Poison Ivy (Batman & Robin)

''This page is about the incarnation of Poison Ivy from the Joel Schumacher's movie. The mainstream version can be found here: Poison Ivy.''

"I am Nature's arm. Her spirit. Her will. Hell, I am Mother Nature, and the time has come for plants to take back the world so rightfully ours because it's not nice to fool with Mother Nature!"

- Poison Ivy after her transformation.

Poison Ivy is one of the two main antagonists of the critically despised 1997 superhero film Batman & Robin, the other being Mr. Freeze. She is half-woman and half-plant who is an exceptionally seductive and nefarious eco-terrorist seeking floral world domination. Just as her name indicated, her exterior was as beautiful as ivy, but her interior was as deadly as poison.

She was portrayed by Uma Thurman.

Personality
This incarnation of Poison Ivy is a much more sexually provocative seductress while her connection and control of plants - while still present - is given limited screen time, showing her once able to control plant growth and issue them orders with ease. She frequently uses her irresistible looks and seduction to get what she wants, becoming the epitome of a vamp. She has no qualms when it comes to murder either, even displaying some personal enjoyment from it.

Poison Ivy displays a very vain side to her also, taking great pleasure and care in her own appearance and the attention it brings her. Though this is likely due to how much of a boon it is to her, her unrivaled beauty often being enough to seduce the average male in order to lower his defenses in his desire of her (which she's not only quite aware of, but also eager to exploit).

Poison Ivy was used to using her beauty to seduce her way into getting what she wanted. She lured her victims in with flirts before delivering them a fateful kiss. However, she showed a side that she wasn't good with the few times she was rejected. When Batman resisted her, she simply tried to have Bane kill him and focused all her attention on seducing Robin. Later, after discovering that Robin had tricked her into revealing her plan after their kiss, after she believed that he was completely in love with her, she angrily shoved him from the throne they were sharing and into the pond to drown him instead of trying to force a second kiss on him, then tauntingly told him bye as if to break up with him.

In the end, everything Ivy does is to further her own ends even going as far as to attempt to murder her partner-in-crime, Mr. Freeze's wife (the very partner she broke out of prison nevertheless) in order to make him pliable to her own desires. Poison by name. Poison by her very nature.

Life, Death, rebirth, and revenge served with a kiss
Ivy began her career as Dr. Pamela Isley working in the jungles of South America in an "Arboreal Preservation Project" funded by Wayne Enterprises. Like her villainous persona, she aspired to give plants and flowers the means to fight back against the "thoughtless ravages of men" but lacked the means to do so. After stumbling across her partner Dr. Jason Woodrue's plans for world domination, using her research materials to do so, she is quickly discovered by Woodrue and dragged back into her lab by him.



He tries to get her to join him in his conquest, saying that he owes it to her research and that they can rule together. Disgusted by what he has used her research for, she rejects him (by telling him he “won’t be able to get a job teaching high school chemistry”) and calls him a psycho, and he kills her in response by pushing her into venom samples, the chemicals cooking the ground and burying her into the soil.

Later, Woodrue talks on the phone in Isley's old work area and disturbs her natural grave, now growing ivy over it. Suddenly, the ground rumbles and boils with supernatural force, glowing with eerie pink light. Upon inspecting it the ground erupts expelling Isley who had was in hibernation rather than dead. A far cry from her previous appearance Isley now bloomed with irresistible beauty and beguiling charm. Easily seducing the smitten Woodrue, Isley seduced him into sharing a long, passionate kiss with her. Upon finishing she revealed the now-toxic nature of her lips and within moments he died, choking to death on the natural venom corroding his organs. With a henchman of Woodrue's creation, Bane, in tow Isley declared the world belonged to the plants and herself, deeming herself "Mother Nature" thanks to the new form her former persona's death had given her. She burned her lab to the ground and left for Gotham City.

