Black Canary

"I'm the justice you can't run from."

[canaryinfishnets]

Is that [Lily-Rose Depp]? No, that’s [Dinah Lance], AKA [Black Canary]! [she] appears to be [26]. [she] has the abilities of [canary cry, master martial artist, armed/unarmed combatant, acrobatics/parkour] which makes them a powerful [hero].

CHARACTER BASICS

CHARACTER’S FULL NAME: Dinah Laurel Lance

NICKNAMES: Pretty Bird, Di, Canary, Songbird.

MEANING OF NAME: Justified

AGE: 26

ZODIAC: Leo

SUPERPOWER: Canary Cry

ALIAS: Black Canary

NATIONALITY / SPECIES: American / Metahuman

LANGUAGES SPOKEN: English, Chinese, Mandarin, Japanese.

ORIENTATION: bisexual

PRONOUNS: she/her

PERSONALITY

GOOD PERSONALITY TRAITS: compassionate, protective, adventurous, idealistic

BAD PERSONALITY TRAITS: jaded, vengeful, reckless, stubborn

PERSONALITY TYPE: ESFJ

ARCHETYPE: The Consul

GOALS/DESIRES: to continue fighting crime as Black Canary. To one day retire safely.

FEARS: to end up like her parents due to her career of choice.

WHAT WOULD MOST THROW THIS CHARACTER’S LIFE INTO COMPLETE TURMOIL: losing a loved one due to her own mistakes.

CHARACTER’S SOFT SPOT: robin hood types, Italian food.

HOBBIES: shopping, working on her motorcycle, singing, training.

HABITS: N/A

PAST

HOMETOWN: Gotham City

CHILDHOOD: Dinah Lance was born to Dinah Drake and Larry Lance. Her father a Gotham Detective and her mother is the original Black Canary and part of the Justice Society, Dinah was always around heroes. However, there was a strain in her childhood as her father was killed on the job, her metagene activated uncontrollably and her mother was against her becoming the new Black Canary.

EDUCATION: American High School Education; further teaching from Ted Grant, Richard Dragon and Lady Shiva.

FAMILY

PARTNER: n/a

CHILDREN: n/a

MOTHER: Dinah Drake Lance

RELATIONSHIP: Dinah Sr and Dinah Jr have a difficult relationship. Though she idolized her mother, she also resented her absence due to being a vigilante. It wasn't until her metagene activated when she was a teenager she thought she could be a vigilante herself but her mother was set against it, especially after her father passed away. The two would often bicker about it, with Dinah wanting to show she could do this while Dinah Sr believed that the world of crime fighting had gotten considerably darker. After her mother was injured and died on the job, Dinah decided to take on the mantle of the Black Canary to honor her mother at 18 years old.

FATHER: Larry Lance

RELATIONSHIP: Dinah and her father was close though, much like her father, as she grew up, she began to resent the time away from home. It seemed her parents were often more interested in the streets of Gotham than her. However, it wasn't until he was murdered in a shoot-out when she was 13 that she truly regretted her feelings of anger toward him. Before his murder, Dinah did want to be a cop like her father until her metagene activated.

FATHER-FIGURE: Ted Grant

RELATIONSHIP: Ted Grant adopted Dinah after the passing of her parents. He was the one who guided Dinah when her metagene activated and after she declared her wanting to take on the mantle of the Black Canary, Ted was the one who taught her how to fight. How to operate on the streets and to be effective as well as getting up after she took a blow. Dinah holds a great amount of respect for him.

SHORT BIO

Dinah Lance was born with justice running through her veins. Her father was Gotham Detective, Larry Lance and her mother were Dinah Drake Lance, who was turned down by the GCPD and instead took her training to the streets as a vigilante in Gotham. Her mother also ran a florist. She was also raised around her mother’s friend and sometimes partner Ted Grant built a special bond with him after her father passed away from cancer. Despite her fascination with heroics, she began to resent her mother more due to her missing out on things in her life due to her commitment to crime-fighting. The fact her mother didn’t want Dinah going out there and into the same business only spurred her on more.

