Poison Ivy has discovered the secret to successful supervillain team-ups by manipulating the vanity and survival instincts of her fellow villains. Their self-interests make them easy to exploit, and Poison Ivy's insight sheds new light on past and future collaborations among supervillains. (Image shows supervillains from "Batman: The Animated Series" gathering around a card table)
Poison Ivy, an iconic Batman villain, has cracked the code for successful supervillain team-ups. In issue #18 of Poison Ivy by G. Willow Wilson and Luana Vecchio, she reveals that villains team up because of their vanity and survival instincts. By exploiting these traits, Ivy can manipulate her comrades to work for her. This explanation re-contextualizes past and future supervillain collaborations, shedding new light on the dynamics of Gotham's rogues gallery.The previous issue of Poison Ivy #17 ended with the title character, Poison Ivy, and her friend Killer Croc creating an antidote to stop a zombie infestation that Ivy had begun. They were unexpectedly attacked by zombies, but received help from Solomon Grundy, a resident of Slaughter Swamp. After eradicating the zombies, Ivy convinces Grundy to join her team by appealing to his vanity and survival instincts. This understanding of how villains exploit each other for team-ups gives readers insight into past and future villain team-ups. Poison Ivy #18, written by G. Willow Wilson and illustrated by Luana Vecchio, is now available from DC Comics.