Disclaimer: No copyright infringement is intended in this work. This is a non-profit effort done out of affinity and respect for the comics and their characters.
This story is the fourth of five in 'The Measure of a Heroine' series. All five tales feature super heroines battling on different fronts to save Earth from disaster. The styles intentionally differ from story to story, so as to present fresh and entertaining perspectives. Some are very action oriented, whereas others, like this one, use the emergency as a backdrop while exploring the dynamics between characters.
I chose the Elseworlds setting for 'The Measure of a Heroine' saga because much of the material is Pre-Crisis On the Infinite Earths. 'Birds of Prayer' teams the popular Birds of Prey characters, Dinah and Barbara, but with a new and curious twist. My stories are stand-alone but can also be read in succession. (There is some time and content overlap.) The recommended order of reading is
1) Wonder Woman : The Measure of a Heroine
2) To Silence a Deadly Silence (features Supergirl and Hawkgirl)
3) Fortress (features Wonder Girl and Starfire)
4) Birds of Prayer (features Black Canary, Batgirl and Oracle)
5) Quick Tricks (features Zatanna and Jesse Quick)
Enjoy!
*****************************************************************************
BIRDS OF PRAYER
Chapter 1.
Our world has faced its share of grave challenges over the years dating back to the dawn of man. This may not be the most dire threat mankind has ever encountered, but doubtless it is close. A sinister force has engineered the disappearances of every male humanoid being from the planet Earth. Only the females of the species remain to defend our world and achieve the return of its missing male population.
The identity of the perpetrators of these mass disappearances is unknown, but it is clear that their intentions are both hostile and well planned. Every contingency seems to have been accounted for to ensure that Earth would be both devastated and defenseless. Minutes prior to the disappearances, the hideous monster Doomsday appeared in rural Montana. His destructive rampage drew the response of heroes and heroines everywhere. The super heroines arrived to confront the menace, but their male counterparts vanished before ever reaching the scene. The expected result was that the super heroines would be crushed by Doomsday, leaving no one left to challenge the true threat to the planet.
The mysterious enemy underestimated the resolve and capabilities of the world's super heroines, however. Wonder Woman recognized that Doomsday was being used as a ruse. The Amazon took charge of the situation by redirecting her colleagues' efforts towards finding and stopping the primary enemy. She herself opted to tackle Doomsday alone, hoping that her superior fighting skills and powers would enable her to hold out against the behemoth.
To further confuse an already panicked world, the enemy managed to cut off all forms of electronic communication. It was only through the ingenuity of the mysterious Oracle that the heroines were able to briefly coordinate their efforts. Oracle discovered that the Earth's very own communication satellites are being used to funnel all communication lines. She concludes that in very short order those communication waves will be fed back towards their originating sources with potentially lethal results.
Super heroines are strategically paired to battle the crisis. Supergirl and Hawkgirl join forces to regain control of Earth's satellites. Teen Titans Wonder Girl and Starfire strive to penetrate Superman's fortress of solitude which is being used as a land base of operation by the enemy. Meanwhile the magician Zatanna sets out to prevent worldwide disasters resulting from the absence of the men. With speedster Jessie Quick's assistance, Zatanna locates aircraft and other moving vessels without pilots. She slows the flow of time to a crawl around such ships in distress thus averting many tragic crashes.
While these noble efforts unfold, Black Canary remains behind in charge of the Justice League satellite. The gallant heroine nurses a grievously injured left knee; therefore she can be of no help in the field. Typically her current post would still be a vitally important function, for the JLA headquarters serves as the command center in times of crisis. Alas with communications down, Black Canary must sit back and wait for word from her comrades while down below her planet may very well be dying.
*****
The Black Canary is a proud woman. While she possesses no super powers other than her bizarre canary cry, this 27 year old woman has earned the trust and admiration of her Justice League colleagues. Ready to take on any challenge while fighting along side heroes, most of whom with might dwarfing her own, it pains Black Canary to be so helpless. Were she to momentarily give in to self pity, she would likely fear that her crime fighting career is over. Her injury appears that serious. Instead, her thoughts are with her friends who are risking their lives to save their world. She hopes and prays they are successful and that she may somehow be able to assist them.
Dinah is startled by the hum of the Justice League transporter. A feminine form materializes through the bright glow. She recognizes the visitor to be the Huntress, a caped vigilante hailing from Gotham City who embodies many of the characteristics and tactics of the legendary Batman. These two women are not friends. In truth they worked together today for the very first time, joining forces in pursuit of the international criminal the Cobra. Their partnership was a little bumpy, but largely productive until both heroines had to abandon their mission in response to the Doomsday summons.
The Huntress also suffered injury in the melee. Her left arm is broken and she also has a mild shoulder separation. She reasons that her injuries and lack of super powers preclude her from being of any real help down below. Although not a member of the league, the Gothamite explains that Oracle had arranged access to the satellite given the nature of the crisis.
This revelation proves jarring to Black Canary, although she does her very best to disguise her surprise. During the last four years, she has developed a very close, albeit unusual friendship with the mysterious Oracle. They communicate often and seem to understand one another on a level beyond that of a working relationship. Canary has never met Oracle. Their correspondence is strictly by computer and scrambled video transmissions. Her experience tells her, however, that Oracle is not just a computer whiz; she has background as a super heroine. It is also understood amongst the JLA that the Batman is the only one who knows Oracle's true identity.
Dinah has pondered this question for some time and now the answer finally seems crystal clear to her. Only minutes ago, she was conveniently away treating her injuries while Oracle provided the JLA with pertinent tactical information. Her ties to Gotham City and the Batman further clinch it. Black Canary is certain that the Huntress must also be Oracle! Now the challenge is for her to surreptitiously prove it to herself.
