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For other characters with the same first name, see Dinah.


"Come over to academia, the fun never ends."
—Dinah Lance to her daughter, Laurel Lance[src]

Professor Dinah Lance is a Greek and medieval history professor at Central City University. She is the mother of the late Laurel Lance and Sara Lance, as well as the ex-wife of Quentin Lance.

After Sara's apparent death in the sinking of the Queen's Gambit, Dinah eventually left her husband and surviving daughter. However, she returned in 2013 to make amends with her family and share her theory that Sara was still alive. Unlike Quentin or Laurel, Dinah never blamed Oliver Queen for Sara's supposed demise, as she felt the most guilty for allowing the latter to board the Gambit in the first place.

Biography[]

Original multiverse[]

Early life[]

In her early youth, Dinah met and fell in love with Quentin Lance, and the two moved into their own apartment together at Spring Street while they were in their early 20s. Dinah apparently turned down Quentin's multiple proposals until the right moment and insisted their love didn't require rings. Later in her life, she became a college professor in Starling City.[1]

Dinah and Quentin eventually married and on November 15, 1985, Dinah gave birth to their first daughter, Dinah Laurel Lance, who was named after her.[2] On December 25, 1987, she and Quentin had another daughter, Sara Lance.[3] Dinah was very close to her daughters as they grew up and would fondly watch them play together.[4] She shared a particularly strong bond with her youngest daughter, Sara, in part due to their similar natures as "wild spirits".[5]

When Laurel began dating Oliver Queen, Dinah developed a soft spot for the boy, unlike Quentin.

One day in late 2007, Dinah was grading some papers while Quentin prepared lunch. When Quentin suggested Laurel, who would attend law school soon, become a professor like her mother, Dinah dryly commented that college was always fun. Sara then paid a surprise visit from college.[1] A couple days later, Dinah came home from work early and found Sara packing a bag with her belongings, including her Starling City Rockets baseball cap, for her trip on the Queen's Gambit with Oliver. Upon realizing her daughter's intentions, Dinah tried to prevent Sara from going, imploring her not to hurt Laurel. However, Sara insisted she was in love and wanted to follow her heart, even if no one else agreed - something Dinah had once done with Quentin. When Sara then left, Dinah didn't try to stop her.[6]

When Sara was apparently killed following the Gambit sinking during a storm, Dinah was horrified and guilt-ridden over her daughter's death. While Laurel was away at law school, Dinah and Quentin's marriage became strained as Quentin buried himself in his work to cope with his grief, despite Dinah's pleas for him to go to counseling with her. Eventually, the couple divorced.[7] Dinah relocated to Central City soon after and became a professor at Central City University, teaching Greek and Medieval History.[8] She had no contact with Quentin and Laurel for years, unable to face them with her unwitting role in Sara's death. However, Dinah believed (correctly) that Sara was still alive and for years, used her intelligence and connections to try and find her daughter.[6]

Searching for Sara and reconciling with her family[]

Over three years later in February 2013, Dinah returned to Starling City and tried to call Laurel, but her daughter refused to answer. Later that night, Dinah appeared at Laurel's door. She apologized for her past mistakes and proclaimed that Sara might still be alive.[9]

The next morning, Dinah reunited with Quentin at Big Belly Burger, where she told him her belief about Sara surviving the sinking of the Queen's Gambit. With Laurel's encouragement, Dinah showed that Lian Yu, where Oliver was recently rescued from, is surrounded by thousands of deserted islands in the same chain in the North China Sea, theorizing that Sara could've washed up on any one of them. She then then brought out a tourist photo of a woman on one of the islands wearing a Starling Rockets baseball cap who looked similar to Sara, expressing how their daughter is a "survivor". However, Quentin refused to believe her and walked out, much to Dinah's disappointment.[10]

The next day, Quentin went to see Dinah at Laurel's apartment. When he was unreceptive amidst her attempts to talk about the past, they ended up having an argument about Sara and their divorce. Dinah pointed out that Quentin buried himself in his work, taking case after case despite her attempts to help him. Quentin angrily retorted that unlike her, he still stayed for Laurel. Shaken, Dinah admitted that abandoning Laurel is her biggest regret, but Quentin left her first, before walking off.[7]

Later, Quentin had Dinah meet him at the Starling City Police Department precinct, now ready to listen to her theory.[10]

Dinah and Quentin began working together to find Sara by gathering more evidence and contacting foreign governments. Later, Laurel had Quentin and Dinah meet her at CNRI, where she introduced them to Jenn, the girl in the photo Dinah found whom Laurel had tracked down, much to their shock. Jenn explained the picture of her was taken in a fishing village called Zhengjiu, which is Mandarin for "Salvation", whilst she was on a six-month trip. Dinah rushed out, distressed.

