DC Officially Kills Poison Ivy, Transforming Her from Villain to Official Hero

Summary Poison Ivy sacrifices herself to save the world, solidifying her transformation into a hero.

Her act of heroism brings her character development full circle, giving her a fitting conclusion.

Despite her death, Ivy's impending reincarnation as a new hero marks her as DC's next anti-hero.

Warning: Major spoilers ahead for Poison Ivy #22!Villainess Poison Ivy has officially been killed off in DC canon, solidifying her transformation into a hero. Since her longtime girlfriend, Harley Quinn, became an anti-hero in DC continuity, fans have questioned if Poison Ivy would eventually follow her lead. Her solo series has shown hints of wavering between good and evil, but for the most part she's stayed on the side of villainy...until now.

In Poison Ivy #22 by G. Willow Wilson and Haining, Ivy finds herself evenly matched against her former mentor and personal Joker, Dr. Jason Woodrue. She quickly discovers that no matter what she does, he will always come back because he's able to control the wild strain of Lamia spores. It will be a never-ending battle that she can't win. However, she discovers there may be one option that involves the ultimate sacrifice.

Ivy orders the zombified Lamia hosts to kill both her and Woodrue, putting an end to both of them once and for all. It's a shocking gesture that shows Ivy is no longer conflicted about her morals; she's become a full-fledged hero.

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Ivy's Story Comes Full Circle

What's interesting about this heroic gesture by Ivy is that it gives her character development a fitting conclusion for now. When her solo series first began in 2022, Ivy was actually the one intent on bringing an end to humanity and unleashing a Last of Us-style apocalypse after she slowly realized she was dying. She eventually canceled the plan after coming across various people she realized didn't deserve the painful death she had in store for humanity. This set her on a fascinating path where she began to see the benefits of human life rather than just the negatives.

By stopping Woodrue and putting the wild strain of her original Lamia spore to rest by killing them both, she's taken a huge leap forward to join Harley Quinn on the side of heroes. Her sacrifice isn't made in vain as she does it to ensure that Woodrue can never cause harm to the Earth again with his plans for world domination, even after she's gone. This noble act has become her defining moment that will change her character forever, similar to how Harley Quinn has made similar sacrifices in DC continuity.

Poison Ivy's Impending Reincarnation Will Be Her Ultimate Rebirth

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Close

Of course, knowing comic logic, nobody truly stays dead. The same can absolutely be said for Poison Ivy as she allows the Lamia-infected hosts to devour both her and Woodrue. However, this doesn't make her sacrifice hollow either. Ivy will likely be reincarnated as a brand-new hero who toes the line between good and evil, similar to Harley Quinn. She certainly won't be joining the Justice League anytime soon, but she's absolutely shaping up to be DC's next greatest anti-hero.

Ivy's sacrifice is likely to go down as one of the most important moments in the character's long history. For years, fans have questioned if a Harley-style shift to heroism was ever in the cards for her, despite DC hinting that she would always remain a supervillain. However, things have officially changed with the death of Poison Ivy, and she's on her way to becoming the next anti-hero in DC's lineup very soon.

Poison Ivy #22 is available now from DC Comics!

Poison Ivy #22 (2024) Writer: G. Willow Wilson

Artist: Haining

Colorist: Arif Prianto

Letterer: Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou

Cover Artist: Jessica Fong