Pamela Isley

For other uses of "Poison Ivy", see Poison Ivy (disambiguation).

"She's gone. She's blossomed into someone who can stand up for herself and, more importantly, for those things that can't."

—Poison Ivy to Renee Montoya^[src]

Pamela "Pam" Isley is a former botanist from Gotham University. She is the daughter of an unnamed woman, the sister of a late unnamed boy, and the girlfriend of Renee Montoya. After being unwillingly experimented on by Marc LeGrand, Pamela was turned into a meta-human who possessed plant-based powers, known as Poison Ivy. She then became an eco-terrorist in her quest to save the planet and a legendary enemy of Batman.

After Rene injected her with Batman's desiccation serum, Pamela was rendered comatose and imprisoned in the tunnels deep below the Batcave. She remained in a dormant state for 10 years until she was freed by Renee, after which they rekindled their relationship.

Pamela tried to finish her earlier mission to destroy the Gotham City Dam with the help of her "sporeling", Mary Hamilton, but was ultimately defeated by Batwoman and the Bat Team. Instead of imprisoning her lover again, Renee arranged for them to start new lives together in Coryana, giving Pamela a chance to reform by using her powers in a more peaceful manner.

Biography

Original multiverse

Criminal life

At some point, Lex Luthor became aware of Pamela, as well as her identity as Poison Ivy. Lex wrote in one of his journals that Pamela had begun to exude a pheromone that had the ability to mind control others. Lex intended to take a sample of this pheromone in an attempt to mind control Superman. Supergirl learned of this when she found Lex's journal in his prison cell at Stryker's Island.^[1]

Anti-Monitor Crisis

During the Anti-Monitor Crisis, Pamela as well as everyone in the multiverse except for the seven Paragons, was killed in an antimatter wave by the Anti-Monitor on December 10, 2019,^[2] only to be restored a month later, after the Paragons and the Spectre created a new universe.^[3]

New multiverse

Early life

Pamela Isley was born and raised in Gotham City. She had a younger brother who suffered from asthma, but they didn't have a lot of money so their mother used herbal remedies to treat him, from which Pamela gained an interest in plants. In her youth, her brother fell ill and the family learned that their drinking water had been poisoned by a local factory; the doctors noted it was a miracle they weren't all in the hospital. However, Pamela's brother died before his 13th birthday, leaving her and her mother in grief.^[4]

Years later, Pamela became a botany student of Gotham University, determined to help the world through her research. It was here that she met criminal law student Renee Montoya and they began a romantic relationship. Pamela also had a rivalry with one of her classmates, Marc LeGrand, but she believed him to be harmless until he abducted her one night. Marc used Pamela as a test subject for his experiments, injecting her with an unknown concoction comprised of oleander, nightshade, and water hemlock. She survived the experimentation, but her physiology was changed forever.

Pamela's mentality was also altered in the aftermath, as she grew increasingly irrational and dangerous. Pamela became obsessed with saving the planet and punishing anyone destroying it. This new extreme way of thinking caused her relationship with Renee to end.^[5]

Reign as Poison Ivy

Pamela used her new powers to become the super-villainess known as "Poison Ivy". Her actions eventually made her one of Batman's greatest enemies. After one of their battles, Batman took a clipping from one of her vines as a trophy.^[6]

In 2011, Pamela was confronted by Renee who was now a police officer and her partner, Watson, in the aftermath of one of her attacks. Renee was hesitant to shoot Pamela despite the urging of her partner and when he tried to take the shot, Pamela used her powers to impale him with her vines before making her escape. Pamela visited Renee soon after, bringing white tulips as a symbol of forgiveness, but Renee rebuffed the gesture as her partner had lost a kidney in her assault. They argued about Pamela's constant breaking of the law in the name of the environment. Pamela wanted Renee to come with her but Renee wanted her to stay and be the woman she fell in love with again. Pamela replied that she had blossomed into someone new.

Pamela's next plan was to destroy the Gotham dam and flood the city. When Renee learned of this, she contacted Batman for help. They both knew Arkham Asylum would never be able to hold Pamela so Batman developed a desiccation serum which mimicked the process a plant goes through when it's denied water or sunlight. He gave it to Renee so she could get close enough to use it on Pamela. When Renee arrived home, she found Pamela getting ready for her next mission. She asked her to choose between her obsession with saving the environment or her love for her. Pamela expressed that she loved Renee above all else, but had to continue with her goal. The couple shared a kiss before Renee injected her with the serum, turning Ivy into a dehydrated gray husk.^[7]

Under Renee's wishes, Batman buried Pamela in the tunnels under the Batcave to stop her from gaining access to water or sunlight as they would awaken her. Because of this, Pamela was not seen for 10 years.^[5]

