Black Siren (Arrowverse)

"And I guess once you let the darkness inside, it never comes out. And now I am trapped in a parallel dimension telling my sob story to the doppleganger of the man that... that I loved."

- Black Siren to Oliver Queen

Dinah Laurel Lance, also known as Black Siren, is a major villain in the Arrowverse first appearing in The Flash as the main antagonist in the Season 2 episode "Invincible", later in Arrow as one of the secondary antagonists of Season 5, and one of the secondary antagonists turned anti-villain in Season 6. She is the Earth-2 version of Dinah Laurel Lance/Black Canary and an ally of Zoom, Prometheus, Talia al Ghul, Vincent Sobel, Anatoly Knyazev and Cayden James.

She is portrayed by Katie Cassidy, who portrayed Laurel's Earth-1 counterpart, as well as Lilith and Ruby.

Early life
Laurel was raised in Starling City. Little else is known of her earlier life but it's implied that she suffered the loss of her father and may not have a sister like her Earth-1 counterpart. At some point prior to 2007 met she met Oliver Queen and the two fell deeply in love. In 2007 Oliver perished in a ship-wreck in the Pacific of which his father Robert was the only survivor and Laurel was devastated, and moved to Central City for a fresh start. However Laurel never recovered from Oliver's death and sank into depression and started making a series of bad decisions.

Becoming Black Siren
Around December 2013, Laurel was one of the many Central City residents affected by Harrison Wells' particle accelerator, and gained the power to emit sonic screams powerful enough to kill people within seconds and take down entire buildings. Following this, she became a criminal named "Black Siren" and was employed into Zoom's army, making "one bad choice after another". She was one of his enforcers in Central City known for demolishing buildings. At some point she emerged as a high-ranking lieutenant of Zoom, earning enough respect from Hunter that he was willing to converse without a mask. This made Laurel the only known Earth Two individual to be aware of Hunter's identity and his "Jay Garrick" deception.

Season 2
As part of his plan to conquer Earth-1, Zoom brought over his entire army of meta-humans which included Laurel whom he ordered to attack various buildings at random to lure out the Flash. Laurel also learned of her Earth-1 doppelgänger's Laurel Lance / Black Canary, yet felt little remorse for her recent death. Black Siren first attacked Mercury Labs and leveled the entire building, but no one was harmed as the Flash was able to save everyone inside. Black Siren then leveled a building opposite to the Central City Police Department, though no one was harmed because the Flash was able to save everyone inside yet again.

Next, Black Siren lured out the Flash into the streets to fight him herself. At first Flash mistook her for Black Canary and was shocked to see her, as Black Canary was a friend of his. Flash tried to reason with her but Black Siren simply laughed in amusement and corrected him that she was from Earth-2. Flash tried to give Black Siren a chance to surrender telling her he could easily beat her, but she simply said the same back then attacked him with her scream. Flash was left disorientated and could barely stand and when he finally did Black Siren attacked him with several punches and subdued him yet again. Black Siren began to brag and was about to finish him off but Wally West hit her with a car giving Flash the chance to escape with him, much to Black Siren's annoyance.

Black Siren later met up with Hunter at the Central City Police Department precinct, bragging of her fight with Flash but Hunter stated that not even she would be able to beat him and firmly reminded her of her orders. However Black Siren questioned what the point was and Hunter explained that he needed the Flash distracted so that he wouldn't see his real plan coming until it was too late. When Black Siren asked what he was up to Hunter coldly replied "no good", leaving Black Siren visibly disturbed.

Black Siren, as instructed, went to demolish another building but was confronted by "Reverb" and "Killer Frost", much to her confusion as she believed them dead. "Reverb" and "Killer Frost" seemingly made an offer to overthrow Zoom by teaming up together and Black Siren appeared to consider the offer, but was skeptical of their motives. Pretending to agree they prepared to leave but Black Siren tossed a brick to "Reverb". When he caught it with his right hand, Black Siren realized that "Reverb" and "Killer Frost" where actually their Earth One doubles Vibe and Caitlin Snow trying to distract her. As Black Siren tried to kill them, Vibe hit her with a sonic blast, activated subconsciously, and was unable to do so again. Unfazed, Black Siren simply tried to kill them again, but was disoriented and knocked out by a device Harry set up to render all Earth-2 individuals unconscious.

