Design for Dying
Dakota North (Vol.1, 1986) #1
At the suggestion of Cleo Vanderlip, a Rycom Corporation executive, fashion designer Luke Jacobson hires Dakota North to protect him and his current line. After the recent purchase of Jacobson's label by Rycom, he began receiving threats and even had his showroom vandalized. Upon arriving at Jacobson's showroom, Dakota foils another bomb attempt. Meanwhile, S.J. North, Dakota's father, sends her brother Ricky to live with her so that he can concentrate on "business" of his own. The next day, posing as a reporter for the Paramus Weekly Gazette, Dakota interviews dress designer Kirsch, a long-time rival of Jacobson. Kirsch claims the rivalry is simply a story for the tabloids; he also sees through her deception and accuses her of being sent by Cleo Vanderlip. The next morning, while meeting in Cleo's office at Rycom, masked gunmen storm in and abduct Jacobson. Dakota chases the gunmen's car on her motorcycle, both vehicles making their way into Bloomingdale's. Gunfire ensues, but the gunmen flee, leaving Jacobson with Dakota. Later, an alarm sounds at Dakota's home signifying another break-in at Jacobson's showroom. Dakota arrives to find Jacobson's distraught assistant, Anna. Anna informs Dakota that she hid while the showroom was overrun by thugs, in the charge of a German called Otto Shanks, who destroyed Jacobson's work. She also said Otto provided the thugs with an address of a warehouse at which they were planning to meet. Dakota and Jacobson leave for the docks to confront the perpetrators. Dakota leaves Jacobson with the keys behind in the car and she storms the warehouse, but Jacobson is already being held at gunpoint: he became bored in the car and was captured when he left its protection. Dakota shoots out the lights and she and Jacobson manage to retreat back to the vehicle, but Jacobson has lost the keys. Meanwhile, Ricky, who had called the showroom looking for Dakota when Anna told him that she and Jacobson were at the warehouse, arrives carrying a gun of his own. Otto Shanks tries to sneak up on the three, but Dakota shoots him and he falls, seemingly lifeless, off of the docks into the water, before finding out who had hired him. A few weeks later, while at a party celebrating the release of Jacobson's new line, Mad Dog arrives, informing her that her father had called to tell her that her husband was in town and wanted to meet for dinner.
Pet Tricks
Dakota North (Vol.1, 1986) #2
Dakota and Ricky arrive at the restaurant to meet their father and the man claiming to be her husband and narrowly avoid being hit by an arrow carrying a note, warning her to drop the case; she takes it to mean the now "closed" Luke Jacobson case. Inside, S.J. North admits that the husband claim was a ploy to get his estranged daughter to meet with him. S.J. introduces his guest as Major George C. Cooper, a longtime spy partner of S.J.'s who has just completed a book detailing his life in the spy game. S.J. tells Dakota that she will take a case for Coop, however the resulting argument is interrupted by a dance proposal from a stranger named Timas; suspicious that Timas is the "owner" of the arrow, she accepts. Meanwhile, Coop loses contact with his security team and he spies some suspicious men entering the restaurant. Coop engages young Ricky in a game of cards. Dakota returns to table with Timas and says that she'll accept Coop's case. In lieu of paying Ricky in cash for his loss in the card game, Coop offers a solid gold fountain pen that he says was given to him by his father; Ricky accepts and then leaves for Dakota's home. Later, as Dakota, S.J., and Coop discuss the case, knife-wielding men attack and try to abduct Coop, but are foiled by Dakota. The next morning, en route to an interview to promote his book, Coop and Dakota are nearly killed when Coop's car is blown up. Coop then tells Dakota that the solid gold fountain pen that he had given Ricky was actually an encasement for a sample of an experimental nerve gas. Coop had suspected that his superior was a mole, and had stolen the sample to protect it; he had let Ricky beat him at cards as a means to get the pen out of the immediate danger of the thugs in the restaurant. Later, in Central Park, Dakota is attacked by Timas; he again warns her about this case, kisses her, then flees. Even later, while in traffic en route to another of Coop's appointments, a monster pick-up truck pursues the pair in Dakota's convertible Ferrari Testa Rosa. Dakota eludes her chaser on the sidewalks of New York, and the driver, who turns out to be Timas, loses control and crashes into a building. The next morning Dakota, S.J., Coop, Mad Dog, and Detective Amos Culhoon, Dakota's romantic interest, have gathered at Dakota's office when they all realize that Ricky, with the nerve gas, has gone missing.
