The HBO Max inspire seriesHarley Quinnfeatures perhaps the most complex change electric arc for supervillains twist into antihero DC Comics buff have pick up on screen . Both Harley and Poison Ivy transform from former villain with small regard for others to nuanced figures commit to their own particular reason and more importantly , each other .

Many other classic antiheroes survive in DC Comics , including many associated withBatman . The DC Universe in many respects pioneer the idea , especially in the 1980s , which saw the comics introduce numerous persona that challenged traditional notions of what it meant to be a classic superhero .

The Comedian

The Comedian in many regard stage the prototypal antihero . Ostensibly a superhero fighting for America and its value , he help the country win its wars and preserve its freedom . He also arbitrarily kills civilians in Vietnam and ruthlessly attacks peaceful protestors in the United States .

He also does unspeakable thing to the Silk Spectre and assassinates President Kennedy in his dark , substitute realness . His arc inWatchmen , amongthe best funny books ever made , take exception the opinion of what it means to be a hero and who heroes really are .

Amanda Waller

Amanda Waller works for the United States government , running Task Force X and theSuicide Squad . Her oeuvre saves lives and protect the country , but the path she goes about it moves her securely into antihero territorial dominion . She uses mostly incarcerated supervillains , whom she controls by implanting explosives in their head teacher , to accomplish her end .

She also care little for the collateral damage her missions mother or the liveliness she ’s usually responsible for . She believes in only the mission and attain the outcome no matter what .

Black Adam

pitch-dark Adam counts amongShazam ’s coolest and most hefty comic volume villain , and in late long time , he ’s evolve into an antihero . He joins forcefulness now and again with the Justice Society of America ( as it seems he might in the upcomingBlack Adammovie ) but he rarely displays the care or concern other heroes do .

His power give enormous collateral price that he rarely cares about , despite the fact he has campaign to redeem the universe , include help shoot down Ultraman and the Criminal Syndicate of America .

Jason Todd

Jason Todd numbers amongthe best characters to be Robin in DC Comicsand arguably the most tragic . He die at the Joker ’s hands in perhaps the most bestial Batman comic Koran plot line and then returned as Hush , a villain , before evolve into Red Hood . He never quite fit the bill as a hero , always butting heads with Batman , and he ’s even less of one now .

Todd kills a Joker during theThree Jokersstoryline in retaliation for what happened to him , bear witness that despite his actions as a member of the larger Bat - Family , he remain securely outside the definition of a poor boy .

Deadshot

Deadshot like many antiheroes in DC Comics starts out as a traditional baddie . He serves as a mercenary bring on impossible jobs , which he ’s perfectly suited for as he ’s among the best sharpshooters in the world . Thanks to his involvement with the Suicide Squad , he morph into an antihero with a complicated past .

Deadshot started as a vigilante , not unlike Batman , before becoming a mercenary . He walks a hunky-dory railway line between hero and baddie , though he often regard others before himself , especially his mob .

Lobo

Lobo works as a bounty huntsman in deep space and harbors no moral code whatsoever except for continue his password . That often puts this violent character in situations where he functions as a hero . It never affect moral principle or morality for him , though . A job is a job , and he does whatever the designation requires .

Lobo ’s strength , big businessman , and ruthlessness make him a swell friend to have , but he ’s totally undependable . If a bounteousness comes in on a friend or former mate , he takes it the same as he would one for a complete stranger .

John Constantine

John Constantine numbers amongthe most knock-down magical beings in DC Comics , and he often uses his mystical accomplishment to help other people . He help Swamp Thing take in a better understanding of himself and his powers , but Constantine ’s sprightliness and work often require hard choice and extreme sacrifices .

He lies , he chisel , he steal , and he does whatever it takes to get the job done . Often his exorcism and interference result in negative impacts for those he ’s trying to help , but he ’s the only help they have .

Catwoman

Catwoman debuted inBatman#1 back in the Golden Age of Comics as a all the way - cut supervillain but she ’s evolved dramatically in the last 80 years . Catwoman remains a cat - burglar and stealer without equal , but she defend alongside Batman for Gotham ’s saki so often it ’s difficult to regard her a baddie at all anymore .

Selina Kyle possesses her own moral code , which mostly revolves around herself . But she does often help others in demand , especially those without her advantages and skill .

Poison Ivy

Poison Ivy also start as a distinctive Batman villain , first appearing inBatman#181 . Her current role as an antihero remains much more complicated than Catwoman ’s . Ivy fight to protect the environment , and by procurator , human beings , which makes her a unequalled hero in comic books . She often goes about it in uttermost , violent ways .

English ivy cares little for those standing in her way and in most cases would favor there to be few human beings in general . Only her secretive relationship with Harley Quinn keeps her invested in humanity .

Harley Quinn

Few characters in DC Comics experience the change Harley Quinn has . She began as a strong-armer in the Joker ’s gang in the iconicBatman : The alive Seriesbefore appearing in the comic strip . Almost from the beginning , Harley resist to outride inside the box the Joker put her in . Though she remain a crimson character , she mostly work as an antihero .

Her strategy often resemble that of distinctive scoundrel , especially in the HBO Max inspire series , but her action mechanism mostly serve to advance her from a stock villain to a more complex image with her own ethics and code .

NEXT : 9 Best Harley Quinn Costumes From DC Comics

Harley Quinn imagery

Collage of Willow and Clash of the Titans

Jon Kent (AKA Superman’s Young Adult Son) with Kryptonite in the background

Split image of Catwoman, Harley Quinn and Poison Ivy, and Black Adam from DC Comics.

The Comedian smoking a cigar in Watchmen comics.

Amanda Waller holds a severed head in DC Comics.

Black Adam recruiting Legion of Doom for Dark Crisis in DC Comics.

Red Hood looks at a picture of himself as Robin and Batman in DC Comics.

Deadshot threatens Batman in DC Comics.

Lobo appears on a DC Comics cover.

John Constantine appears in Swamp Thing 37.

Comic book art: Catwoman leaps to the left wearing her goggles.

Poison Ivy controls plants in Harleen comic.

Harley Quinn points a gun in DC Comics.