After falling unconscious, Black Siren was locked up in the S.T.A.R. Labs particle accelerator. When she woke she attempted to get out, though her sonic scream had no effect on the soundproof cell, to which Vibe mocked her. Caitlin considered telling Sara and Quentin, the sister and father of her deceased Earth One counterpart, about Earth Two Laurel, but Barry voted against the idea, not wanting to ruin their memory of the Laurel they knew.

Season 5
In December 2016, Black Siren was broken out of imprisonment by Prometheus and began working with him. Whether it is by intimiadation or willingness is left ambiguous, though Prometheus later attempt to kill her suggests it is the former. Reluctantly she agrees and sends her to Star City to impersonate her Earth-1 counterpart, which she found highly irritating. Prior to being sent Prometheus told her all the information he'd collected on Oliver and his allies.

After Oliver returned to the Arrowcave, grief stricken from having recently killed Billy Malone by accident, Laurel was standing there waiting for him and said "Hi, Ollie". This left Oliver stunned as he believed she was Earth-1 Laurel. Laurel claimed to have been teleported away before she bled out by Sara onto the Waverider, where they fix her wounds and was transported to Oliver's present. After they hugged Felicity soon entered the room and was stunned to see her and they hugged. Though Laurel claimed Sara found a way to bring people back without altering the timeline, Felicity was skeptical. After calling Thea to tell her she was "back" Oliver held a toast for Laurel with Felicity, Rene Remeriez / Wold Dog, Rory Regan / Ragman and Curtis Holt / Mr. Teriffic. While serving drinks however Laurel almost took the wine instead of the club soda, as Earth-1 Laurel was an alcoholic, which Felicity immediately picked up on, and Oliver toasted to her "return".



Later Laurel came back to the Arrowcave as Felicity had figured out she was the Earth-2 Laurel and attacked her and Rory, expressing relief that she can stop playing "weak, vunerable Laurel", but before she could finish off Felicity, Oliver returned and attacked her. Laurel then screamed at him and vanished. Black Siren later met with Prometheus who expressed dissapointment at her failure to maintain her cover. When she began quesitoning his motives he tackled her to the ground chocking her and keeping his hand on her throat to keep her from screaming, reminded her that her life depends on following his orders and not questioning them. Black Siren then called Oliver and apologised for deceiving him but told him that Prometheus made her, and offered to help him take him down. While meeting at the Black Canary statue Green Arrow accused her of lying, as S.T.A.R. Labs told him she'd help Prometheus regardless. However as Black Siren offered a means to track and tried to help him. Ragman, Wild Dog and Mr. Terrific attacked her under Felicity's orders and she attacked all of them at once, destroying the statue in the process, but was subdued by one of Oliver's tranqueilizer arrows.

Placed in the Arrowcave's meta-human cell Black Siren stressed to Oliver that Prometheus is forcing her to aid him but realized he didn't trust her, and told him about her Oliver's fate and how she became a meta-human and the bad choices she made because of it. Beginning to take pity on her Oliver offered her redemption by telling him what she knew about Prometheus, promising to keep her safe if she does. She seems open to the idea but we never get to find out if she would've helped because Felicity comes to visit. Felicity claims to come to give Black Siren a glass of water and Black Siren mockingly asked how her and Oliver broke up, and if Felicity had a sister, knowing about Oliver's affair with Sara. Unlike Oliver however Felicity didn't see any hope of redemption for her and suddenly the power went out and Black Siren escaped her cell. We later learn Felicity set the whole thing up and the water had tracking particles in it. She later met up with Prometheus and the two of them attacked Team Arrow but before she could kill Felicity, Green Arrow tried to reason with Black Siren begging her to rethink what's she's about to do. Despite appearing to hesitate she ultimately tries to kill her anyway but Green Arrow saves her, as Mr. Terrific uses a device to dampen her powers and Felicity punches her. Black Siren is then taken into A.R.G.U.S. custody but Oliver still hopes that she can find redemption one day.

Eventually, Black Siren is freed by Prometheus once more to assist him in his new plan. Together with Evelyn Sharp, she kidnaps Quentin Lance and Thea Queen, fooling Quentin by pretending to be his daughter. However, it is revealed that Black Siren seems to have doubts about working with Prometheus and that she seems to have genuine affection for Quentin as she made Adrian promise to not to hurt him. She delivers them both to Prometheus nonetheless and together with Prometheus, his team and their hostages, Black Siren makes for Lian Yu where they await Oliver's arrival.

