Dinah Laurel Lance is Black Canary, one of the world's foremost martial artists. She is the daughter of Dinah Drake, who used the moniker before her, and a frequent partner of Green Arrow, who over time became her boyfriend, husband, and ex-husband. Black Canary has been an important member of the Justice League of America and the Birds of Prey.
History
Origins
Dinah Laurel Lance was born into a family of crime fighters. Her father Larry Lance, was a police officer, while her mother (also named Dinah) was the original Black Canary.
Dinah chose to become a crime-fighter at the age of nineteen, despite her mother's wishes to the contrary. Following a rigorous training program under the watchful eye of the original Black Canary's close friend Ted Grant, also known as Wildcat, Dinah took up her mother's identity and adopted a costume as her own.
Just like her mother
Differentiating herself from her mother, Dinah was unique in the fact that she had the power to do a 'Canary Cry', a superpowered shriek to use against her foes. However, the origin of how she got her power changed over time.
At one point, Dinah's 'Canary Cry' was the result of her being cursed by the criminal the Wizard during her childhood. However, due to mysterious changes in the timeline, these sonic powers were later said to have been a byproduct of Dinah possessing the metagene, making her a super-powered metahuman since birth.
Justice League
Main article: Justice League Origins
Not long after her debut as Black Canary, Dinah Lance became a founding member of the Justice League of America. It was Dinah who suggested the newly-formed name of the League, in deference to her mother's having been a member of the Justice Society of America.[3] It was through her new association with the Justice League that she first met Oliver "Ollie" Queen, also known as the Green Arrow.
Black Canary's membership in the JLA lasted for many years. Her friendship with Oliver Queen developed during this time as their feelings for one another became romantic. When Oliver chose to quit the League in order to continue his efforts in Star City on his own,[4] Dinah decided to join him there soon after.
Hard Traveling Heroes
Whilst Green Arrow and Green Lantern went on a road trip to rediscover America, Dinah was coincidentally motorcycling near Mount Rainier, Washington when she was run down by a motorcycle gang. Left unconscious in the road, she was rescued by a man named Joshua, who was actually a white supremacist cult leader who hypnotized her to his cause.
Green Arrow and Green Lantern came to the rescue but were defeated by Black Canary and the cult. When Dinah was put in the position to execute her lover Green Arrow, the hypnotic hold broken, and the heroes defeated the white supremacists.[5] Ashamed of being involved in such a despicable group—albeit against her will—Dinah devoted some of her time to work with the Native Americans on the reservation that Joshua had intended to murder.[6]
Dinah rekindled her romance with Ollie and joined the heroes on their road trip. Together they attended the trial and sentence of their friend Old Timer,[7] thwarted Sinestro and his sister,[8] stoped an evil man exploiting a metahuman child,[9] and helped Green Arrow's sidekick Speedy through his withdrawal from drug addiction.[10]
Green Arrow's Disappearance
After Green Arrow accidentally killed a man, he abandoned his heroic persona, along with his civilian life in Star City.[11] Hal sought Dinah's help to locate their missing friend. Her investigation inadvertently led her to a secret hate gathering, organized by none other than Joshua's sister. She was discovered and outnumbered by the angry mob who threw her off the roof of the building but was fortunately saved by Green Lantern.[12]
Continuing Black Canary's spate of bad luck, a drugged driver crashed into a phone booth when she was making a call. Badly injured and losing a lot of blood, Hal knew Ollie was one of the few people with her rare blood type that could save her. Hal had heard of the discovery of the Arrowplane wreckage, and from there, soon tracked him down in an isolated monastery. Despite his own shame and his contempt for society, it only took the mention Dinah's predicament to get Ollie to return home. Through a blood transfusion, Oliver saved Dinah's life, and she made a full recovery.[13]
Around this time, Black Canary became a founding member of the new Justice League International established by Maxwell Lord.[14]
The Longbow Hunters
Main article: Green Arrow: The Longbow Hunters
Oliver and Dinah went into business together and set up a flower shop in Seattle called "Sherwood Florist" in addition to fighting crime. Oliver was having something of a midlife crisis however, just as he was about to turn 43. He wanted to marry Dinah and have a real family with children of his own. Dinah turned down the idea, citing that their lives were too dangerous to have children.
