Venom (comics)

Venom, or the Venom Symbiote, is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics, commonly in association with Spider-Man. Venom made his first appearance in The Amazing Spider-Man #300 (May 1988).^[1] Venom was originally conceived as a supervillain, but has since become more of an antihero. Venom is a Symbiote, a sentient alien, with a gooey, almost liquid-like form. As with real-world symbiotes, it requires a host, usually human, to bond with for its survival. After bonding, the Symbiote endows its enhanced powers upon the host. When the Venom Symbiote bonds with a human, that new dual-life form refers to itself as "Venom".

The Venom Symbiote's first known host was Spider-Man, who eventually separated himself from the creature when he discovered its true nature. The Symbiote went on to merge with other hosts, most notably Eddie Brock, its second and most infamous host, with whom it first became Venom and one of Spider-Man's archenemies.^[2] According to S.H.I.E.L.D., it is considered one of the greatest threats to humanity, alongside Magneto, Doctor Doom, and Red Skull.^[3]

Comics journalist and historian Mike Conroy writes of the character: "What started out as a replacement costume for Spider-Man turned into one of the Marvel web-slinger's greatest nightmares."^[4][5] Venom was ranked as the 22nd Greatest Comic Book Villain of All Time in IGN's list of the top 100 comic villains.^[6] IGN also ranked Mac Gargan's incarnation of Venom as #17 in their list of "The Top 50 Avengers",^[7] while the Flash Thompson incarnation was ranked as #27.^[8] The character was listed as #33 on Empire Magazine's 50 Greatest Comic Book Characters.^[9]

Publication history

Conception and creation

The original idea of a new costume for Spider-Man that would later become the character Venom was conceived of by a Marvel Comics reader from Norridge, Illinois named Randy Schueller.^[10] Marvel purchased the idea for $220.00 after the editor-in-chief at the time, Jim Shooter, sent Schueller a letter acknowledging Marvel's desire to acquire the idea from him, in 1982. Schueller's design was then modified by Mike Zeck, becoming the Symbiote costume.^[11]

Shooter came up with the idea of switching Spider-Man to a black-and-white costume, possibly influenced by the intended costume design for the new Spider-Woman, with artists Mike Zeck and Rick Leonardi, as well as others, designing the black-and-white costume.^[12] Writer/artist John Byrne states on his website that the idea for a costume made of self-healing biological material was one he originated when he was the artist on Iron Fist to explain how that character's costume was constantly being torn and then apparently repaired by the next issue, explaining that he ended up not using the idea on that title, but that Roger Stern later asked him if he could use the idea for Spider-Man's alien costume. Stern in turn plotted the issue in which the costume first appeared but then left the title. It was writer Tom DeFalco and artist Ron Frenz who had established that the costume was a sentient alien being and also that it was vulnerable to high sonic energy during their run on The Amazing Spider-Man that preceded Michelinie's.^[13]

Hosts

Spider-Man

The Amazing Spider-Man #300 (May 1988) is Venom's first appearance.^[1] Cover art by Todd McFarlane.

The Symbiote first appeared in Marvel Super Heroes Secret Wars #8 (May 1984), in which writer Jim Shooter and artist Mike Zeck depicted the heroes and villains of the Marvel Universe transported to another planet called Battleworld by a being called the Beyonder. After Spider-Man's costume is ruined from battles with the villains, he is directed by Thor and the Hulk to a room at the heroes' base where they inform him a machine can read his thoughts and instantly fabricate any type of clothing. Choosing a machine he believes to be the correct one, Spider-Man causes a black sphere to appear before him, which spreads over his body, dissolving the tattered old costume and covering his body to form a new black and white costume. To Spider-Man's surprise, the costume can mimic street clothes and provides a seemingly inexhaustible and stronger supply of webbing.^[14][15]

