed force revelations].
See Secret Origins Annual #3 [the post-Crisis origin of the team], New Titans #50-55 [Who Is Wonder Girl?] and New Titans #56 [a Titans flashback with Gnarrk] for the major post-Crisis revisions that effect the Titans-verse.
Duela Dent: Brief Continuity Overview
Pre-Crisis, Duela Dent was the Joker's Daughter and later the Harlequin; she claimed to be Two-Face's Daughter and joined the Titans in Teen Titans (first series) #46-53. In Secret Origins Annual #3, Duela Dent was completed excised as a member of the team.
Duela Dent appeared next in Team Titans #13 [1993] as a mental patient. In official continuity, that appearance is regarded as a Zero Hour time glitch.
Harlequin reappeared in current continuity in the JLA/Titans mini series #2-3 and Titans Secret Files #1 as a former Titans ally. Duela Dent is a delusional and schizophrenic acrobat, and has (in her time) claimed to be the daughter of over a dozen super villains. Clearly, she is quite insane.
Joker's Daughter: The Original Backstory
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| Duela Dent reveals her secret plan in BATMAN FAMILY #9 [1977]. |
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Harlequin [Duela Dent] first appeared in Batman Family #6. Famous mystery novelist Christine Ariade passes away and in her will, stipulates that a vault be opened containing her 'last mystery'. As the vault is opened, a colorful costumed young woman emerges, dressed as a female version of the Joker. Announcing herself as the Joker's Daughter, she tells them she has stolen the manuscript. She bedevils Robin with prank gimmicks and eludes capture. Joker's Daughter challenges Robin to a rendezvous at midnight, where the two tussle as Joker's Daughter tells Robin "I stole nothing." She escapes again and leaves Robin a toy with a warning "I'm going to be tracking down your identity." Robin deduces the truth: novelist Christine Ariade couldn't write the 'final' story of her beloved character - her 'last mystery' was discovering there was no manuscript! But Robin muses whether he's seen the last of Joker's Daughter.
And he hasn't. In Batman Family #8 [1976], Catgirl ['Catwoman's Daughter'] appears at Hudson University and vexes Robin. Catgirl's presence incites the ire of Catwoman, who does not take well to copycats. Catgirl and Robin eventually team-up against Catwoman's gang and Catgirl reveals herself as Joker's Daughter in disguise!
Batman Family #9 [1977] would finally reveal the truth behind the mysterious yet mirthful Joker's Daughter. In that issue, a plaque is stolen and the thief's identity is a mystery. Robin and Batgirl run into the Joker's Daughter, posing as criminal offspring of the the Scarecrow, the Riddler and even the Penguin; During a scuffle, Joker's Daughter unmasks Robin, thus revealing his identity to her. Robin and Batgirl discover the plaque was stolen by a political radical, not Joker's Daughter. Robin informs Joker's Daughter he has deduced she is really Duela Dent, daughter of Two-Face. Later, Duela tells Dick Grayson Two-Face hated her because he wanted twins. She confesses to Robin she wants to be a super-heroine to make up for her father's evil. She created her 'malicious mischief' to show she had the skills and abilities to become a Teen Titan - and she wants Robin to nominate her for membership! Duela's story is continued in the pages of the Teen Titans #46.
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Joker's Daughter is sponsored by Robin for Titans' membership in TEEN TITANS #46 [1977] |
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In Teen Titans #46 [1977], Robin nominates Joker's Daughter for membership. The team - especially Speedy - is reticent at first. But in their first adventure, The Teen Titans are won over... except Speedy, who only begrudgingly accepts her in their ranks.
In Teen Titans #47-48, Two-Face is reunited with his "daughter" and learns of her crime-fighting identity. Robin and the Joker's Daughter escape from Two-Face and warn the other Titans of his plan to blow up both New York and Gotham City. They are delayed by an altercation with the Bumblebee, actually Mal's girlfriend Karen Beecher in a new costumed identity, but Kid Flash and Mal nevertheless join Robin in time to save New York, while Wonder Girl and Speedy team with the Joker's Daughter to safeguard Gotham City. After this adventure, Duela takes on a new role as the Harlequin.
