Venom (The Spectacular Spider-Man)

Venom is from the Non MAU series The Spectacular Spider-Man.

Venom is the result of a bond between Eddie Brock and the alien symbiote previously worn by Spider-Man. Eddie's hatred of Peter Parker combined with the symbiote's betrayal by Spider-Man make them one of the greatest foes for the webslinger alongside Doctor Octopus and Green Goblin.

Contents[show]

Biography

From Friend to Foe

Eddie Brock was once Peter's childhood friend. Their families were close and they grew up together. Their mothers were best friends, and their fathers were business partners. One day, the four of them went to a conference in Queens and died in a plane crash. ("Group Therapy") Brock and Peter developed a fraternal relationship and often addressed each other affectionately as "bro." During high school, Brock protected Peter from bullies like Flash Thompson. He apparently was also a popular quarterback. ("Survival of the Fittest")

Eddie welcomes

Brock welcomes both Gwen, and his childhood friend, Peter, to the lab.

After his graduation, Brock enrolled in the Empire State University, and so as to support his tuition he got a job as Dr. Curt Connors' personal lab assistant. When Gwen Stacy and Peter become lab interns, Brock gleefully welcomes them both. ("Survival of the Fittest")

Eddie tackles

Brock makes a move on Electro to provide an escape for Peter, Gwen, and Liz.

During one night, while Max Dillon was upgrading the labs' bioelectrical filters, an accident occurred and Max received an electric discharge and was bathed in a dangerous fluid. Brock and Doctor Connors rush him to the hospital, and Brock watches as Max is taken into the isolation ward.

After Max's condition had been stabilized, Brock keeps him company and tries to console him, but Max is frustrated and storms out. On the next night, the team is back at the lab trying to find a solution for Max's condition, when he bursts in looking for Connors. Max, now calling himself Electro, threats Connors and as he presses in, Brock lunges at him to allow Peter, Gwen and Liz Allen to slip out. Brock gets knocked out and then Curt and Martha Connors drag him away. ("Interactions")

Eddie and Spidey

In another act of heroism, Brock saves Spider-Man from drowning.

A few days later, Brock is still cleaning up the laboratory when Dr. Connors comes in with his family to celebrate the recovery of his once lost limb. Brock is thrilled and predicts a guaranteed Nobel Prize. However, his joy soon turns to concern as they ascertain that Connor's experiment had some unexpected side effects. Brock runs some tests and determines that the formula Connors used on himself creates new reptile sequences faster than he can identify and neutralize. Peter then suggests the concoction of a gene cleanser, but before they could act on it, Connors transforms into a human sized lizard. Brock tackles him, but the Lizard is irrational and too strong, and shakes him off. Brock tells the others to start working on the gene cleanser and goes off in Connors' pursuit.

Eddie lashes out

Brock lashes out at Peter for the first time.

He tracks the Lizard down into the subway. As Connors stows himself away in a train headed to the Bronx Zoo, Brock gets on board. At the Zoo, Brock phones Martha reporting their whereabouts. When Spider-Man arrives, he tells Brock to stay clear, but Brock doesn't listen. When Spider-Man makes his move on the Lizard and nearly drowns, Brock pulls him out of the water. Spider-Man decides that plunging the Lizard in the polar bear pond would slow him down enough for him to administer the oral cleanser. Upon this, Brock volunteers to serve as live bait.

On the next day, after the crisis has been averted, Brock shows the Connors the newspaper with the story on the Lizard, illustrated with Peter photos. Brock lashes out at Peter, thinking he ditched the attempt to make the antidote to take photos. Peter is fired, and Brock turns his back on him. ("Natural Selection")

For the subsequent days, Brock still harbors some resentment for what he thought was Peter's backstabbing. He tells him on the phone he'd get over it, but he needed some space. ("Market Forces")

Some time later, Brock asks Gwen if Peter asked her to the Midtown Fall Formal. She tells him Peter isn't going, so Brock offers himself as her date. ("The Invisible Hand") They go to the Formal together, but Gwen gets upset when she sees Peter arriving with Mary Jane Watson, and walks away from Brock. ("Catalysts")

Venom Is Born

Eddie angry

Brock's resentment against Peter keeps pilling up.

When an organic black mud is found attached to Colonel John Jameson's space shuttle, it is taken to Connors for analysis. Peter phones Brock who tells him that because of the Lizard ordeal, Martha Connors does not trust Peter to be near their business. When the alien life form disappears, everyone assumes that Spider-Man stole it, and Brock is upset at Peter for taking pictures instead of calling the police during the robbery. ("Persona")

A few days later, Brock runs into Peter and vents his rage on him, saying that he is an opportunist and should lose something he values. He speeds off and picks up Mary Jane for a date, whom apparently he invited to spite Peter. While he is driving Mary Jane through town in his motorcycle, Brock starts lashing out at Peter and driving precariously. Mary Jane yells at him to pull over and tells him that in spite of his mistakes, Peter is twice the man Brock will ever be. Brock is left alone looking pretty upset. ("Group Therapy")

Eddie gets rough

As Brock's rage escalates, he unknowingly makes contact with the symbiote.

