Dinah Drake (penciler) and Sid Greene (inker) Dinah Drake made her debut in
Flash Comics #86 (August 1947) as a supporting character in the "
Johnny Thunder" feature, written by
Robert Kanigher and drawn by
Carmine Infantino. She initially appeared as a villain. Johnny is instantly infatuated with her, and is reproached by his Thunderbolt. Dinah is later revealed to have been infiltrating a criminal gang. In
Flash Comics #92 (February 1948) she has her own anthology feature, "Black Canary", replacing "Johnny Thunder". The new series fleshed out Black Canary's backstory: Dinah Drake was a black-haired florist in love with Larry Lance, Black Canary's foes include criminal circus act Carno and His Masked Riders, and the Sacred Order of the Crimson Crystal. Grief-stricken, Canary moves to Earth-1 and joins the Justice League. She begins a relationship with JLA colleague
Green Arrow and discovers that she has developed an ultrasonic scream, the "canary cry." Black Canary teams with
Batman five times in
The Brave and the Bold and once with
Superman in
DC Comics Presents. Appearing frequently as a guest in the "Green Arrow" backup feature of
Action Comics, she was a backup feature in ''
World's Finest Comics'' #244 (April–May 1977) to #256 (April–May 1979) (when the title was in
Dollar Comics format). Black Canary's backstory was featured in
DC Special Series #10 (April 1978). After the "Black Canary" feature in ''World's Finest Comics
, she appears as a guest in its "Green Arrow" feature and in Detective Comics''. A Black Canary miniseries by writer
Greg Weisman and artist
Mike Sekowsky was planned in 1984. Although its first issue was pencilled, the project was
shelved due to the character's use in writer-artist
Mike Grell's high-profile
Green Arrow: The Longbow Hunters series. Elements of the project were used in Weisman's short film,
DC Showcase: Green Arrow. When DC rebooted its continuity with
The New 52, the character was amalgamated with Dinah Laurel Lance, and took the name Dinah Drake. The Golden Age Black Canary was restored to continuity in the lead-up to DC's
Infinite Frontier initiative.
Origin Dinah was born to Richard Drake, an Irish detective in Gotham City, and an unnamed mother who died the early years of her marriage to Richard. This occurred in the early-to-mid 1900s, a time before corruption was deeply rooted in the city. Richard trained Dinah from a young age, hoping that she would follow in his footsteps and become a policewoman. They both aspired to combat the growing corruption and seek justice for Richard's late wife. In her later years, Dinah developed a connection with Larry Lance, her father's younger partner. She aimed to join the police academy, with the intention of helping her father and Larry in their efforts. However, despite her contributions, her application to the GCPD Police Academy was rejected. Both Dinah and Larry became disillusioned with the department. Richard suspected misogyny and was angered by the proposal of an administrative job for Dinah, feeling that the department did not want another honest member of their family in law enforcement. Richard died due to a heart attack. Inspired by the actions of "mystery men," Dinah decided to adopt the persona of the vigilante known as "Black Canary." Initially, she trusted no one and assumed the guise of a criminal, targeting other criminals. In her civilian life, she pursued a career as a florist, seemingly abandoning her earlier desire to work in law enforcement. In her own anthology feature, the character is portrayed as a black-haired florist who harbors romantic feelings for Larry Lance, a detective with the Gotham City Police Department. Eventually, she would meet the Justice Society of America and joined them among her ranks. As a hero, her foes included the criminal circus act Carno and His Masked Riders, and the Sacred Order of the Crimson Crystal. Grief-stricken, Canary moves to Earth-1 and joins the Justice League. She begins a relationship with JLA colleague
Green Arrow and discovers that she has developed an ultrasonic scream, the "canary cry."
Revised history and death Following the events of Crisis on Infinite Earths, the character's history underwent significant changes. Eventually, Dinah and Larry Lance married once again and established a private law firm in Gotham City. They welcomed the birth of their daughter, Dinah Laurel Lance, who would later aspire to become a superhero. Dinah herself retired from her own heroic endeavors and focused on raising her daughter. The members of the Justice Society of America became like a second family to them. However, Dinah held a contrasting view when it came to her daughter's desire to become a hero. She vehemently opposed it, which led to arguments between them. It was during one of these arguments that young Dinah first manifested her metahuman ability known as the "Canary Cry." Despite their strained relationship, her daughter went on to become a hero as Black Canary within the Justice League. Further details emerged about the older Dinah's life as the first Black Canary. She was widely recognized as a highly skilled martial artist, and she partnered with her unnamed husband, who worked as a private investigator in Gotham. At one point, she even founded her own martial arts group. To protect her daughter, Dinah made the difficult decision to leave her behind and assumed various disguises, including working as a florist and a dancer. Tragedy struck when her husband was killed during a confrontation with their adversary, Ravanahatha. In response, Dinah unleashed her unique martial arts technique known as the "Five Heavens Palm," which proved instrumental in defeating the formidable demon. In a mysterious manner, she managed to pass down the knowledge of this technique to her daughter, which later became crucial when her daughter faced the same demon in battle.