Active Tense
Dakota North (Vol.1, 1986) #3
S.J. receives a call from an old acquaintance in Paris, Guy Beaumontain, who provides information on Ricky's whereabouts: Ricky was contacted by Daisy Kane, a sixteen-year-old model with Jacobson Fashion under the Rycom Corporation. Daisy had asked Ricky to show her how to get to the airport, and had convinced him to travel with her to Paris. Needing money, Ricky sought out his father's old friend, Beaumontain. S.J. instructed Beaumontain to buy tickets for Ricky and Daisy and to send them home. However, once Dakota finds out that Ricky is in Paris she flies out there immediately to personally bring her younger brother home. While in the plane's restroom, a strange man breaks in and tries to strangle Dakota, but she manages to kill him first. Dakota lands at Charles DeGaulle Airport and meets Yvon, her Paris office manager, who drives her to her Paris apartment. Outside she encounters Beaumontain, who informs Dakota that he had just dined with Ricky and Daisy, but that they for some reason fled the restaurant while he was in the lavatory, blaming the boy's infatuation with the model. Beaumontain believes that Daisy is after Ricky's money, and that she said she collects antique pens. Dakota realized that the girl somehow knows about the pen and its contents, and she spends the day frantically searching for Ricky, finally seeing him enter the Pomidou Art Museum. Inside, a sniper takes out a guard while trying for Dakota; she flees, trying to lead the gunman away from innocents. Dakota manages to ensnare the gunman atop some scaffolding, where he reveals that Ricky is aboard the Orient Express with their operative, Daisy. He says that he will kill Dakota and that Cleo Vanderlip will pay him a large bonus. Confused at this revelation, the assassin pulls a knife from his sleeve, but she manages to avoid the blade and drops him to his doom. Mere minutes later, Dakota just misses Ricky and Daisy on the departing Orient Express.
Busman's Holiday!
Dakota North (Vol.1, 1986) #4
At the Paris train station, Dakota chases after the train but cannot keep up. Dakota calls New York and informs Mad Dog that she's going to intercept the train when it stops in Venice; Amos, only having gleaned from Mad Dog that Dakota will be in Venice, leaves to meet her. Dakota arrives at the train station in Venice before the Orient Express arrives, but once it does neither Ricky nor Daisy are to be found. Amos arrives at Dakota's Venice pensione and the two begin searching for Ricky. Back at the train station, Dakota realizes that the car currently at the end of the train isn't the same last car she saw when the train left from Paris. A conductor informs her that the car she's speaking of belongs to the Sheik Ibn Bheik, and that this particular private car derailed and headed to Switzerland, most likely to the Shdik's castle in Grindelwald. In Venice, Amos and Dakota come across a news story about a private train car that had crashed into a jewelry store in Grindelwald. Later, at the store, the shopkeeper tells Dakota that Ricky had left after he had made sure Daisy was alright, and he then directed Dakota to a nearby mountainside, where she could see Ricky standing. Dakota and Amos quickly drive as close as they can and race up the incline to meet Ricky. Suddenly the Sheik and a squad of men on horseback are racing toward them. Dakota sends Amos and Ricky away so that she can face them, but she is captured, and upon regaining consciousness, she sees that they were as well. The three have been searched by one of the Sheik's goons, but Ricky has been unwilling to disclose the whereabouts of the gold pen, and the Sheik is about to sic his man-eating falcon on his bound "guests."