Writer Tom DeFalco and artist Ron Frenz subsequently established that the costume was a sentient alien Symbiote and also that it was vulnerable to both flame and high sonic energy during their run on The Amazing Spider-Man. It was in that storyline that the costume would envelop Peter Parker while he slept, and go out at night to fight crime, leaving Parker inexplicably exhausted in the morning. Parker had the costume examined by Reed Richards, who discovered that it was alive, and when Parker realized it was trying to permanently bond to Parker's body, he rejected it, and it was subsequently contained by the Fantastic Four.^[16][17] The Symbiote escaped^[18] and attacked Parker, who used the sound waves from a cathedral's church bell to repel it.^[19]

Eddie Brock

David Michelinie would later write the backstory of Eddie Brock as the alien's new host that would become the villain Venom, using the events of Peter David's 1985 "Sin Eater" storyline in Spectacular Spider-Man as a basis for Brock's origin.^[12] Venom's existence was first indicated in Web of Spider-Man #18 (Sept. 1986), when he shoved Peter Parker in front of a subway train without Parker's spider-sense warning him, though only Brock's hand was seen on-panel. The next indication of Venom's existence was in Web of Spider-Man #24 (March 1987), when Parker had climbed out of a high story window to change into Spider-Man, but found a black arm coming through the window and grabbing him, again without being warned by his spider-sense. Venom made his cameo appearance on the last page of The Amazing Spider-Man #299 (April 1988), when he terrorized Parker's wife, Mary Jane Watson, and made his full appearance in The Amazing Spider-Man #300 (May 1988).^[1] Spider-Man would confront him in the following issue, when Brock reveals that he was a Daily Globe reporter who worked on the Sin-Eater case, and that his career was ruined when it was discovered that the man Brock announced as the Sin Eater was a compulsive confessor. Forced to eke out a living writing lurid stories for venomous tabloids, Brock blamed Spider-Man for his predicament. He took up bodybuilding to reduce stress. It failed to do so, and Brock sank into a suicidal depression. Seeking solace at the church where Spider-Man repelled the Symbiote, the Symbiote—sensing Brock's hatred for Spider-Man—bonded with the disgraced reporter. Brock took on the name Venom in reference to the sensationalistic material he was forced to traffic in following his fall from grace.^[20][21]

The Venom Symbiote bonds to Spider-Man in Secret Wars #8. Text by Jim Shooter. Pencils by Mike Zeck.

Over the years, as the Symbiote gained more intelligence and moved to additional human hosts, the name began to apply to the Symbiote as well as its hosts. As Venom, Brock fights Spider-Man many times, winning on several occasions. Venom repeatedly tries to kill Peter Parker/Spider-Man—both when the latter was in and out of costume. Thus Parker is forced to abandon his "black costume", which the Symbiote had been mimicking, after Venom confronts Parker's wife Mary Jane.^[22]

Venom escapes from the supervillain prison, The Vault, to torment Spider-Man and his family.^[23][24] The Symbiote is finally rendered comatose after being subdued by Styx's plague virus, and Eddie Brock is subsequently placed in Ryker's Island Prison.^[25] When the Symbiote recovers and returns to free Brock, it leaves a spawn to bond with Brock's psychotic serial-killer cellmate Cletus Kasady, who becomes Carnage.^[26] Meanwhile, Venom and Spider-Man fight on a deserted island, and Spider-Man strands Venom there after faking his own death.^[27] Soon after, however, Spider-Man brings Venom back to New York City in order to stop Carnage's killing spree.^[28] After being incarcerated once again, Venom is used to create five new Symbiotes, which are all paired with human hosts.^[29]

As well as helping Eddie Brock to seek continued revenge against Spider-Man, the Symbiote also aids Brock in a sporadic career as a vigilante. He and the Symbiote occasionally share a desire to protect innocent people from harm, even if it means working side-by-side with the hated Spider-Man. This is especially true when Venom combats the entity he believes to be his spawn, Carnage. When Spider-Man helps Venom save Brock's ex-wife Ann Weying, the two form a temporary truce, though this falls apart after Weying's suicide.^[30][31]

The Symbiote is temporarily stolen by U.S. Senator Steward Ward, who hopes to better understand his own alien infection by researching the Symbiote before it returns to Brock.^[32] Now, however, it dominates its host, Brock, rather than vice versa.^[33] Eventually, Eddie Brock and the Symbiote go their separate ways as the Symbiote grows tired of having a diseased host and Eddie rejects its growing bloodlust, leading him to sell the Symbiote at a super villain auction.