Black Siren escorted Quentin and Diggle to their prison in the Monastery, which already held Rene Ramirez and Dinah Drake. Black Siren later took Oliver there after "his capture" at the hands of Slade Wilson. Laurel remained the last standing member of Prometheus' team besides Chase himself, and led his followers into the final battle against Team Arrow. Laurel fought against Dinah Drake, her Earth-1's successor as the Black Canary and two were evenly matched in combat. They both then used their sonic cries against each other and were both thrown back. Black Siren's scream appears to be more powerful than Dinah's, and as she victoriously walked towards her, she tauntingly asked if she really thought that she could replace her as the Black Canary. She was last seen just about to kill Dinah before Quentin knocked her out.

Personality
Prior to becoming a meta-human, Earth-2 Laurel was apparently a kind and loving person, like her Earth-1 self. After losing Oliver Queen to his shipwreck in 2007, she was heartbroken and started to become a lot more reclusive and cold-hearted. Losing touch with her humanity, she became cruel, reveling in her use of her powers to crumble buildings and kill people. She seemed to have a twisted sense of humor, mocking Oliver's pain over remembering her Earth-1 self by saying "Laurel Lance is dead. On this Earth, anyway. Poor Black Canary, bye-bye birdie". She also condescendingly asked Felicity Smoak if she had a sister, referring to Earth-1 Sara Lance having an affair with Earth-1 Oliver in order to spite her.

She was incredibly defensive of her individuality and differences from her Earth-1 counterpart, calling her weak and vulnerable, after imitating her. She was also seems to be arrogant and overconfident which is shown when she confronts the Flash. However since she easily takes him down, it's seems maybe she wasn't so overconfident after all. She was a very convincing liar and actor, having been told by Prometheus all about her Earth-1 self and managing to successfully impersonate her until the last minute. Oliver believed that she could be redeemed somehow, but she was incredibly-defensive of this, willing to kill Felicity to prove that she can't be redeemed.

She was also very observant of Cisco Ramon and Caitlin Snow, knowing that their attempts to imitate their Earth-2 counterparts was just acting all along. She exposes them as liars when she makes Cisco catch a brick and he uses the wrong hand which shows that she is probably pretty smart. Zoom seemed to respect her for her power and inability to take no for an answer, being able to trust her enough to talk to her without his mask on (meaning that he knew about him being "Jay Garrick" when his other meta-human henchmen didn't know this). However, she isn't without fear, as she was threatened by Prometheus so that she would pose as her Earth-1 counterpart, and seemed to be terrified of what he would do to her if she failed to successfully hurt Oliver.

Laurel does seem to care for Earth-1 Oliver, due to his resemble her lost love. She also cares for Earth-1 Quentin, working with Chase to ensure his safety, showing that some humanity does still remain within her.

Season 2

 * "Invincible"

Season 5

 * "What We Leave Behind"
 * "Who Are You?"
 * "Missing"
 * "Lian Yu"

Season 6

 * "Fallout"
 * "Tribute"
 * "Reversal"
 * "Thanksgiving"
 * "Irreconcilable Differences"
 * "Divided"
 * "All for Nothing"

Powers

 * Sonic scream: As a meta-human, Laurel is capable of elevating her vocal cords to exceeding the normal level of decibels a normal scream can make, allowing her to topple large buildings and cause immense brain damage with her super-sonic scream. She is apparently able to reach 250 decibels or higher, strong enough to kill a normal person that hears it. Her scream is powerful enough to even stun the Flash, who is much more powerful than the average human. Her scream is also stronger than Dinah Drake's. However, Prometheus knew her weakness: if her throat was gripped hard enough to prevent her from speaking, potentially choking her to death, she cannot use her scream to save herself.
 * Sonic scream immunity: Laurel's sonic scream powers would normally destroy a person's ears if hit by her scream. However, as a self-protection mechanism, she herself is immune to her own sonic screams, and is presumably unaffected by sonic screams emitted from other meta-humans with the same power like Earth-1 Dinah Drake.

Abilities

 * Peak physical condition: Laurel is perfectly-capable of fending off an individual without her powers, managing to fight Barry Allen with apparent ease. She was also able to hold her own against Dinah Drake, an extremely skilled combatant. After being hit by Wally West's car, she just got back up, as if to say that she wasn't hurt or injured by it, thus meaning that her body is more durable than that of an average human.
 * High-level intellect/Expert tactician/Expert leader: Laurel's observant nature allowed her to almost-instantly tell that Cisco Ramon and Caitlin Snow, who were posing as their Earth-2 counterparts, were not actually like their Earth-2 counterparts at all. She is also relied on by Zoom as her last-living lieutenant during the invasion of Earth-1, considered to be a brilliant planner and leader by her subordinates. This also allowed her to learn everything about her Earth-1 counterpart so she can perfectly impersonate her, fooling even Oliver Queen/Green Arrow for a short time.
 * Stealth: Laurel was able to sneak through heavily-guarded buildings with ease and disappear from a pursuer's sight, even in broad daylight.
 * Network: On Earth-2, Laurel's many connections and friends allowed her to gain intel on people and places of interest. She was also able to gather information about her Earth-1 self through similar means.