She took things into her own hands, taking a strong interest in athletics and signing up for Judo lessons which her mother promptly stopped when she found out despite Ted insisting that Dinah was a natural. Dinah eventually convinced Ted to train who taught her self-defense techniques before she convinced him to up the training to more extreme measures to get her fighting ready. As a teenager, her metagene activated and with no control, Dinah heavily damaged the school she was attending in Gotham. Her mother agreed to let Ted help train her scream if it meant Dinah could live a normal life. Dinah shared a touching moment with her mother who agreed to hang up her costume and retire from the crime-fighting business. However, she was killed on her last job which devastated Dinah.

Adopted by Ted Grant, Dinah continued training with him and by the age of 18, she went out on the streets of Gotham as a vigilante. Wearing a costume inspired by her mother, she ran out there in heels, fishnets, a black bodice, jacket, and mask. Ted insisted that she was not ready but came back, bruised and hurt, but with the crooks in way worse shape behind her. However, Dinah was struggling to make a name for herself in Gotham and she had too many close calls with deadly situations. Her mother was right in that the crime in Gotham truly had changed.

Selling the family florist business that truly was on its last leg, Dinah bid farewell to Gotham and decided that she would take a gap year traveling East Asia before returning to simply live a normal life. It was in Japan she met Richard Dragon who gave her brutal tutelage on how to fight, almost killing her several times. It was here Dinah really upped the ante of her fighting skills and she also met someone who would become her rival, Lady Shiva. Learning from both of them as well as holding onto Ted’s teachings, Dinah felt like she now truly had the skill to make a difference.

When moving back, Dinah decided to not settle for Gotham City. She had heard the news of a vigilante running around there and how crazy things had gotten. That and Gotham had taken her mother and father from her and there was no way she was going to let Gotham take her.

[darkjustice]

Batman stood in the shadows, peering down into streets he knew all too well. The narrows were a dark, dangerous part of town. Crawling with criminals. Most of them, ultimately, harmless. Parasites that fed off the larger criminals, the ones with real damage on their minds. Those were the ones that Batman wanted to keep his eye on. A bit of movement, a blip in the light as someone passed by a window -- it caught his attention, and after a moment's examination, he swooped down. Batman landed silently behind the person. Only his voice announced his presence. "It's been a while," he called out gruffly. "Somehow I'm not surprised to find you here."

[canaryinfishnets]

The night was busy and heavy almost. They were unlucky that Dinah was a night owl and it seemed it paid off for the civilians on the streets, walking quietly and two others following after him. She really wished she had a grappling hook. Parkour would have to do since her motorcycle would bring too much attention even though she admittedly felt a little cool with a motorcycle roaring after people as they tried to out-speed her.

“A little late for a charity drop off, isn’t it boys?” She called out, stopping the thugs from advancing any further. The leather fishnet clad heroine bounced off the walls before landing on her feet. Of course, she was mocked by them for being a woman and small in size. She had heard it all before. However, Dinah moved with ease with what came naturally with her; fighting. Before one could even finish, Dinah had already charged towards them, landing a combo of kicks that bounced from one thug to the other. Pushing one away to focus on them individually, Dinah already landed a brutal punch to the throat before following with an upper cut to the sternum. Reasonably stunned, there was no chance for recovery as she performed an over shoulder takedown, letting his body hit the concrete with a heavy thud. For the finishing blow, Dinah performed a drop kick, letting it be the final blow.

As the other came charging for an attack, Dinah was already moving, her agility far superior to some common crook as her body twisted through the air, her kick connecting with enough force that the thug was taken to the ground instantly. As he tried to get on all fours, Dinah already followed up with a swift knee so he was out cold.

Dinah huffed as she stood up straight until she heard a voice behind her that was thick with ominous gravel. Dinah slowly turned as she looked at the caped crusader before her eyebrow perked up. "Didn't know we knew each other."

[jestergirls]

Ecco knew the other woman was correct. When she had worked at Mooney's, they had their fair share of shady people. It had been easy to tell who had been a genuine patron, and who had been there on criminal business. "I haven't been to Hyno," she replied, after a moment. "I wasn't aware Fish Mooney was... back until very recently." That was an understatement, but she wasn't going to say more to a virtual stranger. "I would imagine you've met a few shady people, working in a club."