Duela Dent served as a member of the team from Teen Titans #46 to 53 [the last issue of the series].
Duela Dent as Card Queen
Duela's story continued in Batman Family #19; Dick Grayson runs into his former girlfriend, Lori Elton, who is with her new boyfriend, Dave Corby. As Dick tries to talk to Lori, she rebuffs him as her boyfriend Dave threatens Dick. As Lori and Dave depart, Dick is met by Duela Dent, who informs Dick she is leaving Hudson University because "there is... uh, something I must do." She also warns Dick that Dave Corby is dangerous. Following that, Dick thwarts a robbery led by a mysterious costumed adversary calling himself The Raven. This storyline concludes in Detective #482-483.
In Detective Comics: Batman Family #482-483, Robin battles the mysterious criminal organization known as MAZE. Robin encounters two operatives, the Raven and Card Queen. MAZE wants Robin out of the way for disrupting their operations. After Robin breaks up their operation, Raven attempts to flee but is stopped by the Card Queen, who is revealed to be Duela Dent working undercover. Robin exposes the Raven as Lori Elton's boyfriend, Dave Corby, as she is left devastated by this news. This is Duela Dent's only appearance as Card Queen. It is her last appearance until Tales of the Teen Titans #50.
Duela Dent at Donna's Wedding: More Questions
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Duela Dent reveals the truth - or does she? - in TALES OF THE TEEN TITANS #50 [1984] |
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Marv Wolfman had planned to ignore that Duela ever existed. But when Donna Troy was married in Tales of the Teen Titans #50 [1984], many former Titans appeared as guests. So what was to become of Duela Dent? Marv and George's Duela is clearly neither the Joker's nor Two-Face's daughter - as Dick Grayson eventually figured out around the time of Donna's wedding, she is too old to be either of these criminal's daughter. Dick confesses: "By the way, speaking of Harlequin -- I realized something awhile back.. You're too old to be Two-Face's daughter." Duela responded, "It took you this long to figure it out? tsk, tsk, Batman would not be happy.... Maybe, Dickie... Just maybe I'll tell you [the truth] one of these days, that is."
George Pérez on Duela's appearance at Donna Troy's Wedding: "I told Marv I was going to put the Harlequin in there because I knew the Harlequin was one character that Marv definitely wanted to disavow ever existed. And I said, "No, no, no, the greater challenge is to try to explain why this character is invalid, like maybe explain that she's not the Harlequin." Which is what we ended up doing - saying she's not Two-Face's daughter, but not saying anything else beyond that. Marv was not fascinated with this, because it wasn't his idea, it was my idea, and I didn't want to put him in a bind he didn't want to be in. But he also doesn't take the easy cop-out by saying, "She didn't exist."
Duela Dent in Team Titans
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| Duela Dent in TEAM TITANS #13 [1993] |
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Duela's story seemed to be over. When the Titans Post-Crisis origin was detailed in Secret Origins Annual #3 [1989], Duela was nowhere to be seen in the flashback segments. It appeared that perhaps Duela was lost forever in character limbo. But the Joker's Daughter would live on. Duela Dent next appeared in Team Titans #13 [1993] as a mental patient.
Dialogue from the issue:
DOCTOR: You had the dream again, Duela. Tell us about it.
DUELA: Oh, it's not a dream. I keep telling you that. I was a Teen Titan. And I wore a beautiful costume. I had a pipe, and Speedy hated me. Oh, and we fought the Mad Mod. I'm sure of it. And Robin...Robin loved me.
DOCTOR: Duela, you understand that you're too old to ever have been a Teen Titan.
Phil Jimenez explains her appearance: "We were going to explore the Joker's Daughter angle... we were going to find out that the Joker's Daughter was insane... that her memories of the Titans (now non-continuity) were just ravings in her head. She was going to steal the Time Commander's hourglass and reshape Manhattan into the island that she remembered, recreating a 70's world of heroes, villains, and icons that the Titans would find themselves in."
In official continuity, her appearance is a Zero Hour time glitch.
