Birds of Prey (Volume 3) #10 is an issue of the series Birds of Prey (Volume 3) with a cover date of August, 2012. It was published on June 20, 2012.
Synopsis for "Heat Seekers"
Since Poison Ivy's heroic sacrifice two days ago, dragging the Talon into a refrigerated train car, she has been in a kind of stasis. Ivy had made Black Canary promise that she would be brought to the "heart of The Green," should anything happen to her. So, Starling asked a favour of her associate Brett Leydon, having him fly them over Colombia and the Amazon Basin.
Unfortunately, the Birds of Prey found themselves broad-sided by a missile, saved only by a spontaneous Canary Cry, in the hopes that the sonic blast would act as a buffer for the force of the explosion. Though the missile failed to destroy the helicopter, the ladies were knocked out into a free-fall, while Brett and his chopper went down in the trees.
Starling and Katana volunteer to check out the helicopter to see whether Brett survived the crash, while Canary and Batgirl struggle to open the container in which Ivy has been held thus far. Ivy was meant to act as their guide once they got to the Amazon, but they had planned on having a full day to thaw her out, rather than mere minutes. Not to mention that the container was jammed shut by the fall.
Fortunately, Starling and Katana find Leydon alive, albeit grumpy. The women begin ripping open the fuselage of the helicopter to reveal a stash of pure, liquid cocaine - Leydon is a drug smuggler, and it's quite possible that he is the reason they were shot out of the air. In any case, the cocaine is highly flammable, and it is Starling's hope that if they light it, the next heat-seeking missile will be attracted to the fire instead of them. However, before she can light the cargo up, a knotty green hand touches her shoulder.
Batgirl and Canary manage to yank open the container with some effort, and Batgirl expresses some concern over whether or not Ivy can really be trusted. This only serves to anger Dinah, because Batman had given her the same speech just days ago, when they passed off the Talon to him. Before Dinah can finish her angry retort, she too is attacked by some kind of plant-monster.
Rather than fight with the attacking creatures, Starling and Katana set the cocaine ablaze as they drag Brett to safety. Katana's Soultaker Sword is invaluable as Starling helps Brett back toward the others. Unfortunately, they spot a second missile over head, and they have little time to take cover.
Meanwhile, Black Canary and Batgirl are forced to drag Ivy between them, leaving Dinah vulnerable to being pricked by one of the creatures thorns. They catch up with the others, and make for a clearing. On the other side of a high ravine, they spot a bunker which could provide shelter - except that the bridge across is out.
With few other options, Dinah recalls her late husband Kurt, who had encouraged her to embrace her power, so that she could control it. Grabbing the dangling remains of the rope-bridge, Dinah leaps over the edge of the ravine, and into the crevice. Unleashing another Canary Cry, the powerful sound waves create a counter-force that buoys her up. Hitherto unknown to her team-mates, the Black Canary can fly.
After Dinah secures the bridge, the others carefully begin to make their way across it. Starling lays some C4 at the end, and once they each have made it across safely, she blows the bridge, preventing the plant-creatures from following them, and simultaneously creating a heat-source for a third missile to target.
Safe, for now, Ivy suddenly revives from her refrigerated state. Pleased that her request was honoured, Ivy admits that she knows what the creatures attacking them were, and she will explain everything in the shelter.
Appearing in "Heat Seekers"
Featured Characters:
Supporting Characters:
- Brett Leyden (First appearance)
Antagonists:
- Perrenials
Other Characters:
- Batman (Flashback only)
- Kurt Lance (Flashback only)
- Henry Ballard (Flashback only) (Appears only as a corpse)
Locations:
- Colombia
- Amazon Basin
- Gotham City (Flashback only)
Concepts:
Items:
Vehicles: