For other uses of Black Canary, see Black Canary (disambiguation). |
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- "You know, kid, not every day is gonna be like this. You just gotta hang in there."
- ―Black Canary to Cassandra Cain[src]
Dinah Lance, also known as Black Canary, is a metahuman with the ability to generate a supersonic scream, inherited from her mother. After being orphaned and beginning to taste on the streets, Lance was rescued by Roman Sionis, who put her as a singer in his Black Mask Club, serving in his criminal organization.
After becoming disillusioned with Sionis due to his cruelty towards others, she eventually fought back against him with the assistance of Harley Quinn, Huntress, and GCPD detective Renee Montoya in order to protect Cassandra Cain when the latter stole the Bertinelli Diamond from him. Once Sionis was killed in their final confrontation, she, alongside Huntress and Montoya, formed the Birds of Prey, to fight crime more effectively together.
Biography[]
Early Life[]
Losing Her Mother[]
- "And when she was found dead in the street, where the fuck were you and your boys in blue then?"
- ―Dinah Lance to Renee Montoya[src]
While growing up, Dinah Lance's mother worked alongside the Gotham City Police Department, utilizing her metahuman ability to produce supersonic vibrations through screaming. At some point, however, she was killed and as a result, Dinah was left on her own on the streets of Gotham. As such, Lance harbored a resentment towards GCPD, and was reluctant to use her powers for good like her mother.[1]
Working at Black Mask Club[]
Rescued by Roman Sionis[]
- "Do you know who you're working for?"
"Damn right, I do. He's the man who gave me a job, took me off the streets." - ―Renee Montoya and Dinah Lance[src]
Lance was walking down the street without help until she was found by crime leader Roman Sionis, who saved her, in exchange for her singing in his Black Mask Club and serving him in his criminal organization, which she accepted. Over time, Lance sang for the people in the club, but no one paid attention to her, and she developed a rivalry with Victor Zsasz. Due to the power of her voice, Lance adopted the nickname Black Canary.[1]
Meeting Harley Quinn[]
- "Puddin' and I broke up. I haven't told that to anyone. Yeah, for good this time, and for the first time in a long time, I'm all on my lonesome. It's great."
"Welcome to the club." - ―Harley Quinn and Dinah Lance[src]
In 2020, Lance was singing "It's a Man's Man's Man's World"; although as noted by Harley Quinn, no one ever seemed to pay attention to her performance, except for Roman Sionis, who was the only one who liked her style of singing. Singing the last verse, Lance sang loud enough to break Sionis's glass, and was pleased to see that Sionis was pleased with her singing.
Dinah Lance went to the club bar for some wine, where she met Harley Quinn, who was venting her sorrows. Lance started smoking as Quinn asked if she knew what was a harlequin's job, something to which Lance scoffed, Quinn explained that harlequins' job was to serve to someone, finally revealing that she had broke up with the Joker and still isn't over him, Lance made her understand that she knew what it felt like and then she withdrew.
During the morning, Lance left the club, where she saw how Harley Quinn was being abused by a man, but she didn't care and went to her car. Seeing how other men arrived to kidnap Quinn in a van, Dinah got out of her car and began to fight the thugs kicking them, while Quinn watched drunkenly, until Lance was finally victorious, saving Quinn and taking her away in her car while Sionis watched her in the distance.
Dinah Lance was interrupted by Victor Zsasz who came to talk to her, Lance initially refused to listen to him, but hearing that she was going to be promoted to be the Roman Sionis' new personal driver, she reluctantly accepted, and then took Harley Quinn to her home.[1]
Roman Sionis' Driver[]
- "Now you wanna come and knock on my door and ask me to help you out and make the same mistake she did? Yeah, good luck with that."
"That's fair enough, and I'm sorry for your loss. For the record, that would never happen on my watch." - ―Dinah Lance and Renee Montoya[src]
Lance walked back to her apartment, where in the hallway she found Cassandra Cain, who was listening to her abusive adoptive parents, Dinah understood and they began to talk amicably. Lance advised her by telling her that she should wait to get out of that torture, giving her money so that she could buy something to eat. Later, Lance was in charge of taking Roman Sionis and Victor Zsasz to the Gotham City port, where they murdered Mr. Keo and his family, soon taking them back to the club, and returning to her apartment.