Rescued from torture
During this time, Dinah was kidnapped by a drug dealer she was investigating. She was brutally tortured within an inch of her life until she was found and rescued by Ollie, who killed her torturer, altering his career as the Emerald Archer.[15]
When Dinah came out of the hospital, she was still emotionally traumatized by the incident. She learned that she had lost her ability to perform her Canary Cry. Later she finds out that she was now permanently infertile.[16]
Oliver was with her as she entered counseling. Dinah was initially hesitant to fight crime during the first few weeks after leaving the hospital, but, when she stopped a group of muggers on the bus, she felt back to her old self. She realized her biggest fear was that she would not be able to fight back anymore, and that fear was gone.[17]
Though the trauma had brought Dinah and Oliver closer together, Dinah's permanent infertility caused her great grief. Even though she didn't want kids, knowing she never could was heartbreaking. Their relationship was strained further when Dinah caught Oliver kissing their young assistant Marianne, and Dinah dumped him.[18]
Months later, Dinah was told of Oliver's death by his illegitimate son Connor Hawke.[19]
Birds of Prey
Birds of Prey
After his death, Dinah was contacted by Barbara Gordon, known as the computer genius Oracle, to work in Gotham City. Dinah accepted and moved across the country to start her new life. The pair formed a heroic partnership as the Birds of Prey.
As an indication of the new chapter in her life, Dinah decided to abandon the blonde wig she disguised herself with and instead began bleaching her natural hair, & grew it out. Also, because she had lost her ability to Canary Cry, Dinah began using handheld electronic weapons to simulate her iconic attack instead.
After a battle with Ra's al Ghul, Oracle urged Dinah to take a dip in the mystical Lazarus Pit. Doing so healed her injuries and restored her Canary Cry, as well as her ability to have a child.[20]
As time went on, the Birds expanded their membership, operating alongside notable female agents such as the Huntress, Gypsy, and Lady Blackhawk. Oracle also helped Dinah reopen her flower shop "Sherwood Florist" in a new location in Gotham.
Green Arrow's Resurrection
Dinah helped found a new incarnation of her mother's old team, the Justice Society of America, following the death of JSA founding member Wesley Dodds,[21] and developed a crush on the new Doctor Mid-Nite. However, she eventually resigned when she learned that her ex-boyfriend Oliver Queen had been resurrected by Parallax.
Dinah traveled to Star City, where the two former lovers were happily reunited. Their renewed relationship was short-lived however, as Dinah feared that Oliver would possibly try to take advantage of his new young female ward Mia Dearden. Dinah returned to Gotham City, where she continued to function with the Birds of Prey.
Jade Canary
Lady Shiva and Black Canary switch places
Over the course of a year, Dinah agreed to switch places with the assassin Lady Shiva as a way to possibly enrich both their perspectives. Dinah hoped that Shiva's membership as a Bird of Prey would soften the woman as warrior, while also believing that partaking in Shiva's training regiment in Vietnam would strengthen her own skills as a crimefighter.
Eventually, Dinah realized that following Lady Shiva's training path would require her to fundamentally change who she was as a person; therefore, she ended the training and returned to the United States. With her, she brought a young girl she had met named Sin, who also had begun the harsh grooming process to be Lady Shiva's successor.[22] Oliver Queen used his connections as the mayor of Star City to allow Sin to immigrate into the country.
Upon her return, Black Canary told Oracle that she would officially be leaving the Birds of Prey to devote herself to raising Sin in Star City.[23] She didn't give up super heroics completely, however; Dinah was named the chairwoman of the newly reformed Justice League of America due to her strong abilities and strategic mind.
Proposal
Green Arrow proposes to Black Canary
Dinah eventually returned to super heroics in Star City to aid Oliver, Connor, and Mia against the villains Roadblock and Merlyn. During the course of their mission, Dinah rekindled her relationship with Oliver yet again, feeling that he had truly changed over the course of his adventures. Oliver admitted to Dinah that many of the changes he made over the last year were due in most part for her, because he wanted to be a better man.
As the battle concluded, Oliver at last proposed to Dinah. Dinah however, needed time to consider her answer.
Shortly thereafter, Canary's charge Sin was kidnapped by Merlyn, and Green Arrow and Speedy sprung into action to get her back. To save the girl's life, Ollie was forced to fake Sin's death, keeping the knowledge of the plan between himself and Mia, knowing that doing so would sacrifice his relationship with Dinah.