When Gwen tells Brock about Aunt May's heart attack, he goes to visit her at the Manhattan General Hospital, despite not wanting to see Peter. On his way out, Brock bumps into Peter and vents his resentment at him further, accusing him of being uncaring and ungrateful. Back at the ESU lab, Dr. Martha Connors informs Brock that after losing the alien life form the funds for its research were pulled, and thus they cannot afford to keep Brock on their payroll. Brock protests that without that job he'll have to drop out of college, but to no avail. Brock heads back to the hospital and waits for Peter. When he drops in, Brock grabs his shirt, which happens to be the symbiote, and lashes out at him, but Peter slams him against the wall and Brock backs down.

Eddie merges

Brock merges with the symbiote...

Venom is born

...and becomes Venom!

Later that night, Brock returns to the laboratory to pack his things when he finds Spider-Man dumping the symbiote in its cylindrical container. Brock is overjoyed with the prospect of getting his job back, but his hopes come to naught when Spider-Man lowers the temperature of the containment, freezing the alien to death. Brock berates and curses Spider-Man, deeming him as bad as Peter, when he notices that the alien is still alive and is calling to him. Brock opens the container and the symbiote ensnares him. The alien tells Brock he has sensed and liked his hate. It then asks him if he hates Spider-Man and Peter. Brock confirms and the symbiote reveals that Peter is Spider-Man. The alien then proposes Brock that they bond to enact revenge on their common enemy. Brock agrees and the two merge, becoming an over-sized creature, sporting the likeness of Spider-Man's black costume, but with jaws and a protruding tongue. ("Intervention")

The creature goes to the Big Man's headquarters just after Spider-Man goes back on their deal, and offers to fill in. The Big Man tells the creature he needs to prove himself by killing Spider-Man. The creature gladly accepts.

Venom vs Spider-Man

Venom wails on Spider-Man.

On the next day, Brock takes a call from Peter commiserating for his lost job, and Brock pretends forgiveness and proposes a get-together later on. Peter declines because he needs to be with Aunt May and Brock guarantees they will meet soon. After Peter comes back from another hospital visit, the creature pulls him out of his room and engages Spider-Man in his backyard. He lashes out at Spider-Man for spurning the symbiote and vouches to destroy Peter and Spider-Man, dubbing himself Venom. Spider-Man puts up a fight, but Venom is considerably stronger and knocks him around for a while. He finally restrains Spider-Man with his webbing and claims that killing him now would be too easy. First, he wants to hurt him by going after every person he cares about, so he takes off after Aunt May. Venom had sent her an anonymous bouquet of flowers, and just as he creeps towards the window, Spider-Man intercepts him.

The symbiote leaves

The symbiote chooses Peter over Brock.

A fight ensues, and Spider-Man manages to keep Venom away from Aunt May's room window. Venom declares that she is not his only target, and after revealing to Spider-Man that he is Brock, he goes after the person Peter loves the most: Gwen.

Brock meets Gwen at the Thanksgiving Day Parade and suspends her from a balloon. Venom intercepts Spider-Man before he can save Gwen and taunts Spider-Man about how he doesn't trigger Spider-Man's Spider-Sense. Another fight ensues, and Spider-Man tries to get through to Brock, but Brock declares that they are not brothers, and while Peter always had Aunt May, Brock has always been alone until he bonded with the symbiote. The fight pursues until Spider-Man tricks Venom into slashing Gwen's balloon, causing it to descend slowly. Venom still tries to knock Gwen over, but she is rescued and taken to safety. Afterwards, Venom takes on Spider-Man and declares that he is done playing with him. Spider-Man pretends surrendering himself to the symbiote. The alien detaches itself from Brock, who collapses in disbelief. ("Nature vs. Nurture") After coming to, Brock heads back to his apartment, packs his things, and goes AWOL. ("Blueprints")

The Return

Eddie is back

After successfully tricking Spider-Man into taking him to the symbiote, Brock prepares to reunite with it.

A few weeks later, Brock starts stalking Peter. He allows himself to be seen by both Peter and Spider-Man in the hopes that Peter would become paranoid and lead him to the place where he had buried the symbiote. Brock is spotted twice by Spider-Man while on patrol, and then crashes Flash Thompson's birthday party. He goes on camera to say that he plans to crash more parties and that "they" will see Peter soon. In the following hours, Spider-Man battled with Sandman abroad an oil tanker. Brock puts on a sweatshirt with Venom's arachnid symbol and slips away in a rooftop in plain sight. Spider-Man spots him and assumes that Brock has bonded with the symbiote again. He goes back to the construction site only to find out that the alien is still buried under hard cement. Unsuspecting, Spider-Man swings off and Brock webs down with a web-shooter he had created from Peter's memories.[1] He thanks Peter for leading him to the symbiote's location and starts mauling the soil with a sledgehammer. ("First Steps") He eventually frees the symbiote and bonds with it again.

The Revenge

Venom rematch

Venom is back and wants revenge on Spider-Man.

