Venom (Marvel)

Note that this page deals with the Venom symbiote itself. For more information on its various hosts go to their respective pages.

Origin

Venom is of a race of alien symbiotes that are formed from a thick, liquid, organic material. They, as their symbiotic nature suggests, depend on other beings to help them sustain their life force. In exchange for this relationship, the symbiote offers great powers to its host. Unfortunately for the host, the symbiotes are not keen on the idea of separating and eventually start to fully consume both mind and body of their hosts. Removal of the symbiote is often only possible through the usage of strong sound waves produced from intensely loud and sustained noises.

Creation

Venom's first full appearance.

Venom's first full appearance.

The idea for Venom came from Randy Schueller, a reader, and was bought by Marvel for $220 under the direction of then editor-in-chief Jim Shooter. The designs for the costume and character came from Mike Zeck and Todd McFarlane.

The Black Costume first appeared chronologically in Secret Wars issue 8 (12/1984), but was first published in Amazing Spider-Man issue 252 (5/1984). Its appearance as Venom had cameos in issues #298 and #299 of Amazing Spider-Man before appearing fully in issue 300 (1988).

Character Evolution

The symbiote has had numerous hosts.

The symbiote has had numerous hosts.

The symbiote itself is sentient, and has chosen different hosts throughout the years. The first was Spider-Man (Peter Parker). Next was Eddie Brock. Later on, there were others such as Angelo Fortunato and Mac Gargan; and even Ms. Marvel and Red Hulk have acted as hosts for the alien symbiote, as well as Ann Weying (Eddie Brock's ex). The current host is Flash Thompson.

Major Story Arcs

Battleworld

The Symbiote bonds with Deadpool.

The Symbiote bonds with Deadpool.

When the Beyonder created Battleworld in the events of the comic "Secret Wars ", Deadpool released the Symbiote from a machine that he had thought created new costumes. The creature bonded with him, but Deadpool quickly abandoned it, reasoning that it would be cruel to force a sentient being to bond with a twisted creature like him. It is implied that bonding with Deadpool's severely fractured psyche may be part of the reason for the symbiote's violent and possessive behavior. The symbiote capsule was then found by Spider-Man, whose red and blue tights had been ripped to tatters during a previous battle. When Spider-Man grabbed the little black ball, it instantly slithered over his body, covering him from head to toe. But it did not pattern itself after his red-and-blue costume. Rather, it took on the appearance of the garment worn by Julia Carpenter, the new Spider-Woman, whom Spider-Man had been admiring. The web-slinger was amazed at the properties of his new suit, but never questioned the mechanisms behind them. For instance, it could mimic any type of clothing whatsoever, making Spider-Man’s need for spare clothing obsolete. It also contained a "dimensional aperture" where he could place his camera, spare change, and other items without adding bulk to the costume. The costume was also capable of generating its own organic webbing. When the other super heroes that were with him used the machine, their clothes did not give/add any new powers to them.

Spider-Man acquires the Alien Costume.

Spider-Man acquires the Alien Costume.

Once Spider-Man returned to Earth, the alien costume could not tolerate being separated from its host for long periods of time. At night, when Spider-Man’s alter ego, Peter Parker slept, the Symbiote would take control of him and battle evil. Peter realized that when he always woke up from bed, he is still exhausted. Later, Spider-Man battled the Puma, who perceived that the wall-crawler’s webs were organic. Startled by this revelation, Spider-Man accepted Reed Richards' offer to study the costume. Richards learned that the costume was actually a living alien Symbiote, a parasite trying to graft itself permanently to Spider-Man both mentally and physically. Richards succeeded in separating the alien costume from its host by shooting it with a "sonic blaster." He then contained the being in a special environmental cell. But the alien was much more intelligent than anyone perceived. It tried to hypnotize Franklin Richards, but failed. Unfortunately not stopping it, it escaped from its cell and made its way to Peter Parker’s closet where it waited, disguised as a spare red-and-blue costume. Spider-Man unwittingly donned the costume, which immediately made itself apparent. He brought it to the tower at Our Lady of Saints Church gambling the intense sound of its bells would destroy it. Spider-Man lost the gamble, and he succumbed to the bells before the costume did. However, the empathic parasite had preyed upon the emotions of Spider-Man long enough to learn how to feel, and in feeling, to act. Sacrificing itself, the alien costume saved Spider-Man then crawled away to die. In actuality the Symbiote, weak and dying, slithered down into the church where Eddie Brock knelt in prayer at the altar. Raised a Catholic, he begged forgiveness for the suicide he was contemplating.

Eddie Brock

Following Parker's rejection, the symbiote's next host was Eddie Brock.

Following Parker's rejection, the symbiote's next host was Eddie Brock.

Eddie Brock had been a successful columnist for the newly revived Daily Globe until he began writing a series of articles about the " Sin-Eater murders". A bogus offender had confessed to Brock about committing the murders. While protecting the murderer’s identity under the First Amendment, Brock wrote a series of stories in the Globe detailing his dialogue with the supposed killer, until mounting pressure from the authorities forced him to write an exclusive revealing the murderer's name. Although that edition of the paper sold out immediately, Spider-Man soon revealed the true identity of the Sin-Eater to be Detective Stan Carter, making Brock a laughingstock among his fellow journalists. Fired from the Daily Globe, he was forced to write venomous drivel for scandal newspapers. Brock's wife left him, and his future appeared to be over. Brock blamed his predicament on Spider-Man.

Soon after, Brock began an intense physical workout program hoping to reduce the stress his life had become. However, such physical exertions only increased his violent obsession with Spider-Man. Although his body had been honed to near-perfection, Brock’s mind was reduced to an all-consuming vessel of hatred. It was this fierce emotion that attracted the empathic parasite. In order to survive, the alien costume had to feed off the nearest and greatest source of emotion. The Symbiote joined mentally and physically with Brock, whose emotions overwhelmed the already confused alien. The dominant thought on both their minds was that of Spider-Man. But Brock’s sheer hatred for the crime fighter twisted the Symbiote’s feelings to a similar extent. In effect, Brock’s emotions drove the Symbiote insane, just as their bonding may have driven Brock over the edge. Brock soon discovered that the costume gave him all the powers of Spider-Man, and more. It also added bulk to his already large frame and increased his strength to superhuman levels. Calling himself "Venom", Brock directed the costume to sprout a hideous grin and plotted his revenge. Through the costume, Venom learned a great deal about Spider-Man, including his secret identity.

Brock reveals himself to Spidey.

Brock reveals himself to Spidey.

Brock taunted Peter Parker with minor assaults, such as pushing him in front of a moving subway train. The alien costume could cancel out the wall-crawler’s spider-sense presumably by projecting conflicting frequencies upon Spider-Man's brain waves. Venom finally made a bold move when he confronted Parker’s wife, Mary Jane, at their old Chelsea apartment. Although Venom’s twisted sense of morality did not allow him to physically harm Mary Jane, Spider-Man immediately realized the nature of this threat. Taking the time to retrieve the sonic blaster from the Fantastic Four, Spider-Man challenged Venom at Our Lady of Saints Church. Although he fired the blaster at Venom, Spider-Man soon discovered that the Symbiote could not be separated from Brock because it had completely bonded with him. Trying to escape and rethink his options, Spider-Man was caught unaware by Venom. He captured Spider-Man and secured him to the inside of the church bell with a considerable amount of webbing. Spider-Man narrowly escaped the bell’s crushing clapper before defeating Venom by forcing him to deplete his webbing supply, of which the alien Symbiote was actually comprised. Before the alien could regenerate enough of its mass to become a renewed threat, Spider-Man brought Venom to the Fantastic Four who imprisoned him in a sonic containment cell.

The symbiote tries to re-establish its link with Peter.

The symbiote tries to re-establish its link with Peter.

