Female villains are an interesting specimen; particularly because they can come in so many varities, yet one aspect which is almost universal is that they will have a looser moral guideline, to say the least. They will almost always dress the skimpiest, act in the most seductive way, and often be the most well-endowed. The evil female characters will openly embrace their sexuality, and indeed flaunt it whenever possible. This reflects a classic femme fatale archetype, which at least to the male audience concerned, is often the most logical way to construct a female villain. Some characteristics exhibited by Poison Ivy above to put her in this category are, naturally, rather prominently displayed cleavage, a dark grin, and a decidedly suggestive pose with Robin. However, this same male audience will be unconvinced of the character's evil with merely these aspects; Poison Ivy's skin is also green. The ideal woman to this audience is untainted; perfect proportions with no blemishes to speak of, of a natural color. The instant this woman is given a scar, the character now has a dark, gritty story which taints her "perfection" and puts her somewhere on the scale of evil, or at least victimization. Abnormal skin color works the same way. Also note Poison Ivy's "gimmick;" her deadly entangling flower power. Plants and flowers are often viewed as feminine, while to a more cynical (again, male) audience, "entangling" or "ensnaring" is an inherently female personality trait as well. Overall Poison Ivy seems to be a culmination of numerous male fantasies and fears combined to create a sexy villain simultaneously adored and reviled by the readership.
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