[canaryinfishnets]

Dinah looked over at the other and saw a reminiscent glaze cast over her features. "Really? I thought everyone went to Hypno or Sirens or some of the other places around." She murmured as she glanced around the pair of them. "Yeah, heard she went quiet for awhile but she is back with a vengeance. I mean, she is literally taking over the nightlife scene." She spoke as if she was unaware of the criminal underbelly of Gotham. "Oh, every day. Call it a pretty privilege." She humored. "Though they tip big and rent isn't fantastic in Gotham."

[mobqueenfishmooney]

The man would be handled. Handled until he wished he were never born, and long before then he would vanish from Fish's mind. Almost as soon as he was taken off, a drink was set in front of her. Her men knew how to keep her happy. "Pity, you have the skills," she drawled, picking up her glass. "And I do so love seeing a woman take down a man's ego." She smirked over the rim of her glass and took a long sip. She considered the proposal, leaning forward on the bar. "I'm always on the lookout for new talent. How about we start with one night, and see how it goes? Maybe I'll make you my regular girl. If you impress me some more."

[canaryinfishnets]

As she mentioned she had the skills, Dinah laughed and looked down If only she knew. "A few self-defense classes don't really make me security worthy I'm afraid." She played it down. She didn't really need to draw any more attention to herself. Especially with Fish Mooney. She had heard she was not one to be messed with and she wondered if she just sent the patron of the bar to a much worse fate than facing her. At her offer, Dinah straightened up. "You won't regret it. I promise." Dinah spoke with utmost certainty. "How so?"

[plxntbasedbitch]

Pam smiled softly as she noticed the other woman reacting to her. She was used to people responding to her beauty in such a way, and though she often used it to her advantage when it came to ensnaring men -- with women, it was different. The attention of women felt like a caress, a gift. From men, of course, it felt like a burden; but considering men themselves were rather burdensome on society, particularly women in society, she supposed that wasn’t such a shock. In any case, the woman in front of her was stunning in her own right, and so Pam found herself smiling at her with a little more genuine warmth than she usually displayed. 

She rolled her eyes as the subject of the Falcones was broached. “Oh, the Falcones, hmm?” she said. “Sheep following an old fool.” There were almost certainly many people who would shrink from her words, warning her not to say them, but she simply didn’t care. “I’m surprised they still have any kind of pull here,” she said. “You would think someone would have toppled him by now.” Although she supposed that wasn’t for lack of trying. She smiled and shrugged. “I don’t mind,” she said. “Though it’s hard to imagine you don’t have plenty of friends. You must lure people in like a siren.” She smiled at her again in return. “Pamela.”

[canaryinfishnets]

Dinah felt herself staring a little too long. To that point, she didn't feel much better than the men who took it too far at one of her shows. However, the other woman was captivating in a way that was beyond looks, which she certainly didn't lack at all. It was almost like an enchantment if you believed in that kind of thing. She shook her head a little as if shaking off an effect over her.

Dinah laughed with some nerves as she spoke about the Falcones. She was gutsy but she was thoughtful about when she opened her mouth. She didn't talk bad about the crime family in Gotham. She left that for when the mask went on. "They do say the rich stay rich by being frugal." She smiled. She laughed under her breath. "Yeah, I am not envious of his position." At her compliment, Dinah smiled at her thanks before shaking her head out of modesty. "I try and keep my head out of it if I am honest. Too many crazy things happen in this city but it pays." She wasn't proud of that.

[mobqueenfishmooney]

Fish wasn't one to make rash decisions. She stepped forward calmly, an almost bemused expression on her face. "Normally, I don't condone fighting on the premise. Unless I start the fight, of course," she drawled, dragging a long nail along her jaw in thought. She studied the woman, eyes flicking over to the man for just a moment as he stood there, wincing every time he moved his arm. "But I think in this case, I can make an exception." She pointed at the man and snapped her fingers. Two of her men walked up, grabbed him by the arms, and dragged him towards the back door. She waved a hand in the air, and the music began again. Everything taken care of, Fish turned back to the blonde woman. "I believe, darling, that I owe you a drink. I don't suppose you're looking for work?"