Sometime later, the Fantastic Four shipped Venom to The Vault, a government prison for super-powered criminals located in the Colorado Rockies. A young guard named Hugh Taylor, who had just been assigned to the Vault, was fooled into thinking that Venom was a fallen colleague and released the gate mechanism which imprisoned the criminal. With a bit of remorse, Venom then killed the naive guard and promptly made his escape to New York City where he once again confronted Spider-Man. This time Spider-Man used psychological warfare upon Venom, by taunting the alien symbiote to return to him. The alien, torn by its love-hate relationship for Spider-Man, tried to leave Brock and re-establish its link with its original owner. Brock, greatly distressed by what was happening, pleaded with the symbiote to remain with him but it ignored his pleas. The symbiote begins its slithery flow onto Parker's body, when the trauma of trying to detach itself from Brock’s nervous system was too much to bear. The alien costume and Eddie Brock were both knocked unconscious and were subsequently returned to the Vault, where they were incarcerated. Since then, Venom has gone through many changes.

Spidey fakes his own death to appease Venom.

Spidey fakes his own death to appease Venom.

The next fight, Venom went after Spider-Man around the same time Jonathon Caesar, an insane and obsessed fan of Mary Jane Watson-Parker, sent two mercenaries Styx and Stone after the wall-crawler. Venom unintentionally became involved in the plot when the two attempted to follow him through the sewers in the hope of finding Spider-Man. Unfortunately for them, Venom escaped the sewers in his human guise. After yet another fight with Spider-Man, Styx and Stone found the two and attempted to kill Spider-Man. Fortunately for Spidey, albeit in a bad way, Venom would not allow anyone else to kill Spider-Man, save himself. Attacking the two, the fight ensued. Styx, the living cancer, touched the Symbiote, killing it in the process. With the Symbiote seemingly dead, Eddie Brock was sent to a normal prison. However, later, it was revealed the Symbiote was merely sent into a comatose state, seemingly immune to Earthly diseases. Returning to Eddie Brock, the two easily escaped. In the breakout, however, the suit left a small spawn behind it, which would bond with Eddie's cell mate, Cletus Kasady. No one would know about this for months. Eddie brought Spider-Man to an island in the Caribbean, away from people and innocents, in the hope of killing him alone. However, Spider-Man later realized that Venom would only be happy if he knew that Spider-Man was dead. Faking his death, Spider-Man made Venom believe that he had died. Happy at last, Venom thought there was no reason to return to civilization, having all he needed on the island, and stayed there.

Carnage, Spider-Man and Venom.

Carnage, Spider-Man and Venom.

A few months later, however, the psychotic serial killer known only as Carnage emerged, beginning a slaughter spree throughout Manhattan, in which hundreds died. Spider-Man attempted to stop him, but learned the hard way that he was outmatched physically, despite his superior experience. Realizing that Carnage possessed a Symbiote, Peter reluctantly turned to Venom for assistance in order to stop this menace. Contacting the Human Torch, they traveled to the island where Spider-Man had left Venom. When Venom saw that Spider-Man was in fact still alive, he attacked the two. A brief spat ensued, after which Venom listened to Spider-Man's reasoning. Venom agreed to help Spider-Man stop Carnage in exchange for his freedom. Spider-Man reluctantly obliged, starting the first of many uneasy alliances between the two.

Once they returned to New York, the combined efforts of Venom and Spider-Man to stop Carnage's rampage on two separate occasions were met with equal failure. Finally, however, during a rock concert at Madison Square Garden, they stopped Carnage after he was trying to kill J. Jonah Jameson. After Spider-Man destroyed Kasady's Carnage symbiote through the use of the stage's sound system, Venom attacked him. He still possessed enough hatred to attempt to choke him. Luckily, Venom was stopped by the Fantastic Four. After years of animosity, Venom reached an agreement with Spider-Man and called a truce.

Lethal Protector

Venom is on the move.

Venom is on the move.

After forming a truce with Spider-Man, Venom would relocate to the West Coast, San Francisco. Starting out as a "Lethal Protector", Venom would come across a hidden underground city. A man known as Roland Treece was sending hired guns to exterminate these people so he could claim the hidden gold reserve below the underground city. Venom decided to protect these people from Treece and infiltrated Treece's company. Venom's actions had gotten Spider-Man's attention, however, and Spider-Man would travel to San Francisco to bring Venom down once and for all. While Spidey searched for a lead on his former enemy, Venom was being pursued by a team of of highly trained soldiers known as the Jury. The Jury was brought together by Orwell Taylor, the father of the young Vault officer Venom killed during a Vault breakout. The Jury relentlessly attacked Venom, nearly killing him until the Life Foundation rescued, then captured, him. Carlton Drake, head of the foundation had plans for creating super guardsman similar to Venom's first offspring, Carnage, and violently ripped from Venom five spawn, creating the Five Life Foundation Symbiotes and joining them with their best personnel. Spider-Man encountered one of the new symbiotes, a female human joined with a symbiote, and followed her back to the Life Foundation. Realizing that Spider-Man's intrusion was in order to track down Venom, and since Venom was no longer useful for the foundation, Drake had the symbiote violently separated from Eddie, nearing killing Eddie.

Eddie would later free himself and team-up with Spider-Man, reuniting with his own Venom symbiote. The five new symbiote tested out their powers against the combined efforts of Spider-Man and Venom, but their symbiotes where seemingly destroyed by a machine triggered by Venom, and the human host where thought dead after the Life Foundation complex self-destructed. Having escaped the exploding building, the two spider-powered foes would join forces against Roland Treece and prevent him from killing all of the inhabitants of the underground city. Spider-Man then returned to New York while Venom would remain with the underground city.

Maximum Carnage

Maximum Carnage

Maximum Carnage

Carnage would later escape again and be joined up with other super villains and start the Maximum Carnage. Once again, Spider-Man and Venom would fight him again after Carnage called out Venom on TV. Venom would later assemble his own team including Cloak, Dagger, and Morbius. They fight Carnage. At one point, Venom gets captured and tortured by Carnage and later escapes. He and Carnage later fight near a small plant and Venom defeats Carnage in a big explosion.

Separation Anxiety

Life Foundation Symbiotes.

Life Foundation Symbiotes.

However, some time later (in Separation Anxiety), the Life Foundation Symbiotes would return. After being separated from his own symbiote by the Scarlet Spider, Eddie Brock was sent to a research facility. The five Life Foundation Symbiotes broke into the facility to escape with Eddie. They kept Eddie captive until he would agree to help the human hosts control their own symbiotes. But one of the five symbiotes, Donna (Scream) would kill off the human hosts of her fellow offspring one-by-one. When the Venom symbiote escaped from it's imprisonment and rejoined with Eddie, the two would defeat Scream and leave her and her four dead comrades (with their symbiotes still alive) for the authorities (the remaining four symbiotes would merge into one and bond with Scott Washington to become Hybrid.

The CIA

Venom was recruited via an ultimatum by the government to be a special operations counter-terrorist agent. Venom agreed, but one stipulation of the deal did not sit too well with him. A bomb was planted in his chest to assure complete and utter obedience. After a few missions, Venom became tired of the situation and had the Symbiote perform surgery on him and extracted the bomb. A brouhaha ensued wherein the end result was Eddie Brock lying unconscious and the Symbiote dead, only to return later on and re-join with Eddie. Thus Venom was whole again and looking to square things with Spider-Man once again. He had lost his memory and no longer knew the secret identity of Spider-Man, but knew that a Venom blames Spider-Man for his wife's death deep seeded hatred resided within him for the webhead.

Shortly after the reunion, Venom joined the Sinister Six for a brief period in order to get at Spider-Man. After being scorned by the group, he hunted down certain members of the team for revenge (including Electro, the Sandman, and Alyosha Kravinoff). Later Eddie Brock approached his ex-wife Ann Weying, and at the thought of having the Symbiote back in her life, she jumped out of her apartment window and killed herself.

Venom blamed Spider-Man, whom he had a skirmish with right before Ann died. Thus the hatred for the old web-head was fueled anew.

Angelo Fortunato

Angelo Fortunato as Venom.

Angelo Fortunato as Venom.