Back at Laurel's apartment, Dinah refused to give up her search despite Quentin's protests. Laurel then wondered how Dinah knew Sara would've taken her Starling Rockets cap on the Queen's Gambit, since it was mainly why she was so convinced the girl in the photo was Sara. After some hesitation, Dinah confessed she learned ahead of time that Sara wanted to go on the Gambit with Oliver and was ultimately convinced to grant her daughter permission to do so. Dinah broke down in tears, apologizing, as Quentin comforted her.

That night, Dinah prepared to leave for Central City, stating she would be "home in a flash" due to taking the red-eye flight. Laurel told her mother to keep in touch and call anytime, forgiving her. Touched, Dinah promised to do so. The two hugged and exchanged "I love you's" before Dinah left.[6]

Reuniting with Sara[]

Dinah and Laurel talked on the phone. Laurel tells her mom she likes her new job as an assistant district attorney, which is helping after recent events. When Thea Queen arrived at the office, Laurel hung up, promising to call Dinah back.[11]

When Laurel apparently overdosed, Dinah returned to Starling City and visited her daughter at the hospital alongside Quentin and Oliver. Later that night while watching over Laurel, Dinah was abducted from the hospital by a member of the League of Assassins to be used as leverage to get Sara to return to them, mainly Nyssa al Ghul. Much later, Quentin found Dinah, with Sara confirming what Dinah had thought all along, that Sara was still alive. However Sara then passed out from self-poisoning. Out of rage, Nyssa tried to kill Dinah and Quentin until the Arrow intervened. After the fight was over, Quentin and Dinah had a proper reunion with their long-lost daughter as Laurel watched in shock. Though Dinah was overjoyed that Sara was home, Laurel wasn't and even threw a glass of wine at her out of rage in front of Dinah.[1]

Dinah, along with Quentin, attended Sara's "Welcome Back" party at the Queen Mansion. Moira Queen happily told Dinah she was glad the latter has Sara back, understanding how painful it was believing her daughter to be dead all those years. Dinah and Quentin seemed to share a moment at the party but were interrupted when Quentin was called away to a bank robbery.

The next night at Laurel's apartment, the whole Lance family gathered for dinner in Quentin's attempt to rekindle his relationship with Dinah. When Quentin talked to Dinah about leaving Central City and coming back to Starling, Dinah admitted to being happy with her new life and her job there, not wishing to move back. When Quentin tried to persuade her even further, she admitted to also being in a relationship. An awkward silence followed, but then Sara and Oliver, who also attended the family dinner, congratulated her. However, Laurel stormed out upon realizing Sara and Oliver were together.[8]

Later before returning to Central City, Dinah visited Quentin at SCPD and apologized for not telling him sooner about her and Jeff. He tried to apologize for his intentions at dinner but Dinah assured Quentin that even though they're not together, she'll always care about and be there for him as well as their daughters. Dinah gave Quentin a kiss goodbye before leaving.[12]

Losing Sara again[]

At the SCPD, Dinah paid a visit to her daughter and ex-husband for Christmas. She and Laurel later went out for coffee, during which Dinah asked where Sara was, and pressured Laurel to telling the truth. Laurel revealed that Sara was dead, but begged her mother to not tell Quentin. Later at the cemetery, Laurel and Dinah visited Sara's grave. Laurel promised her mother that she would find Sara's killer, no matter what it took.[4]

Sara's return[]

Almost a year later, following Sara's resurrection and restitution, Dinah was contacted and informed by her daughter that she was alive, much to her surprise and joy. Sara later came to visit Dinah in Central City for a few days.[13]

A couple weeks later, Dinah was visited by Laurel in Central City.[14]

Losing another daughter[]

