Vigilante #17 (1985)

Single mother Joanne Linnaker is horrified to learn that her husband Carl, an ex-Marine imprisoned for molesting their daughter Jodie, has managed to secure an early release for good behavior. With no-one else to turn to, Joanne calls the prosecutor who had originally indicted Carl: Adrian Chase. Unfortunately, Carl Linnaker breaks into their apartment moments after the call, forcing Joanne to send Jodie out the building's fire escape. While Jodie hides in the back-alleys, Joanne stays behind and tries to fend her husband off with a knife, but is easily overpowered and killed. Joanne's death-cries spur Jodie into a blind panic, sprinting through the streets until a car nearly runs her down. (Around the same time, Chase reaches the Linnaker apartment as the Vigilante, but finds only Joanne's corpse, forcing him to leave empty-handed.) The car's occupants - a crude but amiable drug-peddler named Fever and her prostitute roommate Louise - confront Jodie, who tearfully explains her situation. Despite Louise's reservations, both women agree to shelter Jodie in their apartment until further arrangements can be made with Chase. The next morning, Fever calls Chase, but - fearing arrest for her own activities - sets a meeting point several blocks from her apartment, and demands that Chase come alone. Soon after, Fever finds herself waylaid by Vigilante. After a violent struggle, the crimefighter reluctantly agrees to trust her word and overlook her drug activities in exchange for Jodie's location. Meanwhile, Jodie begins latching onto Louise as a mother figure; guilt-stricken, Louise agrees to buy Jodie's favorite cereal, but inadvertently attracts Carl Linnaker's attention at the local store. Following Louise to her apartment, Linnaker easily breaks in and abducts Jodie, leaving a fatally-wounded Louise for Vigilante - and Fever - to find. As Vigilante helplessly watches, Fever manages a few words of comfort for her dying friend, before swearing revenge on Linnaker.