After an extended period of inactivity, Venom resurfaced with cancer, and the only thing keeping him alive was the Symbiote, who did not want him anymore. After seeing a spiritual movie, Eddie decided to sell his Symbiote off in an auction, swearing off his life of vigilantism. The winner of the auction was the the gang lord Don Fortunato. He gave the Symbiote to his son, Angelo Fortunato, in hopes that Angelo would finally make a name for himself. But after a fight against Spider-Man that resulted in Angelo cowering away, the Symbiote eventually left Angelo to die in mid-air.

Mac Gargan

The Symbiote passed on to Mac Gargan, the Scorpion, and offered him additional powers. He agreed and Mac became the next host of the Venom Symbiote which he thought will give him the advantage he needs in defeating Spider-Man as well as being apart of the Sinister Twelve. But he was still defeated by Spider-Man with the help of other heroes. Even though he was incarcerated, it didn't hinder him as with his new powers he would be respected more as a powerful villain. He was later abducted by the Beyonder to participate yet again in another Secret War, but it was really the Stranger in disguise. During this events he thought he had killed Spider-Man but it was really the Space Phantom. All the participants were able to escape from the crumbling planet thanks to Gravity's sacrifice, he is seen mourning for his death.

Gargan later becomes a member of a sub-group of the Thunderbolts, which has been drafted by the Avengers to hunt down the members of the fugitive Secret Avengers and is currently run by the Commission for Superhuman Activities. It is then revealed that he has been outfitted with electrical implants by the government to keep the Symbiote in check. As a Thunderbolt, he is seen as a hero by the general public and has his own action figures. Gargan displays his new raw power as Venom in a battle with Jack Flag, after pummeling Flag for a bit, the hero manages to stab Gargan, who is protected by his Symbiote.

Mac Gargan as Venom.

Mac Gargan as Venom.

Gargan becomes enraged and ferociously manhandles Flag, and is about to feast upon his flesh, when his electrical implants kick in and temporarily subdue him, allowing Flag to live. Gargan expresses fear of the control the Symbiote possesses over him, yet he has become addicted to the raw unearthly power it brings to him, and cannot begin to imagine life without it, similarly to a drug addict. Later, during an attack from Steel Spider, American Eagle and Sepulchre, Gargan loses control again, briefly becoming a huge monster once more, while Moonstone is incapacitated and thus cannot co-ordinate control of his electrical implants. Afterward, however, he returns to a normal form with no ill effects. Then, he bites off, and devours, Steel Spider's arm during a fight. Later, the Thunderbolts goes after Spider-Man for being an unregistered hero and like everyone else, he has no memory of Spider-Man's true identity, because of One More Day. When Venom and Spider-Man fought, Eddie Brock got into the skirmish and the Symbiote suddenly left Gargan to bond again to Brock, but his skin acted like a corrosive when the Symbiote tried to attached itself. White substance began to appear from Brock's pores and became Anti-Venom. Anti-Venom battled Venom and seemingly "cleansed" Gargan of the Symbiote but also inadvertently cleansing Spider-Man remaining Symbiote within his body along with his spider powers. Venom appeared again to battle Anti-Venom, but this time he is wearing a scorpion armor to protect the recovering Symbiote. When Gargan was able to stabbed his stinger to Anti-Venom, the wound seemingly killed the Anti-Venom Symbiote and just as he was about to kill him, the Venom Symbiote stopped Gargan and said that it still had feelings for Brock and that he should live. Gargan vowed to kill Brock when he gets a chance, and Brock says the same.

Secret Invasion

Skrull Slaughter.

Skrull Slaughter.

After returning from another mission (it ended abruptly when Venom ate the target) the Thunderbolts were attacked by Captain Marvel during Secret Invasion. When Venom tried to stop him he was sent flying through a window and below Thunderbolts Mountain. It was later on discovered that Captain Marvel was a Skrull. Nobody knew what was happening except for Norman Osborn. Earth was at war. The Thunderbolts had been sent to protect Washington. When they arrived, Venom thrived in battle, eating as many Skrulls as he could. Later on he was attacked by a super Skrull, and they were both sent flying off they ship that they were on. They both landed among a crowd, and the Skrull quickly changed its shape. Venom, knowing it was hiding then began suffocating people in the crowd with tendrils, trying to find it. When Osborn saw this he reminded the Symbiote that while he was all for letting it fulfill its urges, there did have to be guidelines. Venom then continued to do what he was doing before. The Skrull saw all of this and, while changing back into its battle form, called Venom a monster saying that humans would liberate the Skrulls after seeing this. Venom then revealed that it was an act, and that the people had been able to breath the entire time. He said he did this to make the Skrull come out of hiding. Venom then proceeded to attack the Skrull. He badly wounded it with his claws and then started eating it. After Washington, the Thunderbolts continued on to New York, where Iron Man had summoned all the heroes for a final battle against the Skrulls in Central Park. When they arrived, Osborn reminded the Thunderbolts that Skrulls were the target. Venom began to complain, saying that Spider-Man was nearby. He was quickly made quiet. Throughout the battle, Venom continued to kill and eat Skrulls, and was only seen harmed once when he was punched by a Skrull taking on the persona of Giant Man. Venom and the rest of the Thunderbolts made it through the Secret Invasion unharmed, excluding the death of Swordsman's sister.

Dark Reign: The Sinister Spider-Man

Mac Gargan, the Sinister Spider-Man.

Mac Gargan, the Sinister Spider-Man.

When Norman Osborn became head of the superhero community, he formed a new team of Avengers called the Dark Avengers, where he recruits Venom to be on the team. He first fed Venom with a Skrull impersonating Spider-Man and fed him a medication that turns his monstrous form in to more humane look and named him the Spider-Man of the group. As a member of the Dark Avengers, their first mission is to come to the rescue of Doctor Doom who was being defeated by Morgan Le Fey. When Sentry decapitated her, he suddenly disappeared and Morgan seemingly came back from the dead. In her return, Morgan took control of Venom and started attacking his own teammates. After Morgan is defeated, Sinister Spider-Man is returned to normal. Since this incident, Venom also played a part in Osborn's mutant plan.

During the "Sinister Spider-Man" arc Venom starts a local drug war between two local gang members. Asides from that he tries to frame J.J. Jameson, putting a dead hooker on his head, this brings J.J.J. to ask Osborn for a protector wanting Ms. Marvel, instead Osborn sends Venom (disguised as Spider-man). Later Venom defeats a lowly group of villains led by the Redeemer (who were all beaten badly by Sinister Spider-Man) with ease. But only three survived the brutal beating, and send some incriminating pictures of "Spider-Man '' to J.J.J., but Osborn covers this. At the end in an event dedicated to Spider-Man (Venom), the group of lowly villains led by the Redeemer (with no arms nor legs because Venom ate them), a local gang members and Bullseye with Daken (sent by Osborn with their old costumes to bring Mac back) start a major fight with Spidey, at the end Venom beats them all badly, and J.J.J. stops the brawl in time. Osborn at the end states that next time he crosses the line and doesn't listen, he himself will stop him, with Venom responding with a simple smile.

Utopia

UXM/Dark Avengers

UXM/Dark Avengers

During the Utopia crossover Venom is seen with the rest of the Dark Avengers, and is sent by Norman Osborn to a location where the mutant riot is still out of control, eventually  Spider-Man is faced with Colossus, Venom states that Colossus must stop in the name of the law and attacks him, but Colossus hit's Venom with a rock and quickly escapes with Ice Man.

After Norman assembles his  Dark X-Men the Dark Avengers are left to watch the action in the background, later after Emma Frost and Namor betray the Dark X-Men, Osborn gets pissed and sends his Dark Avengers along with the remaining Dark X-Men to the Utopia island to battle the X-Men and make them pay. During the battle Venom swings across the venue only to get attacked from behind, this makes  Spider-Man real mad and starts loosing his Spider-Man shape, Colossus goes at him stating to finish their business, with a immense and raged Venom saying Bring it. The rest of the battle goes unseen, but another image shows them really going at it, at the end Osborn retreats his forces because the only way to win was to kill, which was not a good option because the battle was live on TV.