Cats among the Pigeons
Dakota North (Vol.1, 1987) #5
Ricky finally becomes aware that he had been carrying around nerve gas, and Dakota is informed by the Sheik that he and Cleo Vanderlip are in this together. In response to Dakota's taunting, the Sheik has his falcon attack Dakota. She manages to use the bird's attack to her advantage, positioning her chair so that upon impact the falcon's talons slice the ropes binding her hands. She then makes short work of the bird with the chair. While the Sheik continues to threaten Dakota and Ricky, Amos manages to trip the Sheik, who is knocked out as a result. The three round up the Sheik's goons, and Ricky reveals that he had earlier slipped the pen into his searcher's pocket. Dakota, Ricky, and Amos flee, taking one of the Sheik's sports cars. As they're leaving, Ricky realizes that one of the goons had managed to steal the pen. Dakota tells Amos and Ricky to wait, while she reenters the castle to recover the pen. Upon entering the room where they had left the Sheik and his goons, she discovers that the pen had been opened and the gas released, killing all those present. Dakota, Ricky, and Amos returned to New York, where they reveal to Coop that the pen and the gas are gone. Amos informs Dakota that Cleo Vanderlip had come to his apartment and had offered to watch his cat while he chased Dakota to Venice. Additionally, S.J. had left to confront Cleo before Dakota, Amos, and Ricky had arrived from Switzerland. Just then, Daisy arrives at the office, seeking sanctuary.
Note: Files have not been submitted accounting for the resolution of the Daisy and Cleo cases.*
When Strikes the Slasher!
Web of Spider-Man (Vol.1, 1988) #37
Dakota has been hired by a coalition of modeling firms to track down a serial killer dubbed the Slasher, who has been murdering fashion models with a straight razor. Dakota and her brother Ricky are on their way to question model Elyse Nelson, who had been at every show at which the Slasher attacked, when she runs into Daily Bugle photographer, Peter Parker. The Slasher had been attacking Ms. Nelson when Parker and his wife, model Mary Jane Watson, had arrived at Ms. Nelson's apartment, however the Slasher managed to escape. Dakota agrees to help guard Ms. Nelson and Watson during the Fall Fashion Expo, to be held at the Grand Adventure amusement park. From her post, Dakota hears scrams from the models' dressing room in the park's administration building. Inside, Dakota runs into Spider-Man and contacts her brother, who is able to identify a suspect in the crowd. Dakota chases after the suspect on her motorcycle, and instructs Ricky to take Spider-Man and find Nelson and Watson. The suspect boards a roller coaster to escape Dakota, however she follows him on the coaster's tracks. Dakota dives off of her bike at the first rise of the tracks, and manages to land in the back of the coaster. The suspect jumps out of the cart and begins to climb down the coaster's access ladder, when a gunshot shatters the rung that he's holding. The suspect tells Dakota that his stalking had only been a joke, to help make a fan of Ms. Nelson appear to be a hero. She shoots the other rung, and he falls into one of Spider-Man's webs. Dakota sends Spider-Man back to find Nelson and Watson, as she had originally suspected, that Elyse Nelson had been the Slasher the entire time. Spider-Man arrives just as Nelson is about to kill Mary Jane Watson.
The Great Goo-Gam Rip-Off!
