SPOILER ALERT: Warning, this article contains spoilers for Season 2 of Luke Cage. Proceed at your own risk.
Misty Knight had a tough time in The Defenders. She got shot. Then had her arm sliced sliced off by Bakuto. Misty survived that attack however, and fans of the comics know that Tony Stark makes her a bionic prosthetic that gives her super-strength. That isn’t the way it plays out in Season 2 of Luke Cage, but Knight does end the series with a pretty awesome appendage, while the journey she goes on is powerful, moving, and deeply satisfying.
Coming to Terms With That Missing Arm
At the end of The Defenders, Misty says that her missing arm makes her feel “not quite whole.” And that continues into Season 2 of Luke Cage, with the character feeling lost and powerless.
Misty initially wants her job back, turning down a tax-free pension for life so that she can stay on the police force. But she gets bullied and laughed, by both criminals, and her fellow officers. So much so that Knight stands up in the middle of the station, yells at everyone to have a good look, then gets back to work.
But it’s clear that the injury is having an effect on her psyche, with Misty losing her way, turning to drink, and very nearly planting evidence to bring a bad guy down. Knight also changes her mind about the job, turning in her badge and gun. But as ever, she can’t help but do the right thing, so the hiatus doesn’t last long.
Paving the Way for Daughters of the Dragon
In the comics, Misty team us with Colleen Wing from detective agency Knightwing Restorations Ltd. The pair becoming known as the Daughters of the Dragon. And it feels like the Marvel Netflix shows are gradually setting this up.
In The Defenders, the pair fought together, with Colleen chopping off Bakuto’s head after he removed Misty’s arm. And Wing becomes a big part of her rehabilitation here, teaching one-armed self-defence in the boxing ring, and encouraging Knight to not feel sorry for herself.
Wing even leaves it to Misty when a bar fight starts later that same episode, with Knight initially forced to whoop hoods on her own. Kicking the proverbial out of them. Colleen eventually joins in, and the pair make a fearsome and dynamic duo. Perhaps paving the way for a Daughters of the Dragon spin-off in the future.
Misty Knight Goes Bionic
Colleen also plays a big part in Misty getting that bionic arm. Because mid-way through proceedings, she receives a card from Rand Industries that simply says: “There are people who run from the fire, and people who run into it. Call us when you’re ready.” The message is signed by Colleen and Danny, and comes with the sketch of a bionic arm. She duly accepts.
What’s left of Knight’s arm still has sensation, so the new appendage is programmed to respond to the working nerve ends, with a flex of Misty’s muscles sending signals to the prosthetic, which reacts accordingly.
And she’s soon swinging, starting with lifting a cup, then progressing to using her new-found power to beat up thugs. And while we never get a true sense of how powerful Misty’s hand is — nor whether it gives her actual super-strength — by the end of the series she’s helping Luke take down an amped up Bushmaster in an amazing fight scene.
But while Misty’s new arm is awesome, the journey she goes on isn’t all about her body. As Knight ultimately uses brains as much as brawn to battle the bad guys, finding legal loopholes to bring Shades and Mariah down, regaining her confidence in the process.
Meaning that by the end of Season 2 Misty is back to her old self; whole again, both physically and mentally.