Pre-Comic[]
In her civilian identity, Black Canary accompanied her lover Ollie Queen and Hal Jordan on a night out in celebration of Hal's return to Earth and saving it from a planet-eating monstrosity. Hal is rather uncomfortable going out, just wanting to go home, and Dinah teases Hal for doing such "a good old man impression". Hal snaps back that he doesn't want to be the third wheel, and Dinah further scolds him for not having meaningful relationships that don't last for more than a week, causing Jordan to smile.
Hal tries to change the subject as the three sit at the bar stand by reminding them he saved the world, but Dinah simply continues to tease him for fearing commitment despite his reputation for being a "man without fear". Before their conversation can continue, a biker thug suddenly walks up to Dinah, offering to buy her a drink, which makes Ollie snort in response. The thug grabs Ollie and Dinah warns him, "You get one chance to let off him and walk away. I'm the only person that gets to touch him inappropriately."
Though the biker tries to mock Ollie for 'needing his girl to protect him', Ollie admits he loves watching her do it, and Dinah then proceeds to fight the biker and his gang one on one beating them all easily. Though the leader tries to sneak up on her with a chair, Ollie intervenes and flicks a peanut into his eye, blinding him and letting Dinah knock him out with one punch.
Dinah playfully gets on to Ollie for helping her, saying she had it under control and was defending his honor, with Ollie insisting that he only lifted a single finger. Hal chimes in to remind them of his presence, and Ollie toasts his best friend, the three friends smiling.
Year One[]
Black Canary battles several masked thugs in Starling City while Catwoman watches crouched on above her. Catwoman greets her by asking, "Did you know the U.S. government has a whole elaborate theory for why you wear fishnets?" Canary asks Catwoman why she is there, but Catwoman goes on about how some government agent is paid to consider why she wears her clothes. Just then, the thugs get up to attack Canary again, but she unleashes her Canary Cry to finally knock them unconscious.
She again asks Catwoman why she's there, and Catwoman replies that Batman wants to talk to her. Canary agrees and begins handcuffing the thugs for the police when Catwoman asks about Green Arrow handcuffing Harley Quinn in the Arrow Cave. Canary only replies, "We're not going to talk about that."
She is alongside the other heroes recruited by Batman and Catwoman, including Aquaman, Batwoman, Black Lightning, Captain Atom, Huntress, and Green Arrow as well, with all of them sitting down to listen to Batman's proposed plan of attack against Superman's growing regime.
Dinah is among the gathered Insurgents as Batman reveals the full scope of the Parademon invasion and orders his team to protect Gotham. Canary is concerned that while they have faced such invasions in the past, they had been working with the League before and pleads with Bruce to consider working with Superman to help stop the invasion.
Black Canary along with Green Arrow defends Gotham City from the Parademons. She uses her Canary Cry to keep them back but later is seen wounded and backed into a wall with Green Arrow. After quipping about him having a 'miracle arrow', Ollie admits this may be the end and the two share a kiss just as Superman destroys the advancing Parademons, saving them.
Sometime later, Canary is among the Insurgents gathered in the Batcave to listen to Batman after he declares Superman a lost cause. After Huntress accidentally reveals Bruce's identity to them and Crime Alley is invaded by the Superman cultists, Dinah reveals to Ollie she always knew Batman was Bruce Wayne shocking him, though he quickly shuts up when she reminds him of the Harley Quinn incident.
Dinah rides her motorcycle to Crime Alley alongside Batwoman and Huntress and helps fight off the cultists, retreating on Wonder Woman's orders when she, Green Lantern, and Superman arrive.
Dinah is seen alongside Ollie in the Arrow Cave, sparring with him and scolding him for his lack of concentration. When Harley Quinn arrives on Lobo's hog, she helps stun Lobo long enough for the super-powered Quinn to rip his head off. She witnesses Harley successfully send Lobo off after psycho-analyzing him.