Ivy in Gotham City


Leaving the lab and her former life burning in her wake, Ivy moves to Gotham City to seek support — legitimate or otherwise — for her war against mankind. At the airport, Bane hospitalized ten security guards; Ivy killed a business man with her kiss and stole his limousine (offscreen). Under the guise of her former persona Dr. Pamela Isley she ambushes her former boss Bruce Wayne, Wayne Enterprise's CEO, at a press event to have him help her in her plans by having him stop all projects that poison the environment. After brief consideration he rejects the proposal, reasoning the cost of human life would be too great to allow for it. Angered, Isley proclaims that the plants will reclaim the planet and that there would no one to protect them. Her mad proclamations are laughed off by the press and she is explained to that in Gotham City Batman and Robin are protecting them — even from plants and flowers. Attempting to soften the blow, Wayne gives Isley an invitation to an upcoming event (a "Save the Rainforest" themed ball) where the duo would appear if she wished to meet them. Leaving quietly, Isley decided to take him up on the invitation, declaring to rid herself of the pests and leaving Gotham hers for the greening.

"Poison Ivy"


True to her intentions, Isley makes her presence known to Batman and at the ball, gate-crashing the party with a literally show-stopping performance before a captive audience. On top of a tribal-themed "mouth" overlooking the crowd, adorned in a fluffy magenta gorilla costume, she performed a seductive strip-tease, revealing herself as the red-haired leafy poison-lipped goddess that killed Jason Woodrue. Dousing the crowd - and the Dynamic Duo, her intended targets - with concentrated pheromones (which she referred to as "love-dust"), Isley had the room thoroughly enraptured by her. Making her way down to the stage where Batman and Robin waited, Isley introduced herself to her adoring masses as "Poison Ivy".

Pleasantries over, Poison Ivy turned her attentions to Batman and Robin. She seduced them both in turn with her love-dust and her seductively poisonous charms, offering them sexual pleasures while whispering insults about them behind their back, making each think she preferred them. She then takes the Heart of Isis necklace and puts herself up for bidding, offering an evening of her company for the winner, saying that whoever won would be able to see her how she was at the moment, and that she would also get naked for the winner. This causes the Dynamic Duo to both begin bidding for her, inciting them to fight one another for her affections. Pleased to see her plan to tear the duo apart was already working, Ivy attempted to drive the wedge between them even further by mockingly asking if they were going to start a fight over her. Before she can take matters further, however, her designs are thwarted with the untimely arrival of Mr. Freeze causing the pair to combat him rather themselves. Freeze eventually approaches Ivy and demands the Heart of Isis from her, which she is forced to do after her love-dust has no effect on Freeze. Watching Freeze, Ivy took note of his ruthless strength, intent on possibly using him to help further her own devices. With Batman and Robin in pursuit of an escaping Freeze, Ivy took her leave as well, but not before blowing a kiss to an enamored Robin, keeping her in his thoughts and planting a seed of desire for her, which she would capitalize on later.

Creating her own Garden of Eden, A Proposal
Ivy and Bane made their way to the abandoned Turkish Baths, where they confronted by the Gollum Gang, Ivy challenges them to get her. Bane made them flee for their live after making them fly off a wooden plank they were all standing on. Redecorating the place, Ivy plants seeds then plants started to instantly grow. Ivy then planned to break Freeze out of Arkham Asylum. Ivy infiltrated Arkham Asylum in an effort to break out Freeze, who had recently been incarcerated there. While Bane recovered his equipment, Ivy lied her way into the prison, claiming to be his 'sister'. Gaining her entry into Freeze's cell under the pretense of visit Ivy went to work. Immediately upon seeing Ivy the stationed guards in his cell were smitten with her. Sheepishly, one of them told Ivy to not mind them and converse freely with Freeze. Repulsed by him, Poison Ivy responded with a dose of her love-dust, further enamoring him. Flirting as she dosed the second guard too, Ivy claimed she "didn't mind him at all". With both guards under her spell she remarked to Freeze the absurdity of them as she led them away from the door deeper into the cell like lovesick puppies to Freeze's curiosity. Stopping under a light Ivy playfully basks in their deep affection for her for a brief moment as she seduces them both before turning her focus on one. Seductively remarking how she's "to die for" Ivy leans in towards one of the guards, with her lips puckered for a kiss. Eagerly he offers no resistance as Ivy plants her lips on his and steals his life away with a brief poison kiss. Immediately upon removing her lips from his he begins to choke, succumbing to the poison rushing through his body. Before the other guard can even comprehend what happened Ivy grabs him by the face and pulls him forward, forcing a rough kiss on him and causing him to struggle as he feels the toxin permeate his body in her ferocity. The deed done, Poison Ivy ends the kiss and the hapless guard slumps down dead. Freeze expresses his admiration of her abilities. Ivy proposes a pairing between them, offering to set him free as an incentive. Cautiously he asks what she wants from him in return but she turns the conversation to other things. With little choice he accepts her offer and with their combined forces they break out of his cell. Freeze notes his suit is low on power though and says they must travel to his hideout and retrieve his power source and his wife. Ivy becomes enraged upon hearing that Freeze is married, but before they can discuss the topic any further the three escape into the Gotham River.

