The Bible says in Romans 6:23 that “the wages of sin is death.” And while there certainly doesn’t seem to be much benefit to being a costumed criminal in the world of Marvel Comics, All-New Venom #2 shows there is one group of supervillains who found a way to make crime pay enough to offer a lucrative benefits package to their members.
Written by Al Ewing with art by Carlos Gomez, All-New Venom #2 finds the new lethal protector in a fight with the Death-Throws. Describing themselves as “New York’s oldest surviving organized theme-criminal collective,” the Death-Throws are a team of evil jugglers who turned their talents to robbery. Led by the Ringleader, each member of the Death-Throws specializes in juggling different projectiles. Bombshell, for instance, uses small spherical explosives, whereas Tenpin favors bowling pins.
The new Venom just happened to stumble across the Death-Throws as they were auditioning new recruits during a robbery in Times Square. However, rather than risk a fight, Ringleader suggested that Venom could fill the empty spot on their team. This started a fight with the aspiring Death-Throws, including the pirate-themed Heave-Ho, the hoagie-throwing Chuck Stuff of Philadelphia, and a British juggler with the unfortunate name of The Tosser.
All-New Venom reveals Death-Throws have amazing support plan
Incredulous, Venom asked why on Earth anyone would be fighting for a spot in the Death-Throws. Ringleader defended his team, saying they were “the Avengers of crime” in regards to how they took care of their members. While not having a huge mansion, the Death-Throws apparently offer their members free legal-aid, profit-sharing, and a medical and dental plan.
It is something of a running gag in modern Marvel Comics how many ordinary people join evil organizations purely for the paycheck. Given that, its easy to see how some street performers might be tempted to turn to the dark side of juggling. However, the all-new Venom easily leaves the Death-Throws and their applicants grasping at straws, despite their talents.
All-New Venom #2 is now available at comic shops everywhere.