Weaknesses

 * Sonic dampener: Like Earth-1 Dinah Drake, Laurel's sonic scream can be cancelled out by a sonic dampener device.

Trivia

 * In DCAU, Black Siren is the alias of Donna Nance, a founding member of the Justice Guild of America, in an alternate Earth, from the TV series, Justice League. The character herself was actually based on the Golden Age Black Canary.
 * Like the DC comic version of Black Canary, Laurel possesses the meta-human ability of a super sonic scream, which she can deploy to shatter objects and incapacitate her opponent; however, unlike her Earth One counterpart, she is a villain, instead of a hero.
 * She is the second doppelgänger of an Arrow character that has appeared on The Flash: the first was Floyd Lawton. She is also the first doppelgänger to appear on Arrow.
 * Black Siren is known for having worked under three separate antagonists in the Arrow-verse: Hunter Zolomon, Adrian Chase and Cayden James.
 * Unlike her Earth-1 self, Black Siren doesn't seem to be an alcoholic.
 * Having been promoted to a main character for Season 6 of Arrow, Black Siren is the fourth villain in the series to be credited as a main character, after Slade Wilson in Seasons 1 and 2, Malcolm Merlyn in Seasons 3 and 4, and Adrian Chase in Season 5. She is also the first main character in the series to have made her debut in a spin-off (The Flash, in this case) and the first meta-human character to be a main character on Arrow.
 * Black Siren is somewhat similar to Arrow anti-hero Helena Bertinelli, in that they are both black leather-clad anti-heroines/villainesses whom Oliver sought to redeem. They both also lost their loved ones (Earth-2 Oliver and Helena's fiance, respectively) and sought revenge for it. Whereas Helena was imprisoned for her crimes, Oliver still has hope for Black Siren, which she finds naive and pointless.
 * Black Siren is similar to the Evil Queen from Once Upon a Time: both are black-clad femme fatales who represent their heroic self's worst parts. They both also suffered the loss of their loved one (Daniel and Oliver, respectively) and became sadistic and cruel because of it. They are both also given shots at redemption by the protagonists.
 * Black Siren made her first appearance in an episode of The Flash. The original Golden Age Black Canary made her comic debut in Flash Comics issue 86, which is centered on Jay Garrick, who in the series was impersonated by Hunter Zolomon who Black Siren worked for.
 * Black Siren's survival of the Lian Yu explosion was confirmed by the actor that plays Curtis when he posted a picture of them shooting for Arrow's sixth season, as well as the CW when they confirmed Katie Cassidy's return as a main character.
 * It's speculated that Black Siren being promoted to series regular for Arrow season 6 is an appeasement move by the executive producers after the overwhelming backlash Black Canary's death in season 4 received, and the mixed reception her successor Dinah Drake has received. This is supported by Katie Cassidy claiming to have not expected to return to Arrow as a series regular.
 * Despite being a villain, many fans have noted similarities between Black Siren and the traditional Black Canary in the comics that make her arguably a more faithful adaptation of the character than the Arrowverse's actual Black Canary.
 * Black Siren has the sonic scream as a meta-human power whereas Black Canary utilizes an electric collar.
 * Black Siren originates from Earth-2, whereas Black Canary is from Earth-1.
 * Black Siren has fishnets on her suit like Black Canary, though Black Siren's are on her shoulders whereas comic Black Canary's are on her legs. Although Earth-1 Laurel did reference wearing fishnets at a Halloween party in "Damaged".
 * Black Siren doesn't wear a mask unlike Black Canary.
 * Black Siren's suit also greatly resembles the New 52 version of Black Canary's suit, unlike Arrowverse's Black Canary.
 * Being the Earth-2 doppelganger of Black Canary, Black Siren is a unique Arrowverse villain as most protagonists hesitate to fight her given what Black Canary meant to them. While some like Barry see her as a villain, others like Oliver see her as misunderstood and have tried to prove that there is still some humanity left in her.