Blackgate Prison
Journal: Harleen Quinzel M.D
September 10, 1992
Day: One.
This is day one of my required journal entries assigned by Gotham state. Today I was assigned a new case, that of the self-proclaimed "Clown Prince of Crime," Joker. As soon as I heard they assigned him to me I was very excited. Getting through to the joker would be a great resume builder. I would be famous in the psychiatric community! Joker is one of the most puzzling characters ever brought into Blackgate. He hasn't said much since he got here. He was beat to a bloody pulp upon arrival and was unconscious only occasionally gaining consciousness to incoherently babble about Batman and how he will get him to "see the funny side" and all that. My associates gossip all the time about the joker. They say that he is evil and manipulative and that he makes your worst nightmares seem insignificant by comparison. I caught a brief glimpse of him from far away. He didn't seem very intimidating, but that might have mostly been because he was strapped down on a gurney in a neck brace and covered in bandages.
Batman is a pretty big deal around here due to his aptitude for catching the deadliest street thugs and putting them away. Whenever he does bring someone in they are almost always close to death. I think he could use a little restraint in his methods of justice. Joker is apparently his deadliest foe and the one we know least about. Every other prisoner or "villain" as some have put it, appear black and white in comparison to Joker. No one knows his origin or even his real name. I've studied up on him and believe I'm prepared for anything. We are having our first session tomorrow and I hope to figure out what happened to him and how I can help him get back on the road to sanity.
Doctor Harleen Quinzel signing off.
Blackgate Prison
Journal: Harleen Quinzel M.D
September 11, 1992
Day: Two.
My first session with the joker was very intimidating. When I walked into the room I saw him lying on the couch in his restraints. He was expecting me and greeted me with a wide smile. I noticed his striking green eyes. They looked sad and lonely even when he was smiling. I told him my name. He said, "Harleen Quinzel. What a beautiful name. Rework it a bit and you get Harley Quinn like the Harlequin clown! Mind if I call you Harley?" I said sure. I told him that it was a pleasure to meet him and that I was there to help and that he would undergo a psychiatric evaluation in order to rehabilitate him.
He told me that I reminded him of his mother, that I, like her always wanted to help others even when no one else would. He began telling me about his childhood and how his mother died when he was young. When his mother died his father started drinking and abused Joker daily, "he blamed me for her death you see." The only time Joker saw his dad happy after his mother's death was on a trip to the circus. Joker remembered the clowns and their silly jokes and one morning he ran out to his father with his best pants around his ankles and said "look at me" and accidently tore the crotch out of the pants when he tripped. Then his dad hit him so hard he broke his nose. Joker laughed about it and said "but hey, that's the downside of comedy. You're always taking shots from people who just don't get the joke. Like my dad, or Batman."
That's where our session ended. He said goodbye to me and I politely thanked him for his time "wherelse can I go?" he replied. As his cell door shut behind me I reflected on our talk. He didn't seem like that bad of a guy. His story was sad and he was polite and made me chuckle with his attempt at comedy as a child. There may be more to the joker than meets the eye.
-Harleen Quinzel
Blackgate Prison
Journal: Harleen Quinzel M.D
September 12, 1992
Day: Three.
Today's session was very interesting and peculiar. Here is an excerpt of the transcript from today's session:
Joker: "Memory's a bitch."
Me: "What do you mean by that?"
Joker: "There's nothing so cruel as memory. The pointy, bitey little thunderbolts. Unwanted party crashers, screamers through your synapses. Inescapable, unrelenting...not at all friendly. You can't even escape into madness! And then you meet someone who changes your life."
Me: "So you've met someone special?" (Could he mean me?)
Joker: "Yes. And you might say it's changed everything."
Me: "So who is this person?"
Joker: "Why you Harley. You've changed my life forever. I care for you very deeply and want only to see you with a smile on your face." (I blush)
End Transcript.
Me? I changed his life! It's quite common for patients to fall for their psychiatrists but it's very rare that these feelings are reciprocated. The more we talk the more I fall for him! It's very unprofessional for a doctor to fall in love with their patient but maybe this is how I can help Joker by giving him someone to confide in, someone to love.