Lance later prepared to go back to work, but was visited by Renee Montoya, who offered her a coffee and asked for information about the Bertinelli diamond that Sionis was looking for, Lance refused to give her any information but thanked her for the coffee and began to withdraw. However, Montoya asked her why she was working for Sionis when her mother helped to protect Gotham with her powers, which angered Lance, who rebuked her that her mother was killed because there was no policeman to save her, as Montoya said that wouldn't pass into her custody, still Lance refused to help her.
Later, Lance met Sionis and Zsasz at his penthouse to talk, where Sionis introduced him to the masks he had collected on his travels, explained their origins, and then showed him the statues. When Zsasz mentioned Harley Quinn's breakup from the Joker, Lance was left alone as she listened to Sionis and Zsasz talk about killing Quinn. Under Sionis' orders, Lance and Zsasz were tasked with searching for the Bertinelli diamond for their boss.[1]
Manhunt of the Birds of Prey[]
Capture of Cassandra Cain[]
- "Well, you know what? One day you're gonna pick the wrong pocket, sis."
"Okay. Whatever." - ―Dinah Lance and Cassandra Cain[src]
Lance and Victor Zsasz went to Gotham City Imports Office to claim the Bertinelli diamond, managing to obtain it successfully and handing it over to Victor Zsasz to take care of it, going to prepare the car to leave, but when she was about to be stolen by Cassandra Cain, Lance stopped her confused and annoyed, warning her that if she continued to steal she might get in trouble, getting in the car when Cain had left.
Soon after, Dinah Lance met again with Victor Zsasz, who mentioned losing the diamond, with Lance quickly deducing that it had been Cassandra Cain as they watched her being arrested by the Gotham City Police Department, to which Lance attempted to run towards her, however, the police officers drove away, while Dinah Lance and Victor Zsasz looked on in frustration.
Disappointed, Lance and Zsasz returned to Roman Sionis to inform him of Cain's theft of the Bertinelli diamond, causing Sionis to become angry that Cain was only a girl, with Lance being shocked by Sionis's attitude. After Sionis left to question Harley Quinn, Lance was left alone as she was upset that Cain had gotten into illegal trouble.[1]
Betraying Sionis[]
- "You wouldn't betray me, would you?"
"I was just gonna go look for the girl."
"Oh, no, no, no. I want you to stay here with me." - ―Roman Sionis and Dinah Lance[src]
Lance went outside to rest and saw Harley Quinn, who mockingly recognized her as the singer nobody listens to, so Lance sarcastically mocked her about how everyone hates her. Later in the bathroom of the Black Mask Club, Lance realized that there was a reward to find Cain in search of recovering the diamond, so to save the girl, Lance secretly called Renee Montoya to inform her about Cain and how she had the diamond.
Later at the club, Lance overheard Victor Zsasz telling Roman Sionis that Cassandra Cain was with Harley Quinn, surprising them. Lance then watched as Sionis forced Erika to strip naked in front of the public and forced her to dance, much to Lance's displeasure, who tried to leave, however she was threatened by Sionis, so Lance promised her that he would never betray him, and she was forced to wear to dance with Sionis.
After Harley Quinn offered up Cassandra Cain to stop everyone from chasing her, Sionis ordered Black Canary to bring Victor Zsasz to bargain with Quinn at The Booby Trap. Secretly, Lance sent a message to Renee Montoya to inform her so that she too would come to the scene to save Cain.
During the trip, Zsasz saw on Lance's phone a notification from Montoya revealing that he was betraying Sionis, Zsasz then asked Lance to stop the car because he was flattering having to pee, when Lance stopped, Zsasz called Sionis to inform him that Lance had betrayed him, later, Lance continued with the trip to the destination.[1]
Battle at the Booby Trap[]
- "Isn't this fun? It's just like a sleepover. We should order pizza. Make cosmos."
