Sin is a
fictional
Fiction is any creative work, chiefly any narrative work, portraying individuals, events, or places that are imaginary, or in ways that are imaginary. Fictional portrayals are thus inconsistent with history, fact, or plausibility. In a traditio ...
comic book
A comic book, also called comicbook, comic magazine or (in the United Kingdom and Ireland) simply comic, is a publication that consists of comics art in the form of sequential juxtaposed panel (comics), panels that represent individual scenes. ...
character appearing in books published by
DC Comics
DC Comics, Inc. (doing business as DC) is an American comic book publisher and the flagship unit of DC Entertainment, a subsidiary of Warner Bros. Discovery.
DC Comics is one of the largest and oldest American comic book companies, with their f ...
. She first appeared in ''
Birds of Prey
Birds of prey or predatory birds, also known as raptors, are hypercarnivorous bird species that actively hunt and feed on other vertebrates (mainly mammals, reptiles and other smaller birds). In addition to speed and strength, these predato ...
'' #92 (May 2006), and was created by
Gail Simone
Gail Simone (aka Gladys Simonetti) is an American writer best known for her work in comics on DC's ''Birds of Prey'', ''Batgirl'', Dynamite Entertainment's Red Sonja, and for being the longest running female writer on Wonder Woman to date. Other ...
(writer) and Paulo Siqueira (artist).
Sin appeared as a recurring character on
The CW
''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things that are already or about to be mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in ...
Arrowverse
The Arrowverse is an American superhero media franchise and a shared universe that is centered on various interconnected television series based on DC Comics superhero characters, primarily airing on The CW as well as web series on CW Seed ...
show ''
Arrow
An arrow is a fin-stabilized projectile launched by a bow. A typical arrow usually consists of a long, stiff, straight shaft with a weighty (and usually sharp and pointed) arrowhead attached to the front end, multiple fin-like stabilizers ...
'', played by
Bex Taylor-Klaus.
Fictional character biography
Sin was introduced when
Black Canary
The Black Canary is the name of two superheroines appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics: Dinah Drake and her daughter Dinah Laurel Lance. The original version was created by the writer-artist team of Robert Kanigher and ...
made a deal with
Lady Shiva
Lady Shiva (real name Sandra San or more recently Sandra Wu-San) is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character was co-created by Dennis O'Neil and Ric Estrada, and first appeared in ''Richard Dra ...
. They would switch lives for a year, in which Dinah would train as Lady Shiva had done, while Shiva herself took her position with
Oracle
An oracle is a person or agency considered to provide wise and insightful counsel or prophetic predictions, most notably including precognition of the future, inspired by deities. As such, it is a form of divination.
Description
The wor ...
and the Birds of Prey. During Dinah's training, she arrived at a village in Asia, which was ruled by a martial arts master known simply as Mother. Dinah was allowed to be trained by the cruel matriarch, though it often came as horrible mental and physical abuse.
While there, Dinah met a little girl dubbed Sin (the name may have been created to dehumanize Sin; while training there, Dinah was given the name "Tag", meaning "swine"). Sin was being groomed to become the next Lady Shiva, following the death of the current one. Sin and Dinah developed an immediate bond that bordered on sister and mother/daughter. When Dinah grew tired of Mother and her training, she decided to leave, and take Sin with her. Mother attempted to stop her, but was no match for Black Canary.
Returning to
Metropolis
A metropolis () is a large city or conurbation which is a significant economic, political, and cultural center for a country or region, and an important hub for regional or international connections, commerce, and communications.
A big c ...
with Sin, Dinah introduced Sin to her friends in the Birds of Prey, who all took a shine to the girl. They began to teach her the wonders of the western world and educate her in English and name-calling (she on occasion addressed
Helena as "Spinster"). Over time Dinah began to question her life as member of the Birds of Prey, now that she had a child to care for. After several missions, she decided to leave the team so as to raise Sin full-time. This would prove difficult after Dinah rejoined the
Justice League
The Justice League (also known as The Justice League of America) are a team of superheroes appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The team first appeared in ''The Brave and the Bold'' #28 (March 1960). The team was conceived ...
.
In the ''Black Canary'' miniseries, the
League of Assassins
The League of Assassins (sometimes renamed the League of Shadows or Society of Shadows in adapted works) is a group of supervillains appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The group is depicted as a collective of assassins who ...
attempts to kidnap Sin, seeing the martial arts prodigy as a messiah that could unite their splintered and then-leaderless group. In an attempt to save Sin from the League,
Green Arrow fakes the child's death. Though the decision pains him, he conceals the truth from Dinah so that her grief will be real and convincing to their enemies. Dinah later learns of her foster daughter's survival.
