Dinah Drake

This page is for the original Black Canary, Dinah Drake Lance. Her daughter, Dinah Laurel Lance, is the second Black Canary.

Character History

Pre-Crisis

Dinah Drake was a child in a long line of police officers, and she honored that legacy by taking to the streets as a costumed crime fighter. Dinah was a member of the Justice Society of America, having taken Johnny Thunder’s place on the team.

Dinah Drake married police detective Larry Lance, and had a daughter Dinah Lance. However, her daughter was cursed by Wizard to have a lethal sonic scream. So, Dinah called on an old friend to put her in help her daughter, Johnny Thunder. The only way he could save her was to put her in suspended animation, and, as he felt it was better for everyone, he made Dinah and Larry believe their daughter had died as a baby.

Later, Larry sacrifices his life to save Dinah from Aquarius. In her grief Dinah travels to Earth-1 from Earth-2, where she joins the Justice League and finds that she has gained the superpower of a sonic scream, her “canary cry”.

However, she later discovers that she was poisoned by radiation from the battle with Aquarius, and was dying. So, she had her memories transferred to her now adult daughter’s body, and so the Black Canary of Earth-1 was really Dinah Lance’s body with her mother’s memory.

Post Crisis

After Crisis on Infinite Earths, Black Canary’s origins are altered. Dinah Drake was the original Black Canary, who was a part of the Justice Society of America. She married Larry Lance and had her daughter, Dinah Laurel Lance.

After Larry’s death, Dinah raised their daughter on her own. Dinah Lance grew up around her mother’s friends of the Justice Society, and aspired to be a superhero, like her mother. However, Dinah Drake did not approve.

Other Media

TV

Arrow

In Arrow, Dinah Drake is a police officer who is given her powers via the STAR Labs explosion incident. The dark matter gives her the meta ability to produce a sonic scream- her Canary Cry. In Arrow, Dinah is the third person to adopt the name Black Canary. Dinah Drake first appears in the season 5 episode, “Who are you?” She is played by Juliana Harkavy.