"Harley, focus." - ―Harley Quinn and Dinah Lance[src]
Upon arriving at The Booby Trap, Zsasz took it upon himself to knock out Quinn, while Lance went to the bathroom to rescue Cain, shocked that she was stuck to a toilet, however when Lance was freeing her, Zsasz arrived. pointing a gun at her face, threatening her to already know about his betrayal, forcing her to take the diamond, something Lance refused, saying that Zsasz was paranoid. When Zsasz was shot with an arrow by a woman, Lance stabbed him to kill Zsasz.
However, Lance raised her hands when she saw Renee Montoya threatening them with a gun, asking who the woman with the arrow was, to which Montoya asked him to rescue Cain, who broke free and began to threaten everyone, until Lance took Cain's gun and used it to threaten Harley and the woman with the arrow, discovering that she was Helena Bertinelli.
The girls then received the attention of Cassandra Cain, who showed them that all of Roman Sionis's bounty hunters had arrived, realizing that they were coming for all of them, with Harley Quinn trying to convince them to work as a team to save themselves, which they all finally had to accept.
The girls prepared to search for weapons to defend themselves, but realized that the Joker had taken them all, to which Dinah found a chest of Quinn's old gear which they decided to use, with Lance taking the Good Night bat and asking Quinn to take the mission seriously, later to make fun of Bertinelli's anger issues. The girls then prepared to fight, but were attacked by the bounty hunters, so they fled down a slide to confront Sionis' minions. Upon reaching the bottom, they were all amazed at Bertinelli's courage until they saw the mercenaries approaching them.
During the fight, Lance managed to defeat several bounty hunters and protected Cain from being attacked. She then knocked out several men with the boat to knock them out and reunited with Cain to keep her safe, and they weirdly watched as Quinn had on skates and not the shoes that she had before. Losing the bat, Lance had to fight with punches, but she was able to keep fighting with ease as she asked Quinn for a hair tie.
Lance and the girls then took it upon themselves to protect Cain, preparing among themselves to evade the minions. Once all the men invading The Booby Trap had been defeated, the girls got together and struck a victory pose before leaving happily with Cain as they planned to celebrate.[1]
Rescue of Cassandra Cain[]
- "Canary, you know what you have to do!"
"Cover your ears! You better get her back." - ―Black Canary and Renee Montoya[src]
Lance and the girls left the place happily as they planned to go to a restaurant to celebrate, however they were attacked by Roman Sionis and his criminal organization who shot Montoya and kidnapped Cain, while Lance took a gun to defend himself until she ran out bullets.
Seeing that Cain was kidnapped by Sionis and they couldn't catch up with him, Lance asked everyone to cover their ears, and used his super sonic scream to knock down all the soldiers while Quinn skated at full speed until he reached Sionis, while Lance was left passed out from using his power so much. Harley once confronted and murdered Sionis. Lance, Montoya, and Bertinelli joined Quinn and Cain, watching as he was thrown into the water.
The next day, the girls went to the Taco Dirty to Me restaurant to celebrate their victory after the Sionis empire fell, where they discussed the nickname Huntress, since it seemed cool to them, being happy when Cain finally went to the bathroom to expel the Bertinelli diamond. After Quinn left to help Cain, the girls feared that someone worse than Sionis was coming, so they decided to form a group of heroines. Lance then reacted angrily to Quinn and Cain stealing her car.[1]
Birds of Prey[]
Defending Gotham City[]
- "They call themselves the Birds of Prey. I call them dorky little do-gooders."
- ―Harley Quinn[src]
Convinced to create a team, Helena Bertinelli soon used her family's money to found a group of heroines they called Birds of Prey, facing various crimes in Gotham City and with Dinah Lance acquiring a special suit that would honor her mother. The Birds of Prey soon apprehended a group of thieves in an abandoned warehouse, where after easily defeating them, they gathered to retreat.[1]
Personality[]
- "Hey, nice. What the hell is up with this bow and arrow shtick?"