The creature that would become Venom was born to a race of extraterrestrial Symbiotes, which lived by possessing the bodies of other life-forms. The parasites would endow their victims with enhanced physical abilities, at the cost of fatally draining them of adrenaline. According to the 1995 "Planet of the Symbiotes" storyline, the Venom Symbiote was deemed insane by its own race after it was discovered that it desired to commit to its host rather than use it up. The Symbiote was then imprisoned on Battleworld to ensure it did not pollute the species' gene pool.

When the symbiote is separated from its new host, Lee Price, Eddie Brock is able to regain the Venom symbiote.^[34]

Mac Gargan

Mac Gargan as the third host, and the second Venom

The Venom Symbiote approaches Mac Gargan, the villain formerly known as Scorpion, and offered him new abilities as the second Venom.^[35] Gargan bonded with the creature, which would later give him an extra edge as part of Norman Osborn's Sinister Twelve.^[36] As the Avengers dealt with the rest of the Twelve, Spider-Man swiftly defeated Gargan, even with these additional powers, which Spider-Man suggests is attributed to the fact that Mac Gargan does not hate Spider-Man as much as Eddie Brock did.^[37] Gargan later became a member of a sub-group of the Thunderbolts,^[38] which was drafted^[39] by the Avengers to hunt down the members of the fugitive New Avengers. It was then revealed that he had been outfitted with electrical implants by the government to keep the Symbiote in check.^[40] When in the Venom persona, Gargan retained very little of his original personality and was controlled almost completely by the Symbiote, which drove him to cannibalism. When the Symbiote was dormant in his body, he expressed nausea and fear of the organism.^[41] During a fight with "Anti-Venom" (Eddie Brock), he and his Symbiote were separated, and the Venom Symbiote was nearly destroyed. Blobs of it still existed in his bloodstream, however, so Osborn injected Gargan with a vaccine for Anti-Venom's healing powers, which restored the Symbiote by causing the remaining pieces of it to expand rapidly. Gargan dons a Scorpion battle armor over the Symbiote while it heals, causing him to become what Spider-Man calls "Ven-orpion" although when the Symbiote is fully restored it shatters the armor.

After ingesting a chemical given to him by Norman Osborn, Venom transforms into a more human appearance similar to the Black-Suited Spider-Man. Osborn introduces him as The Amazing Spider-Man, a member of the Dark Avengers, while unveiling the team.^[42] After the Siege of Asgard, Gargan and most of the Dark Avengers were taken into custody. While being held on the Raft, the Venom Symbiote was forcefully removed from him, ending his career as Venom.^[43]

Flash Thompson

On December 9, 2010, Marvel Comics announced a new "black ops" Venom owned by the government. This new Venom was featured in a new series called Venom in March 2011. The birth of the new Venom can be seen in The Amazing Spider-Man #654 in February 2011.^[44] On January 28, 2011, the identity of "black ops" Venom was revealed to be Flash Thompson.^[45][46] Flash is hired by the government to be a special agent wearing the Venom Symbiote. Flash is only allowed to wear the suit for up to 48 hours, or risk a permanent bonding with the Symbiote. The Government is also equipped with a "kill switch" designed to take Flash out if he loses control. Along with the alien, Flash is equipped with a "Multi-Gun" designed to change into any type of gun Flash needs. Flash has battled Jack-o-Lantern, fought to stop Anti-Vibranium, and fought Kraven the Hunter in the Savage Land.^[47]

Lee Price

After being separated from Flash Thompson through unspecified means, the Venom symbiote happens upon a black market deal between Black Cat's gang and Tombstone's gang. He resorts to bonding with one of the men present, a discharged Army Ranger named Lee Price who was with Scorpion as part of Black Cat's gang. The weakened symbiote pleads with Price, attempting to convince him to become a hero like Thompson. Price ignores and overpowers it, intent on using it for personal gain as a new, wholly villainous Venom.^[48]

