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Dinah Drake became the Black Canary, a costumed vigilante that at first posed as a criminal in order to break up gangs and later joined the Justice Society of America. She was eventually succeeded by her daughter, Dinah Laurel Lance.

Pre-Crisis, Earth-Two

Dinah Drake's initial activities as Black Canary brought her into conflict with Johnny Thunder and his Thunderbolt. Thunder developed an unrequited romantic interest in Black Canary.[1] Dinah soon abandoned the conceit of posing as a criminal and became a renowned crime-fighter, eventually joining the Justice Society of America and having many adventures.[2]

Dinah went on to marry her detective friend, Larry Lance, and continued to serve with the Justice Society. As such, she met the Justice Society's Earth-One counterparts, the Justice League of America and had many adventures with them.[3]

During one such adventure, Earth-Two was menaced by the villain named Aquarius, a sentient star who was banished by his people but regained his full powers when he stole Starman's gravity rod. He used it to destroy almost all of Earth-Two, except for the JSA and Larry, who were present and saved at the last minute by Dr. Fate.

When the Red Tornado brought the Justice League to Earth-Two to save their comrades, Aquarius pitted the JSA and JLA against one another. During the fight, Black Canary battled the Green Arrow with her husband. When an incapacitated Black Canary was threatened by a weapon created by Aquarius, Larry sacrificed his life to save her.

Pre-Crisis, Earth-One

Following the destruction of Aquarius, Dinah decided to join the Justice League on Earth-One.[4] She found out later that her exposure to Aquarius' magics gifted her with a "Canary Scream", which allowed her to fire high pitch harmonics through her voice at her foes. At first, she had little control over the power but soon learned to harness it. Dinah then joined the Justice League of America to replace Wonder Woman, who was at the time stripped of her powers. Dinah then began a romance with the Green Arrow.[5]

Doppelgänger Gambit Retcon

Years later, Black Canary learned that she was in reality Dinah Laurel Lance, the daughter of Dinah Drake and Larry Lance. As an infant, Dinah had been cursed by the Wizard with her Canary Scream, which she couldn't control. Trying to get the Thunderbolt to try and cure her didn't work so she was put in suspended animation in the Thunderbolt dimension. During the battle against Aquarius, Dinah, Sr. learned she had contracted cancer from exposure to radiation. Thus, she secretly had her daughter recovered from the Thunderbolt Dimension with her mother's memories implanted in her head and sent to Earth-One in her stead. The younger Dinah believed that she was the original Black Canary and learned the truth much later.[6]

Post-Crisis

Following the Crisis on Infinite Earths and the merging of Earth-One and Earth-Two, Dinah Drake's history changed. Most of her history on Earth-Two became part of New Earth continuity, with some major changes:

Dinah was trained by her father, police lieutenant Richard Drake, hoping to become a police officer. After she was refused membership in the Gotham City Police Department, she developed the costumed identity of the Black Canary while operating a flower shop, Sherwood Florist, by day. Dinah eventually joined the Justice Society until the government forced them to disband in the 1950s.

Dinah married Larry Lance and the two had a child, Dinah Laurel Lance, who was named after her mother. She eventually learned of her mother's heroic past and took on the identity of Black Canary, much to Dinah, Sr.'s chagrin. The younger Dinah became a founding member of the Justice League of America. In Dinah's last case as the Black Canary, she helped the JLA defeat Aquarius but the battle left Larry Lance dead and the elder Canary infected with cancer.

Black Canary and her daughter spent time at odds, but they had a deathbed reunion when the first Canary finally succumbed to cancer.[7]

Months later, when the Justice Society of America were released from Limbo, they visited Dinah's gravesite for a private mourning ceremony.[8]

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Abilities

Equipment

  • Locket: Black Canary has a locket on a choker around her neck. When she is bound, she can press it with her chin and it releases a small knife[10] or a smoke pellet.[11] Black Canary has other miscellaneous items inside her amulet, as a expanding stick-web,[12] sneezing powder, converging lens,[13] and more.

Transportation


  • Although this character was originally introduced during DC's Earth-Two era of publication, their existence following the events of the 1985–86 limited series Crisis on Infinite Earths remains intact. However, some elements of the character's Pre-Crisis history may have been altered or removed for Post-Crisis New Earth continuity, and no longer apply.
  • Black Canary's hair is naturally black however she wears a blond wig over it constantly.

Related

Footnotes


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Justice Society of America member
This character is or was a primary member of the Justice Society of America in any of its various incarnations. This template will categorize articles that include it into the "Justice Society of America members" category.

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Justice League member
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This character has been a member of the Justice League of America, or the Justice League in any of its various incarnations, sworn by a duty to act as guardians of America and the world by using their skills and/or superpowers to protect Earth from the clutches of both interstellar and domestic threats.
This template will categorize articles that include it into the "Justice League of America members" category.

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