*****
Dinah Drake first embarked on her super heroic career eight years ago as a precocious teen. Gifted since early youth with the startling ability to use sound as a weapon via her vocal chords, she did not consider herself blessed. Dinah feared she'd be perceived as a freak, so she kept her abilities hidden, even from her parents and closest friends. As she matured, Dinah began to accept the notion that she had received her talents for a reason. She took up martial arts and secretly practiced her trademark "canary cry" to perfect it. Upon leaving home for college, young Dinah opted to unveil her heroic prowess as the Black Canary.
The early stages of Black Canary's career were rather unsuccessful, to be kind. Although she possessed the raw talents of a heroine and tried hard, her skills were unpolished. Invariably the villains she confronted managed to elude her best efforts. Black Canary was none too popular amongst the Star City police force, virtually all of whom suspected her to be a villainess. Dinah's forays as a fledgling super heroine affected her personal life. Her grades began to really suffer in her sophomore year of college. Her relationship with her family became strained because they couldn't understand how such a bright young girl was allowing her college opportunity to slip away.
Star City police detective Larry Lance proved to be a godsend for young Dinah. Inexplicably, Lance believed in the integrity of Black Canary when his fellow colleagues did not. He saw her good intentions although he was quite concerned that she was in over her head. Lance worked with Black Canary as a confidant and advisor. Her performance as a super heroine improved a bit, in large part because Larry was able to convince his fellow officers that Black Canary was on their side.
To their mutual surprise, this unofficial working relationship quickly led to a serious romance. Lance was a 42 year old lifetime bachelor who had sworn never to be tied down. Dinah was a 20 year old college girl whose odd night life precluded romance, yet there was an attraction between them which defied logic. Larry Lance and Black Canary fell in love. The super heroine willingly revealed her secret identity to Lance, who was only slightly surprised she was so young. Her maturity level had suggested to him a woman in her mid twenties. The gap in age did not matter, however, and within a year the couple were married.
At Larry's insistence, Dinah gave up her Black Canary identity. He realized that he could not keep his talented and driven wife away from the super heroic calling forever, but he wanted her to be better trained. Larry taught Dinah the finer points of detective work while she buckled down and got her college degree in political science. She continued honing her martial arts skills and would soon be ready to once again don the bold blue costume of the Black Canary.
Alas tragedy struck 22 year old Dinah Drake Lance. The worst fear any policeman's wife has came true. Larry Lance was mortally wounded during an ill-fated drug bust. Dinah remained at his bedside as her husband drifted in and out of consciousness in the last couple hours of his life. Conversation was difficult and painful, for what does one discuss when all his hopes and dreams are about to end? Larry did manage to convey to his grieving wife how proud he was regarding her efforts to prepare herself to be a super heroine. Lance pronounced her ready to assume that role with his full blessing and confidence, knowing that she had what it took to make a difference.
*****
In the aftermath of her husband's untimely death, Dinah resumed her alter ego the Black Canary. Although crime fighting was not the holy mission that it is for the Batman, Dinah Drake Lance was committed to it. Her late husband had professed his faith in her competence and she was determined to prove him right.
The reemergence of Black Canary was a marked difference from her initial stint. She now possessed a confidence which was unmistakable. No matter the adversary, Black Canary had an answer. Her judo skills enabled her to handle opponents three times her weight. Gun wielding gangs fell before her canary cry and her combination of talents, training and resourcefulness brought down some tough super villains.
The success of the Black Canary drew the attention of the legendary Justice League of America. The league was preparing to expand its ranks for the first time. Hawkman and Green Arrow had been tabbed for membership and one more addition was sought. If at all possible, the JLA wanted that third person to be female. Whether fair or not, the perception in many circles was that Wonder Woman was the "token female" of the group. It would be good from a public relations standpoint to add another woman to their team, but the entire group, including Wonder Woman, agreed that such a woman must be selected on merit.
The Justice League of America had but a small group of female candidates that warranted consideration. At that time, current members Hawkgirl and Zatanna were not options. Hawkgirl was still on her homeworld of Thanagar. At the time she was not seriously considering a move to Earth nor was the JLA familiar with her capabilities. Zatanna was still known as a stage performer and was only just beginning to embark upon a super heroic career. This left Supergirl, Wonder Girl, Batgirl and Black Canary on the JLA's short list. Their options quickly narrowed to two. Wonder Girl and Supergirl were both teenagers at the time. The young Amazon was a member of the newly formed Teen Titans and it was deemed best by all parties that she remain as such. Supergirl was highly thought of by several leaguers because of her incredible Kryptonian powers. Her candidacy was dismissed however, because her own cousin and mentor Superman nixed it. The Man of Steel was training Kara and insisted that she was not yet ready to handle the responsibilities required by the JLA. Superman agreed that eventually Supergirl would be an ideal candidate, but he reasoned that she needed time to adjust to Earth, mature into a woman, and learn how to properly use her great powers.
The JLA was left with a choice between Batgirl and Black Canary. Their fallback position, should neither make the grade, was Elongated Man. In the closest and most controversial membership vote in JLA history, the league opted for Black Canary as their tenth member. When they again expanded one year later, Ralph Dibny (Elongated Man) attained membership along with the Atom.
Black Canary is very well aware that her selection to the league was hardly unanimous. Due to league policy, she was not made privy of the vote breakdown. Dinah figured however that the Batman staunchly supported Batgirl. She also concluded that a couple others, most likely Aquaman and the Flash, doubted her qualifications. She has gained a great deal of personal satisfaction in proving her worth to her JLA colleagues, all of whom have grown to fully trust in her. In a most uncharacteristic move, the Batman approached Black Canary a year into her JLA career to both praise her performance and apologize for initially considering her admission into the league a mistake.