Dinah is with Ollie at his home when she sees Superman's broadcast to the world announcing Batman's actions involving the kidnapped Hawkgirl and Martian Manhunter, with the broadcast ending before the Man of Steel can reveal the Dark Knight's identity.
Black Canary and Green Arrow arrive at the address Batman gave her for one of his many secret hideouts: a unisex bathroom. Ollie is annoyed that Batman trusted her with the address while he was only given a single number, and when he asks if she's ever going to tell him how she knew Batman's secret identity, Dinah only responds cheekily, "Not when I can how much it's torturing you not knowing." They then go to stall three, and both are shocked when the toilet suddenly starts speaking after scanning their voices and retinas.
The stall then turns into an elevator and descends into an underground hideout where Batman and other gathered Insurgents are. Arrow and Canary hear the end of Black Lightning and Batman's argument, with Jefferson angered by the fact the Dark Knight never informed any of them of his plan's to hold Hawkgirl captive and send Martian Manhunter in her place.
Black Canary agrees with Jefferson's point, and after Batman explains he wanted someone on the inside of the League, he reveals J'onn's death at Superman's hands, which visibly shocks Dinah. After this, Batman reveals his plans to break into the Fortress of Solitude while Superman is distracted so that they can steal a sample of the completed super-soldier pill to reverse-engineer. Batman calls Catwoman, Captain Atom, and Black Canary to join him, but Green Arrow argues with Bruce over this, who insists on joining them.
As the two argue, Dinah adds in, "An entire armada is buying us a small window so that we can take steps in possibly saving the world. I'm going to go do that. You two feel free to keep bickering."
Shortly after this, the team teleports to the North Pole and head for the Fortress. After Catwoman unlocks the front door, she, Batman, Canary, and Green Arrow head inside and are shocked to discover Superman's parents inside the Fortress. To make matters worse, Superman has seen through their ruse and arrives seconds later, enraged and holding Captain Atom by his throat.
Atom breaks free from Superman's grip, inadvertently causing a cave-in that separates Canary along with Batman and Catwoman from Green Arrow and Superman's parents. After Ollie assures her he's fine, Dinah moves to unleash her Canary Cry to shatter the blockage but is stopped by Batman, who believes it would only cause more damage. Catwoman urges her to follow them in escaping, but Dinah refuses to leave Ollie.
Ollie reminds her of her own words, but Dinah merely brushes it off by saying, "That was just the fate of the world. This is more important." After Batman reveals he placed a locator inside Arrow's hood, he promises to find him after Superman has gone. A reluctant Dinah then follows Bruce and Selina back to the teleporter.
After waiting for some time, Catwoman again tries to convince Dinah that they have to leave, but she is adamant in her belief that Ollie will come. Just then, Batman's tracer picks up the signal of Ollie's locator. Dinah races ahead to find him...but instead discovers one of his arrow shafts with the locator on it...and the super pill.
Picking up the arrow, Dinah hands Batman the pill while saying, "This is it, isn't it? The tech you were after? Ollie saved the day." Though Batman offers to wait a little longer, Dinah somberly walks away, understanding her lover is not coming.
Dinah is completely silent when she, Batman, and Catwoman return to their secret hideout and leaves in grief when Huntress asks her where Ollie is.
Year Two[]
Dinah returns among the members of the large gathering of heroes at Ollie's funeral. After everyone else has departed, Hal Jordan attempts to talk to her, but Dinah refuses to hear anything he has to say while he is still on Superman's side. After Hal leaves, Dinah stands in front of Ollie's grave for a while when Superman appears behind her, touching down on the ground.
The Man of Steel tries to talk to Dinah, though she keeps her back to him. Superman asks her to hear him out and to try to convince her Ollie's death was an accident. The Man of Steel touches Dinah's shoulder, pleading with her to say something. Fuming with barely restrained rage, Dinah asks, "You want me to say something?" before whirling around and unleashing her Canary Cry, the force, and intensity of the scream causing Superman's ears to bleed. The enraged Superman then lunges forward, snatching her by the face, ceasing her cry, but Dinah defiantly glares back at him.
