Young Serpents
Jughead Jones, Toni Topaz, Sweet Pea and Fangs Fogarty are the younger members of the Southside Serpents, having formed their own clique within the gang itself, with Jughead as their leader.
Toni meets Jughead
After Jughead transferred to Southside High, he was greeted by Toni Topaz, a young Serpent, who would be his tour guide. As Toni showed him around, she explained that the classrooms don't have Wi-Fi. The bathroom stalls don't have doors. And the school paper, The Red and Black, had closed down long ago due to budget cuts. To their right was a rare glimpse of Jingle Jangle being consumed in its natural habitat, though Jughead had no knowledge of the term. Toni told him that it was a highly addictive gutter drug that's better off avoided. In the cafeteria, Jughead learned of the Ghoulies, a rival gang of drug dealers, street racers, and rumored cannibals. As for the two of them, they sat on the other side of the cafeteria with the Serpents. Despite her kindness and welcoming manner, Jughead would rather sit alone, which left Toni confused considering that he was a Serpent by blood; the son of FP Jones. While this was true, he identified as a loner. Toni advised him to hang with the Serpents. Should the Ghoulies discover that he's vulnerable, they'll seize the opportunity to attack.
Sweet Pea and the Serpents in the Red and Black offices
Later, Sweet Pea and two other Serpents entered the the Red and Black offices in search of Toni and Jughead, wondering if the two of them wanted to join him at the quarry. While Toni agreed to come, Jughead denied the offer, sarcastically remarking that he didn't have his "beach body" yet. Sweet Pea took great offense to Jughead's refusal to join them, concluding that they were good enough for Jughead to ask for help from, but not good enough to hang out with. He instructed Jughead not to come crawling to them when some random Ghoulie decided to earn his stripes by taking out FP Jones' kid. While Jughead appreciated what the Serpents had done for him and his father, he had no desires in joining them, which angered Sweet Pea, enough to make him attack, though Toni was there to keep the two separate and prevent the situation from escalating. She then told Sweet Pea to take the hint as Jughead just wasn't that into him.
Jughead returned to school the next day and walked over to Toni and Sweet Pea in the cafeteria, asking if he could join them. As he sat, Jughead and Sweet Pea exchanged looks, nodding to one another after coming to an understanding.[1]
Ghoulies
The Ghoulies are a dangerous gang of criminals, and the rival gang of the Southside Serpents. Among their activities, they deal in drugs and street race for sport.
The Ghoulies trash Pop's
The Ghoulies return to Riverdale shortly after being released from Shankshaw Prison. Lead by their leader, Malachai, the Ghoulies vandalize Pop's Chock'lit Shoppe. They know that Archie is inside and demand that he come out to face them. Malachai is armed with a spiked baseball bat. Realizing that he's outnumbered, Archie devises a plan. When the Ghoulies bust the front window out of the diner, Archie makes his way to the rooftop with Molotov cocktails. He launches one bottle at the Ghoulies' feet, forcing them to step back, though they remain outside the diner. The Ghoulies only retreat when Fred Andrews, Tom Keller and FP Jones arrive.
Penny teams up with Malachai and the Ghoulies
The Ghoulies have forged an alliance with Penny Peabody, a former member of the Southside Serpents. After Penny kidnaps a Serpent named Toni Topaz, she arranges a meet up with Jughead. Jughead shows up as planned, though he is surprised by Penny's alliance with the Ghoulies. Malachai and Penny want to talk, but Jughead sees no reason to continue the conversation. He pulls out his knife and tells them that he's taking Toni. However, Malachai won't allow for it. With a taser in hand, he tells Jughead that he's been waiting to see him again for a long time. It seems that Jughead did not come alone. He called Cheryl, who armed with her bow and arrows, tells Malachai to stand down and requests that Toni be untied. Malachai and Penny comply, but Penny tells Jughead to remember that when his friends are dead, she tried to give him a chance to stop it. Jughead asks what Penny wants. She replies that she wants the Southside. There's money to be made in Riverdale. So, she partnered with the Ghoulies to sell drugs on the Southside. She makes Jughead one final offer. The Serpents leave Riverdale tonight or there will be a showdown at Pickens Park at dawn with the Ghoulies.
Penny, Malachai and the Ghoulies surround Jughead
It would later be revealed that Penny and the Ghoulies were hired by Hiram Lodge. Jughead meets with them after making a deal with Hiram. If he hands himself over to them, then there will be no bloodshed tomorrow. Penny doesn't quite understand why getting Jughead out of the way is so important to Hiram than an all-out Serpent annihilation. Jughead is vastly outnumbered. He questions if Malachai needed that much backup because he's afraid of him. Malachai replies that the only thing scary is what they're going to do to Betty when they find her. Jughead punches Malachai in the face. The Ghoulies then jump him. Penny watches as the Ghoulies brutally attack Jughead. She remarks that while he is a true hero, his sacrifice was for nothing because come morning, Riverdale as Jughead knows it will cease to exist. The Ghoulies then hold Jughead down as Penny gets her pound of flesh by cutting off his Serpent tattoo.[2]
References
- ↑ Maxwell, Ross (writer) & Sullivan, Kevin (director) (October 25, 2017). "Chapter Sixteen: The Watcher in the Woods". Riverdale. Season 2. Episode 3. The CW.
- ↑ Boucher, Shepard (writer) & Nowlan, Cherie (director) (May 9, 2018). "Chapter Thirty-Four: Judgment Night". Riverdale. Season 2. Episode 21. The CW.