*****
Black Canary is convinced that the Huntress is Oracle. If her conclusion is correct, Oracle likely knows her entire life history. On the off chance that she is mistaken, Dinah takes care not to reveal information pertaining to her secret identity. The Huntress is understandably curious about the status of their allies' missions. Playing coy, Black Canary fills her in to the best of her knowledge.
When the subject of Batgirl comes up, Huntress can't help but notice tension and disgust from her conversation partner. She pushes Black Canary on the issue. Reluctantly, the Justice Leaguer admits her poignant dislike and disrespect for the caped crimefighter. Black Canary would like to leave it at that, but there is little else they can do for now while communications are down. As a means of taking her mind off her painful left knee, Dinah ultimately relents and tells her version of why she has grown to hate Batgirl.
The Huntress listens intently as Black Canary explains ...
Batgirl and I worked together a half dozen times or so prior to my becoming aware of the Justice League's interest in the two of us. Like Batman, Batgirl always has tried to maintain a very low profile. What little I did know of her was all positive. Whether she had been trained by the Batman or simply modeled herself after him, her reputation was first rate. Initially I was both excited and flattered that a pro like her was willing to team up with me. Alas that opinion quickly changed.
Batgirl arrived in Star City and sought me out. She was tracking the Killer Moth and his minions and requested my assistance to take him down. I was only too happy to oblige. Together we made short work of Killer Moth. At the time I don't think I even realized the condescending manner in which she conducted herself. I suppose I was too thrilled to be teaming with her to notice.
Our partnerships became frequent and successful. We were kicking some serious ass! The problem was Batgirl's attitude became worse and worse. She rode me mercilessly. From the way she talked, you would have thought she was doing all the dirty work while I was taking all the credit. It was anything but. Batgirl was good, but she was no better than me. I was shouldering at least half the load on all our missions and sometimes more, yet she was never satisfied. She was the perfect one while I was simply along for the ride.
There were even instances, which at first I dismissed as coincidence, where the usually private and conservative Batgirl played to the media. She manipulated the press to depict herself in the most positive manner, while virtually refusing to acknowledge my efforts. I presumed she was simply driven by a massive ego until I learned of the Justice League membership drive. That put her actions in a clear and disturbing light. What better way to beat me out for the JLA than to be perceived as the superior of the two when working together on the same cases?
I did not quite grasp her conniving until after my selection to the JLA, although her self serving nature grated on my nerves. Despite her personality, I still liked teaming with Batgirl, because I thought she was a dedicated, courageous heroine worthy of respect. Our partnership abruptly ended once I learned otherwise. Batgirl committed a grievous act of cowardice, one which makes her unworthy to call herself a super heroine.
*****
The Huntress is taken aback by Black Canary's assertion. Until now she had sat back quietly while listening to Canary's story. She can hold her tongue no longer. Although her associations with Batgirl have been very rare, the Huntress, a fellow Gotham City native, believes in Batgirl's heroism and integrity. She challenges Black Canary on the issue.
Dinah responds to the Huntress' defense of Batgirl. She insists that she have an open mind while the events from four years ago are rehashed. In Black Canary's words ...
We were in Washington DC tracking down a conspiracy to bribe several key government figures. Lives had been threatened had the police, FBI, Secret Service or the JLA been notified. Somehow, and to this day I haven't the faintest idea how, Batgirl became aware of this situation. She and I combined to do the best teamwork of our brief partnership. We captured the mastermind behind the scandal, an unscrupulous senator by the name of Harry White. White had delusions of grandeur and even envisioned one day sitting in the oval office, but he faced staunch opposition in Congress. Instead of letting the merits of his arguments win the day, he chose to bully those opponents he felt most threatened by.
Upon his capture, White boasted that he would soon gain vengeance. His operatives were under strict orders upon his apprehension. They were to assassinate his one fellow politician whose opposition had caused him the most grief. That of course was your own Congresswoman Barbara Gordon from Gotham City.
Once we learned a hit was in progress against Ms. Gordon, the two of us hustled over to Gordon's office. We arrived just as a dozen thugs barged in with machine guns. The Congresswoman herself was secluded in her private office. Her staff members were in immediate danger. Batgirl and I whirled into action. We started taking down White's hired guns, all the while doing our best to save Gordon and her staff.
Inexplicably, during this deadly exchange Batgirl turned tail and ran. At first I figured she was bolting off to specifically safeguard Gordon while I handled the mess outside. This was not the case. Batgirl simply vanished while four armed hitmen still threatened the life of a prominent young politician and her staff. She never justified her actions, although to me the explanation was clear. She bailed out due to a cowardice that is unbefitting of a super heroine. I was shocked and appalled. That was the last time we worked together and to this day we have never spoken to one another again.
*****
The Huntress takes a moment to absorb the content of the story she had just heard. She too is miffed by the behavior allegedly exhibited by Batgirl during that crisis. The Huntress knows that it takes a special selflessness and courage to fight crime. Certainly most would not be able to handle such a challenge. It is an inherent prerequisite of the super heroic credo, however, that one must be willing to risk his or her life to save others.
Evidently, when faced with a deadly gunfight, Batgirl chose to run; the Huntress still finds this difficult to accept. She questions Black Canary's conclusion on the basis of her well known friendship with Barbara Gordon. Huntress suggests that Canary may be overreacting to Batgirl's actions, because it was Gordon's life that was endangered. Perhaps the situation really was under control when Batgirl departed. In that event, Black Canary may be judging Batgirl too harshly in branding her a coward.
Black Canary rather expects the Huntress' counterpoint. The Babs Gordon issue is nothing new to her. From Black Canary's viewpoint ...