[canaryinfishnets]

Dinah's shoulders rolled back, not wanting to stand down in such an overwhelming presence. Her eyes flitted to the man wincing from her hold and back to Mooney. She let out a breath when she said she would make an exception. The last thing she needed was to get on the wrong side of people. Seeing the man be carted away, Dinah's eyes followed and hoped it would just be as simple as tossing him out of the door. As Fish spoke about owing her a drink, Dinah shook her head and smiled politely. "Oh, don't worry. I'm just glad it didn't go any further." Her back straightened however when she asked if she was looking for work. "Yeah, I am. Not as security though." She admitted, wondering if that was the reason for the suggestion. "I'm a freelance singer. I perform across a couple of places in Gotham. I know Hypno has a preference for live music and thought I'd see what the place was like. See if there was an opportunity here." Dinah's fingers weaved together as she waited for Mooney's reaction. "I can put on a show. Not to sound arrogant but I know what to do up there."

[jestergirls]

Dinah said she was a singer, and Ecco smiled sympathetically in response. She'd known plenty of singers during her time working at Mooney's, and she knew that there was a fine line between singing and being harassed by patrons. "Yes, it does," she agreed, as the other woman straightened up. But then Dinah said she tried to keep her head above the rumours, and Ecco frowned curiously. "Rumours?" she asked. "What do you mean?"

There were always rumours. That Fish wanted to overthrow Falcone, that the guy who'd 'gone on holiday' was really lying at the bottom of Gotham Harbour. But she didn't know what Dinah was referring to, so she didn't say anything else. She simply waited.

[canaryinfishnets]

Dinah's eyebrow quirked a little as she questioned the rumours. "C'mon. It is Gotham." She stated as if it was just on the nose. Dinah thought pretty much everyone was aware of what Gotham was. It was basically a war ground that was disguised as a city. All people did was want power and fight each other for control. "Look, I don't know anything for a fact. I just know that many shady people go to these places and Hypno is another one of those places."

[mobqueenfishmooney]

Music echoed through Hypno. Fish always preferred a live band to a DJ, felt it gave the club a classier air. Nevertheless, there did appear to be some kind of disturbance happening at the bar. She strode down the stairs and glided over, nosebleed heels clacking against the floor loud enough to cut through the music. "What seems to be the problem here?" she asked, glancing from her bartender to the patron at the bar. "I don't like my atmosphere being... disrupted. So someone better start talking. Now."

[canaryinfishnets]

Dinah had always heard rumors about Hypno but, honestly, you only had to throw a stone in Gotham to find talk about something shady. Still, she didn't have vigilante activities on her mind tonight. If anything, she needed something that actually paid the bills. However, it seemed trouble would find her as she could hear the patron and the bartender have an altercation. Hearing the sound of glass shattering as the patron became handy, Dinah instinctively sprung up and twisted his arm behind his back and slammed his head against the bar as she held him in the lock. "Did no one ever teach you to keep your hands to yourself?" She asked, tugging his arm further up his back. Hearing a voice ask what was going on, Dinah released the man. "Sorry, he got a little too hands-on with the staff."

[plxntbasedbitch]

Pam often stayed late at work, purely for the pleasure of being around green and growing things, which she’d always considered to be better company than anyone else. She had her own keys to lock up, and it was common knowledge that she was often the last one there. It also didn’t hurt that the Gardens were certainly the best place to continue her research. Research which she wasn’t too keen on anyone else being privy to, at least not yet. She didn’t think people would really understand what she was trying to do. And, in any case, she wasn’t the type of person to share easily. 

She hadn’t given the woman seated on the bench much thought. It wasn’t so late in the day that the Gardens were turning away visitors, although Pam fortunately wasn’t on the public side of things as much as her other coworkers might be. But the way the woman was muttering under her breath drew Pam’s attention. She didn’t flinch when the woman caught her staring. “What sort of deal?” she asked, and smiled faintly. “And what’s his name? The man who screwed you over?”

