A Brief History of Black Canary
Fishnets, Leather Jacket, a Nasty Bird Cry and Lots of Attitude
Dec 15, 2008
Created by Robert Kanigher and Carmine Infantino in 1947, Black Canary brought another heroine into the boy's club of superhero comics. Never a major character, her trademark fishnet stockings and leather jacket ensemble were enough to popularize her image in the public consciousness.
Live Action First
Like the Huntress, Black Canary is a rarity among superheroes in that she appeared in two live action performances before she ever appeared in animation. In 1979, Black Canary, played by Danuta Wesley, appeared in Legends of the Super Heroes, a campy send up of the Justice League.
Birds of Prey
In 2002, the WB produced a single season of Birds of Prey. The series revolved around the Huntress, Oracle (formerly Batgirl) and the daughter of Black Canary, Dinah Redmond. Originally the producers had intended that Dinah Redmond would be a reinvented Black Canary, but the series progressed in a different direction and the character developed powers that didn't reflect the Canary character.
Lori Laughlin guest starred as Redmond's mother, the Black Canary, in a single episode. Laughlin's character was called Carolyn Lance, but other than a distinct lack of fishnet stockings she was very much in line with the comic book version of Black Canary, right down to the Canary Cry.
Justice League
In Justice League Unlimited, Black Canary struck up a romance with Green Arrow, reminiscent of their relationship in the comic books. Voiced by Morena Baccarin, Canary also strikes up a rivalry with the Huntress. The two women save each other's lives in the episode "Grudge Match" but at the end of the program they agree to a best 3 of 5 sparring match to settle their differences.
In the JLU's antecedent series, the Justice League, the group traveled to a parallel dimension where they met Black Siren, a member of the Justice Guild of America. Black Siren was virtually identical to the Black Canary who appeared in comics from the 1940's to the 1960's.
Smallville
In the seventh season of Smallville, Black Canary screams into town as a mercenary hired by Lex Luthor. With the help of Green Arrow, Clark Kent is able to get her onto the hero track. Played by Alaina Huffman, Canary returns in season eight as a member of the Justice League.
Cameo Appearance
Black Canary shows up briefly at the beginning of the direct to video animated feature Justice League: The New Frontier.
Brave and the Bold
Black Canary is slated to appear in an upcoming episode of Batman: The Brave and the Bold. No word has been released regarding who might be voicing the character.
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