Synopsis / Summary / Plot
Last issue Jessica Jones came from New York to Los Angeles to visit fellow PI Kate Bishop with a suspect Brad that Kate was interested in for a different case. Jones was looking for a missing woman Rebecca Brown. They found her alive and looking better than ever in a new identity as film star Dahlia Dorian, and she told them to go away. They weren't convinced and continued investigating but were attacked by a dragon that flew off.
This issue starts with a teaser of Kate confronting the dragon as Hawkeye at Griffith Observatory.
But we go back to earlier in the evening in Bishop's office where they peruse blurry photos they took, presumably of pages of Dahlia's diary. They can make out an entry on that day's date 'GO 11PM' with Brad's name attached. Kate hates the idea of saving asshat Brad from a dragon, but that's what superheroes do. Jess finds exact times written in on other previous days, seemingly getting earlier all the time. And the last 1 seems to correspond to when the dragon attacked them. Kate worries that if the dragon has kidnapped or eaten the woman then Dahlia won't be able to make the meeting with Brad, but it's the only lead they have.
Kate's 4 sidekicks Johnny & Ramone Watts, Mikka Nguyen and Quinn are there too watching TV news footage of the fire-breathing dragon atop the Hollywood sign. Quinn ran Brad's car registration last issue and has the address of his apartment. But 1st they check the tracker they planted on him last issue. But it shows he's at a laundromat and the tracker dies (because it's in the wash). So they plan to check his place and then Dahlia's. Hawkeye pops into her bedroom to get that shoulder bag with her arrows and collapsible bow. And we see a pinboard on the wall detailing her earlier investigations and links to her father. But when she gets back she hears that Quinn has detected that GO in the diary is actually G.O., and so ...
... the PI duo go to Griffith Observatory where they see Brad waiting and then Dahlia join him alive. She's angry with him because he can't do what he promised. Brad says he's lost his connection. Dahlia says she can't go on like this and she needs a new body. Bishop remembers 1 of her cases from the wall (and from Hawkeye (2012) #20) where Madame Masque was providing SHIELD Life Model Decoys for rich folk to transfer their minds to, and her dad was involved. Both PIs realise that Dahlia *is* the dragon just before she transforms, seemingly unwillingly.
The dragon attacks Brad who faints. The duo run to help. Superstrong Jones tells Bishop to get Brad to safety while she deals with the dragon. But Kate points out that she herself isn't strong enough to carry him so they swap tasks. Kate harasses it again with arrows like last issue, but this time it breaths fire at her before flying off again. But this time Jessica is able to fly after it and send it crashing back down again. Kate tries to get through to the woman within the beast but Jess attacks again and the angry dragon reacts by throwing her off the Observatory (built on the side of Mount Hollywood).
Then we get the scene from the beginning. But Kate succeeds in calming it down by saying what she guessed, that Dahlia is a part-time dragon who wants an LMD body to avoid the dragon bit. Brad promised it but can't deliver. And the dragon becomes a woman again who collapses at Kate's feet. Dahlia explains that she was a latent Inhuman who was turned by the Terrigen mist that got released worldwide (in Infinity #3). It gave her the better-looking body that made her a filmstar but she can't control her transformation into the dragon. Kate tells her she can get help from the Inhuman community, but Jessica makes her promise to call Rebecca's sister who's worried about her.
Kate gives Jessica a lift to the airport (presumably on her Vespa scooter). She says she was picking someone up there anyway. At the airport she insists on sharing a hug with Jess who shares her PI fee for finding the missing Rebecca, so Kate is $1000 richer. And we learn that the friend she's meeting is Lucky the Pizza Dog. She takes him home to her office/apartment where she sees that her door has a flashy new glass sign. And where she's attacked as soon as she get inside.