She brazenly goads him on, saying, "That's it, Clark. Let's see the real you. Show me the last thing Ollie saw before you killed him." This shocks Superman, and Dinah goes on, "You fooled me. Like everyone else, I believed you were like us. I thought you were human. But you're not."
Dinah tells him that while he may see humanity as something fragile, she assures him that they are not and they will bring him down. Superman warns her to watch her words when Dinah suddenly tells him, "Look at me. Look closely." The Man of Steel studies Dinah when he suddenly realizes: "You're pregnant." He gasps.
Dinah confirms this. "I'm fighting for two now." This revelation shocks Superman, and he leaves without another word. Dinah then contacts someone named 'Oracle' over a communicator, asking her if the 'lenses' recorded everything. She gets confirmation before being complimented for standing up to Superman, and Oracle cuts the transmission.
Dinah is seen along with Oracle during her call with the President, silently listening to the conversation.
Black Canary and Oracle are revealed to have assembled a new Birds of Prey team consisting of themselves, Catwoman, Huntress, and Batwoman.
When Dinah goes to her apartment, she finds the door partially open- meaning someone has broken in. She quickly contacts Oracle to inform her of this, who warns one of Superman's supporters could be the intruder. Dinah confirms she has taken one of the super pills and goes inside to confront the intruder.
Warily walking in, she is quickly met by a voice; reeling around, she grabs the person, smashing them into the wall, and prepares to attack- only to see Guy Gardner. Shocked, she asks why he is there (still holding him in the air with one hand). Taken aback by this development, Guy shyly admits he had heard about Oliver. For a moment, the two remain silent; Guy then asks incredulously, "How the hell did you get so strong?"
A short while later, the two have sat down and, after briefly reviewing the characteristics of the super pill, discussed Superman's downward spiral. Guy then says that his fellow Green Lantern Kyle Rayner has gone missing and ponders if Superman is somehow responsible, vaguely asking if Superman could have killed the Lantern. Dinah admits it is not completely implausible. Guy asks Dinah if Superman has really lost his morals, to which she sadly replies, "I honestly think he wants the whole world under his control."
Dinah is present alongside the rest of the Birds of Prey and Commissioner Gordon as he rallies several former GCPD officers to their growing resistance. She is shortly contacted by Guy Gardner, who informs her that Oracle's contact within Superman's ranks was right on the location of the battle between the League and the Green Lantern Corps, but the situation is worse than they realized: Superman is working with the Sinestro Corps.
Black Canary is shocked, and Guy tells her he's returning to Oa to let the Guardians know of this development, and he isn't sure how long he'll be gone before he can return with some way to bring Superman down. Dinah promises him, "Until you get back, I'll try not to do anything stupid." Guy remains unconvinced.
Black Canary then witnesses Gordon demonstrate the effects of the nanotech pill before the shocked officers.
Black Canary is on her motorcycle riding down the highways of Starling City when she is contacted by Oracle, requesting that she return, needing her leadership skills on the ground. Dinah informs Barbara that she'll only be gone a day and that Commissioner Gordon is more qualified to lead than she is. Oracle disagrees, and Black Canary asks if she's just having a harder time ordering her father around and would be happier to boss her around. Oracle admits how annoyingly insightful that is.
Dinah parks her bike in a back alley and presses her hand to the brick wall, where it is scanned, and an arrow-shaped passageway opens in front of her, all the while telling Oracle that she'll be back tomorrow to "Ready to blindly do your bidding again," while explaining that she still has a few of Ollie's affairs to settle and has been putting off coming back to the Arrow Cave for a while. When Oracle comments on how terrible a name that is, Dinah admits, "Harley Quinn said he should call it 'the Quiver'." And both agree it is a better name.
Dinah suddenly tells Oracle she'll call her back...as she stares down Harley Quinn pointing an arrow at her while in fuzzy slippers, her various weapons strewn about the cave. Black Canary demands to know what she is doing there, and while Harley at first attempts to make a joke, Canary reiterates the question, and Quinn admits that she had nowhere else to go. Dinah tells her to leave, and when Harley refuses, she tells her again, but Harley throws her bow aside.
