DC '78 # 8: BIRDS OF PREY

After leaving the Justice League of America due to

personal issues (and feelings of inadequacy in that cosmic setting,)

the second Black Canary (daughter of the original heroine by

the same name) was approached by the mysterious 'Mockingbird'

and asked to join a new group.

Skeptical but intrigued, Dinah Lance listened to the pitch

of the Mockingbird...and soon found herself with a new found

sense of confidence and lease on life.

The Justice League of America will always be family,

but the Birds is something with legacy...yet something

she still feels is all her own.

Agent Starling, one of two field heads of the group.
Looker keeps everyone linked for faster communications, though
Starling has given special ops training and field communications
training to everyone in the event Lia is ever incapacitated.



The Huntress from what was dubbed 'New Earth,'
Helena Bertinelli is shrewd, capable, and fierce. But she
has the eye of a certain Helena Wayne, who just fought for
and won the right to be called the only Huntress in this
cape community. (Wayne also takes issue with Bertinelli's
methods, and resents that she was asked to join a group her
mother was originally a member of in the 1940s.)



Lady Blackhawk (Zinda Blake) was also an
original member of the Birds. She's unsure if the
Mockingbird is one of the gals she worked with back then,
but she's  more of a 'bottom line' kind of hero, and thus unconcerned.
So long as there's action and a paycheck, she's on board.
(And she does like the work they do, even if she'd
fear her teammates thought her soft to discover it!)



Looker is something of a mystery. She seems to have
another agenda besides Mockingbird's. Lia only recently received
her powers, and is still getting a feel for her abilities. But her
telekinesis and telepathy prove invaluable in their undercover ops.

 



'Katana' is something of a wild card, but a more devoted
and loyal companion you won't find. She's not just dedicated
as a concerned citizen, though; Tatsu has a task she needs
help with, and has been assured that the Birds will step up when
the time comes.

 

Sisters Dawn and Holly are polar opposites.
When Don and Hank Hall were away in Dimension X for a
Teen Titans mission, The Source that provides their powers
believed them dead and sought out new agents. Thus
were Holly and Dawn selected. After proving themselves
so useful, The Source decided to keep both sets of agents
in play. All will be useful in the coming War of Chaos and Order.

Savant is the only male agent, thus far. He, like all the rest, was
specially selected based on skill sets needed. He has a dark side that
bears watching, but most members of the team are fallen birds
in some respect.

Kendra Saunders is not the first to pick up the mantle of 'Hwawkgirl'
and she knows it is a long and proud legacy. She lives in The Aerie
with the other Hawks, and is the granddaughter of Speed Saunders,
a World War II adventurer. Though young, she is tenacious
and highly skilled, having trained with the original Hawkgirl and the
Thanagarian police. Katar and Shayera, the girl's guardians,
only allowed her place due to Dinah's involvement with the team.



The second Silver Swan is Vanessa, a young friend of the current Wonder
Woman. After being rehabilitated by Paradise Island's Purple Ray,
Nessa became an activist and philanthropist with the Wonder Woman
Foundation. She serves proudly as a Bird to help repay her debt to
Princess Diana and the world. Though timid and uncertain, she
is full of heart and compassion



The mysterious Mockingbird seems to be pulling the birds'
strings as they do her bidding, knowing nothing of her
real identity and interests (save that Barbara Gordon
vouched for her.) Only she knows the reasons
behind the exact make-up of the Birds teams that she selects for
each particular mission (sometimes bringing in specialized
outside agents like the female Manhunter, Speedy, and
other heroes.)

Her missions are a mix of humanity-saving exploits such as
shutting down slave trades, rescuing missing children,
and stopping abuse (in whatever country the offenses are
found,) and then she has missions that pit her team against
the criminal Ravens squad, who seem especially intent on
stopping the Birds...permanently.

*****

The original incarnation of The Birds, with
Black Canary I, Phantom Lady I, and Lady Blackhawk.
(Not pictured: The Golden Age Catwoman, Bulletgirl, and
Miss America, performing other mission tasks at
the time.)

***