Venom

Conception and creation

The original idea of a new costume for Spider-Man that would later become the character Venom was conceived by a Marvel Comics reader from Norridge, Illinois named Randy Schueller. In 1982, Jim Shooter, Marvel's editor-in-chief at the time, sent Schueller a letter acknowledging Marvel's interest in the idea, which they ended up purchasing from him for $220. 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 Julia Carpenter version of Spider-Woman. Artists Mike Zeck and Rick Leonardi designed the black costume.

Writer/artist John Byrne says on his website that he conceived a costume of self-healing biological material 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. Byrne says 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 established that the costume was a sentient alien being that was vulnerable to high sonic energy during their run on The Amazing Spider-Man that preceded David Michelinie's.

With the nature of the symbiote established, Michelinie felt it could serve a character concept he had been toying with for some time. When Michelinie first began working on Spider-Man stories he noted that the most unique ability Spider-Man possessed as a superhero was his spider sense, which Michelinie claimed gave the character a level of invulnerability on par or better than much stronger Marvel superheroes. While other Spider-Man antagonists such as Green Goblin and Mysterio had been able to temporarily disable Spider-Man's spider sense through chemical means, Michelinie was fascinated by the idea of a villain who could permanently evade Spider-Man's spider sense and what kind of consequences that would have on both Spider-Man as a superhero and Peter Parker's personal life. After initially coming up with characters who were able to evade Spider-Man's spider sense through cybernetic means that were rejected by Marvel editors, Michelinie posited that the symbiote would make a human host be able to evade Spider-Man's spider sense through it being mutated by absorbing Spider-Man's genetic material when Spider-Man was its host. This idea was approved by Marvel editors and Michelinie was given the green light to further refine the character.

Hosts

Spider-Man (Peter Parker)

The story of how Spider-Man gets his new black costume is recounted in Marvel Super Heroes Secret Wars #8 (December 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.

During their run on The Amazing Spider-Man, writer Tom DeFalco and artist Ron Frenz established that the costume was a sentient alien symbiote that was vulnerable to both fire and high sonic energy. 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. The symbiote escaped and bonded again to Parker, who used sound waves from a cathedral's church bell to repel it. But the symbiote had grown an emotional attachment to Peter, so he willingly left Peter's unconscious body and moved him to safety before disappearing.

In the 2018 "Go Down Swinging" storyline, Norman Osborn is bonded to the Carnage symbiote, and Spider-Man rebonds to the Venom symbiote in an attempt to stop Osborn, now calling himself Red Goblin, while forgiving both Eddie and Venom for the past conflicts. During the ensuing battle, Osborn mortally injures Flash Thompson, but the conflict ends with the two symbiotes detaching from the two human hosts.

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 The Spectacular Spider-Man as a basis for Brock's origin. According to artist Ron Frenz, in Michelinie's original plot for Venom's first appearance, he conceived the villain as a large, muscular figure, whose manifestation of the alien costume would include the appearance of a mouth. In an interview with Tom DeFalco, artist Todd McFarlane also corroborates that Michelinie did indeed come up with the idea of Venom and the description of him as "a big guy in the black costume", while he, McFarlane, devised the villain's monstrous features. Venom's existence was first indicated in Web of Spider-Man #18 (September 1986), by Michelenie and artist Marc Silvestri, which shows character shoving Peter Parker in front of a subway train without Parker's spider-sense warning him, though only Brock's hand is seen on-panel. The next indication of Venom's existence was in Web of Spider-Man #24 (March 1987), by Michelinie and Del Barras. In that issue, when Parker climbs out of a high story window to change into Spider-Man, but finds a black arm coming through the window and grabbing him, again without being warned by his spider-sense. Michelinie took over as write on The Amazing Spider-Man. He was subsequently joined on that book by artist Todd McFarlane with issue 298 (March 1988), in which Venom appears in shadow. Venom made his cameo appearance on the last page of The Amazing Spider-Man #299 (April 1988), in which he terrorizes Parker's wife, Mary Jane Watson. Michelinie's script for that page reads as follows:

But as she enters the apartment and turns on the lamp next to the sofa, she starts as she looks over to a still-shadowy corner where she sees the white spider and eye-shapes from Spidey's costume. Thinking that Peter is home, she starts to scold him gently–but stops, surprised, as she sees a white smile form beneath the eye-shapes. Not a pretty smile; a scary smile. Like that of a predator sure of a quick kill The form then steps from the shadows and we can see that it is dressed in a Spider-Man costume, but it is definitely not Peter Parker. Besides the feral smile, the man's body is huge, bulky, massively muscled like Arnold Schwarzenegger on a good day. MJ backs up, terrified, as the stranger reaches a hand out towards her, his lopsided animal smile stretching to the point where it almost connects behind his head, a totally inhuman gesture. Then, at last, he speaks "Hi, honey… I'm home!'"

The villain then made his first full-issue appearance in The Amazing Spider-Man #300 (May 1988). in which he is confronted by Spider-Man, and reveals that he was a Daily Globe reporter named Eddie Brock, 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.

Scorpion (Mac Gargan)

The Venom symbiote approached Mac Gargan, the villain formerly known as Scorpion, and offered him new abilities as the second Venom. Gargan bonded with the creature, which would later give him an extra edge as part of Norman Osborn's Sinister Twelve. 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.

Gargan later becomes a member of a sub-group of the Thunderbolts, which was drafted by the Avengers to hunt down the members of the fugitive New Avengers. Gargan is outfitted with electrical implants by the government to keep the symbiote in check.