Lee Price makes his way to Black Cat's hideout where Scorpion accuses him or botching the black market sale by causing the shoot-out. After having to keep the Venom symbiote from attacking Black Cat, Lee Price takes his leave from Black Cat's lair as Scorpion gets suspicious towards Lee. His departure is seen by some FBI Agents. Lee Price later gets attacked by Tombstone's minion Firebug. Upon defeating Firebug, a FBI Agent with a bazooka appears telling Lee Price that he is under arrest.^[49]

Lee Price eventually loses the symbiote when Eddie Brock and Spider-Man take him down and he is arrested by the NYPD.^[34]

Other hosts

Ann Weying

Ann Weying, the bride of Venom

Ann Weying first appears in The Amazing Spider-Man #375. She is Eddie Brock's ex-wife and a successful lawyer. Weying assists Spider-Man by sharing some of Brock's history. Later, she follows Spider-Man to the amusement park where Venom had Peter's (fake) parents. She confronts Brock and manages to convince him to end his feud. After Sin-Eater shoots Ann as part of a crusade against social injustice, Ann becomes She-Venom when the Venom Symbiote temporarily bonds with her to save her life. She-Venom lashes out against the men who had hurt her, and Brock becomes afraid for her (and of her) and compels the Symbiote to return to him. Ann is left distraught at her actions while bonded. Later Ann is arrested on a false charge as part of a trap for Venom. She manages to warn Brock who sends the Symbiote to her, allowing her to become She-Venom and escape custody. Some time later, Ann, traumatized by her experiences with Venom and the Symbiote, commits suicide after seeing Spider-Man pass by her window in a black costume, believing it is Brock returning for her.^[32]

Patricia Robertson

The story follows U.S. Army communication specialist Patricia Robertson.^[50] During a supply run to an Ararat Corporation owned outpost she discovers everyone at the installation dead except for one scientist. It is revealed that the Ararat Corporation is run by an alien colony of miniature spider robots led by an entity named Bob, that have infiltrated the American government. The Ararat Corporation has cloned Venom to facilitate the extermination of humanity, but the clone ravages its hosts. The clone is responsible for the death of the outpost crew.^[51]

Robertson finds an ally in the Suit, a mysterious individual made of the same miniature robots as Bob, revealed to have been accidentally brought to Earth by Reed Richards.^[52] The Suit modifies Robertson while she is unconscious to allow her to control the clone if it bonds with her. The Suit sabotages Wolverine, the clones favored host, forcing it to bond with Robertson. One of Bob's agents convinces Robertston to kill the real Venom to save humanity, causing her to free the incarcerated Venom. She and Venom fight, but Venom escapes. Bob remotely deactivates the technology allowing Robertson to control the clone forcing her to rely on willpower. Later, Robertson and Venom again fight, and Venom absorbs the clone.^[53] Venom decides to carry out the clone's mission given to it by the Ararat corporation. The series did not continue and the plot remained unresolved as of 2012. The Venom Symbiote would later regurgitate and expel the clone from its body, allowing it to bond with a teenager named Andrea "Andi" Benton. Taking the name Mania, Benton became Agent Venom's partner for a time.^[54]

Angelo Fortunato

Angelo Fortunato first appeared in Marvel Knights Spider-Man #7 and was killed in issue #8. Angelo is the son of Don Fortunato, a prominent Mafia capo. His frail physique and shy attitude leave Angelo frequently bullied and humiliated by his father. Don attends a supervillain auction and purchases the Venom Symbiote from Brock for $100 million. Brock warns Angelo of the Symbiote, but Angelo rebuffs that he has nothing to lose.^[55] After bonding with the Symbiote, Angelo discovers the secret identity of Spider-Man, and attempts to kill him to prove his worth. Spider-Man ultimately defeats Angelo and when he tries to escape, the Symbiote abandons Angelo for his cowardice while he is leaping between buildings, leaving him to fall to his death.^[56]

Angelo appears in Marvel: Ultimate Alliance as a Marvel Knights skin for Venom. In the Game Boy Advance version of Spider-Man 3, Eddie Brock dies in a similar manner to Fortunato, having the Symbiote abandon him in mid-fall.