The Return of Duela Dent
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| The future Duela Dent in TEEN TITANS (third series) #17 [2004]. |
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Again, it seemed as if Duela's story was over yet again. But the character refuses to be written out of continuity! Harlequin reappeared in current continuity in the JLA/Titans mini series #2-3 [1999] as a former Titans ally. Harlequin aided the Titans during the Technis Imperative conflict, which involved the Justice League as well as all Titans, past and present. Apparently, Vic's system automatically sought out all Titans allies, including Harlequin – even though she was in a mental institution at the time.
During the battle, Duela claims to be the daughter of the Wildebeest. Duela next appears in Titans Secret Files #1 [1999]. The team is gathered, and Duela Dent is ignored for membership; Here, she claims to be Doomsday's daughter.
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Duela's mother, Three-Face, reveals the truth to Jokester in COUNTDOWN PRESENTS: THE SEARCH FOR RAY PALMER: CRIME SOCIETY #1 [2007]. |
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Bob Rozakis on Duela Dent |
"All right, Bob," someone wrote to me recently, "just who is Duela Dent?" [from www.comicbooklife.com]
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A 2005 Joker's Daughter commission by
1970's Teen Titans cover artist, Rich Buckler. |
Created as "the Joker's Daughter" for a Robin story in Batman Family, she had originally been a throwaway foe for the Teen Wonder to fight. But after the first story, I convinced editor Julie Schwartz that we could use her again by having her appear as the daughter of other Batman villains. She returned as Catgirl and I had plans to go one-by-one through the entire roster of Bat-baddies. Julie said no; he did not want me working the Robin series into a rut. I could turn the character into a variety of daughters in my third story, but at the end of it, she would be caught. "And you had better figure out who she really is!" he told me.
It didn't take too long to decide whose daughter she would turn out to be. After all, the only married villain was Two-Face. I convinced Julie (and associate editor E. Nelson Bridwell, the acknowledged keeper of DC's historical consistency) that Harvey and Gilda Dent had a daughter, that Harvey had been disappointed because she wasn't twins, and that they'd named her Duela. I even explained away the fact that she should have been about 9 years old - after all, Dick had aged from 12 to 19 by that point in his career - by inventing "selective aging" in a subsequent letter column. [For those who think Hypertime is hokey, you would have had a field day with that theory.]
And Duela went on being Harvey Dent's daughter through my stint on Teen Titans, dropping her Joker's Daughter guise to become The Harlequin. But the Marv Wolfman/ George Pérez revamp of the team pretty much kicked her out of the DC Universe - until she showed up at Donna Troy's wedding as an overweight faker and still later as a nutcase in an asylum who doesn't know who she is.
Well, DC owns the character, so she's whoever they decide she is today (subject to change with the next writer who uses her). But as far as I'm concerned, Two-Face is her father, his ex-wife Gilda is her mother, and she aged eighteen years to Dick's seven. It's comic books, after all.
Bob Rozakis on Duela Dent [from a titanstower.com interview]
titanstower: Was Joker's Daughter always meant to become a Titan?
Bob: Initially, she was just going to be a villain in a couple of Robin stories. Once we changed direction on that storyline and turned her into a heroine, I told Julie I wanted her in the Titans and he agreed.
titanstower: What do you think of the current insane version of Duela Dent, who claims to be the daughter of multiple supervillains?
Bob: I got a laugh out of it when I first saw it, but I thought they wasted the character. I realize that Marv and company didn't want her around any more and felt they had to explain her away because of continuity, but they could have just as easily ignored her. Actually, I consider Harley Quinn to be a reincarnation of Duela.
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Bob: [If the series continued,] I was going to remix the two teams and have adventures of both teams with occasional team-ups. Speedy and Wonder Girl would have moved to the West Coast team; Bat-Girl and one of the guys -- I don't recall which one -- would have moved East. To play up the Speedy/Kid Flash/Wonder Girl triangle, Wally would have been running back and forth. And Bat-Girl's presence in the east would have created a triangle with Robin and Duela.
titanstower: Triangle with Duela, Robin and Bat-Girl? Did you have any plans as to who would end up with the Boy Wonder?