American Son

Venom also appeared in the American Son arc., he gets ambushed by the real Spider-Man (with a sonic generator) and captured with the help of Sue Richards, and is sent to the negative zone, but he later escapes. Aside from that, like most of the Dark Avengers he makes numerous appearance during Dark Reign posing as Spider-Man. During their recent events in the Dark Avengers, it has been shown that Venom (Mac Gargan) have been heavily affected by their medication, making him Venom soft and Mac more unsure of himself.

Siege

Venom battling Asgardians.

Venom battling Asgardians.

After the incident in the football game in Chicago, Osborn uses this as a chance to invade Asgard. Osborn assembles his Avengers and tells them of his plan, some of them don't like the idea like Hawkeye. Venom asks Hawkeye if he is scared, to which he replies with a yes, and that all of them have to be scared. Osborn says that if they succeed during this mission they can continue to be Avengers or be free, to which they agree. After Ares gives a speech, the Dark Avengers invade Asgard leading the front line. Ares and Venom are seen facing a front line of Asguardians while Moonstone and Iron Patriot are confronted by Thor. Osborn calls on the Sentry to ambush Thor, and he continues to attack Thor from behind.

Later the real Avengers interfere in the battle and attack Osborn and his troops. Venom is still seen battling and eating Asgardians; Mac knows that Osborn has taken it too far this time and that they will eventually lose but he plans to enjoy it to the very end. As he is consuming Asgardians and stating that they are the Kobe Beef of People, he is interrupted by Spider-man. They fight and Spider-Man almost loses the battle, but Ms. Marvel suddenly arrives on the battlefield and pulls Mac Gargan out of the symbiote. Venom decides to re-assemble with Ms. Marvel; it manages to fully suppress Ms. Marvel and took the full control of her body, but not her mind. Even so, Venom was able to read her brain like an opened book and discovered that Carol has an affection to Peter Parker. Spider-Man tried to use a bell from the church tower but suddenly found out that the bell was removed. Ms. Marvel tried to separate herself from the black suit and told Spider-Man that she needs a powerful energy charge to overcome the symbiote. Spider-Man knocked Venom onto wires and the electricity disconnected Carol from the black suit. Then it came back to it's previous host - Mac Gargan - and tried to attack heroes once more, but Spider-Man webbed Venom's legs and threw him in the air so Ms. Marvel could beat him with car bumper. That's how Venom was sent to a long flight and then crushed into the flying aircraft (probably the A.I.M. one). That was enough to stop him for now. Carol and Spidey decided to come back to the battlefield set up on the ruins of Asgard. Later before the Sentry destroyed Asgard's Venom is seen battling opponents switching from his monstrous size to his Spider-Man size. After the destruction of Asgard by the Void it is unknown what happens to Venom. After the Void is defeated, Mac/Venom are seen captured along with the rest of the Dark Avengers (except Daken). As Siege ends it is speculated that Venom/Mac is sent to jail to pay for his crimes.

Heroic Age

I'm Back!

I'm Back!

Mac Gargan and Venom are taken into The Raft after they are captured during Siege. Scientists at The Raft speculate about why the symbiote is always left attached to the host when it is taken into custody, and they proceed to separate Gargan from Venom. With Flash Thompson as the new Venom, he has began to work for his country once again. Most know that Flash lost his legs in war years ago and that he left the Military. Now, Flash has chose to serve his country again and become Venom. Trying to remove all of the tension between Venom and him being the greatest enemy of Spider-Man, Flash has been given drugs to control the evil Symbiote and the demon within himself.

However, the Symbiote is smarter than most seem to realize and has been able to break free of Flash's control without dispatch's knowledge. If dispatch did realize that Flash had lost control they would terminate both Flash and Venom. Flash is still trying maintain control and be a hero like that of his idol Spider-man.

When Blackheart attacked Las Vegas, Flash worked with X-23, the new Ghost Rider, and the Red Hulk to stop him. Briefly, Red Hulk was host to both the Ghost Rider and the Venom Symbiote.

Thompson would later go on to join the Guardians of the Galaxy and visit the planet of the Symbiotes.

Superior Venom

Otto Octavius as Venom

Otto Octavius as Venom

During the period where Otto Octavius had successfully replaced Peter Parker and taken over his body to become the Superior Spider-Man, he came into conflict with Agent Venom. Believing that Thompson posed a threat to his ruse, Octavius set out to kill him. Thompson survived their first battle and was able to escape, but the Symbiote was injured by Octavius' advanced weaponry.

Octavius later used his disguise as Peter to lure Flash into a trap, promising that he could give him the ability to walk again. While his machine did indeed give Flash advanced cybernetic legs, it also forcibly separated him from the Symbiote, which quickly grew scared and violent in the absence of its host. Lashing out, it bonded with Octavius, creating a new entity dubbed Superior Venom.

The Symbiote's influence heightened Octavius' already grandiose sense of self-worth, causing him to arrogantly believe that he could control the Symbiote despite Peter's failure to do so years earlier. While stopping a bank robbery, Superior Venom came into conflict with the Avengers, resulting in a massive battle. In the end, Iron Man was able to help Thompson separate the Symbiote from Octavius, allowing the two to become Agent Venom once again. Octavius was also able to cover up some of his villainous behavior by claiming that he'd been infected by Venom spores several months prior.

Lee Price

Back to basics

Back to basics

After being purified and rendered benevolent on it its home planet, the Symbiote and Thompson returned to New York when the Guardians of the Galaxy visited Earth during the second superhuman Civil War. The Symbiote was somehow separated from Thompson, and wandered the streets of New York in search of a new host. It eventually stumbled upon Lee Price, a troubled young man, who like Thompson, was a disabled military veteran.

Sensing Price's similarities to Thompson, the Symbiote bonded with him, not realizing that unlike Flash, Lee was a violent and amoral criminal. The resulting merger created a Venom similar to the original Eddie Brock version.

Powers & Abilities

The symbiote is able to mimic clothing.

The symbiote is able to mimic clothing.

Symbiotes empower the natural abilities of a host to the point where they far exceed that of normal members of the hosts' species. These abilities include the following: superhuman strength (retains the strength from previous host), speed and agility, Super enhanced durability, resistance to damage and healing ability, genetic memory, recalling information from previous hosts. Can expand to any size as long as they have something to grow on such as a host or an object. Symbiotes can get inside of small areas such as electric wires and the insides of cars and completely disable them. The Symbiote also reacts to the thoughts and will of the host. When Spider-Man was originally selected, he had been thinking about Arachne's costume. The Symbiote acted on this and formed a similar costume, the one seen on him and Venom. The Symbiote can sense the presence of other Symbiote within a certain distance. The symbiote also has the ability to shapeshift such as mimicking clothing, and the complete and utter change of appearance and stature of its host.

The symbiote has the ability to create webbing from its own mass.

The symbiote has the ability to create webbing from its own mass.

The Venom Symbiote has also adapted the spider-powers of Spider-Man, and those same powers have also been inherited by its offspring such as the ability to cling onto walls and produce an infinite amount of webbing from its own mass along with the ability to bypass Spider-Man's spider-sense. At his peak, before coming into contact with the symbiote, Brock can lift (press) 700 lbs. As Venom, Brock's strength allows him to lift (press) 25 tons which is stronger than Spider-Man himself (before having the Anti-Venom Symbiote which allowed him to lift 100 tons). Gargan can lift twice than Spider-Man, he originally could lift (press) 25 tons. The natural super-strength of Gargan, combined with the strength of the symbiote, allows him to lift (press) over 100 tons.

The Symbiote also allows the user shape-shifting abilities. Norman provided Gargan a certain-type of medicine that allows the symbiote to return to its original form to mimic Spider-Man's appearance. The medicine must be taken in between periods of times, or else the symbiote would take over Gargan. Gargan has the ability to switch between the Venom appearance and the smaller Spider-Man appearance. Additionally, the symbiote is capable of healing injuries in the host at a faster rate than normal human healing allows. The symbiote is also capable of healing injuries and illnesses that current human medical care cannot such as cancer. The symbiote can also steal the powers and abilities of other beings, and it has been recently discovered that the symbiote can recall and mimic the powers and abilities of previous hosts.