Power Pack (Vol.1, 1989) #46
A young boy named Jack Power has hired Dakota to clear children's author Jessie Wilcox Jones of theft charges stemming from the disappearance of $100,000.00 in funds that had been buried for a promotional treasure-hunt for her latest book, based on imaginary creatures called Goo-Gams. Dakota and Jack question two prison inmates, Lawrence Fineberg and Moses Horwitz, who were serving time for an earlier kidnapping of Jones, and it's revealed that Horwitz's brother, Jerome, was somehow involved. By reviewing Jones's book company's records Dakota learns that Jerome Horwitz had worked for the company up until shortly after the book promotion began, as well as of another Horwitz brother, Samuel, who works at a local bar and grill. Upon arriving at the Lazy Susan Bar & Grill, Dakota and Jack discover Katie Power, and inside Frank Castle, the vigilante called the Punisher, already interrogating Samuel Horwitz. Castle and I manage to get the kids and Horwitz out of the bar past Horwitz's shooting goons. Samuel Horwitz reveals that he had been involved in the plan to steal the promotional money originally, but his brother Moe and Fineberg had tried to pull the job on their own to gain a bigger split, though subsequently ended up in prison. Samuel tells Dakota and Castle that Jerome had somehow come across some money and provides them with his brother's address. Dakota poses as Fineberg and Moses Horwitz's girlfriend and gains entrance to Jerome Horwitz's home, by feigning intent to blackmail him on their behalf. Jerome reveals that while he was still with Jones' book company, and before the promotional money had been buried, he had picked the lock and replaced the bills with old books by Jones. He had invested the stolen funds and accrued a considerable fortune before he quit the company. Still believing Dakota is a blackmailer, he forcibly removes her from his home. Subsequent threats of physical violence by Castle also fail. While discussing our tactics in Castle's armory vehicle, Jerome Horwitz was somehow dropped on the roof, pleading to confess to the theft, claiming that Goo-Gams were forcing him to turn himself in. Dakota says her goodbyes to the children and leaves to turn Horwitz into the police.
Kingsize Problem
Marvel Super-Heroes Fall Special (Vol.2, 1990) #3
While modeling at the "World of the Petite Woman" fashion show at a local mall, the Avenger known as the Wasp is attacked by a red and black garbed shape-shifter, in the form of a giant bull, calling himself Kingsize. A chase ensues in the mall, as Kingsize takes on the form of a giant frog and then a giant cobra. Kingsize claims to be a champion of giants, and that the jewel on his forehead allows him to become any creature he desires. Kingsize chases the Wasp past a boutique, in which Dakota North is buying a new outfit. As Kingsize, still in the form of a cobra, attempts to swallow the Wasp, Dakota saves her by shooting him. Kingsize swats Dakota aside as the Wasp again attacks Kingsize, who then transforms into a giant bee. The Wasp blasts Kingsize's jewel with a wasp sting and he reverts to his humanoid form, upon which he explains that he is an "Inhuman** giant" and was trying to shatter the tyranny of humans to allow for the return of his people. The Wasp contacts the Fantastic Four to insure that Kingsize, if he is in fact an Inhuman, is returned to his people as opposed to a cell at the Vault***
The Drowning Man
Cage (Vol.1, 1992) #1
Dakota has been hired by a Mr. Drewston, publisher of the Chicago Spectator and its national paper, the American Spectator to gather information on Luke Cage's past. The Spectator plans to follow New York's Daily Bugle's example and focus on Cage, who has recently established a new Heroes for Hire in Chicago. Dakota reveals what information she's gathered to Drewston, as well as: Analisa Medina, a Pulitzer Prize-winning writer; Jeryn Hogarth, the Spectator's legal counsel, and former legal counsel for the original Heroes for Hire; Mickey Hamilton, a well-respected photo-journalist. Following an attack on an infamous local businessman, Mr. Angelopoulos, Dakota reveals that Angelopoulos was a big league strikebreaker in the 1960's. He was eventually able to force a leveraged buy-out of a large corporation and established Angelico Enterprises. Increasing his wealth by illegally dealing arms to banned nations, Angel developed a heavy gambling habit and lost a fortune in Vegas. He was forced to bed down with the Maggia****, who in turn bled his company dry, forcing it to cut corners leading to employee injuries, a death and ultimately a massive strike. After revealing this info to Cage and the paper staff, Teague, one of Dakota's agents, reports in that Angel and an unidentified man are heading to Angel's private airstrip.
Creative Hate
Cage (Vol.1, 1992) #2
Dakota is reviewing the Chicago Spectator's security system for holes when she confronts an intruder. The intruder manages to escape with a single file on Luke Cage. Later, three mercenaries calling themselves the "Untouchables" come to the paper's office looking for Dakota. The building's security system identifies two of the criminals as Tombstone and Nitro, assassins for hire. One of Dakota's men, working building security, tries to hold off the three intruders, but Tombstone shoots and kills him. Without Dakota present, the three leave, but not before Nitro blows up the building lobby.