Dinah Laurel Lance '' #554 (September 1985); art by
Klaus Janson, which homages
Carmine Infantino's cover for
Flash Comics #92 (February 1948). Following the universe-altering events of
Crisis on Infinite Earths (concluding in March 1986), Black Canary's history was revised again. The mind-transplant story of 1983 was discarded; in this version of the story, the present-day Black Canary is Dinah Laurel Lance, who inherits the identity from her mother, Dinah Drake Lance. Although some references (for example, those in
James Robinson's Starman series) tried to distinguish the two Canaries by calling the first "Diana", recent accounts have confirmed Dinah as the mother's given name. The two Canaries' origin stories were told in full in
Secret Origins #50 (August 1990). In this story, Dinah Drake is trained by her Irish father, detective Richard Drake, intending to follow him on the Gotham City police force. When she is turned down, her disillusioned father dies shortly afterwards. Determined to honor his memory, Dinah fights crime and corruption by any possible means. She becomes a costumed vigilante, using her inheritance to open a flower shop as her day job. Dinah marries her lover, private eye Larry Lance, and several years later their daughter, Dinah Laurel Lance, is born (
Birds of Prey #66 (June 2004) would establish that they took the name "Laurel" from a librarian Dinah befriended during a case). The younger Dinah has her own "canary cry"—in this version, the result of a
metagene absent from both her parents—which (unlike the Silver Age Black Canary) she can control. Dinah's early marriage and ex-husband are not mentioned again until the 2007
Black Canary limited series. After joining the Justice League, Dinah meets
Green Arrow (Oliver Queen). Although she dislikes him at first, they become romantically involved despite their age difference; opposite the earlier depiction, in the
Modern Age stories, Oliver is considerably older than Dinah. Dinah is a League member for about six years, including a brief stint with
Justice League International (JLI, which she helps found). After her mother's death from radiation poisoning received during her battle with Aquarius, Dinah feels that her time in the JLA is over. She moves to Seattle with Green Arrow and opens a flower shop, Sherwood Florist. When Dinah belonged to the JLI during the 1980s, she wore a new costume, a blue-and-black full-body jumpsuit with a bird motif and a slightly looser fit instead of her traditional, skin-tight black outfit with fishnet stockings. The change was poorly received and short-lived, and later artists restored her original look. Black Canary reinvents herself, trading her blonde wig for bleached blonde hair. Her relationship with Oracle is rocky at first, since her impulsiveness clashes with Oracle's organization. Gradually, they learn to work together and became friends. When Oracle flees from
Blockbuster, Dinah rescues her and meets Barbara Gordon, deepening their friendship.
Infinite Crisis gives Earth a new timeline, with
Wonder Woman again a founding member of the Justice League. In a Week 51 back-up feature of
52, Black Canary is at the battle which forms the League. Its core is Black Canary,
Green Lantern (Hal Jordan), the
Martian Manhunter, the
Flash (Barry Allen),
Aquaman,
Superman,
Batman and Wonder Woman. In the 2007
Black Canary miniseries, she and Green Arrow join the Justice League after its founding and are tested by founding member Batman early in their membership. During publication of the
Infinite Crisis limited series, most
DC Universe comic books advanced one year. After this "
One Year Later" jump, Dinah trades life experiences with
Lady Shiva to soften the warrior and begins a harsh training regimen in an unidentified Vietnamese
shanty town. The regimen replicates Shiva's early life and training, and Shiva assumes Dinah's role in Oracle's group. During
Countdown, several series include tie-ins and run-ups to the wedding of Dinah and Ollie.
The Black Canary Wedding Planner details the preparations; in
Birds of Prey #109, Dinah and Barbara discuss the wedding (and Ollie).
Countdown: Justice League Wedding Special, and
Justice League #13 deal with the bachelor and bachelorette parties. A plot thread throughout is a plan by the
Injustice League to attack the wedding. Dinah resigns as JLA chairwoman after the team's confrontation with the
Shadow Cabinet. After learning that Ollie began his own Justice League with Hal Jordan, she confronts him when he arrives at the Watchtower to warn her of an attack on the world's superheroes.