Weaknesses

The symbiote contained using sonics, one of its known weaknesses.

The symbiote contained using sonics, one of its known weaknesses.

The Venom symbiote, like almost all symbiotes, is highly vulnerable to sonics and intense heat. While the Venom symbiote has been able to endure fire and heat-based attacks and weaponry, sonics have always proven very effective against Venom. Extreme sound can cause the symbiote great pain.

List of hosts

Peter Paker

Eddie Brock

Angelo Fortunato

Mac Gargan

Ann Weying

Patricia Robertson

Flash Thompson

Lee Price

Deadpool

Carol Danvers

Groot

Rocket Raccoon

Drax The Destroyer

Thunderbolt Ross

Reed Richards

Mercurio

Doc Samson

Kulan Gath

Mayday Parker

Normie Osborn

Kron Stone

Hulk

Punisher

Wolverine

Thor

Galactus

Black Bolt

Captain America

Otto Octavius

Alternate Versions

Ultimate Universe

Ultimate Venom

Ultimate Venom

In this universe, the Symbiote is not an alien life form but a suit created to cure cancer by Eddie Brock's father and Peter Parker's father. After he is told of the suit by Eddie, Peter tried taking some so that he could experiment with it, and finish his father's work.

Unfortunately, the suit travels up Peter's arm and turns his suit black. Peter swings around in the new suit for a few hours, but soon he becomes delusional and develops psychosis. Peter is forced to destroy the suit. He then apologizes to Eddie for taking the suit, and warns him how dangerous it is. Angry at Peter, Eddie takes a second sample of the suit. When Eddie took the suit, it took control of and he became a monster attacking anyone that stands in his way. His form is a big purple-black brute that produce tendrils and spikes throughout his body, but when he absorbed the remaining Symbiote with Peter, the suit adapted the with spider insignia just like the mainstream universe. (Only within the universe of the video game "Ultimate Spider-Man")

In the story arc "War of the Symbiotes", Eddie absorbed the Carnage Symbiote from The Gwen Stacy Clone, he was finally able to control the Symbiote and also obtained a new form (as seen in the picture above). The symbiote (and Eddie) were later captured by the Beetle, who turned them over to Doctor Doom. Neither have been seen since.

Venom II

Venom II

In the story arc "Venom Wars", a new Venom symbiote was given a host in Dr. Conrad Marcus, an ex-Osborn Employee turned Roxxon Employee. In his first appearance as Venom, he had an anorexic design, but in later appearances was more monstrous and more alien looking. He murdered Betty Brant while the reporter was trying to find information on the new Spider-Man, and later attacked Jefferson Davis after mistaking him for Spider-Man. He was eventually killed by a barrage of police gunfire during a battle with Miles Morales.

Characteristics

Height: 5'11" (as Brock), 7'8" (Variable, as Venom)

Weight: 175 lbs (as Brock), 2751 lbs (Variable, as Venom).

Eyes: Blue (as Brock), Brown (as Marcus), White (as Venom), Red (as Complete Venom)

Hair: Blond (as Brock), Black (as Marcus), None (as Venom)

Marvel Zombieverse

In this reality, a virus spread throughout the world, turning all super humans into flesh-eating zombies. Eddie Brock who was possessed by the Venom Symbiote has become infected and the Symbiote is slowly dying because it needed a live host in order to survive. He was eventually defeated by a cosmically powered Spider-Man after eating that reality's Silver Surfer and Galactus.

Earth X

May Parker: the Earth X Venom

May Parker: the Earth X Venom

In this universe, May Parker, the daughter of Spider-Man, is seen controlling the Venom Symbiote. Much to the dismay of her father.

MC2

In this alternate future, the Venom Symbiote is very much alive and has bonded with Normie Osborn, the son of Harry Osborn and grandson of the original Green Goblin, Norman Osborn. The Symbiote bonded with him and manage to control it, becoming a hero. The Symbiote died to protecting Spider-Girl and her father from Hobgoblin.

Marvel 2099

Venom 2099

Venom 2099

In the far away future, Kron Stone was a rich, spoiled brat that tried to kill Miguel O'Hara or at least, harm him really bad. When Punisher 2099 almost killed him, he fell into the sewer and came in contact with an alien mutation that wanted to have a host, thus creating Venom 2099. This Venom also has acidic saliva.

House of M

In this reality created by Scarlet Witch where earth is ruled by mutants and humans are the minority. Venom is an villain being played by an actor on the movie about Spider-Man, with Mary Jane playing Peter's wife, Gwen Stacy.

Unknown reality

The Venom symbiote of an unknown alternate reality where superheroes are at a massive territorial war was used to regrow U.S.Agent's limbs which he lost during Siege.

Larval Universe

In this universe, Venom is an alien pig named Pork Grind.

Marvel Mangaverse

In this reality, Venom is a human ninja employed by Kingpin and responsible for the death of the reality's Spider-Man's father, who happens to be the reality's Uncle Ben. When Venom and Spider-Man fought and Spider-Man won, he spared Venom's life. When an amulet of the Symbiote surface, it was worn by Spider-Man which made him very powerful, but when he tried to removed it, it almost killed him. Venom got hold of the amulet and wore it to sacrifice himself to return his debt to Spider-Man. Venom returned from the dead is now looking more like the Venom in the mainstream universe. He agreed to teach Spider-Man the ways of being the most powerful ninja. But when Peter found out the true origins of the Spider-Clan ninjas, he declined being the leader and pass the title to Venom.

What If...? - Alternate Realities

Venom, along with Eddie Brock and other hosts, appear in the What If...? series.

What If... The Alien Costume Possessed Spider-Man?

In this alternate reality, Spider-man seeks the help of Reed Richards to understand his new black suit. After performing a cat-scan on Peter, Reed determines that the suit is alive. In an attempt to remove the suit, Reed blasts Peter with a sonic blaster but the symbiote is already bonded with Peter and does not leave his body. With the help of Dr. Strange, the Fantastic Four try to remove the symbiote but are unsuccessful, and with the symbiote in complete control the two escape. Days later, the Avengers are subduing the Hulk while he is being possessed by Nightmare. The alien-possessed Spider-Man appears seemingly out of nowhere, and the symbiote leaves Peter and bonds with the Hulk. Much to the dismay of the onlooking Avengers, Peter has been drained by the alien and passes away. Thor later appears to defeat the alien-possessed Hulk. The symbiote is remorseful for what it did to Peter, and attacks Thor. Thor's hammer is no match for the symbiote, and it leaves Bruce Banner's body. Thor finds Banner, who seems to be cured of the Hulk, but the symbiote bonds with Thor and escapes, leaving Reed Richards, with a sonic blaster, and the Avengers watching. The symbiote flees to Mt. Rushmore, and in a last ditch effort, Reed sends Black Bolt to confront the alien. Black Bolt screams and Mt. Rushmore is destroyed. Thor survives the symbiote's bond and the symbiote is severely weakened. Black Cat appears and shoots the symbiote with a sonic blaster, killing it. Felicia walks away, mourning the death of her lover, Spider-Man.

Earth-92164

No Caption Provided

In this alternate reality, the weakened symbiote separates from Peter Parker during the events depicted in "Web of Spider-Man #1". With Eddie Brock nowhere in sight and in need of a new host, the symbiote finds its next closest victim: Frank Castle (AKA Punisher). Catching him unaware, the symbiote attaches itself to Castle. The next few days sees Castle continuing his crusade against crime as usual, with a little "help" from the symbiote. After wasting the Kingpin and other rival crime-lords, the Punisher's fellow crime-fighters become concerned. They stage an intervention and confront Castle. An internal struggle ensues between Castle and the symbiote within the Punisher's mind. Eventually, by sheer force of will, Castle wins and regains control. He then escapes, while his fellow crime-fighters allow him to go free. With a city-wide gang war fast approaching, they feel that there are worse things to worry about besides a powerfully-Venomized Punisher.