Bob: I hadn't made any decisions on that. It would have happened much further down the road...if at all. Keep in mind that I also had a romance between Dick and Lori Elton going on in the Robin solo stories, so that would have figured into it too.
titanstower: Duela Dent seemed to be a favorite of yours; She appeared in DETECTIVE COMICS after TEEN TITANS was cancelled, but didn't appear again until TALES OF THE NEW TEEN TITANS in 1984 (at Donna Troy's wedding). Did you have further plans for her? Would you have liked to use her elsewhere?
Bob: I had planned on keeping Duela as a regular in the Robin series in BATMAN FAMILY / DETECTIVE. When that series was given to a different writer, Duela and my plans for her went away.
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Deathstroke's Dossier: Titans East
Meet Deathstroke’s new shock troops: Titans East!
Sneak a peek at his dossier on how they’ll take the Teen Titans down!
by Ben Morse & Geoff Johns
Originally published in Wizard Magazine #180 [2006]
TITANS EAST PRELIMINARY SKETCHES BY TONY DANIEL
courtesy of wizarduniverse.com - click on image to enlarge! |
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| DEATHSTROKE |
MATCH |
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| BATGIRL |
KID CRUSADER |
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| JOKER'S DAUGHTER |
SUN GIRL |
DEATHSTROKE JOURNAL: ENTRY 5679
I know the Teen Titans well. I’ve gone up against every incarnation of this team, for money, for pride or out of obligation - I’ve even fought on their Side a few times. I know them well enough to know they can’t be underestimated, Particularly not when they have Something i want - and right now, that is what they have.
The Titans are not like the Justice League - you can’t beat them with mere force. Their youth makes them unpredictable so only by gaining the upper hand before the first punch is thrown can you defeat them. I’ve formed a strike force specifically designed to take the Titans apart so I can get what I need. Whether the weakness they’ve been selected to exploit is physical or emotional, every member of my team has been selected only after great thought. They’re all here for a reason.
MATCH: The impact of their beloved Superboy’s death on the Titans cannot be overestimated. Match’s strength is an asset, but his true value lies in the psychological edge he provides. His presence guarantees that Wonder Girl - the most powerful Titan - will not be operating at full capacity.
JOKER’S DAUGHTER: When most people look at Duela Dent, they only see a woman who is completely insane. They overlook that this is somebody who has been a Teen Titan - who has been in their Tower and lived among them. I can deal with insanity when information comes hand in hand with it.
KID CRUSADER: Even the best-laid plans can be thrown off by a single wild card. To me, Kid Devil is a wild card. To Kid Crusader - the only person I can find who has even heard of Kid Devil - he’s the face of evil and must be eliminated at all costs.
BATGIRL: I watched Cassandra Cain dominate my daughter, Rose, in hand-to-hand combat - something I thought nearly impossible. How will Rose react when the foe she could not defeat Stands at her father’s side? And perhaps more importantly, Batgirl provides me with insight into Robin that is second to none. I’ve underestimated the Titans’ leader before. I don’t make the same mistake twice.
RISK: Because he chose to fight for the Teen Titans, Risk lost an arm. In his mind, he might as well have lost his life. He’s furious at the world, and fury is easily manipulated. The Titans will hesitate against him out of guilt, and that hesitation will be their undoing.
INERTIA: If I learned anything working with Zoom in the Society, it’s the value of a speedster - and the Titans do not have one. While Zoom had at least some twisted social conscience, Inertia has no conscience at all. He can take two Titans off the board before the others know what hit them. And if control proves an issue, I have no problem aiming for his kneecaps.
SUN GIRL: My most dangerous weapon and my greatest concern, Deborah Morgna harnesses the power of the sun, but her real talent - and true love - is manipulating others. Disturbingly, she reminds me a great deal of Terra. Even more disturbingly, she reminds me of Rose. Hopefully neither of those assessments indicates things to come.
