Biography
Early Life
Dinah Drake was born in 1928 to Richard Drake, a well-respected police officer in Gotham City. Raised with a strong sense of justice and duty, Dinah grew up admiring her father’s commitment to law and order. At eighteen, determined to follow in his footsteps, she applied to join Gotham’s police force. While her father supported her ambition wholeheartedly, the department was far less progressive. Her application was denied solely because she was a woman.
Disillusioned and frustrated, Dinah left Gotham and relocated to Philadelphia, where she opened a flower shop, trying to build a new life away from the shadow of the badge.
It was in Philadelphia that she met Ted Grant, a local boxing legend and secretly the masked hero known as Wildcat. The two quickly formed a friendship, with Dinah finding Ted to be refreshingly free of the prejudice she had encountered in Gotham. Sharing her story and her desire to make a real difference, Dinah inspired Ted to train her in hand-to-hand combat. Under his guidance, Dinah became one of the finest martial artists in the country. With Ted’s encouragement, she adopted a new identity, the Black Canary, and joined the world of costumed crimefighters.
Justice Society
As Black Canary, Dinah initially partnered with Ted but soon caught the attention of the Justice Society of America. She joined their ranks and was pleasantly surprised to find herself treated as a peer, not sidelined or relegated to secretarial duties. For eight years, she fought with the JSA, proving herself time and again as a capable and fearless hero. Her time with the team ended abruptly during a conflict with the time-traveling villain Per Degaton. Presumed dead during the battle, Dinah had in fact been flung forward in time to the 1970s.
Modern Life
Struggling to adjust to the changes of the new era, Dinah threw herself back into the Black Canary persona. It was during this period that she met Larry Lance, a police detective who would become the love of her life. She eventually revealed her secret identity to him, and the two built a life together. Dinah opened another flower shop, and soon after, she became pregnant with their daughter, whom she named Dinah Laurel Lance.
“My father was a cop. I married a cop. I was meant to be a cop. But this city didn’t want a female detective.“
| Real Name | Dinah Drake |
| Aliases | Black Canary |
| Afilliated With | Justice Society |
Characteristics
| Gender | Female |
| Height | 5’5″ |
| Weight | 128 lbs. |
| Eye Color | Blue |
| Hair Color | Black |
Family
Dinah Lance
Even as a mother, Dinah found it difficult to step away from her calling. She continued fighting crime as Black Canary, often prioritizing her mission over things like school events and recitals. When her daughter was five, tragedy struck and Larry was killed in the line of duty. The loss devastated Dinah, who spiraled into grief and retreated from the world of superheroes. For years, she struggled, sometimes turning to alcohol to dull the pain.
Her life changed again when Ted Grant unexpectedly walked into her flower shop, looking for a bouquet for a family expecting a child. The two immediately recognized each other, both overjoyed at the reunion. Ted introduced Dinah to surviving members of the Justice Society, reigniting a spark of joy and purpose in her life. But that light dimmed when Dinah was diagnosed with cancer. Despite the best efforts of doctors, the cause remained a mystery. Ted suspected it had something to do with residual radiation from her encounter with Per Degaton, a slow-burning side effect from her displacement in time.
Determined to fight one last battle, Dinah moved in with Ted along with her daughter. She named Ted as Dinah Laurel’s godfather, ensuring her daughter would be cared for if the worst came to pass. Sadly, just a year after her diagnosis, Dinah Drake passed away. She was only in her forties. Her legacy, however, lived on in the heart and spirit of her daughter, and in the hands of her trusted friend and mentor, Ted Grant.
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