Battleworld - The Warzone

In this domain on the Battleworld created by Doctor Doom, the event known as Civil War never ended. Mac Gargan, the current host, was killed by an explosion during the battle of 42 along with fifteen million other people. The United States later broke into two factions: The Blue, controlled by Steve Rogers, and The Iron, controlled by Iron. Somewhere along the line, the Venom symbiote was obtained by the Blue and attached itself to Clint Barton. This new Venom is shown killing King Ock (Doctor Octopus' Arms attached to the corpse of Kingpin) by shooting it through the head with Daredevil's Billy Club

Other Media

Animated

Spider-Man: The Animated Series

Venom from Spider-Man: The Animated Series

Venom from Spider-Man: The Animated Series

Eddie Brock made a few appearances in the series, and was voiced by Hank Azaria, he eventually joins with the Symbiote and attempts to torment Spider-Man, and later learns his identity. After Venom was separated from Brock, Spider-Man attached it to a rocket and it was sent to space. It eventually came back and gave birth to Carnage. It then went looking for Eddie Brock to bond with him again. After possessing a female bystander he then makes his host go to the institute to break Brock out of there. Venom eventually helps Spider-Man and Iron Man defeat Dormammu, but ends up being sucked into a portal, as he saves his girlfriend from Carnage.

Spider-Man Unlimited

Unlimited Venom

Unlimited Venom

Eddie Brock made very few appearances in this series due to Venom being in control of him. But eventually he breaks free of him only to be bonded back with Venom.

The Spectacular Spider-Man

Spectacular Venom

Spectacular Venom

Eddie Brock appears in The Spectacular Spider-Man, voiced by Ben Diskin. He is a close friend and former classmate of Peter Parker, who is greatly interested in science. He begins to develop a hatred for Peter and for Spider-Man over time and, after bonding with the captured symbiote, he becomes Venom. He then attempts to make Peter's life intolerable.

Ultimate Spider-Man

Ultimate Venom

Ultimate Venom

Venom appeared as a symbiote that has been part of Spider-Man's blood.It was let free by Dr. Octopus and it got a lot of hosts until it got to Spider-Man.Spider-Man fought with it and thought that it was destroyed but later he found out that the symbiote is alive and it's host is Harry Osborn.Firstly he was able to control it and was the new Spider-Man but later he lost control and Spider-Man had to put him down.The battle showed that the symbiote is faster and stronger but Spider-Man attacked him with electricity and it was revealed that the symbiote is vulnerable to electricity.The symbiote was fried and Harry was freed from it.

Agent Venom

Agent Venom

Venom returns in several subsequent episodes, usually with Harry as its host once again. In the third season, Flash Thompson bonds with the symbiote and becomes the heroic Agent Venom.

Films

Spider-Man 3

Spider-Man bonds with the symbiote

Spider-Man bonds with the symbiote

Eddie Brock in the Spider-Man 3 film is played by Topher Grace. Eddie is a photographer for the Daily Bugle who is currently dating Gwen Stacy. Eddie makes his presence known when a crane accident took place. He was there taking pictures of the scene and saw Spider-Man come to the rescue then began to take pictures of him and told Spider-Man that he was "the new guy" at the Bugle. Peter was surprised under the mask and told Eddie that they all ready had a guy, Eddie replied with some insults to peter saying that his pictures make Spider-Man look chunky and that he was an armature.

And then Eddie went to the Daily Bugle to sell some Spidey pictures to J. Jonah Jameson. Eddie got held up at the front desk laying some pick-up lines on Jonahs secretary till he got the chance to slide into Jonah's office. Jonah didn't even know who Eddie was and until another member of his staff had reminded Jonah that he hired Eddie. Eddie introduced himself and tried to sell his pictures till peter bust on the scene and tried to sell his pictures of Spidey. once again Eddie insulted Peter's pictures saying that photography isn't all about "flag poles". So Eddie and Pete each tried to convince Jonah to buy there pictures but Jonah decided to go with Eddie's picture since they were cheaper and Eddie complimented on Jonah's shirt. Then Eddie said some sob things to get a staff job. Peter immediately struck back saying he deserved the staff spot more. Jonah couldn't decide so set peter and Eddie on a mission, who ever got the picture of Spider-Man with "his hand in the cookie jar" would get the staff job. The two headed out to get the picture.

Peter had gotten sucked into the symbiote and had on his black suit when he went to go fight the Sandman. Eddie showed up and took pictures of black suit Spidey to complete the mission Jonah sent him and Pete off to do. Eddie got the pictures but in the black suit Spider-Man was more cocky and "evil" so to speak and threw eddies camera into a wall destroying the pictures he took of black suit Spidey. Eddie complained but then took out a digital camera and took pictures of some things and then cheated to get the staff job by taking a picture of Spider-Man and turning it black putting a money bag in spider-mans hand and had him slinging away from a bank. Peter knew that the pictures were fake and edited by Eddie so then went to the Daily Bugle and interrupted eddies celebration on getting the staff job and put Eddie up against a wall telling him he knew they were fake pictures. Eddie begged peter not to tell anyone but peter didn't listen and told the staff and proved that the picture was edited, Eddie was immediately fired by Jonah.

Later in the film, Eddie was so mad about Peter taking away his reputation that he went to the church to beg god to kill Peter Parker. While Eddie was at the church he heard someone screaming so went to check it out. it was Peter ripping off the symbiote suit, some of the symbiote got on Eddie and took over his body turning him into the dreaded Venom.

Eddie as Venom

Eddie as Venom

He later roams the streets of New York and gets attacked by Sandman who thinks he is Spider-Man. At that point Venom gets Sandman to team-up with him to defeat Spider-Man. Eddie disguised as a cab driver kidnaps Mary Jane and traps her in the cab suspended in a big web hanging on a building at a construction site. He and Sandman are then seen on the news by Spider-Man. As Spider-Man arrives to get Mary Jane, Venom attacks Spider-Man. Venom gets the upper hand by tying Spider-Man down while Sandman crushes him. This is stopped by Harry Osborn. Later on, Venom almost kills Spider-Man with Harry's glider but Harry jumps in front of Spider-Man getting stabbed instead. All of a sudden after some pipes falls Venom's symbiote starts weakening from the high pitch sound which Spider-Man uses as a weapon. Trapping a weak Venom, Spider-Man manages to pull Eddie away from the symbiote. Spider-Man then throws a bomb at it after it tries to attack, but Eddie jumps into the symbiote trying to save it before the bomb goes off. The bomb explodes and both Eddie and the symbiote are gone. Only a small piece of the symbiote remains, left in Curt Connor's lab.

Venom (2018)

Venom in the 2018 film

Venom in the 2018 film

A standalone Venom film, unconnected to Topher Grace's portrayal of the character in Spider-Man 3, is currently in the works. The film will be an origin story, exploring how Eddie Brock first came into contact with the Venom symbiote. Directed by Ruben Fleischer, the film stars Tom Hardy as Eddie Brock, Michelle Williams as Anne Weying and Riz Ahmed as Carlton Drake, with Woody Harrelson and Jenny Slate also appearing in undisclosed roles.

Novels

Spider-Man Super Thriller (1): Midnight Justice

No Caption Provided

Spider-Man faces the fight of his life when the nightmare creature known as Venom targets both the web-slinger and his alter-ego Peter Parker for destruction!

The deadly alien symbiote and its human host, Eddie Brock, collectively known as Venom, harbor a growing hatred for Spider-Man that violently explodes when Parker and Spider-Man are credited with helping clean up crime in the subways. But these tunnels are the domain of Venom, and the clean-up is his doing. The credit should rightly go to him!

Venom challenges Spider-Man to a deadly midnight showdown at Manhattan's criminal court building in the middle of the worst snowstorm of the century. It's a brutal, no-holds-barred contest, in which all the advantages seem to lie with Venom. Spider-Man and guest star the Human Torch must bag the crazed villain, or go down in the attempt!