When Damien Darhk killed Laurel, Dinah came back to Star City and was once again in grief. She went to her funeral with her ex-husband Quentin. She told Quentin that Laurel will come back just like Sara did, but Quentin, who had hoped for the same thing before Oliver talked him out of it, no longer thought so. During the funeral, Oliver revealed to everyone that Laurel was the Black Canary, which shocked Dinah because she never knew that Laurel became the Black Canary after Sara was the Canary.[15]

Anti-Monitor Crisis[]

During the Anti-Monitor Crisis, Dinah as well as everyone in the multiverse except for the seven Paragons, was killed in an antimatter wave by the Anti-Monitor on December 10, 2019,[16] only to be restored a month later after the Paragons and the Spectre created a new universe.[17]

New multiverse[]

In 2021, Dinah gave her daughter Sara an engagement ring to propose to Ava Sharpe.[18]

Personality[]

Dinah is a kind, caring, selfless, intelligent, compassionate woman who deeply loves her husband, Quentin, and daughters, Laurel and Sara. She has an open, impulsive, free-spirited disposition, contrasting Quentin's more structured nature.

Unlike Quentin and Laurel, Dinah didn't hold Oliver responsible for Sara's apparent death, partly because she knew the sinking of the Queen's Gambit wasn't his fault, and mostly due to her own role in what happened; for over five years, Dinah blamed herself for "killing" Sara out of a deep regret for failing to stop her from going on the Gambit. Because of this, she also abandoned Quentin and Laurel, feeling accountable for their pain and unable to face them with the truth of her betrayal. In her drive to locate Sara, Dinah is shown to be studious, hardworking, resourceful, and determined. She spent years searching the world for her daughter, never giving up, stemming both from maternal instincts and a desire to absolve her guilt. Dinah stubbornly refused to cease her mission even after learning the photo she found of Sara was apparently a dead end.

After revealing to Quentin and Laurel that she let Sara go with Oliver on the Gambit, which was the real reason behind her decision to leave Starling City and quest to confirm her daughter was still alive, Dinah was able to start making amends with her family and begin moving on with her life.

Upon reuniting with Sara, Dinah welcomed her with open arms, readily accepting her daughter back despite of her transformation into a different woman. She was also understanding of Sara's relationship with Nyssa al Ghul. Despite remaining separated from Quentin, Dinah still cares for her ex-husband and is always there for him, encouraging Quentin to move on from their past as well.

Abilities[]

  • Maternal instincts: Dinah is shown to have strong maternal instincts when it comes to her children. The entire six years that Sara was "dead", she still maintained the feeling her daughter was alive somewhere. When Sara actually died, Dinah then lost those feelings, realizing Sara had died without needing to be told.
  • High-level intellect/Expert investigator: Dinah is a very intelligent individual, being a regarded college professor of Greek and Medieval History. In her efforts to find her daughter, Dinah analyzed and amassed evidence from other island rescues and looked in the islands surrounding Lian Yu, discovering a possible photo of Sara in Zhengjiu.[6]
    • Geographer: Dinah studied the islands off the coast of China when looking for Sara, showing an expertise in geography.[10]
    • Linguist: Dinah is proficient in linguistics, displaying some understanding of Mandarin.[6]
  • Network: Dinah used multiple contacts such as foreign consuls in her search efforts for her daughter.[6]

Appearances[]

Arrow[]

Season 1

Season 2

Season 3

Season 4

Season 6

Season 8


The Flash[]

Season 2[]

DC's Legends of Tomorrow[]

Season 1[]

Season 6[]

Comics[]

Arrow[]

Trivia[]

Behind the scenes[]

  • In the DC comics, Dinah Drake-Lance is the first person to take on the legacy mantle of Black Canary, a member of the Justice Society of America, and the mother of her successor, Dinah Laurel Lance.
    • On the show, the character is split into two altogether separate individuals: Dinah Lance, the civilian mother of Sara and Laurel Lance—the White Canary and first Black Canary, respectively—and Dinah Drake, the meta-human second Black Canary.
  • Dinah's job as a European history professor may be a reference to Alex Kingston's recognizable role as Professor River Song on the British science-fiction show Doctor Who.
  • Dinah had appeared in every season of Arrow before Season 5.

References[]

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