Deadpool

In Deadpool's Secret Secret Wars #3, it is revealed that Deadpool wore the Symbiote costume before Spider-Man put it on in the original Secret Wars event, and it's hinted that the Symbiote's aggressive behavior may be a result of its bonding with Deadpool driving it insane.

The 2016 miniseries Deadpool: Back in Black further establishes that the Venom symbiote returned to Deadpool for a time after it and Spider-Man separated during the events of Web of Spider-Man #1.^[57]

Powers and abilities

Though it requires a living host in order to survive, the Venom Symbiote has been shown to be adept at fending for itself independent of a host. The Symbiote is capable of shapeshifting abilities, including the ability to form spikes or expand its size,^[58] as well as mimic the appearance of other humanoids after it has obtained a host. The organism can additionally use its shape-shifting abilities to conceal itself by altering its coloration or by becoming completely invisible. It also contains a small "dimensional aperture", allowing its hosts to carry items without adding mass to the costume. The Symbiote also exhibits telepathic abilities, primarily when it needs to communicate with its host.

Because of its contact with Spider-Man, the Symbiote grants all of its subsequent hosts that hero's powers and cannot be detected by his spider-sense. As Spider-Man's fighting style is partly dependent on his spider-sense, his effectiveness was somewhat hampered when he battled Eddie Brock. Retaining its memory from the time it was bonded with Spider-Man, Venom is also capable of producing webbing similar to Spider-man's own variety created from itself.^[20]

Venom exhibits some immunities to the supernatural powers of others such as the Penance Stare of Ghost Rider or Spider-Man's extrasensory spider-sense. Venom, with all his force, is able to lift 13 tons. Some incarnations of the Venom Symbiote have shown it able to replicate itself. This ability is shown in the 2005–2006 miniseries Spider-Man: Reign, when Venom recreates his own Symbiote to combat his loneliness. This ability is also used by Venom in Spider-Man: Web of Shadows when he discovers the ability to copy his Symbiote and uses it to take over Manhattan.

The Venom Symbiote is vulnerable to fire and sonic waves, causing it great pain and exhaustion if it sustains enough exposure. It can sense and track all of its offspring Symbiotes except Carnage, who learned how to block this ability shortly after bonding with Cletus Kasady and confronting Venom/Eddie Brock for the first time.^[28]

Other versions

As a fictional character, Venom has appeared in a number of media, from comic books to films and television series. Each version of the work typically establishes its own continuity, and sometimes introduces parallel universes, to the point where distinct differences in the portrayal of the character can be identified. This article details various versions of Venom depicted in works including Marvel Comics' Ultimate universe and What If issues.

In other media

Television

Venom (Eddie Brock) in Spider-Man: The Animated Series standing before Dr. Ashley Kafka.

• Venom appeared in Spider-Man, with Spider-Man voiced by Christopher Daniel Barnes, and Eddie Brock voiced by Hank Azaria. At the end of "The Alien Costume: Part Two", Brock becomes Venom after Spider-Man rejects the Symbiote. At the end of "The Alien Costume: Part Three", Venom was defeated. Venom's last appearance was in Season Three, where he teams up with Spider-Man and Iron Man against Carnage, Dormammu and Baron Mordo.
• The Eddie Brock incarnation of Venom appears as an antagonist in Spider-Man Unlimited, voiced by Brian Drummond.
• Venom appears in The Spectacular Spider-Man, with Spider-Man voiced by Josh Keaton, and Eddie Brock voiced by Benjamin Diskin. In the episode "The Uncertainly Principle", the Symbiote arrives on Earth by stowing away on the space shuttle. After being rejected by Spider-Man, it bonds with Eddie in the episode "Intervention", and is ultimately defeated in the episode "Nature vs. Nurture". Venom reappeared in the Season Two episodes "First Steps", "Growing Pains" and "Identity Crisis", where he attempts to expose Spider-Man's secret identity but his plans are foiled.