It's no secret that Barbara Gordon and I are friends. It's been well chronicled in the media for the past several years. We have both taken extra care to ensure that our friendship is not a conflict of interests for either of us, yet some will never be satisfied.
I will say up front that I think the world of Barbara Gordon. She is a remarkable woman. She combines brilliance, integrity, charisma and caring like no one else can. Barbara has vision. She can relate to everyone ... young and old, rich and poor, black and white, male and female. It doesn't matter. There are no barriers with her. She understands people and wants to make a difference in this world. I truly believe that she will win a seat in the Senate next year and she may eventually become the first female president of the United States.
That having been said, I know that it is not Black Canary's place to campaign for any political candidate. The Justice League must not allow itself to become affiliated with politics. We are all entitled to our individual opinions. In my civilian identity I will be voting for Barbara Gordon and encouraging others to do likewise. As Black Canary I must remain neutral.
As you know, I have partaken in Gordon's annual celebrity tennis tournament the last three years. She's held the event ever since she became a congresswoman. Each year it grows bigger and now raises millions for charity. To show her appreciation for the rescue, Ms. Gordon invited me to her tournament. I was already a fan of hers in my civilian identity and since it was for a worthy cause, I wasn't about to refuse. My initiation into the Justice League took place after Gordon's invitation. By the time I took the court against Barbara Gordon in the featured match, I was a card carrying member of the JLA. Barbara was graciously willing to allow me to back out if the league had a problem with my partaking, but I wouldn't hear of it. We played a surprisingly competitive and entertaining match which raised over $1 million for underprivileged kids.
Some of the Justice Leaguers questioned my decision to play in the tournament, but most were fine with it because I had committed prior to joining the league. When I opted to do it every year, several took me to task on it. Wonder Woman, in particular, spoke with me at length. She felt then, and still does, that my doing so compromises the JLA's position of neutrality. I greatly respect Wonder Woman, but we disagree on this issue. It is walking a bit of a fine line, but I believe that doing charity work, even with a politician's name associated with it, is a noble endeavor. It is therefore not an endorsement of Barbara Gordon as a political candidate.
As for Batgirl, you may have a point that I am less willing to hear or understand her side of this, because it was Barbara Gordon in danger. Keep in mind however, that until that day I had never met Gordon. I was impressed with what I knew of her, but I did not have the admiration for her that I do now. Even so, I still felt that Batgirl had bailed out. I just can't forgive that!
*****
As Black Canary finishes defending her feelings regarding Batgirl, she continues to look for signs which will substantiate her conclusion that the Huntress is Oracle. Dinah is surprised at how well the Huntress is putting on her pretense. The duo had teamed together in the morning. They have now been chatting at arm's length for half an hour, yet there is seemingly no weakness in the Huntress' presentation. Every attempt at a leading question is deftly handled. Either the Huntress is a world class actress or she is not Oracle and therefore has no secret to hide.
As Dinah ponders the latter possibility, the silence is broken by an incoming transmission on the communication screen. Hawkgirl reports in to JLA headquarters that her mission with Supergirl has been completed. They penetrated the alien defenses which shielded the orbiting communication satellites and deactivated the weaponry which was charging up. The satellites themselves require repairs and testing before they can be brought back on-line, but the threat from space has been averted. The Thanagarian notifies Dinah that she and Supergirl are off to assist the Teen Titans at the fortress of solitude.
While Black Canary awaits further word from Hawkgirl, she attempts to contact the various heroines throughout the globe. She checks in with Zatanna. The audio conversation is very awkward because the magician does not sound like herself. The JLA signal and fail-safe code is definitely hers, however, and the leaguer does report that her rescue efforts are going exceptionally well. Dinah has no luck reaching Wonder Woman. Despite great confidence in Diana's abilities, she fears the worst for her friend and colleague.
Within twenty minutes, Black Canary receives a follow-up message from Hawkgirl. The winged heroine informs her that they have thwarted an invasion attempt by an alien race recognized by Starfire as the Barratta. The aliens are an intelligent plant-based form of life which had been thought to be extinct. The Barratta have only recently returned and had sought to conquer Earth due to its ideal climate.
The alien plants are typically a hearty species, but they suffer from an extreme vulnerability to humanoid life forms. As a result, even their technology is only marginally effective against the human beings of Earth. Their mass teleportation equipment was intended to eliminate the entire population; instead it only effects the males of the species. The teleporters only succeeded in transporting the men into a nebulous void outside of time and space as opposed to the molten center of the sun. Hawkgirl has secured the teleporter. The aliens have been properly detained and Supergirl and Wonder Girl speed off to aid Wonder Woman.
The return of the Earth's male population is the priority of all the heroines not involved in the Doomsday mission. This is a complex problem, because the technology recovered from the defeated alien race is not designed with the intention of retrieving its victims. It must be modified to do so and at best it will only be able to return the men to their coordinates prior to their disappearances. The Earth itself has shifted position, relative to the sun, in the interim. The vehicles that many of the men were in at the time have also changed location in relation to the surface of the planet. Many unoccupied vehicles have crashed; their former occupants can not be safely returned to such twisted wreckage.
It is the daunting task of Hawkgirl, Black Canary, Huntress and Oracle to analyze this technology and orchestrate the safe return of the men. They reason that Superman and Green Lantern can likely be safely returned regardless of their whereabouts at the time of their disappearances. Their special powers will allow them to survive even if they return in midair or the vacuum of space. Two other super heroes can be safely retrieved because their exact locations when they vanished are known. Hawkman disappeared before his wife's eyes in the countryside surrounding Midway City. The Batman was on monitor duty and therefore it is logical to presume that he was on the JLA Satellite when he was whisked away.
