Tried embedding a URL into an image to see if it would show up in the Parent Thread. It did not. The thread shows up in my profile, but not the latest feed and clicking the image DOES NOT take you to the URL. 
Tried embedding a URL into an image to see if it would show up in the Parent Thread. It did not. The thread shows up in my profile, but not the latest feed and clicking the image DOES NOT take you to the URL.
Since the Markdown for the thread shows only a URL for an image, try replacing the URL with HTML/Markdown for an image.
<a href="link"><img src="url" alt="alt" /></a>or
[](link)Either of these has to work.