10 years spent underground

Pamela was mentioned by Cluemaster as a part of his game.^[8]

One of Pamela's vines was kept in the Batcave and later stolen by "Circe Sionis" on behalf of Safiyah Sohail, who required it to duplicate the only Desert Rose left. Alice believed Safiyah had struck a deal with Pamela, before she was told the truth.^[6] The vines were thrown into the Gotham River when Alice and Kate fell there. The next morning, the vines started to grow.^[9]

One of Pamela's vines later infected Mary Hamilton, which turned her into the new Poison Ivy.^[10]

Freed from captivity

In 2021, Ryan Wilder, with Sophie Moore and Renee Montoya, found Pamela buried in the tunnels under the Batcave. After Ryan and Sophie discovered that Renee had been deceiving and manipulating them the whole time, they returned to the Batcave to stop Renee from freeing Pamela, only to discovered that they are too late, as Renee had already freed Pamela.^[7]

Pamela and Renee then begin hiding in Gotham National Park, Pamela once again began attacking those harming nature including using vines to assault two fishermen by Lake Loeb. She submerged herself in the lake in an attempt to regain her strength but it quickly depleted when using her powers. Renee was unhappy with Pamela's return to eco-terrorism but still told her about Mary Hamilton, so that she can regain her strength. She used her powers to summon Mary as her Poison Ivy infection means that she can be used as a battery to bring Pamela back to full strength.

When Ryan Wilder, Luke Fox, and Sophie Moore tracked Ivy down to the forest, she used her powers to herd them into a cabin and trapped them there. She returned to Renee who begged her not to continue down her dark path and leave Gotham with her. She kissed Renee but then used her pheromone control to try and prevent Renee from stopping her while she attempted to kill Batwoman. Poison Ivy kills some nature violators in a national park while seeing that she is not back to full power. Renee tries to get through to her to no avail even when Mary shows up. After Renee leaves, Poison Ivy embraces Mary as she is brought back to full power.^[11]

Second downfall and a fresh start

Pamela eventually betrays Mary and plans on destroying the Gotham Dam and flooding the city. However, her plans were stopped by a de-powered Mary Hamilton, Batwoman, and Batwing. After Renee successfully convinced Pamela to stop her crusade against Gotham, the two went to Coryana, where plants are worshipped and industry did not exist in order to start a new life together.^[4]

Personality

• As a civilian
• As Poison Ivy

According to Renee Montoya, prior to Pamela's mutation, she was competitive, passionate and intelligent. She was also a compassionate and selfless individual who wanted to change the world for the better.

"I appreciate the symbolism, but technically, you just killed a tulip."

—Pamela Isley to Renee Montoya^[src]

After being unwillingly experimented on by Marc LeGrand, Pamela's personality became far more darker. She became obsessed with saving the entire planet from destruction and would not hesitate to punish anyone destroying it.

While twisted, Pamela still loves Renee. This love was enough for Pamela to accept her offer to move to Coryana, where she could nurture the Desert Rose away from any industry.

Powers and abilities

Powers

"Coryana will soon be abloom with Desert Rose once more thanks to a small cutting from one of Poison Ivy's vines."

—Safiyah Sohail to Alice.^[src]

• Meta-human physiology: Due to being unwillingly experimented on by Marc LeGrand and injected; with several different types of plant toxins, Pamela possesses meta-human attributes. According to Renee Montoya, the longer Pamela is exposed to direct sunlight or water, the more powerful she becomes. After being desiccated for 10 years, Pamela's powers have been severely weakened, but despite this, her powers are still formidable. Renee hypothesized that the effects of Desiccation serum are only temporary and Pamela's powers will eventually return to full strength, but it will take time.
  • Chlorogenesis: Pamela can generate, create and project several different types of plant life. For example, she is able to create unique flowers, such as one that is able to duplicate the Desert Rose.^[6] Pamela was also able to manifest a white tulip, despite the fact that she was in a dormant state at the time.^[7]
  • Chlorokinesis: Pamela can manipulate several different types of plants. For example, she is able to summon vines that are strong enough to impale other individuals through the kidney and deprive the victims.^[7] Pamela can also summon roots that are strong enough to crush a car and drag it away relatively easily.^[11]
  • Pherokinesis: Pamela can manipulate her pheromones. She is able to manipulate them presumably to create any chemical that she desires.^[1]
  • Telepathy: Pamela can telepathically communicate with other plant-based meta-humans over small or vast distances, such as Mary Hamilton.
  • Mind control: Due to Pamela's pheromones, she can manipulate the minds of other individuals to get them to do what she wants them to do.^[1]
  • Infection: Pamela's vines are capable of changing an individual's physiology and transforming them into a meta-human, granting that individual the same plant-based powers and characteristics that Pamela possesses as Poison Ivy.^[10]
  • Life-force energy absorption: Pamela can absorb life-force energy from other meta-humans that she has created, such as Mary. This allowed Pamela to restore herself and her powers back to full strength when she was in a severely weakened state.^[11] But if she absorbs too much life-force energy from her sporelings before they have a chance to completely recover, it will kill them.^[4]
  • Eye transformation: When Pamela's powers are active, her eyes glow bright green.^[7]
  • Superhuman senses: Due to sound vibrations, Pamela is able to sense the presence of objects or other individuals over small or vast distances.^[11]