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Tales of Earth-Three
Pre-Crisis Crime Syndicate
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The Crime Syndicate debuts in the classic
JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #29-30 [1964]. |
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Earth-Three, the third in the soon-to-be-infinite number of earths, was introduced by Julius Schwartz and Gardner Fox in the second Justice League/Justice Society crossover in Justice League of America #29-30 (1964). On this planet, various historical occurences had taken place in a curious backward order – i.e., Columbus discovered Europe, Lincoln shot President Booth, and so forth. Moreover, there were no heroes there; all the super-beings were criminals. They numbered five: Jonny Quick, a super-speedster like the Flash; Owlman, who could control his opponents’ minds and actions with his super-brain; Power Ring, a pseudo-Green Lantern who had acquired his ring and magic lamp (which possessed no weakness) from a Buddhist monk called Volthoom; Superwoman, a renegade Amazon who wielded a magic lasso that could take on any shape; and Ultraman, a parallel Superman who gained a new super-power each time he was exposed to kryptonite.
Due to one such exposure, Ultraman gained “ultravision,” which enabled him to see into other dimensions. After telling his fellow Syndicate members of the Justice League of Earth-One, the group decided that challenging their otherworldly counterparts would hone their fighting skills and abate their boredom. Confident of victory, they traveled to Earth-One, took on the team of Superman, Batman, Green Lantern, Flash and Wonder Woman – and lost, until Owlman transported them all back to Earth-Three, where the Syndicate then defeated the disoriented Justice League. They similarly beat the Justice Society, and it took the joint forces of both super-teams to overcome the villains. The combined powers of Dr. Fate and Green Lantern created an escape-proof prison for the Crime Syndicate, which was placed in the interdimensional limbo between earths.
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| The Crime Syndicate returns in JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #207 [1982]. |
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And there the Syndicate stayed for 14 years, until the Secret Society of Super-Villains inadvertently released three of their number – Superwoman, Jonny Quick and Power Ring – in Society of Super-Villains #13-14 (1978). It took Captain Comet, who had followed the Society to Earth-Three, to reimprison the villains (presumably alongside Ultraman and Owlman, who were not mentioned in this story, and whose absence went unexplained).
The next adventure involving the a Crime Syndicate member occurred in DC Comics Presents Annual #1 (1982), when Ultraman teamed with the Luthors of Earth One and Two. How he escaped was a mystery, as were the whereabouts of the other super-criminals. At any rate, the Lois Lane of Earth-Three was able to convince the world’s leading scientists – Alexander Luthor – to use his natural talents to defeat the other Luthors. Alexander Luthor returned Ultraman once more to limbo shortly after the end of the story.
The entire Crime Syndicate made their pentultimate appearance in full in a five-part story that ran in Justice League of America #207-209 and All-Star Squadron #14-15 (1982). There, they aided Per Degaton in his attempts to reshape the history of Earth-Two and conquer it. However, when the League and the Society, alongside the All-Stars, finally defeated Degaton’s time-travel scheme, all memory of the encounter was wiped from the minds of everyone but Degaton.
Months later, the Crime Syndicate was released from their prison by Alexander Luthor (as revealed in Whos’ Who #14), who had since married Lois Lane and produced a son. Despite their evil natures, the Syndicate bravely faced the danger and died nobly, their mighty powers useless against the onslaught of the Anti-Monitor in Crisis on Infinite Earths #1 (1985). The entire world was destroyed except for Luthor’s son, Alexander, who later played a pivotal role in the Anti-Monitor’s defeat. With the reformation of DC history following the Crisis, the Crime Syndicate and their world “never existed.”
Qwardian Crime Syndicate
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| The revamped Crime Syndicate |
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The Crime Syndicate was revived 15 years later in Grant Morrison’s hardcover graphic novel, JLA: Earth 2 in 2000. In this revised version, Ultraman, Owlman, Superwoman, Johnny Quick, and Power Ring hailed from the anti-matter universe of Qward rather than Earth-Three. Morrison’s story re-imagined them as the “heroes” of a world where evil is good and vice versa. Grant Morrison on the Crime Syndicate's revamp: “We've reversed everything, so these guys are all just sitting around drinking all the time, fighting with each other, and doing terrible things. They're sleazy as well. Just real bastards, basically.”