This story is the fourth of five in 'The Measure of a Heroine' series. All five tales feature super heroines battling on different fronts to save Earth from disaster. The styles intentionally differ from story to story, so as to present fresh and entertaining perspectives. Some are very action oriented, whereas others, like this one, use the emergency as a backdrop while exploring the dynamics between characters.
I chose the Elseworlds setting for 'The Measure of a Heroine' saga because much of the material is Pre-Crisis On the Infinite Earths. 'Birds of Prayer' teams the popular Birds of Prey characters, Dinah and Barbara, but with a new and curious twist. My stories are stand-alone but can also be read in succession. (There is some time and content overlap.) The recommended order of reading is
1) Wonder Woman : The Measure of a Heroine
2) To Silence a Deadly Silence (features Supergirl and Hawkgirl)
3) Fortress (features Wonder Girl and Starfire)
4) Birds of Prayer (features Black Canary, Batgirl and Oracle)
5) Quick Tricks (features Zatanna and Jesse Quick)
Enjoy!
*****************************************************************************
BIRDS OF PRAYER
Chapter 1.
Our world has faced its share of grave challenges over the years dating back to the dawn of man. This may not be the most dire threat mankind has ever encountered, but doubtless it is close. A sinister force has engineered the disappearances of every male humanoid being from the planet Earth. Only the females of the species remain to defend our world and achieve the return of its missing male population.
The identity of the perpetrators of these mass disappearances is unknown, but it is clear that their intentions are both hostile and well planned. Every contingency seems to have been accounted for to ensure that Earth would be both devastated and defenseless. Minutes prior to the disappearances, the hideous monster Doomsday appeared in rural Montana. His destructive rampage drew the response of heroes and heroines everywhere. The super heroines arrived to confront the menace, but their male counterparts vanished before ever reaching the scene. The expected result was that the super heroines would be crushed by Doomsday, leaving no one left to challenge the true threat to the planet.
The mysterious enemy underestimated the resolve and capabilities of the world's super heroines, however. Wonder Woman recognized that Doomsday was being used as a ruse. The Amazon took charge of the situation by redirecting her colleagues' efforts towards finding and stopping the primary enemy. She herself opted to tackle Doomsday alone, hoping that her superior fighting skills and powers would enable her to hold out against the behemoth.
To further confuse an already panicked world, the enemy managed to cut off all forms of electronic communication. It was only through the ingenuity of the mysterious Oracle that the heroines were able to briefly coordinate their efforts. Oracle discovered that the Earth's very own communication satellites are being used to funnel all communication lines. She concludes that in very short order those communication waves will be fed back towards their originating sources with potentially lethal results.
Super heroines are strategically paired to battle the crisis. Supergirl and Hawkgirl join forces to regain control of Earth's satellites. Teen Titans Wonder Girl and Starfire strive to penetrate Superman's fortress of solitude which is being used as a land base of operation by the enemy. Meanwhile the magician Zatanna sets out to prevent worldwide disasters resulting from the absence of the men. With speedster Jessie Quick's assistance, Zatanna locates aircraft and other moving vessels without pilots. She slows the flow of time to a crawl around such ships in distress thus averting many tragic crashes.
While these noble efforts unfold, Black Canary remains behind in charge of the Justice League satellite. The gallant heroine nurses a grievously injured left knee; therefore she can be of no help in the field. Typically her current post would still be a vitally important function, for the JLA headquarters serves as the command center in times of crisis. Alas with communications down, Black Canary must sit back and wait for word from her comrades while down below her planet may very well be dying.
*****
The Black Canary is a proud woman. While she possesses no super powers other than her bizarre canary cry, this 27 year old woman has earned the trust and admiration of her Justice League colleagues. Ready to take on any challenge while fighting along side heroes, most of whom with might dwarfing her own, it pains Black Canary to be so helpless. Were she to momentarily give in to self pity, she would likely fear that her crime fighting career is over. Her injury appears that serious. Instead, her thoughts are with her friends who are risking their lives to save their world. She hopes and prays they are successful and that she may somehow be able to assist them.
Dinah is startled by the hum of the Justice League transporter. A feminine form materializes through the bright glow. She recognizes the visitor to be the Huntress, a caped vigilante hailing from Gotham City who embodies many of the characteristics and tactics of the legendary Batman. These two women are not friends. In truth they worked together today for the very first time, joining forces in pursuit of the international criminal the Cobra. Their partnership was a little bumpy, but largely productive until both heroines had to abandon their mission in response to the Doomsday summons.
The Huntress also suffered injury in the melee. Her left arm is broken and she also has a mild shoulder separation. She reasons that her injuries and lack of super powers preclude her from being of any real help down below. Although not a member of the league, the Gothamite explains that Oracle had arranged access to the satellite given the nature of the crisis.
This revelation proves jarring to Black Canary, although she does her very best to disguise her surprise. During the last four years, she has developed a very close, albeit unusual friendship with the mysterious Oracle. They communicate often and seem to understand one another on a level beyond that of a working relationship. Canary has never met Oracle. Their correspondence is strictly by computer and scrambled video transmissions. Her experience tells her, however, that Oracle is not just a computer whiz; she has background as a super heroine. It is also understood amongst the JLA that the Batman is the only one who knows Oracle's true identity.
Dinah has pondered this question for some time and now the answer finally seems crystal clear to her. Only minutes ago, she was conveniently away treating her injuries while Oracle provided the JLA with pertinent tactical information. Her ties to Gotham City and the Batman further clinch it. Black Canary is certain that the Huntress must also be Oracle! Now the challenge is for her to surreptitiously prove it to herself.
