Showcase '96 #3 is an issue of the series Showcase '96 (Volume 1) with a cover date of March, 1996.
Synopsis for "Birds of a Feather"
Black Canary and Lois Lane encounter one another after independently tracking slave traders from Santa Prisca. Unbeknowst to Lois, Canary is being fed information from Oracle. The two fight against dozens of masked hoodlums before being electrocuted by the foreman in charge of of the sweat shop. In a jail cell, the two begin chatting and are interrupted by Lee, the only slave laborer who acknowledged the womens' presence during the fight. He guides them through the ducts and explains that he is one of many who are forced to make munitions. The heroines attack Foreman and Lee leads a slave rebellion that overthrows his reign. As the police clear out the warehouse, the Canary and Lois say their goodbyes and mentally reflect on how similar their relationship struggles are.
Appearing in "Birds of a Feather"
Featured Characters:
Supporting Characters
- Lee
Antagonists:
- Foreman (First appearance)
Other Characters:
- Green Arrow (Flashback only) (Cameo)
- Superman (Flashback only) (Cameo)
Locations:
- Santa Prisca (Mentioned only)
- United States of America
- Gotham City
- Metropolis (Mentioned only)
- Washington
Synopsis for "Mercy Killing"
Deadman hovers outside a prison to see Lamar Rawlins unjustly get the electric chair. His case has drawn protestors but Deadman isn't here for the political controversy: he wants to inhabit Rawlins' body as he receives the death penalty and experience death. As a ghost, he is stuck neither living nor truly being freed and psychologically or metaphysically, this may finally excise him into the afterlife. As the poison gas fills his chamber, Deadman can't bear the pain and his natural survival instinct kicks in, forcing him out of the convict's body who experiences his death shortly thereafter.
Appearing in "Mercy Killing"
Featured Characters:
- Deadman
- Lamar Rawlins (First appearance)
Locations:
Synopsis for "Acts of God"
Lightray conceals himself as a human and visits a cult devoted to worshiping him. While there, he is attacked by Heatseeker, who is upset at being incarcerated at the Slabside Penitentiary.[1] The two briefly battle and Lightray has to use his wits to keep innocent civilians from being harmed. The spectacle of seeing a New God in action causes one of the devotees to leave the religion and choose to become a good person without it.
Appearing in "Acts of God"
Featured Characters:
Antagonists:
Other Characters:
- Jenna (First appearance)
- Mongul (Mentioned only)
Locations:
- United States of America
- Slabside Penitentiary (Mentioned only)
Notes
- The story "Birds of a Feather" is collected in:
Trivia
- This is sometimes considered the first appearance of Birds of Prey, although the name is never used in this issue. Their first proper appearance is in Birds of Prey: Black Canary/Oracle #1, released one month later. In that issue, Black Canary and Oracle already seem to know one another and Canary gets the blue, grey, and yellow costume that she wears in this issue for the first time.
See Also
Recommended Reading
- Black Canary Recommended Reading
- Flash Comics (Volume 1)
- Action Comics (Volume 1):
- Black Canary (Volume 1)
- Black Canary (Volume 2)
- Black Canary (Volume 3)
- Black Canary (Volume 4)
- Black Canary: Best of the Best (Volume 1)
- Black Canary and Zatanna: Bloodspell
- Birds of Prey one-shots
- Birds of Prey: Manhunt (Volume 1)
- Birds of Prey (Volume 1)
- Birds of Prey (Volume 2)
- Birds of Prey (Volume 3)
- Batgirl and the Birds of Prey (Volume 1)
- Green Arrow and Black Canary (Volume 1)
- Green Arrow (Volume 6)