JLA: Earth 2 featured a positively wicked take on the Justice League in the Crime Syndicate. Ultraman used his heat vision to fry cats in trees, instead of rescuing them. Superwoman (secretly Lois Lane, no less) was a super-dominatrix involved with both Ultraman and Owlman. Jonny Quick was addicted to the very drug that granted him super-speed abilities. And Power Ring didn’t exactly control his ring – it controlled him. Alexander Luthor, true to his Pre-Crisis Earth-Three counterpart, became the "hero" of this backwards world.
The Qwardian Crime Syndicate of Amerika returned in the pages of JLA #107-114 (2005). In the storyline, “Syndicate Rules,” the Syndicate plots to switch places with the Justice League and leave them trapped in the anti-matter universe of Qward. As a lead-in to this story, the Syndicate also appeared in JLA Secret Files & Origins 2004. In JSA Classified #3 (2005) the Psycho Pirate brought The Crime Syndicate to Earth from the anti-matter universe to confuse Power Girl about her origins.
Earth-Three After Infinite Crisis
In the wake of the cosmic-altering Infinite Crisis, the multiverse was restored with 52 alternate earths. In the final issue of DC’s weekly mini-series 52: Week Fifty-Two (2007), Earth-Three lived again! That issue revealed some of the newly-revamped earths, including an Earth-Three populated with the familiar Crime Syndicate.
In the weekly series, Countdown, Donna Troy, Jason Todd, Kyle Rayner and Bob the Monitor hopped from parallel Earth to parallel Earth in search of missing Ray Palmer. On Earth-Three, they found themselves outmatched by the evil Crime Society of America in the pages of Countdown #31 (2007). In addition to the familiar Crime Syndicate members Ultraman, Superwoman, Owlman, Johnny Quick, and Power Ring, their number included alternate versions of Black Canary, Red Arrow, Stargirl, Hawkwoman, Wildcat, and more. The story also introduced one of the few heroes of Earth-Three: the heroic Jokester - After Jokester learned that his missing daughter was murdered by a rogue Monitor (Countdown #51), he sacrificed his own life to save Donna Troy in Countdown #29 (2007).
Earth-Three Titans: Duela Dent and Talon
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OWLMAN and TALON: The Early Years: in COUNTDOWN PRESENTS: THE SEARCH FOR RAY PALMER: CRIME SOCIETY #1 [2007]. |
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Mere weeks after his debut in the pages of Countdown #31, Countdown Presents: The Search for Ray Palmer: Crime Society #1 (2007) revealed the secret origin of the Jokester. Failing comedian Jackie Napier was inspired by Owlman crashing through the window – and began to poke fun at the ruthless costumed villain in his nightclub act. Owlman didn’t take the joke well and brutally beat Jackie, which caused him to spiral downward and emerge as the clown vigilante known as the Jokester.
Unknown to Jokester, he has long ago sired a child by Evelyn Dent, who was secretly the fractured crime-fighter, Three-Face. The daughter of Jokester and Three-Face was Duela Dent, who never seemed to get a proper origin story since it was revealed she was too old to be the daughter of Two-Face in Tales of the Teen Titans #50 (1984).
This issue retro-actively constructed the confusing back-story of Duela Dent. Originally, Duela gained notoriety by calling herself the Joker's Daughter and vexing Robin (introduced in Batman Family #6 in 1976). This became an ongoing game, as Duela claimed to be the criminal offspring of the Catwoman, the Scarecrow, the Riddler, the Penguin. Duela later maintained she was the daughter of Two-Face and became a valued member of the original Teen Titans team as Harlequin.
The Post-Crisis Duela Dent (reintroduced in JLA/Titans mini series #2 in 1999) didn’t play at being insane – the girl was insane. In and out of mental institutions, Duela was re-imaged as a bipolar Titan that claimed to be the daughter of a different super-villain every week. Writer Sean McKeever made sense of every Duela origin by making her the daughter of Earth-Three's heroes, Jokester and Three-Face. And Earth-3’s Riddler became her step-father.
Upon meeting her long-lost father, Duela’s step-father introduces her as the Riddler’s Daughter, but she corrects him, “No... No, now I’m Joker’s Daughter.” Jokester corrects her, “But... My name’s the Jokester...” At this point, Duela’s cosmic confusion sets in, “Really? I you sure? I swear mom said... Uchh... I dunno how, but sometimes I’m in another world altogether? It’s exactly like this world but not at all... And then there’s this place with nothing but bald guys with really interesting facial hair who monitor everything in all worlds... I guess I’m just confused about where I really am... My boyfriend calls my Harlequin sometimes... I think...”
