WARNING: The following contains spoilers for Devil's Reign: Villains For Hire #2, on sale now from Marvel Comics.
The latest issue of Devil's Reign: Villains For Hire features a shocking development, as Spider-Man foe Electro seemingly meets her end in a violent burst of electricity.
The moment occurs on the final page of Issue #2, as New York City mayor Wilson Fisk's newly established Thunderbolts fends off rioters during an outdoor speech. The rioters -- transformed into zombie-like shamblers by an unknown assailant -- threaten to overcrowd the stage and assault Fisk. U.S. Agent, the new leader of the Thunderbolts, fends them off, shouting orders to his comrades that the rioters appear to have been infected. Amid the chaos, Electro is turned into one of the mindless attackers and lets loose with all of her powers. The electricity overload ends with a charred Electro, seemingly fried to death, lying on the ground as her teammates stand around her body.
The Electro featured in Devil's Reign: Villains For Hire is Francine Frye, the second character to wear the iconic green and yellow costume with the lightning bolt face mask. Debuting in 2014's Amazing Spider-Man #2, Francine was an accomplice and occasional lover of the original Electro, Max Dillon, though she died after suffering a grievous shock from the electricity-channeling supervillain. She was eventually resurrected and went on to absorb Max's powers, frying him in the process. Max has also since returned to life, and considering how both Electros have a habit of cheating death, there's no telling how long Francine's latest apparent demise will last.
Devil's Reign: Villains For Hire is a spinoff of the main Devil's Reign limited series, which debuted last December and has seen Wilson Fisk -- also known as the Kingpin -- consolidating his grip on New York City by outlawing superheroes. Thus far, Fisk has used the mind-controlling powers of the Purple Man to maintain control over the city, and also deputized a new team of Thunderbolts to uphold law and order.
Villains For Hire focuses on this group, which aside from Electro, includes the likes of Agony, Rhino, Taskmaster and Whiplash. U.S. Agent, the newest recruit, strongarms his way into leading the team at the onset of Issue #2. Scenes throughout the issue have revealed that John Walker also has secret motives as a double agent for the U.S. federal government, and hopes to find enough evidence on Fisk to take the former crime boss down.
Written by Clay McLeod Chapman and penciled by Manuel Garcia, Devil's Reign: Villains For Hire #2 is now on sale from Marvel.
Source: Marvel