Dinah asks her, "You really want to do this?" and Harley growls and brings it at her before throwing her slippers at Black Canary, who easily catches them. Harley tells her they're explosives, and Dinah throws away while ducking and covering her ears, but after a beat, asks, "They're not really exploding slippers, are they?" with even Harley calling that crazy.
Angered, Dinah unleashes her Canary Cry, knocking Quinn onto a table full of her weapons, and she comes back with her mallet, but just as she is about to strike the still kneeling Canary, Dinah suddenly calls out, "WAIT!" This confuses Harley, and she asks an ill-looking Black Canary if she is alright. Dinah suddenly tells her to grab a nearby bucket, and when a confused Harley hands it to her, Dinah promptly vomits into it.
Very confused, Harley asks what's wrong, and while Dinah insists she's fine, Harley quickly realizes she's pregnant. Angry, Dinah says, "I'm not discussing this with you. Let's just get back to me throwing your ass out of here." But Harley only reiterates her discovery, and when Dinah starts to say, "I said I'm not--" she pauses before throwing up into the bucket again. Dinah asks if she thinks this is funny, and Harley admits it's hilarious, the idea of a pregnant superhero, and she can't contain her joy at picturing Black Canary in full costume during her third trimester.
A miserable Dinah wants to go back to fighting, but Harley refuses and sits down next to her, commenting that she remembers how hard it was. A shocked Dinah asks if she had a child. Harley doesn't reply, and when Dinah asks, "Harleen?" she finally reveals that five years ago, she had a daughter named Lucy with the Joker, but gave the child to her sister so she could have a normal life before also admitting that the Joker never even noticed she was gone for almost an entire year.
Harley then asks if the baby is Oliver's, and Dinah snaps, "You're not supposed to know his secret identity...and of course it's Ollie's!" Harley reveals she knows Oliver died and Dinah, smiling, tells her, "Ollie believed in you, you know? I have no idea why. That man could hold a grudge like no one else, but he saw something in you. Something not beyond redemption."
When Harley asked if Superman killed him, Dinah admits he did, and when she admits he did, she tells Harley she's going to make sure Superman won't hurt anyone else ever again. Harley then asks to help Dinah, and while Canary refuses at first, she reminds her that Superman killed her man too and says she can do things she can't...like fight without needing a nearby bucket.
Black Canary is with the Birds of Prey Batwoman and Huntress as well as Commissioner Gordon and his detectives Harvey Bullock and Renee Montoya, with Dinah in contact with Oracle and getting the positions of two Regime soldiers they're planning on ambushing. Her team flawlessly executes their trap, and the soldiers are quickly subdued and ordered captured by Gordon as Black Canary silently watches on.
Black Canary is seen sitting next to Harley Quinn as the group enjoys looking over some slides of pictures from happier days in their past. Later, Canary is alongside the rest of the Birds of Prey when Commissioner Gordon brings in Clayface to join the team. Dinah tells Gordon that they want answers, and she later watches Harley get a blood sample from Clayface.
When the shapeshifter reveals his true colors and alliance with Superman, Black Canary participates in the battle against him, unleashing her Canary Cry to cause the living pile of clay intense damage, allowing Oracle to knock him out with a final blow. Dinah later gets bandaged by Harley Quinn, despite assuring her she wasn't even hurt, and she later sees how Harley secures Clayface in a series of jars to keep him imprisoned.
After a seven-month time skip, Dinah is seen in a hospital, thinking to herself about how she can't feel any more pain, and a nurse tells her, "It's a boy." As she sees her newborn child, Dinah thinks, "Connor." and calls him the most perfect thing in the world. Crying tears of joy and sorrow, Dinah thinks to herself that she wishes Ollie was here to see him.
