Personal Details
Codename: Black Canary I
Codename: Black Canary II
Overview
When you think of female superheroines in the DC Universe who to you think of past Wonder Woman? Catwoman's technically a criminal so she doesn't count and Batgirl is no longer active as such. That's right the answer is Dinah Lance alias the Black Canary. Pre-crisis she was a member of the Justice Society that transferred to Earth-1 to join the Justice League after the death of her husband. However post-crisis they are two different people - mother and daughter.
The history of Black Canary was always been of being the partner or in the shadow of another hero. Originally it was as the occasional partner of Johnny Thunder, then it was the JSA or the JLA and then Green Arrow. Now the second Black Canary flies free acting as an international operative acting of intelligence gathered by Oracle. Going into places where mere superhumans fear to tread.
Background
Dinah was the daughter of Gotham City police detective Richard Drake, it was just 1943 and Gotham City was already in the depths of the corruption that would later be the target for the Batman. Widowed early in his life Drake raised his daughter so that one day she could serve along side him as part of the GCPD. While her application to the Police Academy was being processed Dinah rescued her father from a Casino bust that was going wrong, it was because of this that her application was turned down - the last thing that the corrupt overlords of Gotham needed was another Drake on the police force.
His dreams shattered Richard Drake died of a heart attack as he saw the dark forces massing against Gotham. However not long after his death new forces appeared in Gotham City, forces like Alan Scott - the original Green Lantern. Dinah was inspired, taking the name of Black Canary she used the cover of a masked criminal to hunt criminals and in the daytime she used a Florist shop as a cover (which she set up with her small inheritance). She fell in love with Larry Lance (another police detective that had worked with her father).
As Black Canary's experience grew she began to team up with other mystery men and often worked with Johnny Thunder. He was a member of the Justice Society of America and when he left she replaced him, stayed with the organisation for four years until it was forced to disband under pressure from the House of Un-American Activities Committee. Sometime during this period the elder Black Canary had an affair with the elder Starman Ted Knight. As the JSA retired so did Black Canary, Dinah gave up the tights, married Larry and the PI firm of Lance and Lance was born.
Ten years later the Justice Society briefly came out of retirement in the wake of the appearance of the Reaper in Gotham City, however Black Canary was not one of them. Dinah had settled down in the suburban Bay Ridge outside of Gotham City when she gave birth to Dinah Laurel Lance. Dinah the younger was raised amid the members of the JSA and grew up in the magical world of winged men and cosmic avengers, she was fascinated by her mothers former crime fighting life - a subject that caused her mother to fear for the safety of her daughter.
The appearance of the Batman in Gotham City renewed the dreams of the younger Dinah and she began training with Ted Grant (alias Wildcat) behind her mothers back. When found out both Dinahs got into a blazing row, the stress of which brought forth the manifestation of a super power in Dinah the younger for the first time. The source of her Canary Cry was speculated by Doctor Fate to be from exposure from Johnny Thunders T-Bolt or Green Lantern’s power ring. After a failed marriage and divorce the young Dinah looked for a new direction in her life.
History repeated itself and a second Black Canary was born, using her Canary Cry Dinah the younger became part of the generation of heroes that appeared after the appearance of Superman and was a founding member of the Justice League of America. As a member of the Justice League she met Oliver Queen alias the Green Arrow and they began a stormy relationship with them cohabiting together over Dinah's Seattle florist shop "Sherward Forest". When Roy Harper (Speedy, Green Arrows former sidekick) was going through drug withdrawal problems it was Dinah that helped him.
Eventually both Black Canaries fought together when the JSA came out of retirement and joined up with the Justice League. Afterwards the tragedy the elder Dinah had always feared happened when Larry Lance was killed while saving his wife from an alien entity called Aquarius, its radiation also caused a cancer in Black Canary I. Black Canary I became more bitter with the world and pleaded with her daughter to retire.
The special ligaments in her throat that allowed her to generate sonic canary cries were destroyed when she was captured and tortured by a sadistic criminal, this brutal treatment also left her unable to have children. Her spirit broken she found it harder and harder to face the world but with the help of mother and friend Wren Kole. Healed she returned to crime fighting in Seattle mainly working separately from Green Arrow with a more compassionate method than her bombastic lover.
