Batman: The Animated Series – Bios – Pamela Isley, Poison Ivy

Bios – Pamela Isley / Poison Ivy

Voiced By: Diane Pershing
First Appearance: “Pretty Poison”
Position: Villain
Bio: Pamela Lillian Isley was a well-known and highly successful botanist. After learning she has a hyperactive immune system that causes her body reject any infection, poison, or outside contamination, she dons the guise of “Poison Ivy” and begins a career of crime. Those who spurn or commit acts that harm plant life or the environment become the object of the evil affections of Poison Ivy. She is evil yet can be incredibly seductive in luring men to do her bidding. Her crimes are often targeted toward wealthy men. She is known to use poison perfumes and lipstick as well as plant creatures of her own design.

The animated series introduces Poison Ivy as a botanist who works for a cosmetics company developing new fragrances. When she sees then DA Harvey Dent destroy an endangered plant during the ground-breaking ceremony for Stone Gate Prison, he becomes the first object of her evil affections. After almost killing Dent with her poisonous lipstick, she is apprehended by Batman. This incident with Dent causes a great rift between Ivy and Two Face, who has a great animosity toward her. She is known to have an occasional partnership/friendship with Harley Quinn. She is not liked by the various members of the rogues gallery, but is greatly respected.

For more, refer to the The New Batman Adventures bio.

Bonus Bat-fact:Bruce Timm, who frequents The DC Animation Forum here at The World’s Finest, recently revealed this:

Here’s the scoop: it was a rare instance of one of Andrea’s “Outside The Box” ideas not bearing fruit. Singer Melissa Manchester (“Midnight Blue”, “You Should Hear How She Talks About You”) was Ivy at the initial record. We had been talking about Ivy’s voice having a “film noir / femme fatale” quality. Andrea had heard from Ms. Manchester’s agent that she was interested in doing voice acting, and she thought her voice had a sultry quality that fit the “film noir” bill – and we were both fans of her music – and so we gave it a shot. Her voice DID a lovely, mid-range, “smoky” sound, but acting-wise she just wasn’t quite what we wanted. And Dianne was there, she knocked it out of the park, and Bob’s your uncle.