*****
Dinah Drake first embarked on her super heroic career eight years ago as a precocious teen. Gifted since early youth with the startling ability to use sound as a weapon via her vocal chords, she did not consider herself blessed. Dinah feared she'd be perceived as a freak, so she kept her abilities hidden, even from her parents and closest friends. As she matured, Dinah began to accept the notion that she had received her talents for a reason. She took up martial arts and secretly practiced her trademark "canary cry" to perfect it. Upon leaving home for college, young Dinah opted to unveil her heroic prowess as the Black Canary.
The early stages of Black Canary's career were rather unsuccessful, to be kind. Although she possessed the raw talents of a heroine and tried hard, her skills were unpolished. Invariably the villains she confronted managed to elude her best efforts. Black Canary was none too popular amongst the Star City police force, virtually all of whom suspected her to be a villainess. Dinah's forays as a fledgling super heroine affected her personal life. Her grades began to really suffer in her sophomore year of college. Her relationship with her family became strained because they couldn't understand how such a bright young girl was allowing her college opportunity to slip away.
Star City police detective Larry Lance proved to be a godsend for young Dinah. Inexplicably, Lance believed in the integrity of Black Canary when his fellow colleagues did not. He saw her good intentions although he was quite concerned that she was in over her head. Lance worked with Black Canary as a confidant and advisor. Her performance as a super heroine improved a bit, in large part because Larry was able to convince his fellow officers that Black Canary was on their side.
To their mutual surprise, this unofficial working relationship quickly led to a serious romance. Lance was a 42 year old lifetime bachelor who had sworn never to be tied down. Dinah was a 20 year old college girl whose odd night life precluded romance, yet there was an attraction between them which defied logic. Larry Lance and Black Canary fell in love. The super heroine willingly revealed her secret identity to Lance, who was only slightly surprised she was so young. Her maturity level had suggested to him a woman in her mid twenties. The gap in age did not matter, however, and within a year the couple were married.
At Larry's insistence, Dinah gave up her Black Canary identity. He realized that he could not keep his talented and driven wife away from the super heroic calling forever, but he wanted her to be better trained. Larry taught Dinah the finer points of detective work while she buckled down and got her college degree in political science. She continued honing her martial arts skills and would soon be ready to once again don the bold blue costume of the Black Canary.
Alas tragedy struck 22 year old Dinah Drake Lance. The worst fear any policeman's wife has came true. Larry Lance was mortally wounded during an ill-fated drug bust. Dinah remained at his bedside as her husband drifted in and out of consciousness in the last couple hours of his life. Conversation was difficult and painful, for what does one discuss when all his hopes and dreams are about to end? Larry did manage to convey to his grieving wife how proud he was regarding her efforts to prepare herself to be a super heroine. Lance pronounced her ready to assume that role with his full blessing and confidence, knowing that she had what it took to make a difference.
*****
In the aftermath of her husband's untimely death, Dinah resumed her alter ego the Black Canary. Although crime fighting was not the holy mission that it is for the Batman, Dinah Drake Lance was committed to it. Her late husband had professed his faith in her competence and she was determined to prove him right.
The reemergence of Black Canary was a marked difference from her initial stint. She now possessed a confidence which was unmistakable. No matter the adversary, Black Canary had an answer. Her judo skills enabled her to handle opponents three times her weight. Gun wielding gangs fell before her canary cry and her combination of talents, training and resourcefulness brought down some tough super villains.
The success of the Black Canary drew the attention of the legendary Justice League of America. The league was preparing to expand its ranks for the first time. Hawkman and Green Arrow had been tabbed for membership and one more addition was sought. If at all possible, the JLA wanted that third person to be female. Whether fair or not, the perception in many circles was that Wonder Woman was the "token female" of the group. It would be good from a public relations standpoint to add another woman to their team, but the entire group, including Wonder Woman, agreed that such a woman must be selected on merit.
The Justice League of America had but a small group of female candidates that warranted consideration. At that time, current members Hawkgirl and Zatanna were not options. Hawkgirl was still on her homeworld of Thanagar. At the time she was not seriously considering a move to Earth nor was the JLA familiar with her capabilities. Zatanna was still known as a stage performer and was only just beginning to embark upon a super heroic career. This left Supergirl, Wonder Girl, Batgirl and Black Canary on the JLA's short list. Their options quickly narrowed to two. Wonder Girl and Supergirl were both teenagers at the time. The young Amazon was a member of the newly formed Teen Titans and it was deemed best by all parties that she remain as such. Supergirl was highly thought of by several leaguers because of her incredible Kryptonian powers. Her candidacy was dismissed however, because her own cousin and mentor Superman nixed it. The Man of Steel was training Kara and insisted that she was not yet ready to handle the responsibilities required by the JLA. Superman agreed that eventually Supergirl would be an ideal candidate, but he reasoned that she needed time to adjust to Earth, mature into a woman, and learn how to properly use her great powers.
The JLA was left with a choice between Batgirl and Black Canary. Their fallback position, should neither make the grade, was Elongated Man. In the closest and most controversial membership vote in JLA history, the league opted for Black Canary as their tenth member. When they again expanded one year later, Ralph Dibny (Elongated Man) attained membership along with the Atom.
Black Canary is very well aware that her selection to the league was hardly unanimous. Due to league policy, she was not made privy of the vote breakdown. Dinah figured however that the Batman staunchly supported Batgirl. She also concluded that a couple others, most likely Aquaman and the Flash, doubted her qualifications. She has gained a great deal of personal satisfaction in proving her worth to her JLA colleagues, all of whom have grown to fully trust in her. In a most uncharacteristic move, the Batman approached Black Canary a year into her JLA career to both praise her performance and apologize for initially considering her admission into the league a mistake.