Written By: Martin Delrio

Publisher: Pocket (April, 1996)

ISBN-10: 0671568515

ISBN-13: 978-0671568511

Spider-Man: The Lizard Sanction

No Caption Provided

The deadly Lizard is on a rampage through the Florida Everglades, as he seeks a cure for his hideous condition-- the result of an experiment gone horribly wrong. A heartbeat away is the alien symbiote known as Venom, targeting the Lizard for death, and he won't let anyone stand in his way.

Peter Parker, the amazing Spider-Man, is also in Florida to cover the next space shuttle launch for the Daily Bugle. Disaster strikes when he discovers that his two lethal foes are running wild through the Everglades, just as the launch is sabotaged by a group of sinister mercenaries!

Why is Venom hunting the Lizard? And who are the mercenaries about to wreak havoc in southern Florida? What is their connection to the Lizard's search for a cure?

This triple threat presents Spider-Man with the challenge of his life as he desperately battles against time, the heat, and the savage trail of the Lizard and Venom!

Written By: Diane Duane

Publisher: Putnam Adult (October, 1995)

ISBN-10: 0399141057

ISBN-13: 978-0399141058

Spider-Man: The Octopus Agenda

No Caption Provided

Spider-Man and his arch-enemy, Venom, must put aside their differences and join forces to stop the ruthless Dr. Octopus, the mastermind of an insidious plot to take over the world.

Written By: Diane Duane

Publisher: Berkley (August, 1997)

ISBN-10: 1572972793

ISBN-13: 978-1572972797

Spider-Man: The Venom Factor

No Caption Provided

In a Manhattan warehouse, an innocent man has been murdered during a mysterious crime. Evidence points to the involvement of Venom-- the alien symbiote who is obsessed with Spider-Man's destruction. Yet Venom has always safeguarded innocent lives--- has he gone completely around the bend, or is there another suspect?

Spider-Man thinks there is more to the crime than meets the eye. The spectre of the Hobgoblin, one of Spider-Man's nastiest villains, falls on a series of thefts, and leads the web-slinger to a deadly secret that may cause New York's destruction. Spider-Man must outsmart two of his most lethal foes to save the city-- but even more danger awaits him!

Written By: Diane Duane

Publisher: Berkley (November, 1995)

ISBN-10: 1572970383

ISBN-13: 978-1572970380

Spider-Man: Venom's Wrath

No Caption Provided

Ann Weying, ex-wife to Eddie Brock--aka the super-villain Venom--has been kidnapped, along with Daily Bugle editor Robbie Robertson and a police captain. Spider-Man must work with the NYPD to find the kidnappers before Venom carves a bloody swath through New York City to find his beloved!

Written By: Keith R.A. DeCandido & Jose R. Nieto

Publisher: Berkley (October, 1998)

ISBN-10: 0425165744

ISBN-13: 978-0425165744

Video Games

Spider-Man: Web of Shadows (Video Game)

In Web of Shadows

In Web of Shadows

The game starts with Venom attacking Spider-Man and Mary Jane. Venom had Spider-Man in his claws and was about to eat him, when part of the Symbiote came off of Eddie and bonded with Spider-Man. Spider-Man engages Venom in a fight Venom half way through says, "You dare to take the other from me, I will take the girl from you". Spider-Man beats Venom. He then goes to make sure that Mary Jane is okay, but when he looks around, Venom is gone. Over the next few days, citizens begin to take on a more primal nature and show some of the same abilities as Venom.

Spider-Man eventually finds Venom in the process of turning people into Symbiotes. He says that whatever happened during their last fight, it made him stronger and more powerful. He also says that Brock is no longer in control. After a long fight, Venom runs off. Venom's Symbiotes keep spreading until S.H.I.E.L.D. has to quarantine Manhattan, and blow up the bridge. After days of fighting, the Tinkerer creates a sonic transmitter which Spider-man pushes off the Trask tower at the last second when Tinkerer was about to start it up. Spider-man then said, "No more games, this time Venom dies." He then realized that Venom was on the S.H.I.E.L.D. helicarrier. After setting up all the bombs, Venom confronts Spider-Man. Venom is now however a huge monstrous beast with five heads. He has no lower body and is like a giant slug. (Red Side) Venom later dies when Brock sacrifices himself to destroy the ship. (Black Side) Venom later dies when Brock reaches out for help from Spider-Man, but Spider-Man tricks him and webs Eddie up and gets the web stuck in the turbine and Venom plunges to his death.

Ultimate Spider-Man (Video Game)

Limited Edition Venom Cover

Limited Edition Venom Cover

The game starts with a short recount of Venom's first appearance in the Ultimate Spider-Man comic books series. Eddie is next seen on a bench wondering how he managed to stay alive. The suit quickly takes control and begins eating a bunch of people in Central Park. Silver Sable and the Wild Pack try to capture Venom but fail.

The next day, Venom attacks an art museum and confronts Spider-Man. Before they do any serious fighting, Silver Sable shows up and shoots Venom with with some kind of neutralizing agent which knocks Eddie unconscious, allowing them to successfully capture him. Eddie is next seen in a containment facility owned by Trask Industries. The owner, Bolivar Trask, states that since they own the suit they wish to test it. When Eddie says that it is to much to control, Trask says that hey will find someone else to test it if he dies. If he is left to long in there without food, then the suit will consume Eddie until there is nothing left. Eddie gives in and agrees to help them test the suit.

His first mission is to break a prisoner out of Ryker's Island, namely Electro. He completes this task with ease. His next mission is to fight him, since the suit shows a weakness to electricity. However, as Venom and Electro start fighting, Spider-Man shows up and starts taunting Electro. However he was then knocked unconscious by a bolt of lightning. Venom didn't want Spider-Man to be killed though he wanted to kill Spider-Man himself. So as he fought Electro, he also had to protect Spider-Man. After he him up, he turned towards Spider-Man and was about to kill him to when S.H.I.E.L.D. agents surrounded him. Realizing that killing Spider-Man would have to wait, Venom fled. Even thought the S.H.I.E.L.D. agents followed him, he managed to get away.

Back at Trask Industries, Eddie explains that whenever he is around Spider-Man, the suit feels more control, and that that makes him feel good. Eddie then exposes Peter Parker as Spider-Man. Trask decides to kidnap Peter, so he can help Eddie get more control over the suit. While captive, a scientist injected Peter with part of the suit. This gave Peter his own suit, which in the game has been called Carnage (not the same Carnage as in the comics though, this was its own entity). Carnage escaped, and quickly found Eddie. Venom and Carnage brawled for a while, until Venom grabbed the tired Carnage and ate the suit. A now scared Peter asked Eddie what was going on. Venom answered, "I have absolute, total, control!" Venom decided to settle the score with Trask when Venom was about to go after Trask at his office Spider-Man kicks him out of the window then Trask tries to escape by helicopter, problem is he doesn't know how to fly the helicopter! and sitting inside it while at the mercy of a vengeful Eddie Brock. He tries to push the helicopter off the Trask building with Trask inside intending to let him fall to his death but Spider-Man was able to stop him and take Eddie down for the count, unfortunately he managed to escape without peter noticing before S.H.I.E.L.D. arrives at the scene. Shortly after his battle with Spidey, Trask was taken to a state prison off the coast of the city and was sentenced to spend his time there for 3 years Eddie appears before him and presumably kills him when he was alone, He remains at large and whether he and Peter will encounter each is unknown.

Marvel Ultimate Alliance

Venom is a DLC character in the villains pack along with Doctor Doom, Magneto and Sabretooth. This DLC was only for Xbox 360.

Marvel Ultimate Alliance 2

Mac Gargan as Venom

Mac Gargan as Venom

In this game the Mac Gargan Venom is controlled by The Fold by nanites in his bloodstream. After he and Green Goblin are defeated the heroes take a sample of the Nano-Tech from Prison 42 to cure him and Goblin. He is unlocked after the heroes defeat him and the Green Goblin.