[canaryinfishnets]

Dinah glanced up at the redhead and she had to admit, she was taken aback. She had to admit she was beautiful in a way that would make you stop and stare. Even Dinah wasn't immune to it as she felt her mouth fall open slightly and no words came out. It still took a moment for her to register that the woman actually had spoken to her before she shook her head and cleared her throat.

"Just some contract to perform at his club." She said, raising the paperwork flippantly. "Something to do with the Falcones. Don't know much about them other than what I have heard at other clubs. Didn't think they were such low ballers." Dinah huffed as she glanced back down at the paperwork. "I'm sorry to just unload on you. You don't get many friends who stick around in Gotham though." A sigh escaped her before she looked up and smiled. "I'm Dinah."

[jestergirls]

Ecco watched as the other woman stuck the band-aid to her heel. Now her surprise at seeing her had worn off, it was obvious, from the way she was dressed, what she likely did as a living. Before working for Jeremiah, Ecco had spent enough time in clubs to make an educated guess at the sort of work this woman did. When she started to talk about encores, and bonus rates, she nodded and smiled. "You're welcome," she replied. Normally, she would have kept walking, but something about the other woman made her stay. "Where do you work?" she asked. "I used to work at Mooney's."

[canaryinfishnets]

Dinah glanced back over at the woman before offering a polite smile. She didn't expect anything beyond that as she rolled her ankle several times. As she asked her question and mentioned Mooney's, Dinah's eyebrows raised before smiling. "I'm a singer. Gotham seems to really have a thing for getting live entertainment." She stood up straight as and smoothed her outfit down from wrinkles. "I have been there a couple of times. Try and keep my head above the rumours of it though, y'know?"

[striveattemptfail]

Brian at Black Canary Performances | Red Hood: Outlaws #37 vs #56

[jestergirls]

Ecco rarely went alone at night, before Jeremiah had changed. He had expected her to be reachable at all times, and she could not have their business phone calls in public. So, she used to rarely leave her apartment at night. But Jeremiah's business dealings had dried up completely since his personality change -- he had allowed them to -- and she had not enquired about what his plans were now. He was still paying her, for the time being. He would tell her eventually. Or he would get rid of her.

So, she had gone out for a drink. She was walking home when a woman approached her. Ecco immediately tensed. Being approached by anyone on the streets of Gotham at night was enough to get your guard up. But she could see from how the woman was walking that she was in pain, and she confirmed it by asking for a plaster.

Ecco reached into her coat pocket and pulled out a small travel-sized first aid kit. She carried it everywhere, in case Jeremiah needed it in the bunker. "Of course," she said softly. She opened it with a click, withdrew a sealed band-aid, and held it out to the woman. "Tough night?" she asked, after a moment.

[canaryinfishnets]

Dinah hesitated as the woman tensed up. She couldn't say she blamed her. It was Gotham. There was always something lurking under the surface when it came to Gotham. It had a way of changing your life around its twists and turns. You just never know if it is going to be for the best or the worst. Dinah may be a masked vigilante but she was just like everyone else; just trying to get by and make it out alive.

As the woman pulled out the plaster of a small first aid kit, Dinah let out a sigh of relief. "Thank goodness." She managed to say as she slipped her shoe off and used her hand to support herself, tearing the plaster away from its seal with her teeth. "You could say that. I should be flattered for an encore. That's when my bonus rates kick in." She mused as she covered the wound on the back of her heel. "Though, extra money almost makes it worth it." She wince as she slipped the heel back on. "Thank you. Honestly, you may have just saved my life."

[jamesgcrdon]

Jim smiled faintly as Dinah spoke. She reminded him just a little bit of his ex -- he had the feeling the two of them would get along. “Uh, well, it’s not pleasure,” he admitted, another smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. “This isn’t really my thing.” Fancy dress parties seemed like a little bit of a time waster to him. But at the same time, it was hard to think about so many of the upper classes of Gotham gathered together in one place, and he wasn’t around to keep an eye on things. He smiled a little. “But I don’t have my badge on me, so it’s not business, either.” 