-Harley
Blackgate Prison
Journal: Harleen Quinzel M.D
September 13, 1992
Day: Four.
I asked Joker to do some word association. The first word was Murder, "gleeful", destruction, "captivating", Batman, "scary, a party pooper, not at all funny." It soon became clear to me that the Joker was merely a tortured soul tormented by Batman. All Joker wanted was someone to laugh at his jokes. Batman is the problem, determined to make life miserable for my angel. Poor thing has had a terrible, sad life. I will do whatever it takes to help my puddin.
-Harley
(Written on a piece of paper Harley dropped in Joker's cell)
Dear Diary,
It's Joelina. My body is going through changes. I am developing facial hair and giant muscles! Just kidding… I don't have muscles! HAHAHAHA. It's been a week now and I'm stringing the blonde bimbo along. Two days ago I got her to take off my shackles! What a dumbass! When I first met her I could tell she was inexperienced so I told her my sob story. The one about my mom dying and my alcoholic dad! Now I know it's not very creative but boy do people fall for it! Gets 'em every time! Little Harl, my little blonde skank from heaven!
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!
Blackgate Prison
Journal: Harleen Quinzel M.D
October 1, 1992
Day: The first day of the rest of my life!
It was a week that my precious angel, my puddin escaped. He was all alone out there running from the law. I was so worried. When he came back he was in the worst shape I've ever seen him in. He was near death and was put into a full body cast. Poor sweetie. This is all Batman's fault! I'll kill him for what he's done to my puddin! But first I'm gonna get Mr. J outta here and nurse him back to health!
End of Journal Entries!
That night I went to a costume shop looking for an outfit to save Mister J in. I wasn't sure what my style was, "rework it a bit and you get Harley Quinn like the Harlequin clown!" That's it! I saw a red and black Harlequin jumpsuit. I also purchased a novelty oversized wooden mallet and a pop gun just in case. I got into Joker's cell using my card and, "say hello to your new and improved Harley Quinn!" Joker lit up with surprise and appreciation. "Why Harley look at you. Daddy's little girl all grown up!" I helped Joker out of Blackgate as he was still very injured from his recent brush with Batman. I had hired some goons I freed from Blackgate to drive us to an abandoned carnival and we were home free! "Oh Harley I always knew you would do terrible things! Hehehehe…*cough*...haha." "Oh Puddin you're in so much pain. Look at what the bat did to you. Don't worry we'll make him pay!"
For a month I helped my Puddin regain his strength and expanded our empire. I freed thugs from Blackgate and I did a few burglaries on the side. Luckily I hadn't run into the bat yet. "HARLEY!" "Yes Puddin?" "Harley. We're going on a trip." "Oh goody a trip! Where are we going?" "It's a surprise."
Joker blindfolds me and leads me through a dark and dank old shut down factory. "Can I see where we are now?" Joker removes my blindfold. "Why are we over a green pool?" "Oh this is no ordinary pool snookums. This is where I was born. Well not biologically, more in the spiritual sense. You could say this is where I was reborn, made better. This place put a smile on my face." "Okay but why did you bring me here?" "Think of it as an initiation. This is our engagement to a life of crime together." Oh puddin ever the romantic! "Alright Harley this'll only hurt a lot."
Next thing I know I'm falling. AH! The acid it burns! It feels like my skin if burning off, like I'm decomposing. I can't breath! I can feel myself losing consciousness. Suddenly I hear a smash as a wrecking ball destroys the tank and the acid pours out onto the floor. Joker grabs me and hands me a mirror."Welcome back Harley! You look like you've had a nice refreshing swim. I'd say you look better now. More like my kind of girl." I look into the mirror and see that my skin is bleached and my hair is no longer blonde but black on the right and red on the left. "Oh thanks daddy! I look just like you now!" I give my puddin a great big hug! Why would I thank him for that? It was the worst experience of my life! But oddly it felt good? I must be going crazy! Yep! Oh great now I got an inner monologue!