Sometime later, Dinah is visited by a civilian clothed Harley Quinn in the hospital, much to her surprise. Harley is ecstatic to see the newborn Connor and has brought many presents, including a bow and arrow set, a fake mustache, as well as a muzzle. When Dinah asks why a muzzle, Harley explains it came in handy when she was first raising her hyenas.
Dinah tells her Connor is a baby, not a pack hunter, and Harley then reminds her that babies scream, and when she screams, a "crazy deafening, smashy power comes out." She then says Connor may get that power early. Dinah glares at a smug Harley before asking for the muzzle. Harley then points out to Dinah that her bag is glowing, and a despondent Dinah whispers, "No. Not now."
Dinah pulls out a communicator with the Green Lantern Corps sigil on it as Guy Gardner's voice asks if it's safe to speak. Dinah tells him yes, and Guy informs her, "It's time." Dinah asks how long, and Guy tells her that the full force of Lantern's he's leading will need three weeks to move their secret weapon. Guy says they only get one shot at this and that they need everyone, telling her they'll need her resistance force on the ground when they arrive.
Dinah looks at Connor before telling Guy she understands, before wondering if the planet can survive a war between the Green Lantern Corps, Sinestro Corps, and Superman's forces.
Black Canary, holding her son Connor, is present along with Oracle as Superman makes his speech to the people of the world concerning the upcoming war with the Green Lantern Corps. When Oracle realizes just what Superman is saying, Canary numbly agrees and says, "He's eloquently and passionately inspiring the entire world to get out and be human shields." Before the two can further discuss this, Oracle receives a file. When Black Canary asks what it is, it is revealed to contain the Justice League Watchtower codes, allowing the resistance to know every move the League will make.
Zatanna then arrives and reveals that it's time. Before Dinah leaves, Oracle tries to convince her that she doesn't have to do this and that Ollie doesn't need to be avenged. Dinah looks down on her child and smiles as the baby reaches for her, saying, "If I don't fight, and we lose, what kind of world would I be leaving for him?" Black Canary declares she is going to take down Superman and make sure Connor has a future. Canary then leaves with Zatanna to the Tower of Fate to rendezvous with Batman.
At the Tower, Black Canary confirms to Batman that the Green Lantern Corps will arrive on Earth tomorrow. Batman then speaks to the entire resistance, and as the Dark Knight asks them to say their goodbyes, Dinah promises Connor that she will come back for him. Dinah then gives Connor to Zatanna before being teleported to the Batcave alongside Catwoman and Alfred.
Black Canary is in the Batcave alongside Alfred when she is contacted by Batman. Though she's surprised to hear from him, believing the Dark Knight should be in the Tower of the Fate before he asks if she has the weapon. Alfred is indeed handing her the modified handgun and Kryptonite-tipped bullet, though she's warned they only have one shot. Black Canary confirms she has the weapon, and Batman reminds her that while she may be angry over Oliver's death, he asks that when the chance comes, he asks her not to kill him, with Bruce asking her to remember who Clark was.
Dinah says, "I remember." as she loads the gun, but also says, "I can't guarantee anything--" She holds the handgun up with an angry expression as she says, "The guy with the best aim is dead."
Black Canary boards the Batplane while being contacted by Oracle, who asks if she is ready. Dinah tells her she is, and as Alfred opens the hanger doors, he requests she hit Superman with a missile for him, which Canary easily promises to do. Dinah is then told Batman wants a word, and as she flies out of the Batcave, the Dark Knight warns her to be careful, as his plane is lined with lead, meaning Superman won't be able to see inside it.
As Dinah takes her pill, she asks why she would need to be more careful if Superman can't see into the plane. Batman warns her that the Man of Steel might think she is him.
Dinah later arrives just as Superman has been knocked out of the sky by Ganthet, and Batwoman has forced his Sinestro Corps allies away with missiles. Black Canary blasts Superman with more missiles, and when the Man of Tomorrow sees the Batplane, Batman's words come to pass, and the enraged Kryptonian blasts the plane with an extremely intense burst of heat vision, destroying it instantly. Dinah survives the explosion thanks to her enhanced durability and emerges from the flames on a bat-themed jetpack, unleashing her Canary Cry at full power on Superman, causing his ears to rupture with blood.
