Like Donna Troy , aka Wonder Girl, Duela Dent's true identity and back ground took decades to be revealed or come up with a "TRUE" workable background story. Duela had many identities over the years, and claimed to be the daughter of nearly all of DC's Criminal Super Villains. However her first identity as THE JOKERS DAUGHTER, would turn out nearer to the truth than even SHE knew.
When Duela first came onto the scene, it was as The Joker's daughter, and that is who she claimed to be, Bat-man's number one foe's little girl. This claim and the Costume ( a complete copy of what the Joker then wore ) made sense. During her first outing as the Joker's Daughter Duela made claims she had stolen an important manuscript to Robin, and invited him to catch her. When Robin did catch up with her, he found that she had lied and had not stolen anything. Also he realised that she had become obsessed with him, and that she may not be the villain she confessed to be.
Acting like a Bad Girl ! |
When she again appeared on the scene, she claimed to be the Daughter of Cat-Woman, and Two Face, and The Penguin, and The Scarecrow and The Riddler. Again some of this information turned out to be true or true - ish. Duela's obsession with the Boy Wonder continued until she was able to un mask him and reveal his true identity. However, Robin also had worked out who The Joker's Daughter really was, and it was Duela Dent, daughter of Harvey Dent aka Two Face. Again this made sense, but would turn out to be wrong - ish too.
Anyway, after Duela had helped the Titans beat one of their foes, Robin asked Duela to join the Team. This was more to keep an eye on her, as he was getting fed up with her causing mayhem to him due to her unnatural attraction to him.
Duela accepted the position on the Team, but decided that working with a new group of heroes warranted a NEW Identity. Thus the Harlequin was born. As the Harlequin, Duela made a good addition to the team, however, her unstable behaviour and strange ways made her unpopular with some members of the Titans.
Duela a True Hero at Last. |
Duela remained on the team until they disbanded again. After which she some what disappeared. She would resurface many years later as a guest at Donna Troy's wedding, when it suddenly hit Robin, that Duela could not be the Daughter of Two face, as she was too old. To what was the true identity of Duela Dent, and why she did not know who she was either for certain remained a mystery for many years to come.
It was later announced that Duela Dent was in fact a person who had been displaced in time and space, and was not from Earth 1 (DC's Main Universe)..... she had been born on Earth 3.... a World where the heroes of Earth 1 are Villains and the Villains are Heroes. Very complicated, but as far as I know Duela's Father was Jackie Napier, The Jokester and her mother Evelyn Dent aka Three Face, although Duela's mother kept her pregnancy secret and went on to marry the Earth 3's Riddler. However, when Duela fell in love with Owl-man's side kick Talon, the Earth 3's versions of Batman & Robin who were Super Villains, Duela's parents disowned her. How and why she ended up on Earth 1 is still a mystery, but it appears this phasing back and forward to both worlds caused certain mental issues for Duela, which would account for her unstable behaviour. Yes in her mind she was a hero, and Daughter of two Heroes, and a Step father who was a hero. ie a heroric version of Joker, 2 Face and the Riddler .. But she found herself living on a World where they were villains, and her boyfriend Talon, who was a villain, on her world was a Hero on this AND in this case was Robin. So she was right to claim to be the Daughter of The Joker, 2 Face and The Riddler, but not the ones that everyone else knew. So her attraction to Robin came from her Earth 3 lover Talon who she had wanted to marry,
Anyway, Duela would only know who she was when she was on her own Earth, but when she phased from her home to the Earth that the Teen Titans existed, some of the details and information got muddled.
Duela's jumping from one world to another would be the cause of her Death, as she was finally annihilated from existence by a Monitor who believed that her dimensional jumps to Earth 1 was causing too many anomalies, and as a result he killed her to stop any further transgressions.
All in all, Duela Dent may have been many things.....She could be dangerous at times as her multiple personalities spiked from passive to chaotic to dam right Kookie..... but she was a Hero and a passionate member of the Teen Titans after all was said and done.
Duela Dent was originally written to be a throw away character, a foil for Robin's solo career, but after many years and many writers, she became a lynch pin in what became known as COUNTDOWN Mini Series of 2007.
Duela Loves Robbie ! But will the Real Duela Dent please Stand Up ! |
Next time another New Lady Joins the Team, and this one Stings !
Until Next Time ENJOY !
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