Bad Debts
Cage (Vol.1, 1992) #3
Dakota is present at the Chicago Spectator building when Cage rescues Ana Medina from an elevator, a result of Nitro's earlier attack. Dakota tries to talk to Cage, but he seems to have other priorities, and she doesn't have a chance. Realizing she may need help, Dakota attempts to contact a "Mr. Rook," however she is told that he is already en route to Chicago. Later, Dakota is on a conference call with Teague, who has just faxed her replacement copies of the stolen Cage files. Dakota tells Teague that she believes the thief who had stolen the file really wanted undocumented info that only Dakota knew. Cage overhears this and storms in. Dakota reveals to Cage that she is well aware of his past, and tells him that she believes his dad, who had supposedly died while Cage was serving a prison sentence for a crime he did not commit, was still alive. Shortly after, Teague calls back stating that he has information on the "Untouchables," and that she needs to leave the Spectator and go to her Chicago office right away. Reading the unusual seriousness of Teague's tone, Dakota realizes that he may be in trouble and that they could be facing a trap. Dakota makes a deal with Cage: for help with the "Untouchables" she'll provide him with proof that his father is alive. Cage storms Dakota's office, taking the mercenaries by surprise. While Cage tussles with Tombstone, Dakota tries to keep innocent bystanders away from the vicinity. While doing so, she is caught by the third mercenary, Kickback. As Cage and Tombstone's battle moves outside, Tombstone recognizes a van and it's driver, the Punisher. The Punisher, who had been aided by Cage in a case months earlier, was Dakota's "Mr. Rook," whom she had contacted earlier to help out with these assassins. Tombstone manages to temporarily convince Cage that the man inside the van, not visible through the tinted windows, is responsible for hiring the "Untouchables." Cage then slams Tombstone into the hood of the van. Meanwhile, Nitro blows up what remains of Dakota's offices.
Second Chances
Cage (Vol.1, 1992) #4
Kickback, who has the power to jump forward or backward in time up to three minutes, jumps with Dakota two minutes into the future, just in time to see the Punisher and Nitro kill each other. He jumps back with Dakota two minutes into the past, and is able to stop the Punisher from killing Nitro. Nitro buries the Punisher and Cage in a pile of rubble and the two, with Dakota, get into a van being driven by Tombstone. Cage pursues on Dakota's motorcycle, which is destroyed when Kickback pushes Nitro out of the back of the van into the way of their pursuer. The Punisher catches up and manages to take out Nitro, but Cage passes out. The Punisher gets information out of Nitro as to where Dakota is being taken. Kickback and Tombstone deliver Dakota to the man called Hardcore, who Cage has faced previously. She tries to escape, but Hardcore takes her down with a weapon. Kickback, who has become smitten with Dakota, tries to rescue her, but is taken out by Hardcore's defenses when he jumps back in time. Hardcore promises to turn Dakota over to Kickback if he agrees to keep out any intruders while Hardcore gets the info he needs out of her. Cage and the Punisher show up and attack Kickback. Meanwhile, inside and upstairs Dakota is awake and realizes that Hardcore is the same man who had stolen the Cage file days earlier. While fighting outside, Cage, Kickback, and the Punisher hear a gunshot and a man's scream from inside. Fearing for Dakota's safety, Kickback jumps, along with Cage, into the house back in time by a few seconds. Dakota is alone, having just then been left there by Hardcore. Dakota, seeking retribution, shoots at Kickback, but Cage screams and takes the shot to save Kickback's life. Shocked at the revelation that it had been Cage's screams, from a few minutes into the future, that they had heard earlier, Kickback manages to run for the door, but is shot and killed by the Punisher as he exits. As the police arrive, the Punisher leaves, having repaid his earlier debt to Cage. Dakota reveals to Cage that his father, James Lucas, had drawn social security benefits for two years after his supposed death. Cage hires Dakota to find his father.
Captain of Destiny
Cage (Vol.1, 1992) #6
Dakota is back in New York, on the trail of Cage's father. Dakota meets with a man named D.W. Griffith, a past associate of Cage's, who is unable to provide much information regarding Cage's past.