Breaking the Duo
The trio made for Freeze's hideout to pick up some things of Freeze's, along with his terminally-ill wife whom he had frozen in stasis until he can find a cure for her disease. Unfortunately, Freeze's escape had reached the Dynamic Duo and they were there along with the police. Both parties split-up with Poison Ivy and Bane distracting Batman and Robin, as well as rescuing his wife while Freeze recovered his much-needed power diamonds from the police. Luring them to the basement with the scent of her love-dust, Ivy seduced one of the pair, starting with Robin while Bane held off Batman. Now knowing of her evil nature, Robin tried to stop her and place her under arrest but Ivy was unfazed by the young hero's attempt to intimidate her, seducing him with her love-dust and silencing him into a love-struck stupor. Reinforcing her influence over the young hero Ivy offered to kiss him, Robin offering no resistance to her. Without waiting for Robin to answer, Ivy held him by the chin and leaned in, with Robin slowly tilting his head forward to meet her approaching lips. Before they could get far, Bane knocked Batman to the floor nearby, snapping them out of their moment. Robin, momentarily breaking of Ivy's spell, picked himself up and faced off against Bane in his mentor's stead while Ivy's attentions turned to Batman. Slowly approaching him and blowing her dust in his face, she pinned him to the floor and flirted with him. Deciding to cut the sweet-talk short, Ivy slowly leaned in towards Batman and attempted to kiss him.

Unfortunately, Batman was a much more stronger-willed opponent than Robin and despite being pinned down by her he was wily to her charms and stopped her from trying to kiss him, pushing her off him and grabbing her by the arm. Before Batman could arrest Ivy however Bane saved her by attacking him from behind. As Bane held Batman, Ivy gave Batman a quick hug and asked him to not make a mess when he died. While they resumed their battle Ivy sought out Robin, whom Bane had momentarily defeated. Waiting till he was on his feet she resumed her seduction of him blowing yet another dose of her love-dust in his face and backed him against a nearby railing. Preying on his heroic ego and her past seductive efforts, Poison Ivy made him fall completely in love with her, disregarding her villainous identity and over-powering his better judgement. She spoke to him of moving out of Batman's shadow and being his own man with his own "Robin-signal". She convinced him that he no longer needed Batman, and she could help show him the way. At her mercy, Ivy wrapped her arms around Robin's neck, holding him in a hug, and moved in to kiss him with his defenses all but deteriorated.

