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Plot Summary

Batman and Harley Quinn (2017) Plot Summary Explained

Release, runtime and language
2017 · 74 mins · English
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Directed by
Sam Liu
Starring
Eric Bauza, Rob Paulsen, Melissa Rauch, Kevin Michael Richardson, Mindy Sterling, Kevin Conroy

When Gotham City requires a hero to combat a greater evil, Batman and Nightwing find themselves reluctantly partnering with Harley Quinn, the unpredictable associate of the Joker. They must join forces to thwart a worldwide crisis orchestrated by Poison Ivy and Jason Woodrue, who has become the dangerous Floronic Man. Their unlikely alliance tests loyalties and challenges their methods as they race against time to save the world.

On this page (6)
  1. 1 Where to watch
  2. 2 What happens: full plot
  3. 3 Plot questions answered
  4. 4 Movie threads
  5. 5 Movies like Batman and Harley Quinn
  6. 6 Every angle
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Full plot summary · contains spoilers

What Happens in Batman and Harley Quinn: Full Plot Summary

The whole story of Batman and Harley Quinn (2017) explained, from the opening scene to the final frame: every key event, every twist and what it all adds up to. Read it as a quick recap before the sequel, to check a scene you missed, or to finally understand what really happened.

Batman Kevin Conroy and Nightwing Loren Lester uncover a dangerous alliance between Poison Ivy Paget Brewster and Floronic Man Kevin Michael Richardson, who have stolen data from S.T.A.R. Labs about a Bio-Restorative Project and Swamp Thing. Reluctantly, they decide to track down Harley Quinn Melissa Rauch to learn where the pair is hiding, but Harley has vanished since her parole. Batman entrusts Nightwing with finding Harley while he digs into the criminals’ real objective.

At AR.G.U.S. Headquarters, Batman questions Sarge Steel John DiMaggio about the kidnapping of a scientist named Dr. Harold Goldblum Rob Paulsen, a chemist with expertise in botany and biological warfare. Sarge has no viable leads, but the search resumes as Nightwing tracks Harley to a bustling diner where waitresses dress as superheroes and villains. There, Harley explains she’s trying to leave her criminal past behind and live a normal life, yet her parole status complicates things. A tense confrontation erupts, and Nightwing is knocked out by a weak dose of Joker Gas, revealing the fragility of their uneasy alliance.

Nightwing soon awakens to find himself bound to a bed, while Harley reveals a pile of rejection letters that kept her from being rehired as a psychiatrist. The moment shifts from hostility to a fragile trust, and the pair end up sharing a quiet, intimate connection that deepens into a complicated romance amid the high-stakes threat surrounding them.

Ivy keeps Goldblum close, kissing him every six hours to bend him to her will with pheromones, while Floronic Man laments humanity’s impact on the environment. Their plan is chilling: once their virus activates, every person on the planet could become a plant hybrid, a future they believe will force humanity to go green at any cost.

Batman, Nightwing, and Harley realize Ivy and Woodrue’s scheme could wipe out life as they know it, and they race toward a popular hangout for Ivy’s henchmen to gather intel from her old network, including Shrubby after Harley performs Blondie’s “Hanging on the Telephone.” The trio fights their way past the henchmen as they push toward Blüdhaven, where Ivy is saddened to see Goldblum entangled in their plot.

Back at the scene, Woodrue fatally wounds Goldblum to keep him quiet, and the duo escapes as their lab catches fire. The dying Goldblum reveals that their destination is Wainwright Swamp in Louisiana, where the right chemicals lie to complete the transformation. Contacting AR.G.U.S., Batman, Nightwing, and Harley race after them to persuade Ivy to abandon the plan, aware it could extinguish life on Earth. Harley resorts to tears and emotional appeal, swaying Ivy away from catastrophe as Swamp Thing reveals himself and warns Woodrue that he will not interfere, yet hints at the peril looming over the Green.

With the crisis narrowing, Batman and Nightwing search for a way to stop Woodrue, and Harley’s pointed suggestion—that Woodrue is a plant—leads to a bold idea. The trio shares a grateful moment with Harley, who earns a small reward for her role: Batman and Nightwing kiss her on the cheek as Woodrue is set aflame to end the threat.