The plan was a success: Sin's death was faked, and she was safely returned home. After the fact, Ollie admitted what he had done, and, recognizing that he was willing to sacrifice his own happiness to save her daughter's life, Dinah finally agreed to marry him.[24]
Marriage
You may now kiss the bride
Main article: Green Arrow and Black Canary's Wedding
After a great deal of compromise and strife, Dinah and Ollie agreed to get married inside the Secret Sanctuary, the original cave headquarters of the Justice League of America. Wedding guests included nearly everyone within the superhero community who were asked to attend the ceremony in-costume.
On the day of the wedding, the ceremony was interrupted by a phalanx of supervillains, who attempted to take out as many heroes as possible in one fell swoop. Nearly all of the villains were apprehended except for Deathstroke, who managed to escape. Despite the interruption, the ceremony concluded and Dinah Lance and Oliver Queen were married.[25]
On their wedding night, Oliver attacked Dinah unexpectedly, forcing her kill him with one of his arrows. As Dinah mourned for her husband, she spiraled and became rougher with criminals she caught, which worried those around her. Despite medical tests and even Hal's Ring confirming the body to be Ollie's, Dinah vehemently believed the man she killed was not Ollie. Batman took on the case, and, with the help of Dr. Mid-Nite, revealed the deceased as Everyman, a shape-shifter.[26]
After discovering Oliver was still alive and being held on Themyscira, Dinah rescued him with help from Connor and Mia.
Final Crisis
Now as a married couple, the duo continued to fight crime alongside one another, facing new challenges. They fought off Cupid, a vigilante with an obsessive crush on the Green Arrow, and Discord, a man with a grudge against the Canary for deafening him with her scream.
Shortly after, Darkseid attacked Earth and took control of it with the Anti-Life Equation. Dinah planned an attack on Darkseid from the Justice League Watchtower, but her plan was thwarted by a mind-controlled Green Arrow. She was forced to fight her husband and successfully freed him from the equation's control.[27]
In the aftermath of Darkseid's defeat, Gotham City had to cope with the apparent death of Batman. Dinah was summoned to Gotham along with other heroes to join the Network as a way to maintain order without him.[28]
Cry for Justice
Main article: Justice League: Cry for Justice
Canary had eventually resigned from her position as chairwoman of the Justice League but remained an active member. However, Hal Jordan and Ollie had felt the team had lost its direction and left to start their own rival Justice League.
Feeling betrayed by her husband, Dinah confronted him on the Justice League Watchtower, but their fight was cut short because Green Arrow had to warn his former teammates of a threat his team had discovered. The villain Prometheus was planning a coordinated attack against all of the world's heroes.
Before he could successfully warn the original League, Prometheus broke into the Watchtower and attacked the heroes, severing Red Arrow's arm and incapacitating Black Canary. The League was able to capture Prometheus before he could do any more damage but, in his interrogation, he admitted that his plan was to destroy every major city protected by a superhero, starting with Star City.
On cue, Prometheus' trigger man Electrocutioner activated an explosion that wiped out a massive portion of Star City. Green Arrow and Black Canary panicked and used the League's teleporters to provide assistance and look for survivors in the wreckage. In the destruction, Ollie and Dinah found the corpse of Roy Harper's young daughter Lian.
Dinah and Donna Troy delivered the news to Roy in the hospital as he recovered from his losing his arm. Oliver, meanwhile, took revenge on Prometheus by executing him with an arrow to the head.
Fall of Green Arrow
Oliver's murder of Prometheus was condemned by his friends in the superhero community, including Flash and Hal Jordan. Unrepentant, Oliver went on the run to avoid punishment. Dinah, wanting what she thought was best for her husband, joined Hal and Barry in searching the ruins of Star City for him. When they found him, he attacked them all, subduing them long enough to escape. He was searching for the man who pulled the trigger to destroy Star City, the Electrocutioner.
Oliver eventually calmed down, realizing the damage he was doing in his quest for revenge. He turned himself into the authorities for punishment.
Dinah visited Oliver in jailed and told him she understood that he needed time to be alone. However, still incredibly hurt by his actions, she gave him her ring back and told him their marriage was over.
Blackest Night
Main article: Blackest Night
The Earth was subject to another crisis when Nekron attempted to take over the universe with his army of undead Black Lanterns. Nekron was able to resurrect the dead as mind-controlled zombies, including people who were previously dead, like Green Arrow.
