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- Cleo – “I thought you were the crazy one”
- Abner – “I am”
PolkaDotRat is the het ship between Ratcatcher II (Cleo Cazo) and Polka-Dot Man (Abner Krill) from the DC Extended Universe fandom.
Canon[]
In The Suicide Squad (2021), Ratcatcher II (Cleo Cazo) and Polka-Dot Man (Abner Krill) are part of the second Task Force X team sent to the island nation of Corto Maltese. The mission is to destroy a secret laboratory called Jotunheim and eliminate all evidence of a mysterious project known as "Project Starfish."
Cleo and Abner are both unusual and emotionally damaged individuals. Cleo has the ability to control rats using special devices and inherited her powers and values from her late father, Ratcatcher I. She believes that even rats, the smallest and most rejected creatures, deserve love and protection. Abner, on the other hand, suffers from a rare condition caused by experiments his mother forced on him. He sees his abusive mother in everyone he looks at, and must expel glowing polka-dots from his body or they will consume him.
At first, Abner seems detached and emotionally distant, while Cleo is gentle and warm. She shows kindness to everyone — even King Shark — and quickly becomes the heart of the group. Cleo is the only one who treats Abner like a human being, not a monster or a joke. She never mocks him. On the bus ride through the jungle, she sits near him and gently asks:
> “Why do you always look so sad?”
Abner responds, quietly:
> “I’m not sad. I’m just tired of seeing my mom.”
Cleo doesn’t laugh or make fun of him. She listens with compassion. It’s a quiet, short exchange, but it is the beginning of a deep emotional connection between them — one built on understanding, not words.
Later, when the group visits a nightclub to capture the Thinker, Cleo encourages Abner to join the others and dance. At first he’s awkward, but then he smiles — a genuine smile — and dances. It's one of the only times in the film that we see him happy. He feels accepted and included, especially near her.
As the mission progresses, the team infiltrates Jotunheim and fights against its defenders. Cleo continues to use her rats with care and purpose, and Abner grows more confident with his powers. He begins to believe that maybe he really could be a hero — something he never believed before.
In the final battle, after Starro escapes and attacks the city, the team chooses to go against orders and help the people. During the fight, Abner sees Starro as a giant version of his mother — the same hallucination he always has — and charges in, using his powers to destroy part of Starro's leg. He finally yells, with joy and triumph:
> “I’m a superhero!”
But his victory is short-lived. Just seconds later, Starro brings down one of its giant limbs and crushes Abner to death instantly. The moment is shocking, brutal, and silent. Cleo watches him die right in front of her. She doesn’t speak, but her face changes. She is devastated.
After Starro is killed with the help of her rats, the battle ends. The streets are quiet and filled with debris. As Cleo walks slowly through the ruins with Bloodsport and King Shark, she stops when she sees something on the ground.
It’s Abner’s goggles. They are broken and covered in blood.
Cleo walks toward them. She kneels down and picks up the goggles gently. Her hands tremble. Then she lowers her head. Her face crumples. And she cries. Silently, but clearly. Her grief is honest and deep. She doesn’t say anything — she doesn’t need to. That moment says everything. She cared about Abner. She mourns him.
Even though they were never in a romantic relationship, their bond was real. They were both lonely, strange, and broken — and in a world full of violence, they found quiet understanding in each other. Cleo losing Abner was not just the loss of a teammate — it was the loss of someone she saw, truly, for who he was.
Fanon[]
This ship is pretty unknown and definitely rare in the Suicide Squad fandom. Not many people talk about it or even notice it, but fans who do ship Ratcatcher II and Polka-Dot Man say they give off very special vibes.
Both Cleo and Abner are quiet, shy, and a little broken. Neither is loud or flashy like the rest of the squad. They share that awkward, introverted energy — like a shy boy and an introverted girl who just get each other without needing many words.
Even though their screen time together is small, the moments they have are full of softness and unspoken understanding. Cleo’s calm kindness and Abner’s shy sadness create a strange but beautiful contrast that fans love.