Dinah Lance, a.k.a. Black Canary, is a hero with phenomenal hand-to-hand combat skills and an ultrasonic "Canary Cry." Between these two capabilities, she is able to take on the likes of the Ravens, Count Vertigo, Poison Ivy, the Injustice Society, Deathstroke and many others.
Still, brute force, either from her fists or her scream, is not necessarily Black Canary's go-to maneuver against enemies. Her training as a combatant involves skill as much as strength, and her Cry can do more than simply disorient or hurt opponents. In DC Comics and adaptations like the DC Animated Universe, Black Canary showcased her skills and powers in incredibly creative ways, using them as both weapons and tools.
8 Two Powers Are Better Than One
Dinah Lance may be a metahuman, but her superhuman abilities really only pertain to her Canary Cry. Furthermore, the Cry can be unwieldy and harm her allies or do more damage than Dinah intends. Luckily, she pairs the ultrasonic scream with her hand-to-hand combat skills, creating a "one-two-punch."
In Green Arrow and Black Canary #30, a tie-in issue for Blackest Night by J.T. Krul, Diogenes Neves, Ruy José, Vincente Cifuentes, and Chuck Pires, she is forced to fight her husband, whom Nekron has possessed. The combination of combat skills and her eventual use of her Cry do not destroy the Nekron-Green Arrow amalgam. However, it provides her and her team members time to escape the Black Lanterns.
7 Canary Brings Down Buildings With Her Cry
While property destruction is a hazard for superheroes, Black Canary is especially prone to demolition. Still, her ability to tear down a building is hugely helpful in the right circumstances.
In "The Cat and the Canary" from Justice League: Unlimited (2004-2006), Dinah destroys private property via her Cry. To prevent Roulette from restarting her fight club, Black Canary uses her Cry to destroy the stadium where Roulette was holding brawls between costumed heroes and criminals. Canary used her power to literally bring the house down, saving Green Arrow and Wildcat in the process.
6 Black Canary Uses Her Opponents' Strengths Against Them
Her Canary Cry is definitely effective, but Dinah Lance was trained by some of the best non-powered fighters in DC's multiverse, including Wildcat and members of the Justice Society of America. So, she too can knock out a stack of criminals without any superpowers.
Black Canary often fights villains beyond her weight class, so she knows how to use her opponent's strength to her advantage. Instead of trying to counter force applied against her, Canary uses deception as well as adjacent and acute force so that she sustains minimal injury and even causes her adversaries to injure themselves.
5 Dinah's Tech Aversion Has Its Advantages
As one of the founding and most consistent members of the Birds of Prey, Black Canary ought to be comfortable with technology given fellow Bird Barbara Gordon's coding and technological skills. Early in her tenure with the Birds, Canary demonstrates some serious tech aversion.
Nevertheless, Black Canary proves that going analog can be beneficial. Oracle delivers a computer for Dinah and, seeing her through the screen, mentions she is wearing her hair differently. Dinah is frustrated that Oracle can see her, but she cannot see Oracle, so she places a blanket over the webcam. Canary's tech aversion was a positive when it came to privacy.
4 Black Canary's Cry Allows Her To Fly
In the New 52, Dinah learns she can use her Canary Cry to "fly." She and the rest of the Birds of Prey run through the woods to escape a horde of dangerous plant people, only to stumble onto a ravine with a broken rope bridge.
Desperate to make it to the other side, Dinah grabs the rope bridge, jumps off the side of the ravine and screams at the ground. Much to her teammates' surprise, the force of her Cry keeps her elevated, and she is able to maneuver over to the other side, mimicking Banshee's mutant powers from X-Men comics. There, she ties up the bridge and the rest of the Birds use it to flee from the plant people.
3 Canary Does Not Stay Trapped For Long
On the rare occasion they are able to subdue her, most villains think to cover Black Canary's mouth in an attempt to silence her and nullify her powers. It only takes a screech for her to create a distraction or call for help. Some villains try other methods to silence her, but this does not work well.
Whether Mr. Freeze freezes her in a block of ice or Merlyn uses his bow string as a garrote, Canary can often break free. Her Cry is so forceful on solid objects, it can often snap, crack or otherwise crumble them to pieces.
2 Canary Uses Her Beauty As A Weapon
Some heroes and villains alike across the DC multiverse know how to use their appearances to their advantage, disarming other people with a smile and a wave. Dinah Lance is no exception as she uses her beauty as a weapon.
Villains can underestimate Black Canary, unaware of her superhuman powers or fighting skills. Black Canary's signature platinum locks and fishnet stockings work to her advantage. However, villains quickly discover that her fishnet-and-boot-clad legs yield quite the kick, and her hair halos a sharp and strategic mind.
1 Black Canary Can Put Out Fires With Her Cry
Black Canary's Cry allows her to "fly," tear down buildings, escape from traps and shake up villains, but it can also extinguish fires. She demonstrates this ability when a high speed train catches fire and is unable to brake in Green Arrow Vol. 6 #34, written by Benjamin Percy with art Stephen Byrne.
Using the properties of sound and the laws of thermodynamics, Dinah reasons she can put the fire out with a low-decibel cry. Sure enough, a low Canary Cry snuffs out the oxygen that the blaze requires, extinguishing the fire and allowing the train to stop.