Exclusive: Marvel's New Thunderbolts Throuple Crash An Infamous X-Men Club
Contains spoilers for "Thunderbolts" #2 (by Jackson Lanzing, Collin Kelly, Geraldo Borges, Arthur Hesli, and Joe Sabino)
Marvel's latest Thunderbolts crew is taking the team's talents to the infamous Hellfire Club, as Black Widow and White Widow join Bucky Barnes (aka Revolution) in forming a new Marvel espionage crew (codenamed "Throuple") by putting on their nicest duds to ensure the Red Skull's vast fortune doesn't fall into the wrong hands.
In "Thunderbolts" #1, Bucky sought Contessa Valentina Allegra de Fontaine's help to assemble a new team to take out a common threat: the Red Skull. The pair work together to recruit a handful of Marvel characters to their new Thunderbolts squad, including Sharon Carter as The Destroyer and the shield-wielding Red Guardian, to kill the Nazi villain. Their first mission proved successful, with Bucky putting a bullet into Red Skull's head.
However, killing the longtime Captain America foe comes with complications. Not only is his demise anything but certain, as he's cheated death many times before, but the Red Skull's fortune is about to fall into someone else's hands for the time being.
In Looper's exclusive preview of "Thunderbolts" #2, Bucky and the titular superteam head to New York City's Hellfire Club, the influential home and party spot of wealthy elites that is traditionally run by enemies of the X-Men, to make sure Red Skull's resources don't end up in the hands of someone even more sinister and dangerous. In the artwork below, Bucky is seen arriving in style with two widows by his side: a symbiote-powered Natasha Romanoff (aka Black Widow) and Yelena Belova (aka White Widow), in an attempt to monitor the affairs.
Red Skull's fortune brings the Thunderbolts to the Hellfire Club
In the first look at "Thunderbolts" #2, Bucky Barnes suits up as he learns that Red Skull's fortune, which made the Nazi villain the eighth wealthiest man on Earth at the time of his death, is changing hands at the Hellfire Club. The villainous hangout is currently operated by the Kingpin following the "Fall of X," and Bucky is allowed entry due to his dark past, as his villainous background as the Winter Soldier gives him the cred he needs to attend without a disguise.
At the party, villains openly converse about Red Skull's fate and his wealth, which is confirmed to be more than $15 billion. Some villains appear happy about Red Skull's demise, as they weren't all-in on his aim to create a new Reich. However, Red Skull's ability to accumulate this level of wealth is praised.
The final page of the preview shows Bucky with slicked-back hair in a black suit with Yelena Belova and Natasha Romanoff, both in lavish dresses, at his side, with Bucky using the trio's codename, "Throuple," when informing Contessa Valentina Allegra de Fontaine about their successful entry into the Hellfire Club. Yelena and Natasha's dresses feature elements of their superhero costumes, with the White Widow wearing all white and a similar belt to her usual ensemble, while Black Widow's dress is black and red with her iconic logo on the front. Check out the four-page preview below.
Marvel Comics/Geraldo Borges-Arthur Hesli
Marvel Comics/Geraldo Borges-Arthur Hesli
Marvel Comics/Geraldo Borges-Arthur Hesli
Marvel Comics/Geraldo Borges-Arthur Hesli
The Thunderbolts have a considerable challenge ahead
The Thunderbolts' efforts to learn more about Red Skull's wealth transfer will lead the team directly into the path of the Kingpin, who currently oversees the Hellfire Club. Terry and Rachel Dodson's cover for "Thunderbolts" #2 features Kingpin's looming presence over the dressed-up heroes. It's unlikely Wilson Fisk will let the trio of heroes infiltrate the affairs without his intervention or a confrontation, which means there's likely some sort of conflict between the group and the former crime lord and mayor of New York City.
Marvel Comics/Terry & Rachel Dodson
Marvel's official text solicitation for the issue reads:
THE REVOLUTION VS. THE KINGPIN! When Contessa Valentina Allegra De Fontaine gets word that Kingpin will be overseeing the transfer of the Red Skull's fortune at the notorious Hellfire Club, Bucky Barnes enlists the aid of his favorite masters of infiltration – a symbiote-equipped Black Widow and a dressed-to-impress Yelena Belova, the White Widow! But to rob the Red Skull of his ill-gotten gains, they'll have to go through Wilson Fisk...and that didn't go too well for Bucky last time...
Things may go very wrong for the Thunderbolts if they aren't fully welcomed to the festivities. But to ensure billions of dollars don't end up funding a potentially darker endeavor than the Red Skull's evil plans, the dicy mission is necessary, even if it ends up in a major brawl. Readers can see Bucky Barnes, Black Widow, and White Widow go undercover in "Thunderbolts" #2, which arrives in comic book stores on January 10, 2024.