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Black Canary (Dinah Lance)

The Religious Affiliation of
Black Canary
Dinah Lance

Religion: Christian (denomination unknown) CBR Scale: I

Name: Black Canary

Alter Ego: Dinah Lance

Other Names: Black Canary II; Dinal Laurel Lance; The Blonde Bombshell; Dinah Laurel Lance-Queen; Dinah Redmond

Classification: hero hero  

Publisher(s): DC

First Appearance: Justice League of America (vol. 1) #75 (Nov. 1969): "In Each Man There Is a Demon"

Creators: Denny O'Neil, Dick Dillin, Joe Giella

Super? (Has Super Powers/Special Abilities/Technology): Yes

Number of Appearances: 1,406

   Comic Book Appearances: 1,380

   TV, Film Appearances: 25

   Video Game, Computer Game Appearances: 1

Teams/Affiliations: Birds of Prey; The Justice League; The Network

Enemy of: Count Vertigo

Location: Gotham City, USA; Star City, California, USA

Race: white

Gender: female

In Wonder Woman #34, Black Canary's friend Wonder Woman asked her directly if she is a Christian (to confirm what Wonder Woman already knew). Black Canary answered, "Yeah. I mean, it's complicated, but sure."

(Thanks to Rei Shaw for sending us information about this informative conversation between Black Canary and Wonder Woman, including a link to a scanned image of the actual page.)

Black Canary clearly has a Christian self-identity when it comes to religious affiliation. This probably stems, at least in part, from the Christian religious affiliation of her parents: Richard Drake and the first Black Canary. (Superman himself even read from the Bible at Richard Drake's clearly Christian funeral.)

There is little indication within her large body of published comic book stories, film and television appearances to indicate that Black Canary is an active churchgoer or in any way unusually devout. Her religious affiliation has never been a significant part of her character in the same way (for example) that it is for some of her friends and teammates, such as Wonder Woman, Huntress and Martian Manhunter. But nor are we aware of her exhibiting any indications of particular irreligiosity, unorthodoxy, or deviation from general societal norms for a contemporary American who is at least vaguely or nominally Christian.

Black Canary (Dinah Lance) Black Canary (Dinah Lance) Black Canary (Dinah Lance) Black Canary (Dinah Lance) Black Canary (Dinah Lance) Black Canary (Dinah Lance)


This character is in the following 125 stories which have been indexed by this website:
Action Comics
America vs. the Justice Society #4 (Apr. 1985): "D-Day For Degation"
Aquaman Secret Files & Origins #1 (Dec. 1998): "Left for Dead"
Batman (vol. 1) #687 (Aug. 2009): "A Battle Within: An Epilogue to Battle for the Cowl" (2-panel cameo)
Batman and the Outsiders (vol. 2) #13 (Jan. 2009): "The Network" (4-panel cameo)
Batman: Battle for the Cowl
Batman: Battle for the Cowl: The Network #1 (July 2009): "The Network" (1-panel cameo)
Birds of Prey
Blasters Special #1 (Mar. 1989): "Blasters" (cameo)
Body Doubles
DC Special #27 (Apr.-May 1977): "Danger: Dinosaurs at Large" (cameo)
DC Special Series #10 (Apr. 1978): "The Canary is a Bird of Prey" (lead character)
Green Arrow (vol. 3) #40 (Sep. 2004): "New Blood, Part One: Moving Day"
Green Arrow and Black Canary
Green Arrow: The Longbow Hunters
Green Lantern (vol. 2) #100 (Jan. 1978): "Beware the Blazing Inferno"
Harley Quinn #6 (May 2001): "Who Wants to Rob a Millionaire?" (cameo)
JLA #9 (Early Sep. 1997): "Elseworlds" (cameo)
The Joker #4 (Nov.-Dec. 1975): "A Gold Star for the Joker"
Joker: Last Laugh
JSA
JSA Secret Files & Origins #1 (Aug. 1999): untitled pin-up
Justice League
Justice League America
Justice League Heroes (10 Oct. 2006)
Justice League International (vol. 1) #7 (Nov. 1987): "Justice League... International!"
Justice League of America
Justice League: Cry for Justice
Justice Society of America
Last Days of the Justice Society of America Special (1986): "The Last Days of the Justice Society"
Lego Batman 2: DC Super Heroes (19 June 2012)
Nightwing (vol. 2) #52 (Feb. 2001): "Modern Romance" (2-panel cameo)
Outsiders (vol. 3) #39 (Oct. 2006): "Silver and Grey, Part Three: Since You're Here, Why Don't You Stay Awhile?" (clone of)
Secret Society of Super-Villains
Showcase '96 #3 (Mar. 1996): "Birds of a Feather"
The Super Friends (vol. 1) #8 (Nov. 1977): "The Mind Killers!"
Unlimited Access #4 (Mar. 1998): "Combined Forces" (character based on)
Wonder Woman (vol. 2) #175 (Dec. 2001): "The Witch and the Warrior, Part Two: Girl Frenzy"
World's Finest Comics


Suggested links for further research about this character and the character's religious affiliation:
  - http://www.imdb.com/character/ch0030494/
  - http://www.comicvine.com/black-canary/29-1689/
  - http://dc.wikia.com/wiki/Dinah_Laurel_Lance_(New_Earth)
  - http://www.dcuguide.com/who.php?name=blackcanary2prec
  - http://www.dcuguide.com/chronology.php?name=blackcanary2prec
  - http://www.dcuguide.com/who.php?name=blackcanary2
  - http://www.dcuguide.com/chronology.php?name=blackcanary2
  - http://www.adherents.com/lit/comics/BlackCanary.html
  - https://www.comics.org/issue/23079/
  - http://dc.wikia.com/wiki/Justice_League_of_America_Vol_1_75