Dinah Drake I (Prime Earth)

Black Canary
Mainstream Universe‎‎, 2011‎-present
Gallery
Real Name	Dinah Drake
Main Alias	Black Canary
Other Aliases	Red Canary
Relatives	Dinah Drake Lance (daughter)
Affiliation	Formerly Justice Society of America
Status
Alignment	Good
Identity	Secret Identity
Citizenship	American
Occupation	Superhero
Characteristics
Gender	Female
Hair	Blond
Origin
Universe	Prime Earth
Creators	Robert Kanigher · Carmine Infantino
First Appearance	Secret Origins Vol 3 #11 (May, 2015)

Dinah Drake was the first hero to use the identity Black Canary and is the mother of Dinah Drake Lance, the current Black Canary.

History

Career

As the Black Canary, Dinah Drake operated both individually and as a member of the Justice Society of America by 1944. In that year, she and her teammates traveled to the University of Pennsylvania's museum to keep the Skull of Zosimos, an occult artifact, out of the hands of Nazi agents. Separated from the rest of the group, she was attacked by an undead Nazi and saved from strangulation by her teammate the Flash, saving him from the zombie in turn with a blow to its head from a mace on display. Regrouping, they rescued Doctor Fate, dispatched the Nazis, and recovered the skull. In 1951, she was among the JSA when they were called before Congress and ordered to reveal their secret identities to the United States Government, choosing instead to disband and retire. Later, she and her team met their successors, the Justice League of America.

She was a gifted martial artist, and taught her skills to others, starting a dojo. Over the course of her career, she developed a powerful technique known as the Five Heavens Palm. Eventually, she fell in love with a private investigator. The pair moved to Gotham, married, opened a florist shop, and together they raised a daughter, Dinah, named after her mother.

The Elder Dinah and her husband began to investigate the music producer Izak Orato, who was in truth a disguise for the demon Ravanahatha. Dinah contacted a number of female martial arts associates, and together they infiltrated Orato's operation, posing as dancers. However, Orato became aware of their ulterior motive and retaliated.

After Dinah's father was murdered by the demon, she used the Five Heavens Palm to sunder the demon in two after being pushed to the brink. Eventually, she passed away under unknown circumstances.

In New 52 continuity, Black Canary walked out on her daughter during her adolescence under mysterious circumstances. This does not appear to be the case in current continuity.

Legacy

With training from Wildcat, a JSA teammate of the original Black Canary, her daughter, Dinah, would go on to become the second Black Canary, a renowned hero in her own right. She would eventually defeat the demon Ravanhatha, which had taken the forms of a supposed aunt of Dinah's, named Rena in addition to that of Izak Orato, also known as 'Rave Death'. In doing so, Dinah used the Five Heavens Palm technique her mother had used, and saw a vision of her mother alongside alternate versions of herself.

The organization known as T.R.U.S.T. used fabricated images of the late Dinah Sr. and her husband to attempt to convince Dinah to join under the auspices that her mother and father had also worked for the organization. However, Dinah eventually saw through the deception, and exposed the organization as a new front for the Secret Society of Super-Villains.

During her adventures with Deathstroke, Dinah had a vision of an alternate reality where Team Arrow were members of the League of Assassins and her mother was the leader of the League known as Red Canary.

Powers and Abilities

Abilities

• Martial Arts

Notes

• Black Canary was created by Robert Kanigher and Carmine Infantino, first appearing in Flash Comics #86. However, in the Prime Earth continuity, Black Canary first appeared as part of the New 52 DC Universe in Secret Origins (Volume 3) #11 by Christy Marx and Rick Burchett.
• Pre-Flashpoint, Dinah Drake was the original Black Canary and mother of the modern-day Black Canary Dinah Laurel Lance. In the history of Earth 0, however, Black Canary was initially established as a single character, resulting in her daughter 'replacing' her as the original Black Canary and now being named Dinah Drake Lance. Although occasionally mentioned in her stories, her mother's name remained unknown for years until it was revealed Dinah Drake (daughter) was named after her mother, restoring Dinah Drake as an individual character.
  

Trivia

• In "The Midnight Hour", the Black Canary appears as an active member of the JSA in 1944, three years before the publication of her first appearance.

Related

• 19 Appearances of Dinah Drake I (Prime Earth)
• 5 Images featuring Dinah Drake I (Prime Earth)
• Quotations by or about Dinah Drake I (Prime Earth)
• Character Gallery: Dinah Drake I (Prime Earth)

Footnotes

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.