Jughead: The Hunger

A serial killer is on the loose in Riverdale and Jughead Jones discovers that, not only is he the killer, but he is also a werewolf. Betty Cooper, who hails from a long line of secret werewolf hunters, is reluctantly convinced by Archie Andrews to try suppressing Jughead's transformations with wolfsbane instead of outright killing him. Months later, Archie and Betty discover the slaughtered body of Reggie Mantle and set out to find Jughead, who has gone on the run. They are backed by the Cooper clan of hunters and their leader, Elena, Betty's aunt. Meanwhile, Reggie, now a werewolf himself, turns other residents of Riverdale and recruits them to get revenge on Jughead.[13][14]

Following a battle with the Coopers, Jughead recovers and goes back into hiding as Archie decides he wants to be out of the hunt. Veronica Lodge slaughters Hot Dog and tells Jughead to return to Riverdale where Mr. Weatherbee, another of Reggie's werewolf minions, has kidnapped Jughead's sister Jellybean. Betty and Archie reunite to help Jughead save Jellybean with the aid of the Coopers, who take out Reggie's minions as he and Veronica flee. Betty then convinces Elena to call off her men and leave the Jonses in her care.[15][16]

With the media pinning "The Riverdale Ripper" killings on Reggie and Veronica, the duo goes on the run and Jughead returns to a relatively normal life. Meanwhile, a reporter covering the case interviews Hiram Lodge, who is determined to clear Veronica's name and expose the truth about werewolves in Riverdale. Elsewhere, the victims' bodies disappear from their graves and Betty is kidnapped during her investigation by Milton and his zombified minions, Dilton Doiley and Moose Mason. Milton then manipulates "FrankenMoose" into fighting Jughead in his werewolf form.[17][18]

• Jughead Jones, a teenager with an insatiable appetite who discovers that he is "The Riverdale Ripper" serial killer due to his lycanthropic lineage. He goes on the run to escape the Cooper clan of hunters, while struggling to control his werewolf alter ego.[19][20]
• Betty Cooper, a legacy werewolf hunter who only befriended Jughead's group to monitor the latest Jones werewolf, but eventually grew to care about them. She finds herself torn between loyalties to her friends, her family, and her duty to protect the town.[19][21]
• Archie Andrews, Jughead's best friend whom Betty feigned affections for to retain her cover. He joins Betty in her search for Jughead, but remains reluctant to hurt him.[19][20]
• Veronica Lodge, a member of Jughead's group and Betty's "rival" for Archie's affections. Reggie turns her into a werewolf and she joins his crusade against Jughead, whom she blames for Archie running off with Betty.[19][20]
• Reggie Mantle, an uneasy member of Jughead's group who falls victim to The Riverdale Ripper and is presumed dead, though he instead becomes a werewolf himself. He turns other residents of Riverdale and invites them to join his quest for vengeance against Jughead.[19][20]

• Elena Cooper, the Cooper family matriarch and Betty's aunt who was in love with Jughead's uncle Jonah when they were teenagers. Killing him propelled her to the top of the family ranks and left her with an extensive facial scar.[20][22]
• Bo Cooper, Betty's older cousin who is also a werewolf hunter. He joins the hunt for Jughead and trains Archie in combat. He is sidelined due to injuries sustained during a confrontation with Jughead and Bingo.[23][24][25]
• Bingo Wilkin, Jughead's cousin who was supposedly killed by The Riverdale Ripper, but actually faked his death to evade the Cooper clan. He sabotages Jughead's attempts at restraint to encourage him to embrace their werewolf identity and disappears following a confrontation with the Coopers.[19][20][25]
• Mr. Weatherbee, the principal of Riverdale High School and one of Reggie's recently-turned werewolf recruits who is seeking justice against Jughead for Grundy's death. He kidnaps Jellybean to draw Jughead back to Riverdale. He escaped the Coopers, but is reported as being murdered.[20][25][21][26]
• Moose Mason, Jughead's peer and one of Reggie's recently-turned werewolf recruits who is seeking justice against Jughead for Dilton's death. He is killed by Elena's hunters, but is risen from the grave as "FrankenMoose" by Milton.[20][27][28]
• Cheryl Blossom, Veronica's friend and one of Reggie's recently-turned werewolf recruits. She is killed by Elena's hunters.[23][20][21]
• Jellybean Jones, Jughead's younger sister who is kidnapped by Mr. Weatherbee as part of Reggie's plan to get revenge against Jughead. She is later revealed to be a werewolf herself.[25][27][21]
• Hot Dog, Jughead's dog who joins him on the run. Jughead is almost caught by police while buying dog food. Upon returning to his motel room, Jughead finds that the dog has been slaughtered by Veronica.[19][20][25]
• Hiram Lodge, Veronica's wealthy father who is determined to clear his daughter's name and expose the truth about werewolves in Riverdale.[26]
• Milton Doiley, Dilton's doppelgänger "cousin" and the mad scientist responsible for resurrecting the bodies of Dilton and Moose, which transforms the latter into FrankenMoose.[28][29]

Several other Archie Comics characters make limited appearances. Jughead's first victims Pop Tate and Ethel Muggs appear in photos and flashbacks, while Miss Grundy and Dilton Doiley are illustrated kills. Midge Klump, Jughead's mother Gladys Jones, Archie's parents Fred and Mary Andrews, Kevin Keller, Toni Topaz, Chuck Clayton, Kevin's father Sheriff Keller, and Frankie Valdez make brief appearances. Betty's parents Hal and Alice Cooper appear in Elena's flashbacks, and Jughead's father FP Jones appears in multiple flashbacks as "The Riverdale Reaper" serial killer, who turned all of the Serpents into werewolves and tasked his nephew Bingo with watching over Jughead while he evades the Coopers.[19][22][25][28][29]