Unfortunately for her Batman stopped them, moments before their lips could meet. Knowing that Batman was onto her Ivy made moves to escape as Batman tried to explain why she was so dangerous but thanks to her charms the spell on Robin was indefinite and he fought Batman over her "honour" to Ivy's amusement—not believing his claims of her "poison kiss". Because of this, Ivy and Bane escaped unchallenged with the distracted crime-fighters too busy with one another to pursue them. In his misplaced anger, Robin cuts his ties with Batman due to the villainess's manipulations of his now-fragile emotions, truly believing Poison Ivy loved him as he did her. Before she left however Ivy pulled the plug on Freeze's wife leaving her to die so that Freeze would be easily manipulated by her with no "competition" as she put it. Returning to her now-blooming garden lair Ivy told the waiting of his wife's death- claiming that Batman deactivated her. Freeze angrily accused her of lying until Ivy gave him proof- a necklace she scavenged from the woman's corpse. As expected by her manipulation, Freeze flew into a rage proclaiming to kill Batman and Robin in revenge. Using his grief and anger, Ivy twisted him into turning his wrath to the entire world, in turn giving her free reign to rule the world with her mutated plants, a natural by-product of her own creation, leaving them the only two humans left in the world. Brimming with vengeance and evil Freeze agreed. With a plan already concocted Freeze ordered Ivy to distract the Bat and Bird while he prepared to freeze Gotham City. Eager to help, Ivy set out with a plan of her own.

Guiding Light
Under the guise of Pamela Isley one last time, she attended the unveiling of a new telescope Bruce Wayne had donated to the Gotham Observatory. Hidden amongst the crowd she singled out Commissioner Gordon. Inquiring about the whereabouts of the Bat-signal she seduced him with love-dust disguised in a ivy-leaf shaped compact make-up case. Effective on the older gentleman she pressed him regarding access to it. Falling for the bait, the smitten police officer produced the keys to it, offering to show it her. Languidly blowing more dust into his face she took the keys from him and left him reeling, briefly toying with the idea to kiss him but deciding against it (claiming him to be too old for her). With that she left the observatory and made for the Bat-signal's location. At her command Bane ripped the light from it's point of origin and has it taken to her lair where she changes the signal from a bat to a bird. Once the signal is repaired, Ivy activates it and shines the light proudly in the sky, the Bat-signal now the Robin-signal. Smirking at her work, Ivy prepares for the next part of her plan, to lure Robin to her lair, in a final effort to seduce and murder him.

A Kiss For Luck
Robin responds to the call as she knew he would having alluded sending a Robin-signal for him in her last seduction of him. She waited deep inside her lair and as he drew to the heart she revealed herself; a great bud opened where she lay voluptuously for him within a massive flower at the end of a lily-pad strewn pond; the mistress of all she surveyed, she looked more beautiful then ever, wearing a new red dress, a new hairstyle and removing her "mask" of ivy leaves all just for Robin. Beckoning him to her Robin made his way across the pond. Laying down beside her, Ivy began to seduce the sidekick once more. Robin tries to pry information about Freeze from her in an effort to find out whether she can be trusted, while she flirts with him in an attempt to get him to kiss her. Laying a hand on Robin's back and leaning forward Ivy tells Robin to kiss her and she'll tell him Freeze's plan. Telling her he'll kiss her if she tells him first, Ivy tells him Freeze's plan with belief that he won't live to make use of the knowledge. After she divulges the info Robin tries to take leave, hurriedly reasoning that he has to stop him. But before he can escape Ivy quickly grabs him and pulls him back to her and innocently strokes his chin with a finger, tenderly cooing "One kiss, my love. For luck..." curling a devilish, seductive smile on her lips. Alone and unable to resist her, Robin silently submits to her charms, nodding in agreement to her request. At her mercy at last, Poison Ivy lays a hand on the hero's face and languidly leans in for a kiss, Robin following suit and closes his eyes. Ivy smirks evilly to herself as their lips finally meet and drops morbidly as they share a passionate kiss.