• Venom appears in Ultimate Spider-Man as a recurring story element, with Harry Osborn voiced by Matt Lanter, and Goblin-Venom voiced by Steven Weber.^[59] In the episode "Venom", Doctor Octopus creates the Venom Symbiote from a sample of Spider-Man's blood. After it escapes from its creators, it temporarily fuses with a number of characters: Flash Thompson, Nova, Power Man, Iron Fist and finally Spider-Man.^[60] Harry uses the organism in the episode "Back in Black" to dress in the Black Suit Spidey and attracts positive public attention. However, Harry gradually turns into Venom until Spider-Man electrifies the suit off Harry. In the episode "Venomous", the Venom Symbiote takes control of Harry again but Spider-Man and the other heroes are able to free him thank to an Anti-Venom. Venom reappears in the episode "Rise of the Goblin" with Harry still as its host. Harry manages to shake off the Venom suit via electricity, providing Green Goblin to take the suit and vowing to find someone more deserving. In the episode "Carnage", Green Goblin kidnaps and forcibly injects Peter Parker with the Goblin/Venom formula which transforms the boy into Carnage. When Carnage defeats Spider-Man's team and attempts to kill them, Harry stops Carnage then rebonds with the Symbiote which reverts into its original Venom form. Venom finds and attacks Green Goblin, intending to kill his father. However, Peter manages to convince Harry to get rid of the Symbiote to which S.H.I.E.L.D. manages to capture to ensure that it won't cause any more harm. In the episode "Venom Bomb", Green Goblin unleashes a small piece of the Venom Symbiote that he kept with him that reunites with its other half. After breaking free of its containment, the Venom Symbiote proceeds to bond itself with nearly everyone on the S.H.I.E.L.D. Helicarrier. Green Goblin later bonds with the Venom Symbiote but maintains control over himself as Goblin-Venom. Spider-Man has a lengthily battle with Goblin-Venom but Doctor Octopus eventually creates another Anti-Venom that saves the S.H.I.E.L.D. personnel as well as separating the Venom Symbiote from Green Goblin and also turned the host back to normal. Separated from its host, the Venom Symbiote is presumably destroyed by Spider-Man in space. However, Doctor Octopus's Spider-Soldiers in the episode "Second Chance Hero" are an amalgam of Venom-like drones and Oscorp's armor technology. The Spider-Soldiers fight Iron Patriot and Spider-Man. While Spider-Man takes Harry away to safety, the Spider-Soldiers are destroyed by Iron Patriot. Flash's Agent Venom persona will appear during the third season.^[61]
• Venom appears in the summer 2013 animated special Phineas and Ferb: Mission Marvel, voiced by Danny Trejo.^[62][63]
• Venom appears in the Hulk and the Agents of S.M.A.S.H. episode "The Venom Inside."^[64] Doctor Octopus creates a new version of the Venom Symbiote that gradually assimilates Skaar, She-Hulk, Red Hulk and finally the Hulk to help dominate but also to destroy Spider-Man. However, the Hulks and Spider-Man eventually manage to defeat the Venom Symbiote, although it's unknown if the Venom Symbiote is still alive.
• Venom appears in Lego Marvel Super Heroes: Maximum Overload, voiced by Dee Bradley Baker.

Film

Venom's first appearance in a motion picture was originally planned for a titular film written by David S. Goyer and produced by New Line Cinema, in which Venom would have been portrayed as an antihero and Carnage as the antagonist. By 2007, the film rights to Venom had reverted to Sony.^[65]

Spider-Man trilogy

• Eddie Brock / Venom appears as the primary antagonist in the 2007 feature film Spider-Man 3, played by Topher Grace. In the film, the Symbiote, after being rejected by Peter Parker, joins with Brock after the rival freelance photographer is exposed by Parker to have used a fake photograph, which ruins him publicly. Venom seeks an alliance with Flint Marko / Sandman to kill Spider-Man, but is thwarted in his plans and killed by one of the New Goblin's pumpkin bombs.