Some time later, Venom goes on a crime spree to frame Spider-Man. He changes his appearance so as to look like Spider-Man when he was donning the black suit, and foils a robbery in progress in a convenience store. He ensnares the crooks as they make a run with the stolen money, and when the police show up, he subdues them too and absconds with the loot. On the next day, he attacks an armored van from Midtown's Bank, causing it to overturn. When Spider-Man drops in, Venom snares him to the top of a nearby building. A fight ensues and he accidentally sets the building aflame. Venom declares that he wants to destroy every aspect of Peter's life. Just as soon as Colonel Jupiter makes an entrance, Venom slips away. From afar, he watches a squabble between the two heroes, and sees this as an opportunity to further his plan.

Venom spills

Venom barges in the Daily Bugle and reveals Peter's secret identity.

He attacks Colonel Jameson in his loft, posing as Spider-Man, and flees before he can be followed. Venom succeeds in instigating a fight between Spider-Man and Colonel Jupiter. Spider-Man eventually defeats the Colonel and unwillingly drives him insane.

On the following day, J. J. Jameson is blaming Spider-Man for destroying his son and wants retribution. In that moment, Venom bursts in the Daily Bugle and announces that Peter Parker is Spider-Man. ("Growing Pains")

Eddie threatens

Brock harasses Peter and contemplates using Gwen to get back at him.

On the next day, Brock walks in ESU lab and announces his return, claiming to have taken some downtime after being sacked. He proposes Gwen they catch up over coffee, alone, but Peter immediately extricates Gwen saying they have a date with Harry Osborn. Dr. Martha Connors offers Brock his job back, which he gladly accepts. He then takes Peter aside and says he is disappointed that his disclosure didn't do the expected damage. Before Brock can say what he intends to do, Peter pushes him away and walks out.

Venom unmask

Venom nearly unmasks Spider-Man in public.

Later that night, Brock is walking down a street and gets pulled up by Spider-Man onto a rooftop. Spider-Man tries to reason with him, saying that he is going to hurt many people. Though, as he turns to Venom, Brock turns the tables on the webslinger declaring that many people will get hurt because of Peter's secrets, and he can't wait to see them turn on him. And fight ensues and the two fall down in front of the ESU Student Store, which is crawling with reporters. As every objective turns to the brawling arachnids, Venom introduces himself and announces that he is going to unmask Spider-Man. Spider-Man resists and repels Venom, who claims that if Spider-Man isn't Peter he wouldn't resist so much. Then Venom lands a blow on Spider-Man with so much strength that he hurls him all the way to a rooftop. When he leaps after him, Spider-Man has already slipped away.

Spidey turns the tables

Spider-Man plunges the gene cleanser down Venom's throat.

On the following day, Brock resumes his work at the ESU lab and steals a vial of gene cleanser. There, he is also interviewed about Spider-Man being Peter, and he nonchalantly admits that they grew up together and should have realized the truth before. Then, Venom goes after Spider-Man and tells him that after unmasking him he will pour the cleanser down his throat, making him a helpless target for his enemies. Venom actually manages to unmask Spider-Man, but Peter retrieves his mask just before anyone can see his face. The two fight and chase each other around, until they end up fighting inside Midtown High school Biology classroom. Spider-Man fences Venom with a few sonic waves, but this only enrages him more. They fight all the way to the gym and Venom tries to force-feed Spider-Man with the gene cleanser, when Flash Thompson provides a distraction and Spider-Man gets loose with the cleanser. Venom grabs Spider-Man and demands the vial, so Spider-Man shoves it down Venom's mouth. As the symbiote starts to release Brock, he tries to hold on to it, but to no avail. Spider-Man tells Brock he is free and can stop hating. Brock retorts that hate is the only reason why the alien loves him.

Eddie insane

Brock is deemed insane and taken away.

Moments later, Brock is wheeled to an ambulance, strapped in a gurney, promising revenge and asserting that the symbiote will return, and that he is Venom. ("Identity Crisis")

Powers and Abilities

Because of the symbiote's former bond to Spider-Man, whoever acquires the symbiote has all of his powers. Venom has the ability of superhuman strength, agility, durability and equilibrium as well as the ability to cling to most surfaces. However, Venom's abilities are greater than Spider-Man. Venom and his webbing are stronger.

Venom's most powerful trait is that he is immune to Spider-Man's Spider-Sense making him the one enemy that can sneak up on the wallcrawler. One possible explanation is that while bonded to Spider-Man the symbiote figured out a way to block it. Another is that since the symbiote was a part of Spider-Man that his Spider-Sense recognizes the symbiote as friendly.

Weaknesses

Like Spider-Man when he had the symbiote suit, Venom is vulnerable to sound.

Background

Venom was voiced by Benjamin Diskin.

This Venom is a combination of the Mainstream Venom, Ultimate Venom, and Venom from Spider-Man. The symbiote is an alien lifeform such as the 616 version. Eddie is a childhood friend of Peter such as the Ultimate version. And the symbiote came to Earth thanks to John Jameson such as the earlier series version.

Footnotes

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