In a post-credits tease, Harleen Quinzel has reinvented herself as the host of a reality television game show called “Ask Dr. Quinzel,” where contestants race through an elaborate obstacle course to win a year of professional therapy.

Last updated: October 01, 2025 at 13:06

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Plot questions answered

Batman and Harley Quinn Plot Explained: Your Questions Answered

The questions people ask most about Batman and Harley Quinn (2017): what happens in the confusing scenes, why the characters do what they do, the twists, hidden details and what the ending means. Each answer contains spoilers.

Q1

Why does Harley Quinn knock out Nightwing with Joker Gas?

Harley uses Joker Gas on Nightwing to escape his interrogation. When Nightwing tracks her down at the Superbabes restaurant and pressures her to return to crime by helping track down Ivy and Floronic Man, she refuses. She asserts she wants a normal life and uses the gas as a desperate measure to prevent being dragged back into her criminal past, though it's described as a weak dose.

  • joker gas
  • nightwing
  • harley quinn
  • escape
  • interrogation
Q2

How does Poison Ivy control Dr. Goldblum?

Poison Ivy uses her pheromones to mind-control Dr. Goldblum by kissing him every six hours. This allows her to force the kidnapped scientist to help with their plan to replicate Swamp Thing's plant transformation process. The pheromone kisses keep him compliant and under her complete control.

  • poison ivy
  • dr. goldblum
  • pheromones
  • mind control
  • kidnapping
Q3

Why does Floronic Man kill Dr. Goldblum?

Woodrue kills Dr. Goldblum to prevent him from revealing any information that could help Batman and Nightwing track them. With the heroes closing in on their Blüdhaven location, Woodrue fatally wounds Goldblum to keep him quiet and eliminate the risk of him talking under interrogation or pressure.

Foreshadowing: Earlier, Batman questions Sarge Steel about the kidnapped scientist, establishing Goldblum as a key figure whose knowledge makes him a liability.

  • floronic man
  • jason woodrue
  • dr. goldblum
  • murder
  • silence
Q4

How does Batman defeat Floronic Man?

Batman defeats Floronic Man by setting him on fire. Harley points out that since Woodrue has become a plant hybrid, fire is his weakness. With Swamp Thing warning Woodrue that he won't intervene, Batman uses this to their advantage and sets Woodrue ablaze, destroying him and preventing the virus from spreading.

  • batman
  • floronic man
  • jason woodrue
  • fire
  • defeat
  • plant weakness
Q5

Why does Poison Ivy agree to stop her plan?

Poison Ivy stops her plan after Harley emotionally appeals to their friendship, using tears and personal pleading. Harley reminds Ivy of their past relationship and convinces her that wiping out humanity would also destroy everything Ivy loves about the natural world. This emotional appeal sways Ivy away from catastrophe.

  • poison ivy
  • harley quinn
  • emotional appeal
  • friendship
  • stop plan
Q6

What does Swamp Thing's warning to Floronic Man mean?

Swamp Thing warns Woodrue that he will not interfere in the confrontation, though he hints at the peril looming over the Green. This non-interference is significant because Swamp Thing, despite being a plant entity, chooses not to stop Woodrue's villainous plan himself, allowing Batman to handle the situation instead.

  • swamp thing
  • floronic man
  • warning
  • green
  • non-interference
Q7

Why does Harley Quinn decide to help Batman and Nightwing?

Harley decides to help after bonding with Nightwing and learning the full scope of Ivy and Woodrue's plan. When Nightwing wakes up at her hideout, she shares her rejection letters and explains how her criminal past prevents her from being rehired as a psychiatrist. This vulnerable moment creates trust, and upon learning the virus would destroy all human life, she chooses to help stop it.

Foreshadowing: The scene at the diner establishes Harley's desire for a normal life, setting up her later decision to reject her criminal ties.

  • harley quinn
  • batman
  • nightwing
  • help
  • decision
  • trust
Q8

What is the Bio-Restorative Project and why does it matter?

The Bio-Restorative Project is stolen S.T.A.R. Labs data that contains information about Swamp Thing's transformation process. Ivy and Floronic Man use this research to develop a virus that can turn every person on Earth into a plant hybrid, forcing humanity to 'go green' according to their environmental extremism.

  • bio-restorative project
  • star labs
  • swamp thing
  • virus
  • plant hybrid
Q9

Why do they go to Wainwright Swamp in Louisiana?

