Deadpool once briefly had his own version of DC’s Harley Quinn, but rather than become a fan-favorite hero, the character had a much more tragic ending. In a story arc that featured the fourth-wall breaking, antic Merc With a Mouth institutionalized, he was treated by Dr. Ella Whitby, a blond psychologist whose interest in his criminal mind becomes a romantic obsession.

Deadpool (2008) #40-44 – written by by Daniel Way, with art by Carlo Barberi – Wade Wilson found himself locked in Crossmore Prison in England, at the request of the facility’s lead psychiatrist, Dr. Whitby. As it turned out, Deadpool had been her white whale, and she was excited to get him in her clutches – both at work and in her personal life.

The story echoes Harley Quinn’s villain origin story as a psychiatrist at Arkham. However, for as dark as Joker and Harley Quinn’s relationship ever got, Dr. Whitby’s finale fate took things to an entirely new level.

Deadpool Had His Own Harley Quinn Analogue (& It Quickly Got Out Of Hand)

Deadpool #40-44 – Written By Daniel Way; Art By Carlo Barberi; Ink By Walden Wong; Color By Ferran Wong; Lettering By Joe Sabino

At first, it seemed like Dr. Whitby might be able to reach Wade. When he arrived at the institution in Deadpool #40, and quickly tried to break out, she called herself “Hostage McHostageworth” to get his attention, so the two could talk. Subsequently, she let him wander openly around the ward, despite the fact that he tried to kill the other inmates a week earlier, and her conversations with him made him stop seeing the narrative comic rectangles that he often talked with.

As the story progressed, it became clear Dr. Whitby’s intentions were not pure. Whitby engineered a riot so Deadpool could escape, but she followed it up by confessing her love for him, and revealing a version of his suit she’s made for herself. Unlike the Joker, Deadpool is not excited at the prospect of a partner-in-crime. He knocked her out and ran away, actually winding up catching a ride with Queen Elizabeth II. While speaking with Her Royal Highness, Wade realized that Dr. Whitby was going to go around killing in his name, so she was his responsibility to stop.

Deadpool’s “Harley Quinn” Left Her Mark On Wade Wilson In The Worst Possible Way

Deadpool #45 – Written By Daniel Way; Art By Salvador Espin; Color By GURU-eFX; Lettering By Joe Sabino

At her apartment, Deadpool found out just how deep her obsession with him runs: her fridge was full of his previously discarded body parts, enough to make an entire second Deadpool. On his way to stop her from killing the prison warden, he fantasized how he’d commit the murder himself, ultimately settling on an explosive teabag, an oven full of gas, and a hot water kettle on the stove. True to her word, this was also the plan Dr. Whitby had for killing her victim, though afterwards, Deadpool points out the difference between them: he can survive the explosion.

Surprisingly, so does Whitby. Burned and tattered, wielding a gun, she looks more like Deadpool than ever. However, the gun isn’t for him or her intended target – she uses it to kill herself, in front of Deadpool. In a comic full of cartoon violence, it’s a sobering moment, and in the next issue, Wade is still dealing with his feelings about it. There’s guilt, but also jealousy that she can end her life so easily – something he’ll never do. Even though Harley Quinn and the Joker have had a dark history, they have nothing on Dr. Ella Whitby and Deadpool.