Misty Knight returned for Luke Cage season 2 spotting a bionic arm, and those who didn't follow all of the Netflix Marvel series may not know why.

Those who watched Luke Cage when it was streaming on Netflix or who are currently bingeing the show to prepare for upcoming Disney+ shows from the Daredevil universe may not understand why Misty Knight appeared with a bionic arm in Luke Cage season 2. In the third series from the Daredevil chronology, Luke Cage continued the character's story previously set up in Jessica Jones season 1 while also showing elements of the hero's origins.

One of the most important characters from Luke Cage and the Marvel universe previously on Netflix was Misty Knight. Played by Simone Missick, the police detective was introduced in Luke Cage season 1, episode 1, and became a constant presence on the show and other productions in that universe. While some elements of her backstory have been altered in live-action, Misty Knight also comes from the Marvel comics.

The pocket Marvel universe created at Netflix was successfully well-connected, with crossovers taking place from Daredevil to The Defenders. That's why it can be difficult for the casual viewer who hasn't followed every show to keep track of everything that was going on. An example of that is Misty Knight herself, who appeared in Luke Cage season 2 sporting a bionic arm. Misty Knight lost her arm in The Defenders, the crossover series that brought together the heroes Daredevil, Jessica Jones, Luke Cage, and Iron Fist-  as well as many other supporting characters. While facing off against The Hand in the final battle of The Defenders, Misty Knight fought Bakuto — one of the Hand's best fighters previously introduced in Iron Fist — but ended up having her right arm cut off by his sword in the process. The sacrifice was necessary to save Claire Temple and Collen Wing at least momentarily from Bakuto, and later Misty Knight would receive a bionic prosthesis from Danny Rand's company, Rand Enterprises. More than replacing the missing limb, Misty Knight's bionic arm also gives the character enhanced strength, making her capable of punching people to the other side of rooms or bursting through walls with just a few punches.

In addition to losing her arm, it was in the battle against The Hand in The Defenders that Misty Knight became close to Colleen Wing – a character who ways always had a strong connection with Misty in the comics. This connection was later explored with Misty Knight having a role in Iron Fist season 2. Still comparing Netflix's Marvel shows to the comics, in both the 616 and Ultimate universes Misty Knight lost her arm in a terrorist attack and received a tech prosthesis of Tony Stark instead of Danny Rand.

Misty Knight was essentially a character from the Luke Cage series, but that didn’t stop an important part of her story, the loss of her arm, from occurring in The Defenders. The Daredevil universe now on Disney+ values the dedication of fans to follow every episode of every show, but it also makes it harder for those who follow just one of those to understand everything that's going on with their favorite characters. As with the rest of the MCU, watching each installment in the franchise makes for an even richer experience.

Next: Daredevil & All Marvel Crossovers: Every Character In Multiple Shows