DC’s Absolute Universe Unveils Poison Ivy’s Most Powerful Form Yet

One of Batman‘s most famous villains gets a massive upgrade that places them among the most powerful enemies the Dark Knight has faced in DC’s Absolute Universe. Typically, Batman’s rogues gallery isn’t made up of particularly strong villains, at least compared to Superman and Wonder Woman’s foes. However, things are very different in the Absolute Universe created by Darkseid.

Absolute Bane, Absolute Killer Croc, and Absolute Mister Freeze are giant monsters that tower above the already huge and musclebound Absolute Batman. And of course, Absolute Joker is the stuff of nightmares, possessing shapeshifting abilities that make him a bigger, more terrifying version of It‘s Pennywise.

Before Batman faces the Joker directly, the Dark Knight must fight even more destructive versions of his traditional rogues.

Absolute Batman Reveals Poison Ivy’s Epic New Powers

Absolute Batman #18; Written by Scott Snyder; Art by Eric Canete & Frank Martin

As if struggling to fend off Pamela Isley’s endless clones weren’t enough, Absolute Poison Ivy’s true form seems almost impossible to kill for good. Absolute Batman #18 unleashes the full extent of Poison Ivy’s powers, which includes radio-disrupting bacteria, bullet-like radishes, prehensile tendrils, wings, and most importantly, spores that force her targets to shapeshift into monstrous entities. Absolute Poison Ivy can modify her body and head in countless ways, taking the form of real plants.

Absolute Poison Ivy would be the most powerful Batman villain in the Absolute Universe, even more so than Absolute Bane and Absolute Killer Croc, if it weren’t for her human heart. Batman only manages to escape certain death with help from Barbara Gordon, and he only neutralizes Poison Ivy by shooting Pamela Isley’s original heart. The ramifications of this attack may come back around later on, as Poison Ivy may become even more savage when she inevitably returns.

Absolute Poison Ivy Unlocks Pamela Isley’s Long-Restrained Potential

Poison Ivy Should Be One Of The Biggest Threats To Gotham, Naturally

While the traditional Poison Ivy is often relegated to commanding vines or secreting pheromones, her Absolute counterpart becomes a monstrous embodiment of Mother Earth. Absolute Poison Ivy’s true form serves as a wake-up call by DC for DC, as it exposes how much Pamela Isley has been holding back for decades. Seeing Ivy modify her own physiology into a living arsenal highlights a massive untapped potential that has long been dormant in her more conventional incarnations.

Absolute Poison Ivy’s explosion of power suggests that the regular Ivy hasn’t been weak, but rather creatively restrained by the narrative demands of the Gotham City ecosystem. Despite having the same baseline powers, regular Ivy has only scratched the surface of her abilities to ensure she doesn’t overshadow Batman’s more grounded, human foes, including the Joker himself. The Absolute Universe removes Ivy’s handcuffs and allows her to become an apex predator.

Ultimately, the sheer dominance displayed in Absolute Batman #17 and #18, coupled with the undeniable success of Ivy’s ongoing solo series approaching its 50th issue, makes the case for Poison Ivy as a top-tier DC villain. Poison Ivy’s solo run has already begun exploring the psychological depths of her character, and the Absolute Universe proves she can be a true menace. A character with such deep ties to the Green deserves no less than the power Absolute Poison Ivy displays in Absolute Batman.

Absolute Batman #18 is now available from DC Comics.

What do you think of Absolute Poison Ivy’s powers?

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  Created By

  Robert Kanigher, Carmine Infantino

  Alias

  Dr. Pamela Lillian Isley

  Race

  Metahuman

  Movies

  Batman & Robin

  TV Shows

  Gotham, Harley Quinn

  
  

• 

  Created By

  Bob Kane, Bill Finger

  Alias

  Bruce Wayne

  Race

  Human

  Franchise

  D.C.

  FIRST APP

  Detective Comics #27 (1939)

  First Appearance

  Detective Comics