Marvel Super Hero Squad Online (Massively Multiplayer Online Game)

Venom appears as a mission boss in this family friendly free-to-play MMO, Black-Suit Spider-Man is a playable character for subscribers.

Marvel vs. Capcom series

Venom from MVC2

Venom from MVC2

Venom appears in this Japanese fighting game series, starting with Marvel vs. Capcom: Clash of the Super Heroes from 1998. He returns in Marvel vs. Capcom 2: Match of Millennium, and while not present in Marvel vs. Capcom 3: Fate of Two Worlds, the Venom Symbiote does appear as an alternate costume for Spider-Man. Venom returns as a DLC character in Marvel vs. Capcom: Infinite, with Anti-Venom available as an alternate costume.

Spider-Man: Shattered Dimensions

Spider-Man using the Venom symbiote

Spider-Man using the Venom symbiote

In this game, the Ultimate version of Spider-Man (voiced by Josh Keaton) wears his symbiote costume. This differentiates him from the other Spider-Men by allowing him to use the symbiote's spikes and tendrils to attack his opponents. He also has access to a Rage mechanic.

Disney Infinity 2.0

Venom in Disney Infinity

Venom in Disney Infinity

Venom is a playable character in the game. Additionally, duplicates of the Venom symbiote appear as enemy characters. Matt Lanter reprises his role.

Lego Marvel Super Heroes

Lego Venom

Lego Venom

Venom appears as a playable character in the game in both his classic Eddie Brock and Ultimate forms.

Spider-Man Unlimited

Superior Venom

Superior Venom

Multiple versions of Venom appear in the game, including the classic Eddie Brock Venom, Superior Venom, Agent Venom, She-Venom and Venom 2099.

Marvel Heroes

Marvel Heroes 2015

Marvel Heroes 2015

The Eddie Brock version of Venom is a playable character, voiced by Neil Kaplan. Agent Venom was later released as a Team-Up character, voiced by Crispin Freeman.

Other Video Game appearances:

Separation Anxiety

Separation Anxiety

Spider-Man (Sega Genesis, Sega CD)

Spider-Man (Sega Genesis, Super Nintendo)

Spider-Man & Venom: Maximum Carnage (Super Nintendo, Sega Genesis)

Venom & Spider-Man: Separation Anxiety (Super Nintendo)

Spider-Man (Nintendo 64, Playstation, Playstation 2)

Marvel Nemesis: Rise of the Imperfects (Nintendo Gamecube, Playstation 2, X-Box)

Spider-Man 3 (Playstation 2, Playstation 3, X-Box 360, Nintendo Wii, PSP, PC)

Spider-Man Friend or Foe (X-Box 360, Playstion 3, PC, PSP)

Spider-Man Web of Shadows (X-Box 360, Playstation 3, Nintendo Wii, PC)

Merchandise

A Venom statue by Kotobukiya

A Venom statue by Kotobukiya

Venom has received numerous toys, statues, and other merchandise, and has even appeared in kits by Lego. A small sampling includes:

Peter Parker

Marvel Legends

Marvel Legends

A symbiote costume Spider-Man figure was released in Mattel's Secret Wars line back in the 1980s.

A 10-inch black costume Spider-Man figure was released for ToyBiz's Marvel Universe line.

Black costume Spider-Man was featured in ToyBiz's toy line for Spider-Man: The Animated Series.

Symbiote costume Spider-Man appeared in ToyBiz's Spider-Man Classics line. The figure came complete with a symbiote display base. A 12-inch symbiote costume Spider-Man was also released by ToyBiz.

Symbiote costume Spider-Man was also featured in the Marvel Legends Showdown series by ToyBiz.

Symbiote costume Spider-Man was featured in Hasbro's toyline for Spider-Man 3.

Hot Toys created a figure of the movie version of the symbiote suit Spider-Man.

Bandai created a figure of the movie version of symbiote suit Spider-Man for the Movie Realization line.

Black suit Spider-Man appeared in Hasbro's Super Hero Squad line.

Hasbro produced a black suit Spider-Man figure for its Spectacular Spider-Man line.

Symbiote costume Spider-Man was featured in Hasbro's Marvel Legends line several time.

Black suit Spider-Man was featured in Hasbro's Marvel Universe line.

Studios like Bowen, Sideshow Collectibles and Diamond Select produced statues and busts of the character.

The first figure was a movie version of the suit that was included in the movie Sandman Build-a-Figure wave, the second was a comic version featured in the Red Hulk Build-a-Figure wave, and the third was featured in the 2017 comic Sandman Build-a-Figure wave.

Black suit Spider-Man was featured in Hasbro's 12-inch Marvel Legends line.

Black Suit Spider-Man was featured in Funko's Pop! line of bobbleheads.

Eddie Brock

Marvel Select Venom

Marvel Select Venom

Eddie Brock received figures from Toy Biz for both the comics and the 90s animated Spider-Man series.

Eddie Brock was featured in the Spider-Man Classics line from both Toy Biz and Hasbro in several forms, including one that came with an "Alien Ooze" display base, and the popular "Symbiote Blast Venom" figure, which is widely cited as one of the best Venom figures ever made.

Eddie Brock has been featured three times in the Marvel Legends line. In the original Toy Biz line, he appeared in the Sinister Six box set as a retool of the companie's previous Sabretooth figure. When Hasbro took over the Marvel Legends brand, they released a new comic figure as part of the Absorbing Man Build-a-Figure wave.

Eddie Brock was featured in Diamond's Marvel Select line.

Venom was featured in various kid-oriented lines from Hasbro, such as those for the Spectacular and Ultimate Spider-Man cartoons and their Super Hero Squad line.

Various statues of Venom have been released by companies like Gentle Giant, Bowen Studios, and Kotobukia, among others.

Japanese toy companies like Square Enix and Kaiyodo have released figures of Eddie Brock as Venom.

Ultimate Venom

Marvel Select Ultimate Venom

Marvel Select Ultimate Venom

Diamond released an Ultimate Venom figure for the Marvel Select line.

Kaiyodo released an Ultimate Venom figure for the Ultimate Spider-Man Action Vignette Figure line.

Ultimate Venom was featured in Hasbro's toy line for the Ultimate Spider-Man animated series.

Ultimate Venom was featured in the "Spider-Man Spider-Cycle Chase" Lego kit.

Mac Gargan

Scorpion Stinger Venom

Scorpion Stinger Venom

A figure of Mac Gargan was released for Hasbro's Spider-Man Classics line. It was actually a repaint of the earlier "Symbiote Blast Venom" figure from Toy Biz's Spider-Man Classics line.

Gargan later received a second figure from Hasbro's Spider-Man Classics line in the form of the "Scorpion Stinger Venom" toy.

Otto Octavius

Marvel Legends Superior Venom

Marvel Legends Superior Venom

Hasbro released a Superior Venom figure as part of the Marvel Legends Rhino Build-a-Figure wave.

Flash Thompson

Kotobukiya Agent Venom

Kotobukiya Agent Venom

Hasbro released an Agent Venom figure as a Walgreens exclusive.

Agent Venom was featured as part of Hasbro's line for the Ultimate Spider-Man animated series.

Hasbro released an Agent Venom figure for the Titan Heroes line.

Diamond released an Agent Venom figure as part of the Marvel Select line.

Kotobukiya released an Agent Venom statue as part of the ARTFX line.

Movie figures

Marvel Legends Venom

Marvel Legends Venom

Venom was featured heavily in Hasbro's toyline for Spider-Man 3.

Hasbro also produced a deluxe 10" Venom figure.

Venom was featured in Hasbro's Marvel Legends series as part of the Spider-Man Trilogy wave.

Diamond Select released a bust of Venom from the film.

A movie version of Venom was released as part of Hasbro's Unleashed 360 line.

Diamond Select also released a statue of Venom fighting Spider-Man during the movie's climactic battle.

Gentle Giant also released a Venom bust.

Medicom released a deluxe Venom figure.