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Duela's mother, Three-Face, reveals the truth to Jokester in COUNTDOWN PRESENTS: THE SEARCH FOR RAY PALMER: CRIME SOCIETY #1 [2007]. |
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McKeever confesses, “I don't recall what all went into (creating Duela’s revised origin); development was actually pretty fast... I do recall Mike Carlin suggesting the Three Faces of Eve bit. And I'd known a bit about her strange history via Countdown and Titans research, so I took all the strange elements of her various identities and found a way for it to make sense. Then went back and forth a little more with (editors) Eddie Berganza and Adam.”
Thirty years after her first appearance, Duela Dent finally got a definitive origin story. Too bad she wasn’t alive to see it (she was murdered by a rogue Monitor in Countdown #51).
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Owlman and Talon terrorize Gotham in COUNTDOWN PRESENTS: THE SEARCH FOR RAY PALMER: CRIME SOCIETY #1 [2007]. |
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Duela’s secret origin also revealed Talon (Earth-Three’s evil Robin) as her secret lover. Talon first appeared in Teen Titans #38 (2006) as one of the “missing year” Titans. In 52: Week Twenty Thirty-Two (2007), Raven and Beast Boy held a membership drive for the Teen Titans after their ranks have been depleted. There, Talon remarks, “That kid would get his ass kicked on my earth.” Readers may have guessed Talon was referring to Earth-Three – but it wasn’t confirmed until Countdown Presents: The Search for Ray Palmer: Crime Society #1 (2007). If fans ever wondered if there was an evil Robin on Earth-Three, they got their answer in Talon.
On Earth-Three, Owlman and Talon had various encounters with The Jokester, a heroic version of the Joker. In an ironic twist, Talon fell in love with the Jokester’s own daughter, Duela Dent. After revealing their secret affair, Talon and Duela Dent were disowned by their respective families. Having nowhere to go, Duela brought Talon to New Earth, where they both joined the Teen Titans for a brief time after the Infinite Crisis.
Earth-Three Essential Reading:
Justice League of America #29-30 (1964)
Society of Super-Villains #13-14 (1978)
DC Comics Presents Annual #1 (1982)
Justice League of America #207-209 and All-Star Squadron #14-15 (1982)
Crisis on Infinite Earths #1 (1985)
JLA: Earth 2 Hardcover Graphic Novel (2000)
JLA Secret Files & Origins 2004
JLA # 107-114 (2005)
52: Week Fifty Two (2007)
Countdown #31-29 (2007)
Countdown Presents: The Search for Ray Palmer: Crime Society #1 (2007)
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Batman Family #6 [1976]: Robin suspects the Joker's Daughter has stolen a manuscript. First appearance of Duela Dent, Joker's Daughter.
Batman Family #8 [1976]: Catgirl ['Catwoman's Daughter'] appears at Hudson University and vexes Robin. Catgirl's presence incites the ire of Catwoman, who does not take well to copycats. Catgirl and Robin eventually team-up against Catwoman's gang and Catgirl reveals herself as Joker's Daughter in disguise!
Batman Family #9 [1977]: Robin and Batgirl run into the Joker's Daughter, posing as criminal offspring of the the Scarecrow, the Riddler and even the Penguin; Robin deduces Joker's Daughter is Duela Dent; Duela asks Robin to nominate her for Titan's membership. Continued in the pages of the Teen Titans #46.
Teen Titans #46-48 [1976-1977]: Duela Dent, calling herself the Joker's Daughter, joins the group and helps them defeat the Fiddler and, soon after, Two-Face and his henchmen; Duela changes her costumed identity to that of the Harlequin in issue #48.
Teen Titans #49-52 [1977]: Harlequin serves a member of the Teen Titans.
Batman Family #16 [1978]: Robin, Batgirl, Harlequin and Bat-Girl [Bette Kane] thwart five criminals - and later learn they've been organized by a leader who's plan is to discredit a politician.