Sin lives in a secluded monastery, to keep her safe from the League of Assassins and others who would exploit her intuitive gift for the martial arts. Black Canary makes occasional trips to visit her, still playing the role of mother part-time.
In other media
Television
Sin appears in season 2 of ''
Arrow
An arrow is a fin-stabilized projectile launched by a bow. A typical arrow usually consists of a long, stiff, straight shaft with a weighty (and usually sharp and pointed) arrowhead attached to the front end, multiple fin-like stabilizers ...
'' portrayed by
Bex Taylor-Klaus. In the show, she is a streetwise Caucasian teenager instead of Chinese from the Glades, a slum in
Starling City
Star City is a fictional city that appears in stories published by DC Comics, best known as the traditional home of the superheroes known by, or affiliated with, the shared alias of Green Arrow. Beyond that, it is also known to other characte ...
, who is a confidante and sidekick of Sara Lance, the Canary (
Caity Lotz
Caitlin Marie Lotz (born December 30, 1986) is an American actress, dancer and singer. She has portrayed Stephanie Horton in ''Mad Men'', Officer Kirsten Landry in the MTV mockumentary series ''Death Valley'' (2011), Annie in '' The Pact'' (2013 ...
). This version of the character is named Cindy, but is referred to as Sin for short. Debuting in "Broken Dolls", Sara apparently saved her from some men attacking her and that is how the two became friends. After Arrow asks Roy Harper to find the Canary, Roy uses a contact to lead him to Sin. After a chase Roy eventually finds the Canary, but is captured by her and Sin, whom they thought was sent by the
League of Assassins
The League of Assassins (sometimes renamed the League of Shadows or Society of Shadows in adapted works) is a group of supervillains appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The group is depicted as a collective of assassins who ...
but is later released after the Canary discovers that Roy is connected to the Queen family, and thus the vigilante realizes that Roy was sent by the Arrow. Sin is later shot at a Cash for Guns event by "The Mayor" in "Crucible" and Roy comes to her aid. The two remain friends and she comes to him for help in finding a friend who, it turns out, was murdered by
Brother Blood
Brother Blood is the name of two supervillains appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The first iteration, Sebastian Blood VIII, is a power hungry priest and the head of the Church of Blood, as well as the eighth person in the DC ...
in "The Scientist". She later appears in Thea's room after Roy was saved by Arrow from Blood and is the first person outside of Team Arrow to know Roy's new superstrength in "Blind Spot". She agrees to help him use it to protect the city and baits the "Starling Slasher" so that Roy can take him down. In the process Roy nearly kills him and when she tries to intervene he pushes her down. He immediately snaps out of it and at the hospital she comments on how they nearly killed him and how Roy lost control. In "Time of Death" Sin reunites with Sara after she returns and considers Sara to be her big sister. Sara has a flashback to the island and recalls when she, Oliver, and Slade Wilson witnessed a plane being shot down by Dr. Ivo. As the guys rush to get medical supplies, Sara stays with the pilot and he reveals himself to be Sin's father, and he asks Sara to watch over her, though the daughter being Sin isn't revealed until the present when Sara is looking at the picture that Sin's father gave her. Sara didn't reveal to Sin of the past connection with her father and his death, leaving her to believe that her father abandoned her. In "Seeing Red", Sin again encounters Roy completely under the influence of Mirakuru. She attempted to stop several people from attacking Roy, as they misinterpreted the situation. Roy then pushes Sin to the ground and later talks to Sara about his problematic behaviour. Sin returns in the season three episode "Uprising" where she, Black Canary, Arsenal,
Wildcat
The wildcat is a species complex comprising two small wild cat species: the European wildcat (''Felis silvestris'') and the African wildcat (''F. lybica''). The European wildcat inhabits forests in Europe, Anatolia and the Caucasus, while the ...
and John Diggle face off against
Danny Brickwell and his men. During that time she notices that Black Canary is not Sara (who is killed by
Malcolm Merlyn in "The Calm") and informs about this to her father Quentin Lance.
Sin later makes a cameo as one of many individuals associated with the Green Arrow over his career that give interviews for the true-crime documentary "Emerald Archer", in the episode of the same name.
References
{{Black Canary
Black Canary characters
Characters created by Gail Simone
Comics characters introduced in 2006
DC Comics female characters
DC Comics martial artists
Fictional Chinese people