When the conversation comes up as to which DC characters are powerful enough to stand up against Superman, the discussion tends to shift toward physically strong characters like Wonder Woman, tactical geniuses like Batman, or powerful magic users such as Doctor Fate or Zatanna. However, there is one hero who is often neglected but should be absolutely included in the discussion: the Man of Steel’s Justice League teammate, Black Canary.
The Canary has been placed in the position of having to face Superman (and other similarly powered Kryptonians) in a number of Elseworlds and alternate reality stories such as Injustice and Dark Knights of Steel. In these instances, Black Canary has not only proven her mettle, but has also presented a compelling argument regarding her effectiveness against one of DC’s most powerful heroes.
Who is the Justice League’s Black Canary?
The heroic mantle of the Black Canary has been worn by two different women, Dinah Drake and her daughter, Dinah Lance. The version of the Canary most commonly associated with Superman and most incarnations of the Justice League is Dinah Lance, who was born into a family of crime-fighters and took over her mother’s mantle when she was nineteen.
In addition to being highly formidable hand to hand fighters, both versions of the Black Canary are able to make use of a powerful sonic attack called the “Canary Cry.” Although the ability was originally depicted as being the result of a magical curse placed on her by a wizard, the story has been retconned, with the ability now being a direct result of a meta-gene. Regardless of its origin, the sonic attack is triggered by her voice and is strong enough to shatter metal. Lance has a tendency to rely on her fighting abilities more than her power, and normally reserves the Canary Cry for extreme situations, such as facing a superhuman opponent.
How Powerful is Superman?
Superman is a vastly powerful Kryptonian who possesses a high degree of invulnerability. Additionally, he is endowed with a number of additional powers, including super-strength, flight, super-speed, x-ray vision and heightened hearing. Commonly referred to as the Man of Steel, it takes not only an indomitable will but also a massive amount of power to defeat him. That being said he also has a few weaknesses, particularly Kryptonite, which is capable of weakening him to the point of death, and magic.
In most instances (at least in the mainstream DC Universe), Superman has used his power for good. He grew up on Earth and vows to protect the planet he calls home. However, there have been instances primarily in other realities in which Superman has elected to use his powers in a less than benevolent manner, making it necessary for other heroes, such as Black Canary, to confront him.
How Have Black Canary’s Powers Fared Against Superman?
Black Canary famously faced off against the Man of Steel in Injustice: Year Two #22 (by Tom Taylor, Mike S. Miller, Tom Derenick, Bruno Redondo and Xermanico). In this story, Superman wanted to create a totalitarian regime after the Joker tricked him into killing Lois Lane, who was pregnant at the time, and destroyed Metropolis. He proceeded to kill the Joker in cold blood and established a totalitarian rule over the world, causing a civil war of sorts between the heroes of the DC Universe.
After Superman killed Green Arrow, a pregnant Black Canary swore vengeance against the evil Man of Steel. She ended up confronting him later and used a powered-up version of her Canary Cry to put him on the ropes before shooting him with a Kryptonite bullet and unleashing her martial arts skills on the stunned Kryptonian. It took the intervention of Batman to stop Canary from killing the Man of Steel then and there, and although the Canary amplified her powers prior to facing Superman, this is still a clear indication of how she could potentially defeat him.
Could Superman’s Heightened Hearing Actually Be A Weakness?
Superman’s heightened hearing is sure to play a part in his susceptibility to Black Canary’s powers. Even though his heightened hearing offers him an advantage in nearly any other situation it can also be exploited, as the Black Canary has demonstrated.
This is further validated in Dark Knights of Steel #1 (by Tom Taylor and Yasmine Putri). In this limited series, the half-Kryptonian Batman is incapacitated by Black Canary when she uses the full force of her Canary Cry against him. Although he survives the attack due to the intervention of Superman (a reversal of what happened in Injustice), he is still rendered incapable of moving as blood pour from both his ears and his nose. Superman was also weakened by a sonic attack in The Dark Knight Returns (by Frank Miller, Klaus Janson, and Lynn Varley) when Batman uses sound-based weapons to assault him before a one-armed Green Arrow shoots him with a Kryptonite arrow. These instances indicate that the enhanced hearing of the Man of Steel may also be seen as a weakness that can be used to the advantage of opportunistic foes.
Black Canary’s Sonic Scream Is More Effective Against Superman Than You Think
The powers of the sound-wielding hero Black Canary have proven to be surprisingly effective against DC’s Man of Steel. With Superman’s documented weakness against sonic attacks, it stands to reason that with a fair amount of cunning Black Canary could potentially defeat him.
Although Dinah Lance is not normally regarded as a hero capable of putting down the Man of Steel, her Canary Cry indicates that she should definitely be included in the conversation. This marks the often overlooked Black Canary as not only one of the few heroes powerful enough to stand next to Superman, but also one capable of taking him down should the need arise.
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