DC’s Meme Queen Harley Quinn Becomes a Literal ‘Sicko’ in Hilarious Reference

Warning! Contains spoilers for Harley Quinn: Black + White + Redder #2!The DC Universe’s resident comedian Harley Quinn acknowledges a fan-favorite meme in her latest adventure. The clown pays homage to a beloved internet joke in the most hilarious way possible.

In Harley Quinn: Black + White + Redder #2’s story “Great Petspectations” by Ted Brandt and Ro Stein, it’s the Gotham City Pet Club’s Annual Show, and the League of Super-Pets has just won ‘Best in Show’. Tim Drake’s Robin is there to accept the award on the superpowered animals’ behalf, but Harley Quinn interrupts the show, convinced that her hyenas Bud and Lou are far superior. But Bud and Lou aren’t alone, as Harley’s brought the Legion of Doominals along to compete with the Super-Pets.

Unfortunately for Harley Quinn, the collection of powerful animals just isn’t as good at showing off their talents as the Super-Pets are. When it comes down to Bud and Lou to secure at least one win for the team, they fail, giving the League of Super-Pets an overwhelming victory. However, after Robin insults the Legion of Doominals, a fight breaks out between the two animal crews. As chaos consumes the show, a panel shows Harley replicating the ‘Sicko’ meme made famous by The Onion’s political cartoons.

Harley Quinn Makes a Hilarious Reference to The Onion’s Sicko Meme

The Onion is a satirical website that lampoons local and international news with outrageous articles and other riffs on modern-day journalism. One notable aspect of the website is The Onion’s political cartoons by writer and cartoonist Ward Sutton who works under the pseudonym Stan Kelly. These humorous one-panel gags mock heavy-handed political commentary found in local papers. One particular gag, “Painful Procedural” introduced the ‘Sicko’ meme by featuring a creepy, laughing man leering into a family’s home as the legalization of drugs causes police departments to shut down.

While it’s unexpected to see a meme like this come out of nowhere, it actually makes a lot of sense for Harley Quinn. Everyone knows just how much of an oddball Harley is. She’s basically a living cartoon herself given her outlandish adventures and propensity for smacking things with an oversized mallet. Harley is also one to keep up with the times and drop a meme reference when it’s most suitable. While references to The Onion are hard to come by, it’s fun seeing Harley Quinn give her stamp of approval to this fan-favorite joke.

Harley Quinn Honors The Onion’s Greatest Joke

Harley Quinn loves cracking jokes and referencing the comedy greats. While some may look at her replication of the Sicko meme as a cute nod to The Onion, it also works as a tribute to the satirical website. The Onion’s headlines have been making people laugh for years, and Harley would definitely vibe with the website’s sense of humor. Harley evoking the meme as all hell breaks loose at a superpowered dog show is the perfect way to honor one of the most hilarious memes to come out of the internet. Fans can see Harley’s tribute to The Onion’s meme in Harley Quinn: Black + White + Redder #2, on sale now.