Signifying Nothing
Cage (Vol.1, 1992) #8
Still in New York, Dakota meets in a bar with a man she calls "Professor." He has an unopened letter, and they're discussing terms of sale of this and additional letters when silenced gunfire sprays the bar, killing the Professor. Dakota follows the Professor's dog, Flagstaff, as it pursues the shooter's scent. She's led into the basement of an abandoned tenement, where she comes face to face with the Silencer. The two battle and Dakota kills the assassin in self-defense. Dakota remembers the Professors last words, leading her to find the remaining letters in a covered birdcage. The letters are from Cage to his father, written during Cage's imprisonment at Seagate*****. Dakota finds a note on one of the envelopes listing a Phoenix, Arizona address and flies from LaGuardia to Phoenix.
Payback!
Cage (Vol.1, 1992) #10
In Phoenix, Dakota has been shadowing Cage's brother, James. She confronts him as he's loading a cab that will take him to the airport. A passenger inside the cab pulls a gun on her, and James gets in the vehicle, which leaves. James shouts from the cab that he told his father that Cage was dead, and that he likewise told Cage that their father was dead, as a means of protecting their father Cage, as he believes Cage is responsible from their mother's death. Dakota is about to pursue, but a weapon, that she recognizes as one of Hardcore's, flies from the cab window and blows up her rental car
Seduction of the Innocent, Book 1: Discipline
Black Panther (Vol.2, 2001) #31
Dakota North has been hired by M'Koni "Mary" Wheeler (who Dakota later finds out is the Black Panther's cousin), to follow her husband to confirm her suspicions of infidelity. Dakota delivers to Mary photos of Wheeler and a young woman in bed together in a hotel room. Later that day, Dakota is being followed by a car for several blocks when she pulls out her gun and fires on it, discovering that the vehicle is bulletproof. The car pulls to a stop and the rear window rolls down to reveal the costumed Black Panther. The Panther questions Dakota about her investigation for M'Koni, though she will neither confirm nor deny her involvement. He then holds up a photo of a young woman, the same young woman Dakota had captured on film with Wheeler in the hotel room, and asks if she recognizes her. Dakota again neither confirms nor denies. The Panther then provides details on the woman, Malice, formerly the Dora Milaje named Nakia, who had been tortured by the Panther's foe, Achebe, and then rehabilitated by another foe, Killmonger. He explains that she has been genetically enhanced with increased strength and precision, and that she is seeking to punish him, for rejecting her love, by killing all those he holds dear. The Panther tells Dakota that he has moved his own people in place to guard M'Koni and that he wants her to set up obvious surveillance around his one-time lover, Monica Lynne, clearly stating that he wants Lynne to see her.
Seduction of the Innocent, Book 2: Innocent Blood
Black Panther (Vol.2, 2001) #32
Dakota is "caught" keeping watch by Monica Lynne. Dakota tells Lynne that she is protecting her from Malice, and Malice tells Dakota that Malice once pushed her out of an airplane. Lynne explains that the Panther's sending Dakota to watch over her was likely to take her out of harm's way as well. Frustrated at not being in the middle of the action, Dakota accompanies Lynne to the movies. Later, Dakota makes Lynne leave during the movie, explaining that "being unpredictable might save your life." Browsing in a nearby Macy's department store, with some of the Panther's security tailing them, Dakota tells Lynne that T'Challa still loves her. Lynne explains that despite the craziness of life with T'Challa brought, she had continued to want a relationship with him until she saw him not only kissing, but also confiding in, another woman, in a way that he never had with her. In the dressing room, as the two women talk about T'Challa and Dakota's own troubles in life, Dakota starts shooting through a mirror. Dakota tells Lynne that somebody is trying to cut through the glass. A policeman enters the dressing room questioning the women, but Dakota shoots him multiple times in his Kevlar vest, knocking the man unconscious. A priest then enters, but Lynne knocks Dakota's hand as she fires on him as well. The priest pulls his own gun and fires, but Dakota pushes Lynne to the ground and kicks him and takes him down. The cop comes to and shoots, grazing Dakota's shoulder. As the cop and the priest converge on Dakota and Lynne, Dakota drops, to the ground and shoots the cop's leg, just as the cop and the priest both fire, hitting each other, after which the two women quickly leave the premisis.
