- For other people who used the "Canary" identity, see Canary.
- "The life you think you want, Dinah—being a superhero is not what it's cracked up to be. It's dangerous. It's ugly. It is relentless, and it will wear you down. I won't let you throw your future away."
- — Carolyn to her daughter, Dinah Redmond
Carolyn Lance was a female meta-human who was the mother of Dinah Lance, and a vigilante known as Black Canary.
Biography[]
Legendary vigilante[]
- "We could actually make this a safer world. That's what Black Canary tried to do, and for a long time, she was successful."
- — Barbara Gordon to Dinah Redmond
Carolyn at some point became the Black Canary, a superhero protecting New Gotham and one of the first superheroines. She later worked as an ally of Batman. Along with this, she had a series of conflicts with Bruce's lover Selina Kyle.
Carolyn gave birth to a daughter, Dinah. After discovering that she wasn't developing meta-human powers by age 6, in order to keep her safe, Carolyn left her with foster parents. However, this turned out for the worst as Dinah's foster mother, being a religious fanatic, would physically abuse the girl in an attempt to suppress her powers.
Last mission[]
When Carolyn arrives in New Gotham City, a street hood calls Frankie Spitz to inform him. Carolyn then goes to New Gotham Clocktower, where she meets Dinah and she reveals to Birds of Prey that Carolyn is her mother. Dinah tells Carolyn of her time during foster care; who replies that she came to retrieve her because she is now retired from crime-fighting and acknowledges her greatest mistake. Moreover, Carolyn does not like Helena Kyle, the daughter of a thief around Dinah. Meanwhile, Spitz has killed the street hood for failing to capture Carolyn. The next morning when she learns of the victim, she orders Dinah to come with her because she wants to avoid Al Hawke; however, Dinah runs out the back door. Carolyn then meets Dinah at No Man's Land Collectables and tells Dinah why she gave her up for adoption. Later, Carolyn is captured by Spitz and taken to the riverside warehouse. She is tied to a machine designed to constrict her to death; Hawke purposefully breaks the machine so that it cannot be deactivated. So, the Birds of Prey arrives, Huntress fought Hawke's thugs and Dinah knocked him unconscious, but she could not stop the machine. Suddenly, Hawke grabbed Dinah; she then focused her telekinesis on Carolyn's collar, breaking it. Carolyn blasted everyone around her with her sonic scream that stopped the machine and allowed the women to escape the rifle fire that Hawke feels their way. The warehouse exploded as Carolyn covered the escape of Huntress and Dinah, causing her death.
Powers and abilities[]
Powers[]
- "The Canary Cry."
- "Oh, a sonic wave of unparalleled might, able to shatter glass, crumble concrete, burst eardrums."
- —Dinah Redmond and Gibson Kafka
- Meta-human physiology: From unknown means, Carolyn's DNA and cells were altered, enabling her to access her new-found powers.
- Superhuman sonic scream: Carolyn was able to emit a powerful sonic scream capable of damaging, disorienting, and stunning anyone she uses it on.
- Sound immunity: Carolyn was immune to her own powers or any other meta-human with similar sonic scream-based powers.
Abilities[]
- "Your mother single-handedly brought down New Gotham's most powerful organized crime family. All these guys were into gambling, extortion, drugs, women—the usual fun and games. Canary infiltrated, became one of them, handed the D.A. an airtight case. It was the stuff legends are made of."
- — Gibson Kafka to Dinah Redmond
- Peak of human physical condition: As a vigilante, Carolyn was in top physical condition.
- Master hand-to-hand combatant/Martial artist: Carolyn was a highly skilled hand-to-hand combatant and martial artist. Gibson Kafka described her as "magnificent," "powerful," and "graceful" when she engaged in battle. He also described her as "loud" because of her Canary Cry.
- Stealth/Infiltration: According to her daughter, Carolyn is one of the greatest espionage agents in the world. Gibson Kafka stated that Carolyn brought down New Gotham City's most powerful organized crime family on her own by infiltrating them.
Weaknesses[]
- Power-dampening tech: Carolyn's powers can be neutralized using power-dampening tech.
Appearances[]
Birds of Prey[]
- "Slick" (mentioned)
- "Sins of the Mother"
- "Primal Scream" (mentioned)
- "Split" (mentioned)
- "Nature of the Beast" (mentioned)
Behind the scenes[]
- Carolyn is based on Dinah Drake-Lance, the first person to take on the legacy mantle of Black Canary and member of the Justice Society of America, and the mother of her successor, Dinah Laurel Lance in the DC Comics.