*****
Black Canary is convinced that the Huntress is Oracle. If her conclusion is correct, Oracle likely knows her entire life history. On the off chance that she is mistaken, Dinah takes care not to reveal information pertaining to her secret identity. The Huntress is understandably curious about the status of their allies' missions. Playing coy, Black Canary fills her in to the best of her knowledge.
When the subject of Batgirl comes up, Huntress can't help but notice tension and disgust from her conversation partner. She pushes Black Canary on the issue. Reluctantly, the Justice Leaguer admits her poignant dislike and disrespect for the caped crimefighter. Black Canary would like to leave it at that, but there is little else they can do for now while communications are down. As a means of taking her mind off her painful left knee, Dinah ultimately relents and tells her version of why she has grown to hate Batgirl.
The Huntress listens intently as Black Canary explains ...
Batgirl and I worked together a half dozen times or so prior to my becoming aware of the Justice League's interest in the two of us. Like Batman, Batgirl always has tried to maintain a very low profile. What little I did know of her was all positive. Whether she had been trained by the Batman or simply modeled herself after him, her reputation was first rate. Initially I was both excited and flattered that a pro like her was willing to team up with me. Alas that opinion quickly changed.
Batgirl arrived in Star City and sought me out. She was tracking the Killer Moth and his minions and requested my assistance to take him down. I was only too happy to oblige. Together we made short work of Killer Moth. At the time I don't think I even realized the condescending manner in which she conducted herself. I suppose I was too thrilled to be teaming with her to notice.
Our partnerships became frequent and successful. We were kicking some serious ass! The problem was Batgirl's attitude became worse and worse. She rode me mercilessly. From the way she talked, you would have thought she was doing all the dirty work while I was taking all the credit. It was anything but. Batgirl was good, but she was no better than me. I was shouldering at least half the load on all our missions and sometimes more, yet she was never satisfied. She was the perfect one while I was simply along for the ride.
There were even instances, which at first I dismissed as coincidence, where the usually private and conservative Batgirl played to the media. She manipulated the press to depict herself in the most positive manner, while virtually refusing to acknowledge my efforts. I presumed she was simply driven by a massive ego until I learned of the Justice League membership drive. That put her actions in a clear and disturbing light. What better way to beat me out for the JLA than to be perceived as the superior of the two when working together on the same cases?
I did not quite grasp her conniving until after my selection to the JLA, although her self serving nature grated on my nerves. Despite her personality, I still liked teaming with Batgirl, because I thought she was a dedicated, courageous heroine worthy of respect. Our partnership abruptly ended once I learned otherwise. Batgirl committed a grievous act of cowardice, one which makes her unworthy to call herself a super heroine.
*****
The Huntress is taken aback by Black Canary's assertion. Until now she had sat back quietly while listening to Canary's story. She can hold her tongue no longer. Although her associations with Batgirl have been very rare, the Huntress, a fellow Gotham City native, believes in Batgirl's heroism and integrity. She challenges Black Canary on the issue.
Dinah responds to the Huntress' defense of Batgirl. She insists that she have an open mind while the events from four years ago are rehashed. In Black Canary's words ...
We were in Washington DC tracking down a conspiracy to bribe several key government figures. Lives had been threatened had the police, FBI, Secret Service or the JLA been notified. Somehow, and to this day I haven't the faintest idea how, Batgirl became aware of this situation. She and I combined to do the best teamwork of our brief partnership. We captured the mastermind behind the scandal, an unscrupulous senator by the name of Harry White. White had delusions of grandeur and even envisioned one day sitting in the oval office, but he faced staunch opposition in Congress. Instead of letting the merits of his arguments win the day, he chose to bully those opponents he felt most threatened by.
Upon his capture, White boasted that he would soon gain vengeance. His operatives were under strict orders upon his apprehension. They were to assassinate his one fellow politician whose opposition had caused him the most grief. That of course was your own Congresswoman Barbara Gordon from Gotham City.
Once we learned a hit was in progress against Ms. Gordon, the two of us hustled over to Gordon's office. We arrived just as a dozen thugs barged in with machine guns. The Congresswoman herself was secluded in her private office. Her staff members were in immediate danger. Batgirl and I whirled into action. We started taking down White's hired guns, all the while doing our best to save Gordon and her staff.
Inexplicably, during this deadly exchange Batgirl turned tail and ran. At first I figured she was bolting off to specifically safeguard Gordon while I handled the mess outside. This was not the case. Batgirl simply vanished while four armed hitmen still threatened the life of a prominent young politician and her staff. She never justified her actions, although to me the explanation was clear. She bailed out due to a cowardice that is unbefitting of a super heroine. I was shocked and appalled. That was the last time we worked together and to this day we have never spoken to one another again.
*****
The Huntress takes a moment to absorb the content of the story she had just heard. She too is miffed by the behavior allegedly exhibited by Batgirl during that crisis. The Huntress knows that it takes a special selflessness and courage to fight crime. Certainly most would not be able to handle such a challenge. It is an inherent prerequisite of the super heroic credo, however, that one must be willing to risk his or her life to save others.
Evidently, when faced with a deadly gunfight, Batgirl chose to run; the Huntress still finds this difficult to accept. She questions Black Canary's conclusion on the basis of her well known friendship with Barbara Gordon. Huntress suggests that Canary may be overreacting to Batgirl's actions, because it was Gordon's life that was endangered. Perhaps the situation really was under control when Batgirl departed. In that event, Black Canary may be judging Batgirl too harshly in branding her a coward.
Black Canary rather expects the Huntress' counterpoint. The Babs Gordon issue is nothing new to her. From Black Canary's viewpoint ...