The Amazing Spider-Man series

• The Venom Symbiote has a cameo appearance at the end of the 2014 feature film The Amazing Spider-Man 2 in the Oscorp building, in a scene which features Gustav Fiers / The Gentleman walking past many of Oscorp's technology and experiments, including Vulture's wings and the mechanical arms of Doctor Octopus. In the viral marketing campaign for The Amazing Spider-Man 2 an article by Eddie Brock (one of the most notable hosts of Venom) detailing the capture of Cletus Cassidy (who later went on to become Carnage) was featured, with Ann Weying, who in the comics became the Bride of Venom, being mentioned in another article, these articles coming from The Daily Bugle.^[66]

Sony's Marvel Universe

• In July 2007, Sony executive Avi Arad revealed a spin-off of Sam Raimi's Spider-Man trilogy focused on the Venom Symbiote was in the planning stages, with Jacob Aaron Estes commissioned to write a script, tentatively entitled "Venom".^[67] In September 2008, Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick signed on to write the film after Estes' script was rejected,^[68] while Gary Ross would direct.^[69] Variety reported that Venom would become an anti-hero in the film, and Marvel Entertainment would produce the film.^[70] In March 2012, Josh Trank was in talks to direct a new Venom film as a part of The Amazing Spider-Man film series.^[71] In December 2013, Sony officially announced two spin-offs of The Amazing Spider-Man film series, involving a Venom film, now known as Venom: Carnage, and Sinister Six, respectively, with the first to be writing by Alex Kurtzman, Roberto Orci and Ed Solomon, and Kurtzman directing it.^[72] In September 2014, Kurtzman stated that they had been considering different incarnations of the character, including Eddie Brock, Ann Weying and Flash Thompson.^[73] In March 2016, following the introduction of Spider-Man to the Marvel Cinematic Universe, it was announced that Sony was moving forward with a standalone film by hiring Dante Harper to write the script, and Arad, Matt Tolmach and Amy Pascal producing. The film was initially reported to have no connection to the Marvel Cinematic Universe, nor have any relation to Spider-Man, and that it would be set in its own continuity.^[74][75][76] A year later, Sony announced that Venom would be released on October 5, 2018 with Scott Rosenberg and Jeff Pinkner signed on as screenwriters.^[77] It was reported to be Rated R and be the first in a series of Spider-Man character-related spin-off films called Sony's Marvel Universe.^[78][79] In May 2017, Tom Hardy was announced to be cast as Eddie Brock / Venom, with Ruben Fleischer attached to direct.^[80] Venom, along with another standalone film Silver & Black are to be in their own entities, yet take place in the "same reality" as the MCU without any official crossover happening between the two movies and the Tom Holland iteration of Spider-Man.^[81] Cletus Kasady / Carnage will be the film's primary antagonist, while Brock's ex-wife from the comics Ann Weying will also appear in the film.^[82][83] The film has been described by the film's director Ruben Fleischer to be taking inspiration from the works of David Cronenberg and John Carpenter.

Other appearances

Eddie Brock / Venom appears in Truth in Journalism, a fan made short film by producer Adi Shankar and director and writer Joe Lynch, starring Ryan Kwanten as Brock. The film is described as "a darkly comic combination of 1980s era Spider-Man comics and the cult Belgian mockumentary Man Bites Dog".^[84]

Video games

Venom is a playable character and boss character in a number of video games across several platforms.