- ―Black Canary to Huntress[src]
Dinah seems to be a reluctant hero with a strong moral compass that guides her even when she is hesitant to help. While the death of her mother initially left her jaded about using her sonic scream and fighting crime, Lance tried to do good in her neighborhood and when she could. Despite her reservations, she still stands up for people when they cannot defend themselves, such as when Harley Quinn was heavily intoxicated and being kidnapped. Likewise, she seems to hold a fair amount of empathy for those who remind her of herself, as when she gave money to Cassandra Cain so she could avoid her stressful home environment. Despite her tendency to help, however, Lance still has a certain edge and easily sees through others' pretenses.
While working for Sionis, she was rather subdued and submissive in an effort to not cause much trouble; not minding when people ignored her performances or readily agreeing to be his driver. After witnessing his brutality against women, however, she realized that she could no longer simply stand by and found the courage within her to betray him.
Powers and Abilities[]
Powers[]
- "She's got a killer voice."
- ―Harley Quinn[src]
- Sonic Scream: Inheriting the meta-gene from her mother, Dinah can produce high-frequency shockwaves through her scream. Lance's sonic scream is highly potent in combat situations against numerous attackers, as she is capable of dispatching opponents by hurtling them backward through the air with concussive force alone. However, using this power for a prolonged period will exhaust her to the point of fainting. The very nadir of her ability is capable of shattering glass, as seen when she performed on stage.
- Sound Immunity: As a byproduct of her power, Dinah is immune to her own sonic scream, and, probably, to any other sound-based attacks and the damaging effects of higher decibles.
Abilities[]
- "Um... I really like how you were able to kick so high in those tight pants."
- ―Huntress to Black Canary[src]
- Peak Human Condition: Dinah is in great physical condition, having enough strength to defeat men much larger than her.
- Master Martial Artist: Dinah is a talented mixed martial artist whose frequent execution of high and low kicks emphasizes her masterful skill in Kickboxing, Muay Thai, Hapkido, Savate and Taekwondo. In combat, Canary typically stays grounded and agile while using powerful kicks for her offense entirely.
- Stick Expertise: Dinah can use stick-based weapons in combat, demonstrated when she used Harley's Good Night baseball bat when fighting Black Mask's men.
- Expert Markswoman: Dinah is skilled at using firearms, best seen during her fight with Black Mask's men.
- Singer: Due to her superhuman abilities to manipulate the sound with her throat, Dinah is an extremely formidable singer, formerly working as the Black Mask bar singer. She sang "It's A Man's Man's Man's World" at Black Mask's club.
Equipment[]
- Black Canary Suit: After forming the Birds of Prey, Lance began donning a protective suit purchased thanks to the Bertinelli Diamond fortune to fight Gotham City's crime, the suit is composed by a blue vest and pants, along with golden sleeves and armbands.
Weapons[]
- Sphinx 3010: Dinah used Zasz's handgun during a standoff and in a shoot out with Black Mask's men.
- Knife: Dinah used this knife to free Cassandra from being tied up. and used it to stab Victor Zasz.
- Good Night: Dinah used Harley's baseball bat when fighting Black Mask's men.
Vehicles[]
- Car: Lance drove a cream-colored 1987 Jaguar XJ-S 5.3 V12 Convertible, before it was stolen by Harley Quinn
Relationships[]
Family[]
Allies[] |
Enemies[]
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Behind the Scenes[]
- In the comics, Dina Laurel Lance took on the mantle of Black Canary from her mother Dinah Drake Lance. She was a member of the Justice League and eventually married Green Arrow.
- Anisha Gibbs and Bethany Levy were stunt doubles for Jurnee Smollett in the role of Black Canary.
- Black Canary in the DC Extended Universe is the fifth live-action incarnation of the character, following incarnations portrayed by Danuta Wesley, Rachel Skarsten, Alaina Huffman, and Katie Cassidy.
- Black Canary would have appeared in several props for the canceled movie, Batgirl. At least one magazine cover advertising her singing career and several graffiti art pieces showcasing her influence as a vigilante in Gotham.
- A Black Canary movie was in development at Max, but the project was eventually canceled.[2]
References[]
External Links[]
Birds of Prey | |
Members | Black Canary | Renee Montoya | Huntress |
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Associates | Harley Quinn | Cassandra Cain |