Dinah then tackles Kal-El out of the air and into the ground while still screaming her Canary Cry, their impact creating a huge crater.
Dinah lays crouched on the ground, discarding her jetpack while watching Superman struggle to get up, Oracle contacting her and asking if the Man of Steel is down. After Dinah confirms he is not, Kal-El pleads with her that he never wanted to hurt her or anyone else, but Canary just snaps at him, "Oh, shut up!"
Black Canary tells Superman, "You want me to feel sorry for you? You're the most powerful thing on Earth. Stop pretending that someone else is to blame. It's pathetic." Dinah then reminds him that he has super-vision before asking him if he can't see how he has become an evil murdering dictator. Dinah then says, "I'm just glad Lois died before she saw you like this."
This proves to be too much, and an enraged Superman snatches Black Canary by her neck, infuriated by her mentioning Lois. Unafraid, Dinah asks, "Do you remember what I told you at Ollie's funeral?" before shooting Superman at point-blank range with the Kryptonite-tipped bullet. Holding her smoking weapon, Black Canary says, "I guess you weren't faster than that, were you?" before kicking Superman across the face, knocking him over, and reminding him, "I told you I'd tear you down."
Dinah then reveals she missed anything vital on purpose, telling Kal-El that she promised Batman to give him the mercy he had denied Ollie. Leaning over Superman, Dinah hisses, "Everything you've done to him-- and Bruce still cares about your worthless life."
Dinah then tells Superman that without him, the Sinestro Corps will fall, along with all those he sold into his twisted dream. She then reveals the Hall of Justice has already fallen, and all his allies have been taken and hidden, promising him that no one will be coming to rescue him. Then turning her back on the fallen Man of Steel, Dinah contacts Guy and informs him with a triumphant smile, "We did it. Superman is down."
She then tells him to send Ganthet to collect him, adding, "Get this evil bastard off of our planet." Dinah then turns back to Superman, just in time to see a Guardian Power placing itself in his finger. Gasping out a weak, "No..." as Superman creates a plier construct to pull the kryptonite bullet out, Dinah is helpless as the Man of Steel fires his heat vision right through her abdomen.
A mortally wounded Black Canary collapses, her stomach burning as the newly empowered Superman rises over her.
Dying, Dinah struggles to raise herself up, blood running down her mouth while she ignores Oracle's desperate calls while the now Qwardian Ring empowered Superman floats over her, glowing with the light of fear. Dinah smiles through her pain and tears as she tells him, "You lose." She then points to her eyes and reveals her final, ultimate victory over the Man of Steel.
"Contact lenses. They recorded everything. Everything I saw. They saw. And I saw the truth."
Dinah reveals that the images are being streamed around the world, and she tells Clark that he doesn't get to hide behind his hero facade any longer and that while he might win this war and kill them all, the people will know what he is now. With her last breaths, Dinah tells Superman, "They'll know you're...you're not their savior. The world will fear you." With that, Dinah collapses, dead in a pool of her own blood as an enraged Superman flies away.
In Year Two's epilogue, Doctor Fate locates Dinah's body and intervenes. Dinah is taken to another universe and revived. She awakens in a cabin, in a bed, and is confused as Fate explains his actions. Dinah is shocked when she hears Connor's cries and questions Fate for bringing him along.
Dinah is further shocked when she sees Oliver Queen holding the baby. As she takes her child back, Dinah is still confused until Doctor Fate explains that this Oliver Queen lost his own Dinah five years ago and that while he knows the two have never met and that he cannot guarantee them happiness, he can give them each other. Though Dinah weakly protests, reminding him of Superman's threat to their world, Doctor Fate explains he won't take her back, saying he's broken too many rules already.
After giving Connor a fond farewell, Doctor Fate leaves, leaving Dinah and Oliver in silence until the smiling Ollie calls her Pretty Bird.