• Venom first appears as a boss character in the Mega-CD/Sega CD version of The Amazing Spider-Man vs. The Kingpin, in which he kidnaps Mary Jane Watson.^[85]
• Venom is both a protagonist and playable character in Spider-Man and Venom: Maximum Carnage and Venom/Spider-Man: Separation Anxiety.
• Venom appears as one of the bosses in The Amazing Spider-Man: Lethal Foes.
• Venom appears as the last boss in Spider-Man.
• Venom is a boss and later a supporting character in Spider-Man, voiced by Daran Norris.
• The Venom Symbiote appears as an unlockable costume for Spider-Man in X-Men: Mutant Academy 2.
• Ultimate Venom is a playable character in Ultimate Spider-Man, with Eddie Brock voiced by Daniel Capallaro, and Venom voiced by Arthur Burghardt.
• Venom is a playable character in a number of fighting games, including Marvel vs. Capcom: Clash of Super Heroes (1998), Marvel vs. Capcom 2: New Age of Heroes (voiced by Rod Wilson) and Marvel Nemesis: Rise of the Imperfects (voiced by Jason Bryden).
• The Eddie Brock incarnation of Venom is included in the downloadable "Villains Pack" expansion for the Xbox 360 version of Marvel: Ultimate Alliance, voiced by Steven Blum. Venom has his Classic, Marvel Knights, Thunderbolts and Ultimate looks as alternate skins. The Venom costume also available as alternate attire for Spider-Man.
• The Eddie Brock version of Venom is the final boss in Spider-Man 3, voiced by Topher Grace.
• The Eddie Brock version of Venom appears in Spider-Man: Friend or Foe, voiced by Quinton Flynn. He is one of the most powerful partners in the game.
• Venom serves as the main antagonist of Spider-Man: Web of Shadows, voiced by Keith Szarabajka. During this game, part of his Symbiote leaves him and bonds with Spider-Man. He later starts making replicas of the Symbiote, in an invasion of New York.
• The Mac Gargan incarnation of Venom appears as a playable character in Marvel: Ultimate Alliance 2, voiced by Chopper Bernet. Eddie Brock's version is an alternate costume.
• Venom is available as downloadable content for the game LittleBigPlanet as part of "Marvel Costume Kit 3".^[86][87]
• In Spider-Man: Shattered Dimensions, Ultimate Spider-Man (voiced by Josh Keaton) is provided a copy of the Venom suit that Madame Web telepathically controls.
• The symbiote suit appears as an optional costume for Spider-Man in Marvel vs. Capcom 3: Fate of Two Worlds and Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3. Anti-Venom also appears as a card in the Heroes and Heralds mode.
• The Eddie Brock incarnation of Venom appears as a villain character in Marvel Super Hero Squad Online, voiced again by Steven Blum. The Black Suit Spidey costume is also an alternate costume for Spider-Man.
• Two versions of the black suit appear as an optional costume in The Amazing Spider-Man, based on its appearance in the Spider-Man 3 film, and a modified version of Spider-Man's costume from the 2012 film The Amazing Spider-Man. Backstory for the game also reveals that the game version of Scorpion is based on a "black goo" recovered from space.
• The Eddie Brock incarnation of Venom appears as a playable character in the fighting game Marvel Avengers: Battle for Earth, voiced by Roger Craig Smith.
• In Marvel Heroes, the Eddie Brock incarnation of Venom (voiced by Neil Kaplan) appears as a villain character, while the Symbiote Spider-Man (voiced by Christopher Daniel Barnes) appears as alternate costume for Spider-Man.
• Venom appears as playable character in Lego Marvel Super Heroes, voiced by Dave Boat.^[88] The Eddie Brock incarnation and the Ultimate version are different attires for Venom. Also, the Black Suit Spidey is an alternate costume for Spider-Man.
• Venom appears as a villain in the mobile version of the 2014 game The Amazing Spider-Man 2.
• Venom appears as a playable character in Disney Infinity: Marvel Super Heroes in the Spider-Man playset.
• Venom is a playable character in Marvel: Future Fight.
• The Mac Gargan, Eddie Brock and Flash Thompson incarnations of Venom are playable characters in Marvel Puzzle Quest.
• Numerous versions of Venom appear as playable characters in Spider-Man Unlimited. Additionally, the Eddie Brock version of Venom appeared as a boss in the "Symbiote Dimensions" event.
• Venom appears as a playable character in Marvel Avengers Academy, voiced by Brian Stivale.^[89]

Toys

• Venom is included as a collectible figure from the board game Heroscape featured in a Marvel crossover set.

See also

• List of Venom titles

References

External links

• Venom (Eddie Brock) at the Comic Book DB
• Venom (Angelo Fortunato) at the Comic Book DB
• Venom (Mac Gargan) at the Comic Book DB
• Venom (Flash Thompson) at the Comic Book DB
• History of the alien costume on Marvel.com
• List of Venom Comics at TheVenomSite.com
• "Venom (Angelo Fortunate; Spider-Man foe)". The Appendix to the Handbook of the Marvel Universe
• Synopsis and Reviews of the Venom 2003 Series at Spiderfan.org