Seduction of the Innocent, Conclusion: War and Love
Black Panther (Vol.2, 2001) #33
Dakota North and Monica Lynne proceed to State University of New York 's Health Science Center to track down Malice. The two women had discovered that M'Koni who had taken a poisoned tranquilizer, and had been brought there for treatment. They run into Omoro, T'Challa's head of security. Unsure of whether or not Omoro might be under Malice's control, they search him and find a syringe, which he claims is Narcan, a detoxification agent that he had used to rid the king of Malice's poison, Jufeiro. Still not trusting him, Dakota suspects that the syringe might actually contain something else, and that Omoro, under the control of Malice, had himself poisoned T'Challa. Dakota doesn't find a Jufeiro spore on Omoro's neck, but Lynne undoes his pants and finds a spore hidden beneath his clothes. Dakota and Lynne next go to the Wakandan Consulate in order to find the Panther. The two women scale a ledge outside of the Panther's office, and he, somehow aware of their presence outside, invites them in once Malice has left the room. The Panther reveals to them that he had taken earlier precautions against the poison when he had smelled Jufeiro residue and became suspicious. He has been acting as if he's under Malice's control ever since Omoro injected him. T'Challa scolds Dakota for not following his instructions, then obtains a status report from W'Kabi, his chief of Court Security. They're informed that M'Koni and Okoye, another of T'Challa's Dora Milaje, who it turns out had earlier feigned injury at T'Challa's hands so that he could maintain his facade, had both been secured by Wakanda's special forces group, though M'Koni remained in a coma, induced by the aforementioned poisoned sedative. W'Kabi also informs them that Maria Henckel, a former student of T'Challa's that had earlier been discovered to be missing, had been tracked to a remote region of Tibet, where an "associate" was continuing to search for her. Dakota questions the Panther as to their next move, but he replies that he alone is going to find Malice, though he's unsure of her whereabouts. As he departs, the Panther blames Dakota's well-intentioned rescue attempt as the reason Malice had been alerted to his deceit. Lynne leaves Dakota alone on the balcony to use the bathroom, only to return to find Malice trying to strangle the detective. Trying to divert Malice's attention, Lynne taunts the assassin, but Malice only pulls a gun and fires at her. The Panther crashes through the wall, and the two end up battling atop a moving truck on a highway. Malice escapes, however the Panther manages to retrieve the antidote to save M'Koni and, if she is in fact poisoned as well, Maria. It is later revealed that the "associate" in Tibet was in fact the Thing, who had been earlier dispatched by T'Challa. Ben Grimm, the Thing, a member of the Fantastic Four, had once served as a substitute when T'Challa was Maria's teacher. The Thing, along with a few of T'Challa's men, upon finding Maria, administers the antidote and Maria quickly recovers.
* Issue #5 marked the end of the Dakota North ongoing series.
** A genetically engineered offshoot of humanity created by the Alien Kree, originally based in the Himalayan city of Attillan, including the Royal Family of King Black Bolt, Queen Medusa, Prince Ahura, Crystal, her daughter Luna, Gorgon, Karnak, Triton, Lockjaw. The city of Attillan has since been relocated to the blue area of the earth's moon, the resurfaced island of Atlantis, and ultimately into space. After a debacle involving the Kree and the Shi'ar, the Royal Family were banished and have since returned to the blue area of the moon.
*** The Vault is a former superhuman detainment center located deep the Rocky Mountains in Colorado.
**** The Maggia is an international crime syndicate that is the world's most powerful organization dedicated to conventional crime. The Maggia is composed of many autonomous organizations, or families, including the Silvermane, the Hammer, and the Nefaria families.
***** Seagate is a maximum-security correctional facility located on an island off the coast of Georgia.