He glanced around the room again, before returning his gaze to her. “Dinah Lance, right?” he said. He wiped his scotch glass-dampened hand on the lapel of his jacket before holding it out for her to shake. “Jim Gordon,” he said. His name was starting to gain notoriety in certain circles, if not just because a few of his cases had ended up in the paper. Much to his chagrin.

[canaryinfishnets]

Dinah listened to Jim as she swirled her drink around the glass. "No pleasure? How could you not enjoy this? The rich bidding for things to show off at their next dinner party. It is riveting." Dinah humored in a low tone. Of course, it wasn't really her kind of scene but she was paid to be here and unlike some of these people, she still had to pay rent, and rent in Gotham was not always cheap. "Believe it or not, it isn't mine either." She admitted, looking back to the stage. "Hot date?" She joked looking back at him.

As he mentioned her by name, Dinah was taken aback. She never really got used to people just knowing her. "That's me. A fan of my work?" She asked with a lightness to her tone. Dinah sang in clubs and lounges and they were more often not attended by those who didn't have the best reputations when it came to the law. As he said his name, Dinah smiled and slowly nodded. "So you are the famous Jim. You cause a lot of noise from what I've heard."

[canaryinfishnets]

@plxntbasedbitch

Dinah just had a meeting that could be no less described as disastrous. She had to admit her schedule was starting to get full. Her job took her into the late hours of the evening, then donning a mask, leather, and fishnets to the early hours of the morning. It was all catching up with her. The last meeting was discussing rates and what not and it was a game of back and forth until Dinah took the last offer to think it over. She wasn't planning on taking it. She needed to pay rent still.

Dinah turned and took a shortcut into the Botanical Gardens. Gotham could be a bit of a cesspit in the media but it had its places and its moments. The gardens for instance always seemed to be in some sort of bloom. Taking a seat on a nearby bench, Dinah pulled out the paperwork and flicked through it again, tutting to herself. Her eyes meeting another, Dinah offered an awkward but polite smile as she realized she was muttering to herself. "Sorry, just had someone try and screw me over with a deal."

[canaryinfishnets]

@jestergirls

Dinah stepped off the stage as the performance finished, making a beeline to the exit. Dinah didn't often stay around too much after a performance. Dinah used her singing as an opportunity to recon. However, tonight was a quiet night on that front so it seemed there would be no encore of stopping criminals. It was a good job as well as she stepped out into the gloomy night of Gotham and stopped to adjust her shoe. She hissed a little. Her heels were truly a pain. She couldn't wait for a soak to soothe them. Spotting someone near by, Dinah walked over. "Hey, sorry to be a pain but you wouldn't have a plaster spare would you?"

[canaryinfishnets]

@supesclark

The bar was dark as people took their seats and moved around to the bar. The DJ stopped playing the track as man approached the stage, a single spotlight shining as the room went dark.

“Ladies and gentleman, for one night and one night only, a real life siren from Gotham City. Give her the warmest of welcomes and play nice fellas!”

The stage went dark for a moment before it lit up, Dinah on stage in front of the mic, her voice soft and velvety for a moment. “My feet are aching. Your back is pretty tired.” She let the note carry for a moment before the stage went dark for a brief moment. "And we've drunk a couple bottles, babe, and our grief is set aside." The music began to build as she continued. "And here it is, our final night alive and as the earth burns to the ground."

Then, as if almost by cue, the lights crashed on bold as her voice boomed almost. “Oh boy, it's you that I lie with. As the atom bomb locks in." In moments like this was when she felt most alive other than in her nighttime side activities. Her eyes met those in the audience. “Oh boy, it's you that I watch TV with. As the world, as the world caves in." The last note rang across the whole room as the lights dimmed, glasses on tables vibrating and rattling from the sheer power of her vocal cords.

Having changed clothes, she made sure it was something that would catch the eye of the man she wanted. Of course, it had to include fishnets. Her heels clicked across the floor as she made her way towards the bar. Leaning against it, she ordered a Manhattan, keeping to herself after the performance.

[extraordinary-heroes]

Birds of Prey #2 (Variant Cover Art By Otto Schmidt)