While the active members of the Justice Society were in Limbo fighting to forestall the end of the world the elder Dinah finally gave in to the cancer caused by same entity that had killed her husband years before. The younger Dinah was rushed to the elders' bedside by Hal Jordan, but it was the intervention of the Spectre (unseen by the living) who allowed the mother and daughter the precious last seconds that they needed to make their peace, before conducting her spirit into the light.
A rift developed between Dinah and Oliver as she was constantly having to support him financially and they eventually ended their long romance with Oliver setting out across country. Not long afterwards he was killed in an explosion saving the city of Metropolis. Black Canary continued operation solo for a while before she was approached by Oracle, she offered her a new costume and a new direction to her life.
Abandoning the Florist trade Dinah now operates as a mobile freelance operative acting in part on the backup and information of Oracle. The two keep in contact via radio transmitters and have not actually met in person. In this new international world Black Canary finds herself running across people such as the Lady Shiva, Catwoman and the fellow crime fighter the Huntress.
Powers and Abilities
The original Black Canary was a skilled athlete and hand-to-hand combatant, trained by her father in detective work and procedure she was a skilled crime fighter. Occasionally she used such things as smoke pellets kept in her Canary emblem.
The second Black Canary originally had the superhuman ability to generate intense sonic screams or "canary cries". With practice she could stun and deafen opponents, shatter materials or set up resonant vibrations in other objects. When she was robbed of her superability she fell back on her Judo training that she received from Ted Grant alias the Wildcat. Her ear rings function as radios that piggy back a signal on the GPS satellites allowing her and Oracle to maintain contact anywhere in the world.
Recommened Reading
Overpower Cards
Black Canary II - Uncommon - Stefano Raffaele / Bob McLeod
Bird of Prey - Common- Stefano Raffaele / Bob McLeod
Allies
Barbara Gorden - The information broker Oracle, she is Dinah's financial backer and intelligence source.
Johnny Thunder - The partner and friend of the original Black Canary. When he left the Justice Society she took his place.
Oliver Queen - The Green Arrow, a outspoken liberal vigilante and first non-founding member of the JLA. He was the long time lover of the second Black Canary.
Roy Harper - The ward of Oliver Queen. Dinah helped him though heroin withdrawal. He is currently active as Arsenal.
Ted Grant - The original Wildcat and trainer of the younger Dinah behind her mothers back. He was like an uncle to her.
Ted Knight - The original Starman at some stage had an affair he spoke when the JSA visited her grave.
Wren Kole - A friend of the younger Dinah who helped her recovering from the torture.
Major Enemies
Black Canary has always concentrated more on street and real life crime that the costumed super villain. Recently Dinah has had run ins with the martial artist Jinx and the Lady Shiva.
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Alter Ego: Dinah Drake Lance
Occupation: Florist
Known Relatives: Richard Drake (father, deceased), Larry Lance (husband, deceased), Dinah Laurel Lance (daughter)
Group Affiliation: Justice Society of America
Base of Operations: Gotham City, USA
First Appearance: FLASH COMICS #86 (August, 1947)
Height: 5' 5"
Weight: 126 lb.
Eyes: Blue
Hair: Black (wears blond wig as Black Canary)
Alter Ego: Dinah Laurel Lance
Occupation: Freelance crime fighter
Known Relatives: Former husband (divorce), Richard Drake (grandfather, deceased), Dinah and Larry Lance (parents, deceased)
Group Affiliation: Founding member of the original Justice League of America, served briefly with the JLI
Base of Operations: Internationally mobile
First Appearance: JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #75 (November, 1965)
Height: 5' 4"
Weight: 115 lb.
Eyes: Blue-grey.
Hair: Naturally black, dyed blond.
Energy: 3 Fighting: 7 Strength: 3 Intellect: 5
Opening Flower Discipline - Uncommon- Stefano Raffaele / Bob McLeod
The Oracle Connection - Uncommon- Stefano Raffaele / Bob McLeod
Street Smarts - Very Rare- Stefano Raffaele / Bob McLeod
Working Clothes - Common- Stefano Raffaele / Bob McLeod
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