The 'Kings of Pain' Get Bitten by Everything They Can for the Good of Humanity

Thanks to the History Channel, fans have loved Kings of Pain. In this series, we see wildlife biologist Adam Thorn and professional animal handler Rob “Caveman” Alleva get stung by all kinds of creatures and bugs in order to create a "pain index" that can be used to save people's lives.

Watching this show, many people hope the whole thing is fake. After all, who could (or would want to) survive getting bitten by all kinds of dangerous creatures over and over again? Now that it's back on the air, fans want to know: Is Kings of Pain real, or is this all faked for shock value?

Yes, Kings of Pain is real, and you can watch the hosts get bitten by a vast array of animals, arachnids, and bugs. In a Season 2 preview that Adam shared on Instagram, we see him put a huge, hairy spider on Rob's forearm. We watch as the spider's legs wiggle around in Adam's hand before it then bites Rob. Rob immediately screams out as his body reacts to the pain. The clip goes on to show the men get bitten by various other bugs, bees, snakes, and more.

In a post on Rob's Instagram, he showed the aftermath of some of the bites he endured during Season 2, Episode 3. In the first video, he says he was bitten by a beaded lizard and the bite was so bad that he was unable to move his forearm. We see him attempt to extend to his arm and the look on his face says it all.

In another video, he says that he threw up twice because of the bite.

Both Adam and Rob are working in this unique way to help others, but how they got to this point in their careers couldn't be more different. According to Rob's bio on The History Channel's website, he's self-taught. At one time, he was bitten by a rattlesnake and the bite almost killed him. The event inspired him to educate others about the dangers of these kinds of animals. From there, he traveled the world to study various creatures and the risks they pose.

As for Adam, he's got a more formal education. According to his History Channel bio, he's a certified snake handler, teacher, and venom expert. But he's also had some life-threatening experiences of his own, including being chased by elephants, hunted by lions, and almost strangled by a python. He wants to create the scientific pain index because he acknowledges how important this is for humanity.

Luckily, these two hosts aren't alone. Along for the ride is Dr. Ben Abo, who has a number of credentials himself. He's the director of the Venom One and Venom Two response teams of Miami-Dade Fire Rescue and Lake County Fire Rescue in Florida, as well as an EMS physician, paramedic, and a premier venom and wilderness medicine expert. He's making sure our hosts don't die.

You can watch the first season of Kings of Pain for free on History's YouTube channel. New Episodes of Season 2 air on Thursdays at 10:30 p.m. EST on The History Channel and stream the next day on its app.