It's no secret that Barbara Gordon and I are friends. It's been well chronicled in the media for the past several years. We have both taken extra care to ensure that our friendship is not a conflict of interests for either of us, yet some will never be satisfied.
I will say up front that I think the world of Barbara Gordon. She is a remarkable woman. She combines brilliance, integrity, charisma and caring like no one else can. Barbara has vision. She can relate to everyone ... young and old, rich and poor, black and white, male and female. It doesn't matter. There are no barriers with her. She understands people and wants to make a difference in this world. I truly believe that she will win a seat in the Senate next year and she may eventually become the first female president of the United States.
That having been said, I know that it is not Black Canary's place to campaign for any political candidate. The Justice League must not allow itself to become affiliated with politics. We are all entitled to our individual opinions. In my civilian identity I will be voting for Barbara Gordon and encouraging others to do likewise. As Black Canary I must remain neutral.
As you know, I have partaken in Gordon's annual celebrity tennis tournament the last three years. She's held the event ever since she became a congresswoman. Each year it grows bigger and now raises millions for charity. To show her appreciation for the rescue, Ms. Gordon invited me to her tournament. I was already a fan of hers in my civilian identity and since it was for a worthy cause, I wasn't about to refuse. My initiation into the Justice League took place after Gordon's invitation. By the time I took the court against Barbara Gordon in the featured match, I was a card carrying member of the JLA. Barbara was graciously willing to allow me to back out if the league had a problem with my partaking, but I wouldn't hear of it. We played a surprisingly competitive and entertaining match which raised over $1 million for underprivileged kids.
Some of the Justice Leaguers questioned my decision to play in the tournament, but most were fine with it because I had committed prior to joining the league. When I opted to do it every year, several took me to task on it. Wonder Woman, in particular, spoke with me at length. She felt then, and still does, that my doing so compromises the JLA's position of neutrality. I greatly respect Wonder Woman, but we disagree on this issue. It is walking a bit of a fine line, but I believe that doing charity work, even with a politician's name associated with it, is a noble endeavor. It is therefore not an endorsement of Barbara Gordon as a political candidate.
As for Batgirl, you may have a point that I am less willing to hear or understand her side of this, because it was Barbara Gordon in danger. Keep in mind however, that until that day I had never met Gordon. I was impressed with what I knew of her, but I did not have the admiration for her that I do now. Even so, I still felt that Batgirl had bailed out. I just can't forgive that!
*****
As Black Canary finishes defending her feelings regarding Batgirl, she continues to look for signs which will substantiate her conclusion that the Huntress is Oracle. Dinah is surprised at how well the Huntress is putting on her pretense. The duo had teamed together in the morning. They have now been chatting at arm's length for half an hour, yet there is seemingly no weakness in the Huntress' presentation. Every attempt at a leading question is deftly handled. Either the Huntress is a world class actress or she is not Oracle and therefore has no secret to hide.
As Dinah ponders the latter possibility, the silence is broken by an incoming transmission on the communication screen. Hawkgirl reports in to JLA headquarters that her mission with Supergirl has been completed. They penetrated the alien defenses which shielded the orbiting communication satellites and deactivated the weaponry which was charging up. The satellites themselves require repairs and testing before they can be brought back on-line, but the threat from space has been averted. The Thanagarian notifies Dinah that she and Supergirl are off to assist the Teen Titans at the fortress of solitude.
While Black Canary awaits further word from Hawkgirl, she attempts to contact the various heroines throughout the globe. She checks in with Zatanna. The audio conversation is very awkward because the magician does not sound like herself. The JLA signal and fail-safe code is definitely hers, however, and the leaguer does report that her rescue efforts are going exceptionally well. Dinah has no luck reaching Wonder Woman. Despite great confidence in Diana's abilities, she fears the worst for her friend and colleague.
Within twenty minutes, Black Canary receives a follow-up message from Hawkgirl. The winged heroine informs her that they have thwarted an invasion attempt by an alien race recognized by Starfire as the Barratta. The aliens are an intelligent plant-based form of life which had been thought to be extinct. The Barratta have only recently returned and had sought to conquer Earth due to its ideal climate.
The alien plants are typically a hearty species, but they suffer from an extreme vulnerability to humanoid life forms. As a result, even their technology is only marginally effective against the human beings of Earth. Their mass teleportation equipment was intended to eliminate the entire population; instead it only effects the males of the species. The teleporters only succeeded in transporting the men into a nebulous void outside of time and space as opposed to the molten center of the sun. Hawkgirl has secured the teleporter. The aliens have been properly detained and Supergirl and Wonder Girl speed off to aid Wonder Woman.
The return of the Earth's male population is the priority of all the heroines not involved in the Doomsday mission. This is a complex problem, because the technology recovered from the defeated alien race is not designed with the intention of retrieving its victims. It must be modified to do so and at best it will only be able to return the men to their coordinates prior to their disappearances. The Earth itself has shifted position, relative to the sun, in the interim. The vehicles that many of the men were in at the time have also changed location in relation to the surface of the planet. Many unoccupied vehicles have crashed; their former occupants can not be safely returned to such twisted wreckage.
It is the daunting task of Hawkgirl, Black Canary, Huntress and Oracle to analyze this technology and orchestrate the safe return of the men. They reason that Superman and Green Lantern can likely be safely returned regardless of their whereabouts at the time of their disappearances. Their special powers will allow them to survive even if they return in midair or the vacuum of space. Two other super heroes can be safely retrieved because their exact locations when they vanished are known. Hawkman disappeared before his wife's eyes in the countryside surrounding Midway City. The Batman was on monitor duty and therefore it is logical to presume that he was on the JLA Satellite when he was whisked away.