Ivy Wilted
Poison Ivy gives Robin the most passionate, romantic kiss she has ever given anyone, with him kissing her back with equal loving force, putting all his feeling for her into one kiss. The two moan deep into their lip-lock, enjoying the quiet romantic moment together. After only a brief moment though, Ivy pulls away from their kiss and reveals with mock-"sadness" her true, deadly nature to him, while rubbing noses with him and gently stroking his chin, and gleefully condemns him to his quickly-coming death, smirking at Robin in victory. Unfortunately for her, Robin had been playing along with her from the very moment he stepped into her lair and was prepared for her. Wearing a protective film on his own lips rendered him immune from the deadly effects of her poison, allowing him to survive a kiss from her. Momentarily stunned by the revelation, Ivy angrily glared at Robin, the romantic mood between the two of them destroyed by the two of them revealing their lies and mistrust. Ivy was humiliated that the Boy Wonder had not only outsmarted her, but had beaten her at her own game of seduction, and had successfully stolen a kiss from her. Snarling with rage, Ivy lunged forward, catching Robin off-guard, and shoved Robin away from her. Robin lost his balance and tumbled off her throne and into the lily pond, leaving him to the underwater vines to drown him. Ivy walked away from her throne with a smirk and mockingly waved goodbye to the drowning hero, taunting him "See ya!" as she passed him, rubbing in that she was "breaking up with him" and ending their would-be relationship. Trying to escape Ivy is stopped in her tracks by Batman, whom had apparently came with Robin, but Ivy quickly incapacitated him the help of her plants. After briefly taunting him she made moves to leave once again before a third figure, an unknown Bat-costumed woman, Batgirl, broke through a skylight and confronted her. Ivy tried to defeat her but was unable to match her opponent's fighting prowess, ending up on her backside from a swift kick. While on the ground, Batgirl accused her of using feminine wiles and her looks to get what she wanted. Poison Ivy unabashedly agreed to this claim, with Batgirl retorting with disgust: "Chicks like you give women a bad name." Ivy then leaped to her feet and tried to tie her up with some vines and gloatingly revealed she killed the wife of Freeze. But Batgirl snapped the vines from her hands and flipped her over on her back. Ivy then pulled out a switchblade and intended to stab Batgirl with it, but she was quickly disarmed and kicked multiple times, knocking her into her own flower-bed that she and Robin had flirted on. The petals of the flower bed close over her, supposedly crushing the villainess. Ivy was left in this condition thereafter for the police until her eventual incarceration at Arkham Asylum. We last see Poison Ivy in a disheveled and maddened state plucking the petals of a flower sadly playing the old "loves me, loves me not" game. She's interrupted by the surprise emergence of Mr. Freeze within her cell. Originally pleased to see her "partner-in-crime" she quickly learns that he knows that it was her who had tried to kill his wife. With that he declares that he has come to make her life a living hell, to her stunned horror, what Freeze then did to her is unknown but as anyone can imagine, it couldn't have been pleasant. One possibility is that he's torturing her.

Powers and Abilities
With her death and rebirth Poison Ivy's body was changed to the point where she was technically not even human anymore and gave her plant-themed traits as a result and a dynamic change in personality strengthening her capabilities by a significant margin.

Powers
Poisonous Lips/Toxikinesis: The most prominent and deadly feature of Ivy's "rejuvenated" body was the change to her lips. In addition to a luscious and bold upgrade in appearance they were capable of secreting a potent and deadly poison which like all poison was potentially to deadly when swallowed orally. This trait made Ivy's lips into a murderous weapon that made her kisses fatal to anyone whom shared one with her. As this was the only real way for Ivy to effective harm someone it became her most favoured weapon next to her seductive prowess serving as the main tool she attempted to use to destroy Batman and Robin. Thus making her kiss her weapon of choice.

Chlorokinesis: Unlike her other version this incarnation of Poison Ivy seldom used her talent to control plant-life save for a few moments in the film but displayed enough control to hinder Batman and Robin in her final moments as a villain. The plant-life she bred seemed to have a loving and loyal connection to her as a child is to a mother and appeared to be protective of her as such. Her plants seemed to follow her emotions and will. When Robin arrived at Ivy's lair they helped set the romantic mood as Ivy tried to seduce Robin, but after Robin revealed that he had tricked Ivy she angrily shoved him and her plants immediately tried to drown him.

Abilities
Botany: Carried over from her life as Pamela Isley, Poison Ivy used her skill as a doctor of botany to further her plans, specifically to dominate the world for all plant-life.

Pheromone Control: As a further extension of her skill in botany Ivy was able to extract plant pheromones and utilize them as a weapon; namely her trademark "Love-dust". This skill proved to be as welcome to her arsenal as her poisonous lips were often going hand in hand with one another. The love-dust had a crippling effect on the male victim make the subject fall in love with Ivy to the point where they become vegetative in their desire for her and susceptible to her charms. This proved most dangerous for Batman and Robin as not even they were immune to it at first, with Robin being especially lucky to survive his first encounters with her as he did not possess Batman's strength of will.

