Daily Bugle staff writer, Ben Urich, brings us up to date with the story of Jessica Jones. She is a former costumed super hero, who is now the owner and sole employee of Alias Investigations, a small private investigation firm. Jessica is now pregnant with the baby of her boyfriend, Luke Cage, hero for hire. She has taken a job with the Daily Bugle as a super hero analyst. J. Jonah Jameson has teamed her up with award winning reporter, Ben Urich, to help him paint a fair and unbalanced picture of the world of super heroes.
Jessica Jones meets with Wolverine in a bar. She apologizes to him, but he erupts in a fit of anger, warning her to shut up. He smashes the table, sending his beers flying and then leaps at her, repeating his warning. He gets in her face, and pops his claws, leaving them just inches from her face. “Ya feel sorry for me?” he cries. Jessica is petrified but, thankfully, Logan sees sense and backs off, slumping into a chair. Jessica doesn’t say a word as Logan breaks down in tears.
(Harlem, one week ago)
An explosion rips through Luke Cage’s apartment, showering the street with masonry. An ambulance is soon on hand, and both Luke and Jessica are taken to Mt. Sinai hospital’s Emergency Medical Unit in New York City. There, they are separated as hospital staff try and resuscitate Luke, who’s flatlining. They realize that they’re dealing with Luke Cage. His problem is that he has unbreakable skin and no needle is going to pierce it. The doctor orders a code black, and his crew frantically try to keep Luke alive.
In the next room, Jessica is helpless as she hears everything. There’s no readable pulse, no spontaneous respiration, and they’re having to use the paddles to bring Luke back to life.
Later, Jessica is lying in her bed, her arm in a sling. Doctor Stern appears and informs her that her baby’s okay. Jessica already knows this. He tells her she has to see her personal physician. Jessica knows this too. Dr. Stern then informs her that they really aren’t sure how to treat her husband, because of his unique physiology. She tells him quietly that he isn’t her husband. The doctor takes his leave, as two uniformed cops arrive to take her statement. She immediately asks if anyone else is hurt, but the officers let her know that, luckily, most of the neighbors were at work. Also, the blast was focused, so damage to the building was minimal. Luke took most of the blast.
They quiz her about the woman who came into the apartment. She explains that the woman was mostly backlit, and therefore she couldn’t get a decent look at her. The only thing she said was, “I know where I am, Luke Cage. Did you actually think you’d actually get away with it? So silly.” Jessica doesn’t know if she knew Luke, and didn’t recognize her voice. They enquire as to whether Luke was seeing anyone else. No, she replies. Not that you know of, replies one of the officer.
Their questioning turns to the woman’s powers. Jessica tells them that she seemed to use powers to cause the blast, not a weapon of any kind. One of them asks if she is a mutant. This angers Jessica, and she asks what that has to do with anything. She explains that this witch destroyed her life. “It’s gone. My home, Luke, she almost killed my baby…” She asks why they’re standing round like this. She doesn’t know who she was or what she was talking about.
One of the officers receives a call on his radio. The person on the other end tells them that their case just went silver. They should return to the farm as the captain wishes to speak with them. The second officer wonders what ‘silver’ means. The first replies that it means they’re done there. He thanks Jessica for her help, and adds that they’re big fans of her boyfriend. As they depart, Jessica is also inquisitive about what ‘silver’ means.
(later)
Jessica is joined by Danny Rand, Luke Cage’s best friend and sometime partner. They sit beside him as he lies in a coma. Jessica looks very sad. Luke means more to her than anything. Danny notices Nick Fury arrive, and they are both surprised to see him. Danny says he didn’t know Fury knew Luke, but Fury replies that he knew him a little. He asks what’s with all the tubes. Danny explains that because his skin is unbreakable, the doctors had to find alternatives to keep him alive. “Oh, God…” replies Fury. Danny adds that he’s suffered severe trauma to his internal organs, but they can’t perform any kind of surgery. His greatest power is preventing the doctors from even determining the extent of his injuries.
Jessica looks directly at Nick, and asks if he knows who did this to him, and asks why he is there. Fury has guilt written all over his face. “What have I done?” he asks himself. Suddenly, Captain America enters the ward, and realizes it’s true what he heard about Fury being there. He and Nick get into a shouting match. Cap is furious, and physically slaps Fury to the floor, damning him for what he did to them. Fury orders him outside to settle this but, before Cap leaves, he enquires as to Jessica’s baby. She tells him the baby’s fine, and he replies that she needs to get away from there. It isn’t safe. He asks Danny if his ‘iron fist’ is good to go. It is, and Jessica asks what exactly is happening. He doesn’t explain, but tells her to just keep her baby safe and away from there. He’ll need Danny’s help to move Cage out of there. Jessica wants to call her lawyer.
Jessica leaves the ward and finds a pay phone. She calls Matt Murdock, but finds his answering machine picking up. She tearfully explains that Luke was attacked in their home, and is in critical condition. She tells Matt about Danny and Nick Fury, and then Captain America’s appearance. She doesn’t know what’s going on, and could use some help. As she puts the phone down, she notices a man dressed in a dark suit reading the paper. He looks out of place. She dismisses this train of thought, and puts another coin in the phone.
This time, she is calling Ben Urich, who wakes with a start, clutching his chest as he sits up. It’s 2:33 in the morning, and he’s surprised to find Jessica on the line. As she begins to explain what’s gone down, she asks him to hang on. The man in the suit is on his mobile phone, and Jessica thinks something’s going on. The man notices her looking at him, and makes a run for it. Jessica hangs up and pursues the man through the hospital. As she runs, a blast suddenly takes out the lights, and the emergency generator kicks into action.
Innocent patients and relatives pick themselves up, confused, but a secondary blast throws an ambulance into the air, and straight though the doorway, right into them. Jessica flees as it explodes behind her, and returns to Luke’s ward. She arrives to find the place empty. The bed, with Luke in it is no longer there. She calls his name, and Danny’s, but gets no response.
She is then caught in a panicked crowd who are rushing for safety. It’s dark, and they are really scared. Jessica helps a kid who gets caught in the rampage, and then makes her way through the dimly lit hospital. She calls for Luke and Danny again and once more receives no response. She steps outside, and is greeted by the remains of what looks like a war zone. She sees flares in the distance against the night sky, and screams. “Luuuuuke!”