Abilities

• Genius-level intellect/Expert scientist: Pamela is a highly intelligent individual and excellent scientist.^[5]
  • Botanist: As a former botany student of Gotham University, as well as experienced eco-terrorist, Pamela has been recognized as an expert in botany with an well established knowledge of plant-life, and the knowledge and means to use that said plant-life in variety of ways. When Alice learned of Safiyah Sohail's intention of regrowing her garden of Desert Roses using one of Pamela's vines, she immediately asked Safiyah if she struck a deal with Pamela in order to come up with such a plan.^[6]
• Master hand-to-hand combatant/Martial artist: Pamela is a highly skilled hand-to-hand combatant and martial artist. She was able to fight on par against Batman, the latter who is a master hand-to-hand combatant and martial artist in his own right, as every single one of her confrontations against the Dark Knight always ended in a draw. Pamela was also able to almost overpower Ryan Wilder but she was ultimately bested by the caped crusader, although it should be noted that the former was in a severely weakened state at the time, due to the fact that she had unknowingly absorbed a pheromone blocker from Mary Hamilton and was not at the peak of her combat skills.^[4]
• Intimidation: As Poison Ivy, Pamela commands an intimidating presence and is feared by the citizens of Gotham City. Even a dangerous psychopath such as Beth Kane is visibly terrified of the idea of crossing paths with Pamela.^[11]

Weaknesses

• Desiccation serum: If Pamela is injected with this serum, she will turn into a dehydrated gray husk and will remain in a dormant state until she is exposed to direct sunlight or water.^[7]
• Slow activation: Pamela's mind control powers do not activate instantly, leaving her vulnerable to attacks.
• Blindness: Pamela can only manipulate the minds of other individuals, as long as she can see them.
• Herbicide and paralytic compound: Pamela is vulnerable to a herbicide and paralytic mixed compound, as it is powerful enough to knock her out cold for a short period of time.
• Salt and vinegar: Pamela's vines and skin are vulnerable to a salt and vinegar mixture.^[11]
• Pheromone blocker: Pamela cannot manipulate the minds of other individuals if they have taken a pheromone blocker.^[11] Also, if Pamela utilizes a pheromone blocker herself, it will severely weaken her.^[4]

Equipment

• Poison Ivy suit: Pamela wears a protective suit when operating as Poison Ivy.^[7]

Appearances

Supergirl

Season 4

• "Crime and Punishment" (name seen)

Batwoman

Comics

EARTH-PRIME

• "Flesh and Mud" (mentioned)

Trivia

• Pamela is one of the few known individuals to become a meta-human without the use of a particle accelerator or being exposed to dark matter.
• Like Mary Hamilton, Pamela's meta-human powers initially were only active, when she is exposed to direct sunlight, as it took days before Pamela's mutation was completed. But by the time of first confrontation against Batman, Pamela's mutation was already completed by then, therefore, her meta-human powers are always active.
• Before Pamela's transformation, she enjoyed reading and baseball.^[7]
• Pamela's Poison Ivy suit appears to be based on the character's appearance from the 2011 video game, Batman: Arkham City.
• Pamela is a interesting villain as she originated from a different Earth then Earth-1, which was the main continuity where most of the Arrowverse shows took place, even though she was only briefly referenced, as was her Earth-1 counterpart. But due to the Anti-Monitor Crisis, both earths have merged along with a few others which has changed this universe.
• Pamela was first mentioned on a Supergirl episode, "Crime and Punishment" in Season 4, and even on Batwoman a few times in Season 2 and at the beginning of Season 3, before being phyiscally introduced.
• It appears that Pamela had a doppelganger on Earth-1. She most likely replaced or merged with her in the new multiverse on Earth-Prime following the crisis.

Behind the scenes

• In the DC comics, Pamela Isley/Poison Ivy is a botanist turned eco-terrorist, who possesses the power to control flora and is an adversary of Bruce Wayne/Batman. In the New 52, Pamela is portrayed as an anti-hero instead of an outright super-villain, making her an occasional ally and love interest of Batman.
• Lex Luthor attempting to use Pamela to control Superman is a nod to Batman: Hush, where she successfully did so, although it was Riddler; who was behind the act.

References