Seduction: With a new body and a sensual new personality Ivy was a keen and natural flirt. As Poison Ivy she had a wealth of shameless confidence Isley could only dream of, eagerly and playfully commanding a room as the center of attention with a few words and a smile. Combined with her stunning appearance Ivy was a deadly force to be reckoned with even without her love-dust. For example; When she was reborn, Jason Woodrue was smitten with her newfound beauty and even feel to his knees. Using her beauty to her advantage, she seduced Woodrue into kissing her. Ivy seemed to become very reliant on her ability to seduce men and didn't think it was possible for anyone to see through her charms once she had seduced them, which left her vulnerable to Robin, who tricked her into telling him her plan when she believed he was still in love with her.

Beauty: With her gorgeous facial features and shapely figure, Poison Ivy was an otherworldly yet natural beauty who turned heads and left onlookers stunned even before she reached for her love-dust. Coupled with her arrogance-bordering confidence and playful tendency to flirt, she was the epitome of a siren to the male sex. Hence, in some cases, Ivy did not even need her love-dust to entice a victim. With her irresistible beauty, Ivy is a force to be reckoned with. While seducing Batman and Robin, she offered sexual pleasures. If naked, men would be completely under her spell (she was not naked in the film).

Quotes
"The animal-plant toxins had a rather unique effect on me. They replaced my blood with aloe, my skin with chlorophyll, and filled my lips... With venom. Oh, and Jason, one other thing. I probably should've mentioned this earlier. I'm... poison."

- Poison Ivy kissing Jason Woodrue

"Coming Bane, darling. We have a plane to catch."

- Ivy after destroying the lab

"I have here a proposal showing how Wayne Enterprises can immediately cease all actions that toxify our environment. Forget the stars. Look here at the Earth, our mother, our womb. She deserves your loyalty and protection. And, yet, you spoil her lands. Poison her oceans! Blacken her skies! You're killing her!"

- Poison Ivy disguised as Dr. Pamela Isley to Bruce Wayne

"Mammals. A day of reckoning is coming. That's right. The same plants and flowers that saw you crawl from the primordial soup will reclaim this planet. And there will be no one to protect you!"

- Ivy as Isley to the news media

"Batman and Robin. Militant arm of the warm-blooded oppresses. Animal protectors of the status quo. First, I'll rid myself of the fur and feathered pests and then Gotham will be mine for the greening."

- Poison Ivy after being invited to the rainforest ball

"Poison Ivy: Hi there. Announcer: And you are? Poison Ivy: Poison... Poison Ivy."

- Poison Ivy making her entrance at the ball

"Why not send Junior home early? I've got some wild oats to sow. On the other hand, youth does have its advantages: endurance, stamina. Forget the geriatric Bat, come join me. My garden needs tending."

- Poison Ivy seducing Batman and Robin

"Some lucky boy's about to hit the honey pot. I'll include an evening of my company for the winner. I'll bring everything you see here plus, everything you don't."

- Poison Ivy to the auctioneers

Trivia

 * Even though Batman & Robin was harshly received, Uma Thurman's Poison Ivy had unanimous praise.
 * So far, Uma Thurman is the first actress to portray Poison Ivy. For Gotham City Sirens set in the D.C. Extended Universe, there are rumors of Megan Fox possibly portraying Poison Ivy.
 * In the Lego Movie continuity, Poison Ivy later joins Joker's team called "The Rogues".
 * Her character arc bears a striking resemblance to that of Catwoman's from Batman Returns. Both ladies are implicated in a plot where their boss practices an illegal activity and are then killed to silence them, but instead they rise from the dead and kill their bosses and have even more diabolical schemes of their own. Batman also remarks to Ivy after his experience with Catwoman and now seeing Ivy as just as insane; "Why are all the gorgeous ones homicidal maniacs?"