With the aid of Mia Dearden and Connor Hawke, Dinah fought her zombified Black Lantern ex-husband. The living corpse fed off of misery and exploited Black Canary's emotions to grow stronger, while Oliver watched powerless inside his own body. To emotionally hurt her, the Black Lantern claimed he had secretly been in love with the assassin Shado, who had raped him and sired him a son around the time Dinah was tortured by a drug dealer. He also called her a fool for believing he had ever changed.
Black Canary and the new Birds of Prey
Though the Black Lantern had the opportunity to execute Black Canary, Oliver regained control of his body for long enough to miss the shot and hit a liquid nitrogen container. Connor, under Dinah's instructions, then used the liquid nitrogen to freeze him until the Blackest Night was over.
Brightest Day
Main article: Brightest Day
Like her last major breakup with Oliver, Dinah left Star City to start a new life in Gotham City, reforming the Birds of Prey with Oracle. This time, they expanded their membership immediately to include Dove, Hawk, Huntress, and Lady Blackhawk.
The DC Universe was rebooted in 2011 as part of the Flashpoint event. This was an attempt to simplify continuity, and make DC Comics more accessible to new readers. Prior to this, mainstream comics took place in New Earth continuity since the Crisis on Infinite Earths in 1985. The continuity established following Flashpoint is Prime Earth.
Powers and Abilities
Powers
- Canary Cry: Dinah possesses a metagene that gives her a potent sonic attack, able to damage and stun foes or objects, to the point of shattering metal. She possesses a incredible degree of control over her vocal cords. This enables her to mimic sounds and generate any sound she desires, even developing several abilities. The Canary Cry has been able to reach 300 decibels, which is enough to make a person's ears start bleeding even if they're not the attack target.
- Telepathy (Pre-Crisis only)[29]
Abilities
- Acrobatics
- Driving
- Investigation
- Peak Human Condition
- Peak Human Strength
- Peak Human Reflexes
- Peak Human Endurance
- Peak Human Stamina: When fighting alongside the Justice League of America, Dinah and the League fought non-stop, for nearly 24 hours.[30]
- Peak Human Agility
- Peak Human Balance
- Martial Arts: She is one of the most skilled martial artists on the planet. She has also been trained by Wildcat, who is formerly the Heavyweight Champion of the World, in the art of boxing, muay thai, capoeira, krav maga and hapkido. She has also been trained in Dragon Style Kung Fu and pressure point fighting by Richard Dragon.[31] Thanks to Wonder Woman, Dinah has been trained in Amazon martial arts, but is strictly a novice in that kind of fighting style. Due to her sparing with Wonder Woman, Dinah can perceive nanosecond reaction time, when fighting.[32] She has also received training from the Justice League of America, that teaches members how to fight at the very beginning.[33][34] Dinah also took the time to be trained by Batgirl.[35] Dinah was praised for her skills by Lady Shiva, one of the best martial artists in the world. Shiva even suggested Dinah become her apprentice.[36][37] Dinah is stated to be evenly matched with Batman.[38] Her martial art skills are claimed to be almost as formidable as the Kobra Cult is numerous.[39]
- Pedagogy
- Tactical Analysis: Dinah is also considered a strong leader and strategic thinker, which has led to her being made Chairwoman of the JLA.[47]
- Mental Resistance: After an attack by the Key involving telepathy, mind control and illusions. Batman suggested that the League should train with Martian Manhunter to combat this vulnerability, for future attacks.[48] Dinah's shown utilizing this training when scaling up a building while fighting against the Key's influence.[49]
- Weaponry
- Music: Dinah practiced the harmonica as it was a perfect way to strengthen her breathing and vocal chords.[51]
- Multilingualism: Dinah can speak Japanese.[52]
Paraphernalia
Equipment
- Body Armor
- Oracle Tech: Necklace and earrings used as communication devices from Oracle.
Transportation
Weapons
- Various Martial Art Weapons
- Canary Cry Bomb (Formerly) During the time she was without her actual Canary Cry, Dinah carried round bombs that would emit a similar loud sonic sound.
Notes
- Although this character was originally introduced during DC's Earth-One 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 should be considered apocryphal.
