Larry Lance

Larry Lance
Lance with Black Canary. Art by Carmine Infantino.
Publication information
Publisher	DC Comics
First appearance	Flash Comics # 92 (February 1948)
Created by	Robert Kanigher Carmine Infantino
In-story information
Alter ego	Lawrence Lance Kurt Lance (New 52)
Team affiliations	(Larry) Gotham PD (Kurt) Team 7
Partnerships	Black Canary
Notable aliases	(Larry) Detective Lance (Kurt) Agent Lance

Larry Lance is a DC Comics character, associated with the superheroine Black Canary, a detective who was a love interest and later husband to Black Canary. His first appearance was in Flash Comics #92 (February 1948), created by Carmine Infantino and Robert Kanigher. When the Black Canary was reimagined in the mid-1980s as two characters—a mother and daughter—Larry became the husband to the elder Black Canary and father to the younger superheroine. Paul Blackthorne portrays a version of the character, named Quentin Larry Lance, in the television series Arrow.

Following DC's The New 52 reboot in 2011, Larry Lance was re-established as Kurt Lance, the metahuman husband of Dinah Drake formerly affiliated with Team 7.

Fictional character biography

Larry Lance

Larry Lance's original appearances pertained to being a civilian love interest for Dinah Drake (Black Canary's alter ego), a male "damsel in distress", and occasionally as a crime fighting partner and capable detective to Black Canary; a dynamic of equality similar to the relationships between Steve Trevor and Wonder Woman or Mera and Aquaman. Larry and Dinah later married and had a daughter.^[1]

In Justice League of America #73 (August 1969), Larry plays a larger role as he tends to Starman after the hero is wounded in a battle with a cosmic powered villain called Aquarius. After a universe spanning battle in Justice League of America #74 Larry sacrifices himself to save his wife from a blast of cosmic energy directed at her by Aquarius. After his funeral Black Canary decides to migrate from Earth-Two to Earth-One with the former universe reminding her too much of her lost husband.^[2]

Black Canary, feeling lonely, tries to strike up a romance with the Larry of Earth-One. However, he turns out to be a fixer for the Gotham mob, The Collector. He takes care of difficult situations; his reputation rides on being able to provide a tidy profit for all concerned in the end. He manipulated Black Canary, and died while trying to assassinate Batman at the horse races.^[3]

Post Crisis

The post-Crisis version of Larry Lance remains largely unchanged, with minor alterations such as now being the husband to the first Black Canary and father to the second. in Birds of Prey #66 (June 2004) it is revealed that Larry befriended Jim Gordon in the past, while working together on the Gotham police force. They were both growing concerned over the influence of Mafia figures on Gotham society, such as the Falcones and Bertinellis. This conversation happened at a society event which was interrupted by a serial killer later dubbed 'The Blonde Slasher', who left a victim for Larry and his wife to find. Many years later, Larry's daughter caught the man. It was the great-grandfather of Lian Harper, the unrelated child Larry's daughter was raising.^[4]

Kurt Lance as a member of Team 7.

The New 52/Kurt Lance

Following DC's 2011 relaunch, Black Canary is once again a singular heroine and is supposedly on the run from the law for the murder^[5] of her husband, Kurt Lance. Meanwhile, in Teen Titans #8 (June 2012) a member of Amanda Waller's task force known as Team 7 is revealed to be Kurt Lance, alive and well, working deep undercover.^[6] Starting in Team 7 #1 (November 2012) the events before his "death" are detailed, working as a government operative for Team 7 alongside Amanda Waller, Deathstroke, and the Black Canary (then going by her maiden name, Dinah Drake).^[7]

In other media

Arrow

Paul Blackthorne as Quentin Lance in Arrow.

In the television series Arrow, Quentin Larry Lance is portrayed by Paul Blackthorne, who is the father of Laurel (Katie Cassidy) and Sara Lance (Caity Lotz), and the ex-husband of Professor Dinah Lance (Alex Kingston). Blackthorne also reprised his role in its spin-offs The Flash episode "Who is Harrison Wells?" and Legends of Tomorrow episodes "Last Refuge" and "Legendary".

References

1. Beatty, Scott (2008). "Black Canary". In Dougall, Alastair. The DC Comics Encyclopedia. London: Dorling Kindersley. p. 50. ISBN 0-7566-4119-5.
2. Justice League of America #74 (September 1969)
3. "Brave and the Bold" Sept. #91 (1970)
4. Birds of Prey #66–67 (June–July 2004)
5. Birds of Prey #1 (November 2011)
6. Teen Titans #8 (June 2012)
7. Team 7 #1 (November 2012)