Batman Family #19 [1978]: Dick Grayson runs into his former girlfriend, Lori Elton, who is with her new boyfriend, Dave Corby. As Dick tries to talk to Lori, she rebuffs him as her boyfriend Dave threatens Dick. As Lori and Dave depart, Dick is met by Duela Dent, who informs Dick she is leaving Hudson University because "there is... uh, something I must do." She also warns Dick that Dave Corby is dangerous. Following that, Dick thwarts a robbery led by a mysterious costumed adversary calling himself The Raven. This storyline concludes in Detective #482-483.
Detective Comics: Batman Family #482-483 [1979]: A solo Robin back-up story. Robin battles the mysterious criminal organization known as MAZE. Robin encounters two operatives, the Raven and Card Queen. MAZE wants Robin out of the way for disrupting their operations. After Robin breaks up their operation, Raven attempts to flee but is stopped by the Card Queen, who is revealed to be Duela Dent working undercover. Robin exposes the Raven as Lori Elton's boyfriend, Dave Corby, as she is left devastated by this news. Duela Dent's only appearance as Card Queen. Last appearance until Tales of the Teen Titans #50.
Tales of the Teen Titans #50 [1984]: Many former Titans appeared as guests at Donna's wedding. Duela is clearly neither the Joker's nor Two-Face's daughter - as Dick Grayson eventually figured out around the time of Donna's wedding, she is too old to be either of these criminal's daughter. Dick confesses: "By the way, speaking of Harlequin -- I realized something awhile back.. You're too old to be Two-Face's daughter." Duela responded, "It took you this long to figure it out? tsk, tsk, Batman would not be happy.... Maybe, Dickie... Just maybe I'll tell you [the truth] one of these days, that is."
Post-Crisis Duela Dent
Team Titans #13 [1993]: Clues start surfacing, hinting that the Team Titans time-jumping is more far-reaching than anyone realizes. A purple-haired mental patient named Duela claims she used to be a Teen Titan.
JLA/Titans: the Technis Imperative #2-3 [December 1998 to February 1999]: Duela Dent found in a mental institution by the Technis probe in issue #2. First current-continuity Duela Dent in issue #2. Duela claims to be the daughter of various villains, including Wildebeest.
The Titans Secret Files #1 [1999]: The team is gathered, and Duela Dent is ignored for membership; Here, she claims to be Doomsday's daughter.
The Titans Secret Files #2 [2000]: It's the debut of Titans LA in an astonishing all-new Special. Whether he wants it or not, Beast Boy finds himself saddled with a new West Coast branch of the Titans. But it may be the new team's final appearance as well if Fear and Loathing and the madcap Harlequin have their say. Information revealed in Titans Secret Files #2: Duela Dent is a delusional and schizophrenic acrobat, and has (in her time) claimed to be the daughter of over a dozen super villains. Each lead turned out to be false. Each lead but one. But at the present time, Duela's parentage remains a secret.
Teen Titans #17-19 [2004]: Written by Geoff Johns; Art and cover by Mike McKone & Marlo Alquiza The 3-part "Titans Tomorrow" Face to face with themselves ten years from now, the Teen Titans make a pact that doesn't bode well for the future. Now they must find a way home, before the Titans of Tomorrow catch up with them! Clues to Duela's past - and future-fate - are revealed.
Teen Titans #43-46 [2006]: Led by Deathstroke, a Teen Titans East team consisting of Batgirl, Risk, Match, Kid Crusader, Enigma, Joker's Daughter, Sun Girl and Inertia clash with the Teen Titans. First appearance of Titans East. First appearances of Kid Crusader and Sun Girl in issue #43.
Death of Duela Dent.
Countdown Presents: The Search For Ray Palmer: The Crime Society [2007]: Learn the origin of the newest Challenger from Beyond, from the world where the heroes are villains: Earth-3. The origin The Jokester (a heroic version of the Joker) is revealed. Duela Dent is revealed as the daughter of The Jokester and Evelyn Dent (Three-Face). Duela falls in love with Talon and leaves Earth-3. Talon's backstory is revealed. Origin of Duela Dent.
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