- In Pre-Crisis canon prior to 1983's Justice League of America #220, it was believed that the Black Canary who joined the Justice League of America on Earth-One in 1969 was the same woman who had previously been a member of Earth-Two's Justice Society of America. In that comic, it was revealed that the original Black Canary had died following the events of Justice League of America #74, with her daughter unknowingly taking her place as she had been given the mystically-transferred memories of her mother.
Trivia
- Dinah Lance self-identifies as a Christian, stipulating "it's complicated."[53]
- Dinah shared a kiss with the Flash, when on the battlefield.[54]
- Dinah finds kissing Batman kinda hot.[55]
- Dinah was in her twenties during the early years of the Justice League of America.[56]
- Prior to and during her heroic career Dinah wore a blond wig to hide her identity and mislead her enemies. Later, she bleached her hair blond instead of concerning herself with a wig.
- Dinah plays a harmonica which she uses to strengthen her breathing and vocal cords. This is a form of training for her Canary Cry.[57]
- Dinah has a rare Rh-negative blood type, the same as her lover, Green Arrow.[13]
- Dinah secured a job as a physical education teacher at Meadowhill School before its destruction.[9]
- Dinah's phone number is (555)1732-4516.[58]
Related
- 1,222 Appearances of Dinah Laurel Lance (New Earth)
- 326 Images featuring Dinah Laurel Lance (New Earth)
- 55 Quotations by or about Dinah Laurel Lance (New Earth)
- Character Gallery: Dinah Laurel Lance (New Earth)
Footnotes
- ↑ The Brave and the Bold #91
- ↑ Black Canary (Volume 3) #3
- ↑ JLA: Year One #1
- ↑ JLA Incarnations #3
- ↑ Green Lantern (Volume 2) #78
- ↑ Green Lantern (Volume 2) #79
- ↑ Green Lantern (Volume 2) #81
- ↑ Green Lantern (Volume 2) #82
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 Green Lantern (Volume 2) #83
- ↑ Green Lantern (Volume 2) #86
- ↑ The Flash #217
- ↑ The Flash #218
- ↑ 13.0 13.1 The Flash #219
- ↑ Justice League #1–Justice League International #7
- ↑ Green Arrow: The Longbow Hunters (Volume )
- ↑ Green Arrow (Volume 2) #34
- ↑ Green Arrow (Volume 2) #1–Green Arrow (Volume 2) #3
- ↑ Green Arrow (Volume 2) #75
- ↑ Green Arrow (Volume 2) #101
- ↑ Birds of Prey #34
- ↑ JSA: Secret Files and Origins #1; JSA #1–JSA #25
- ↑ Birds of Prey #95
- ↑ Birds of Prey #99
- ↑ Black Canary (Volume 3)
- ↑ Green Arrow and Black Canary Wedding Special #1
- ↑ Green Arrow and Black Canary #1
- ↑ Final Crisis #6
- ↑ Batman: Battle for the Cowl #1
- ↑ Justice League of America #84
- ↑ JLA: Year One #11
- ↑ Richard Dragon #7
- ↑ Birds of Prey #68
- ↑ Wonder Woman (Volume 2) #212
- ↑ Identity Crisis #3
- ↑ Birds of Prey #61
- ↑ Birds of Prey #63
- ↑ Birds of Prey #64
- ↑ Justice League of America #190
- ↑ JLA Incarnations #3
- ↑ Black Canary (Volume 3) #2
- ↑ Green Arrow Annual (Volume 2) #1
- ↑ Batman Secret Files and Origins #1
- ↑ Birds of Prey #58
- ↑ Justice League of America #187
- ↑ Justice League of America #191
- ↑ JSA #14
- ↑ JLA: Year One #12
- ↑ JLA #9
- ↑ JLA #124
- ↑ Silver Age #1
- ↑ Justice League of America (Volume 2) #12
- ↑ Black Canary (Volume 3) #1
- ↑ Wonder Woman (Volume 3) #34
- ↑ JLA: Year One #11
- ↑ Birds of Prey #90
- ↑ JLA Incarnations #3
- ↑ The Lightning Saga
- ↑ Justice League International #17
 Birds of Prey member |
 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. |
 Justice Society of America member |
 This character is or was a member of the Green Arrow family of vigilante super-heroes, who fight crime using archery and martial arts. They are a loose connection brought together through family bonds and shared experiences. This template will categorize articles that include it into the category "Team Arrow members." |