They pursue Ivy and Floronic Man to Wainwright Swamp in Louisiana because Dr. Goldblum reveals, as he's dying, that this location contains the specific chemicals needed to complete the plant transformation process. The right combination of chemicals exists in that swamp to finalize their virus.

  • wainwright swamp
  • louisiana
  • chemicals
  • pursuit
  • final showdown
Q10

What do Harley's rejection letters reveal about her character?

The pile of rejection letters shows that Harley has been trying to return to her career as a psychiatrist, but her criminal past as the Joker's associate prevents her from being rehired. This explains her desperation to leave her criminal life behind and pursue a normal existence, even working a minimum-wage job at a themed restaurant.

  • harley quinn
  • rejection letters
  • psychiatrist
  • criminal past
  • normal life
Q11

What is the Superbabies restaurant where Harley works?

The Superbabes is a themed diner where waitresses dress as superheroes and villains. Harley works there while trying to go straight after her parole, though she questions why she's still wearing a skimpy costume for minimum wage. This setting reflects the film's crude humor and satirical tone.

  • superbabes restaurant
  • waitress
  • harley quinn
  • themed diner
Q12

What is the post-credits scene with Dr. Quinzel about?

In the post-credits scene, Harleen Quinzel reinvents herself as the host of a reality television game show called 'Ask Dr. Quinzel.' Contestants race through an elaborate obstacle course to win a year of professional therapy, blending Harley's psychology background with the film's comedic tone.

  • post-credits
  • ask dr. quinzel
  • reality show
  • harleen quinzel
  • therapy

Movie threads

More Movies Like Batman and Harley Quinn, by Mood & Story

Curated lists built around what makes Batman and Harley Quinn tick: the same mood, the same kind of story or the same emotional payoff. Each list explains why these movies belong together.

Energetic superhero team-up movies like Batman and Harley Quinn

Action-packed adventures where heroes must partner up, despite clashing personalities. If you enjoyed the fast-paced, comedic action and unlikely partnership in Batman and Harley Quinn, you'll find more movies like it here. These stories feature heroes teaming up in fun, irreverent adventures with a light tone, perfect for fans of playful superhero action and saving the world with a laugh.

  • action-packed
  • comedic
  • playful
  • energetic
  • high-stakes
  • unlikely partnership
  • Tone: light, playful, irreverent
  • Pacing: fast, action-oriented
Why these movies?

The story pattern: Stories in this thread typically follow a straightforward 'mission' structure. A clear threat emerges, forcing heroes with opposing methods or personalities into an alliance. The narrative is driven by their comedic clashes and growing, if begrudging, respect as they overcome obstacles together, culminating in a decisive, satisfying victory.

Why they belong together: Movies are grouped here because they share a specific mix of light tone, fast pacing, and comedic action centered around a superhero team-up. They deliver a consistent vibe of high-stakes fun, where the journey is as much about the characters' interactions as it is about defeating the villain.

Irreverent animated action comedies like Batman and Harley Quinn

Cartoon capers that mix high-stakes plots with crude humor and unpredictable characters. Fans of the crude humor and playful chaos in Batman and Harley Quinn will enjoy these similar animated action comedies. Discover movies that blend high-stakes stories with irreverent comedy, featuring unpredictable characters and an energetic, fast-paced vibe that doesn't take itself too seriously.

  • irreverent
  • comedic
  • unpredictable
  • energetic
  • playful
  • crude humor
  • Tone: light, irreverent, comedic
  • Pacing: fast, energetic
Why these movies?

The story pattern: The narrative pattern often involves a straightforward quest or mission that serves as a vehicle for comedic set-pieces and character-driven antics. The plot is simple enough to allow the humor and chaotic energy of the characters to take center stage, leading to a resolution that is triumphant and humorous.

Why they belong together: These movies are united by their unique blend of animated action and irreverent comedy. They share a specific vibe where the potential intensity of the plot is consistently undercut by playful humor, creating an experience that is exciting yet consistently funny and light.

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Every angle

Batman and Harley Quinn (2017) Explained: Plot, Timeline & Characters

Everything about Batman and Harley Quinn in one place: what happens in the plot summary, the timeline in chronological order, the characters and meaning and a spoiler-free summary. What's After the Movie adds the cast, box office and post-credit scenes.

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