Prometheus arrives and attacks the team, severing Red Arrow's arm and maneuvering Dinah into the path of an energy bolt fired by
Mikaal Tomas. After Prometheus is defeated, he destroys
Star City with a teleportation device. In their search for survivors, Dinah and Ollie discover the bloody body of Roy's daughter, Lian. Dinah goes to Roy's hospital bedside with
Donna Troy to break the news about his daughter when he emerges from his coma. In
Blackest Night, Dinah travels to
Coast City to fight
Nekron's army of
Black Lanterns. According to Nekron, he can control the heroes (including Ollie) who have died and been resurrected. Dinah fights her husband, now a Black Lantern, with Mia and Connor. Ollie regains control of his body long enough to miss his wife with a shot which severs a hose containing liquid nitrogen. Dinah orders Connor to use the hose on Ollie, freezing him solid, and the three join the rest of the heroes in battle. When Ollie returns to normal, it is discovered that he secretly murdered Prometheus and left his body to rot at his headquarters. After Barry Allen and Hal Jordan confront Ollie and Dinah with the news, Ollie escapes. Dinah, Hal and Barry search the ruins of Star City for him, finding him looking for one of the men who worked for Prometheus. Ollie overpowers them, leaving Dinah in a restraining fluid. After Green Arrow surrenders for Prometheus' murder, Dinah visits him in jail and realizes that he wants to be left alone. She removes her wedding ring, leaving it with him, and does not attend his trial. In
Brightest Day, Dinah returns to Gotham in a relaunch of
Birds of Prey with
Gail Simone. In
Birds of Prey #1 (July 2010), she is sent to save a child with
Lady Blackhawk. After receiving a call from
Oracle, the team (including
Huntress) is reunited. They are confronted by a new villainess,
White Canary, who has a grudge against Dinah and exposes her civilian identity. After capturing White Canary (the vengeful sister of the Twelve Brothers in Silk), Dinah learns that Lady Shiva is behind the attack on the Birds. Dinah and White Canary travel to
Bangkok; when the Birds arrive a short time later, Dinah attacks them dressed as White Canary. Later, Dinah reveals that
Sin and her foster parents are being held hostage, their lives threatened unless Dinah challenges Lady Shiva to a fight to the death. Huntress offers to take Dinah's place instead, reasoning that she has too many people who love her. However, this gives Dinah the opportunity to rescue Sin with the help of one of White Canary's students, Terry, and race back to halt the duel between Helena and Shiva. While the duel is understood to be a matter of duty and honor, Dinah brings to their attention that there was no time mentioned and for now the fight must end, and to be resumed at a later time. While White Canary is displeased, Shiva sides with Black Canary and the Birds and the fight is over.
Bloodspell Although the Black Canary–
Zatanna graphic novel
Bloodspell, written by
Paul Dini and drawn by Joe Quinones, was scheduled for a 2012 release, it was delayed until May 2014. The story centers around the meeting of 16-year-old Dinah and Zatanna.
New 52 onward During DC's
The New 52 era which began in 2011, Black Canary was portrayed as a single character with a metahuman Canary Cry resulting from government experiments. However, DC later began to row back on controversial New 52 continuity changes with its
DC Rebirth initiative, with the narrator of
Geoff Johns'
DC Rebirth #1,
Wally West lamenting, from outside the universe, on how Black Canary and Green Arrow hardly know each other any more, when they should be husband and wife, as a result of sinister alterations to the timeline. The comic shows the pair briefly meeting, by chance, and then separately staying up at night, contemplating what is missing from their lives. They meet again in
Green Arrow Rebirth #1, and instantly hit it off. In the ensuing
Green Arrow series, Dinah is the first to notice something awry with Oliver's apparent suicide (in fact, an attempted assassination by
Shado) and disappearance. She is also a current member of the Birds of Prey, as well as the Justice League of America. In
Birds of Prey: Rebirth, it is revealed that Dinah and Barbara (
Batgirl) have been good friends for a few years now, while just meeting Helena Bertinelli (Huntress). In
Justice League of America, she is seen fighting Caitlin Snow (
Killer Frost), and is later recruited by
Batman due to the skills she possesses. Following subsequent continuity-restoring events in
Doomsday Clock and
Dark Nights: Death Metal, the current Black Canary is re-established as being the daughter of her Golden Age predecessor, fully reversing the controversial New 52 changes. == Powers and abilities ==