When in the Venom persona, Gargan retains little of his original personality and is controlled almost completely by the symbiote, which drives him to cannibalism. When the symbiote was dormant in his body, he expressed nausea and fear of the organism. During a fight with "Anti-Venom" (Eddie Brock), Gargan and Venom are separated and Venom is nearly destroyed. Remnants of Venom remain in Gargan's blood and are restored after Osborn gives Gargan a vaccine harnessing Anti-Venom's healing powers. Gargan dons a Scorpion battle armor over the symbiote while it heals, causing him to become what Spider-Man calls "Ven-orpion". After 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. After the Siege of Asgard, Gargan and most of the Dark Avengers are taken into custody. While Gargan is held on the Raft, Venom is forcefully removed from him.

Agent Venom (Flash Thompson)

On December 9, 2010, Marvel Comics announced a new "black ops" Venom operating for 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. On January 28, 2011, Venom's identity was revealed to be Flash Thompson. Flash is hired by the government to be a special agent wearing the Venom symbiote as part of Project Rebirth. Flash is only allowed to wear the suit for up to 48 hours, or risk a permanent bonding with the symbiote. Along with the alien, Flash is equipped with a "Multi-Gun" designed to change into any type of gun he needs. The Government is also equipped with a "kill switch" designed to take Flash out if he loses control. Flash rejects the kill switch and later joins the Secret Avengers, Thunderbolts, Guardians of the Galaxy, and is appointed as a Space Knight by the Klyntar.

Lee Price

Lee Price first appeared in Venom vol. 3 #1.

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.

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

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

While incarcerated at the New York Corrections Supermax Facility for Superhuman Incarceration, Price is feared by most of the inmates and he even defeats three inmates in the prison's cafeteria when they try to kill him to boost their reputation. After a trial, Price is released from prison, planning to reclaim Venom and take revenge on those who have wronged him.

In Venom Inc., Price steals the Mania symbiote from Andy and becomes Maniac. He uses the symbiote to infect the crime bosses and become a criminal kingpin, but he is defeated by Spider-Man, Venom, Black Cat and Agent Anti-Venom. While in prison, Price is killed by Cletus Kasady.

Tel-Kar

Tel-Kar first appeared in Venom: First Host #1.

During the Kree-Skrull War, the Kree, desiring to replicate the Skrull's shape-shifting abilities, obtain the newborn Venom, which had been outcast from the other symbiotes, on Gorr's planet where Knull had created the symbiotes. Tel-Kar is recruited to be bonded to the newborn symbiote to infiltrate the Skrull army. Tel-Kar's body is biologically altered so he can have full control over the symbiote's mind to the point of erasing its memories. He successfully infiltrated the Skrull army discovering various secrets. However he blew his cover up to save some Kree refugees and handed the symbiote to them to return it to Hala. Then Tel-Kar was betrayed by Ronan the Accuser who used a Kree Sentry to capture Tel-Kar and was given to the Skrulls as a war criminal. Separated from Tel-Kar after his capture, the symbiote goes on to be bonded to Spider-Man.

Tel-Kar escapes the Skrulls and wanders through the Galaxy thinking that the War is still going on, until he hears of an agent from Earth called Flash Thompson with a black symbiote suit. Recognizing it as his symbiote, he goes to Earth to find it. Eddie Brock arrives with the symbiote and saves Tel-Kar from the Warbride Skrull M'Lanz, who had followed him. Angered by Venom's refusal to return to him, Tel-Kar threatens to bond to Venom's latest offspring and turn it into a monster. Acceding to Tel-Kar, Venom reunites with him and they go to a Skrull research base to get a Skrull bioweapon. Simultaneously, Eddie is bonded to the offspring calling itself Sleeper and allies with M'Lanz to stop Tel-Kar. During the ensuing battle, Tel-Kar concludes that he does not need Venom anymore and uses an electrified spear to detach himself from it while scarring himself in the process. Later he is betrayed by the Kree empire while Eddie escapes with Venom and M'Lanz with Sleeper. Tel-Kar, now furious, attempts to release the bioweapon on Earth to kill all humanity, but Sleeper bonds to Tel-Kar and lobotomizes him as punishment for what he did to Venom and Eddie. Sleeper, now with Tel-Kar's body, wishes Eddie farewell and goes on to explore the universe.

Malekith

During the War of the Realms event, after Venom was separated from Eddie, the symbiote, in its humanoid form, joined the War Avengers (composed of Captain Marvel, Deadpool, Sif, Winter Soldier, Weapon H, Black Widow, and Captain Britain). Malekith captures Venom and makes it into a weapon to use against the Asgardians. Malekith enhances the symbiote with his dark magic and bonded the symbiote to his various acolytes, turning them into the Spider-Elves. After the Thor Corps arrives, Malekith declares himself the Butcher of Thor. However, he was defeated and the symbiote was ultimately free from Malekith's control.

Other hosts

Aside from the aforementioned hosts, there have been other, shorter term hosts for the Venom symbiote.

In the Planet of the Symbiotes storyline, the symbiote was rejected by Eddie, causing it to release a powerful scream that attracts the other symbiotes to Earth. Subsequently, the symbiote sees Scarlet Spider, (Ben Reilly) and takes the form of his hooded top attempting to bond to Ben mistaking him for Spider-Man but failed owing to Ben's strong will. When it was later discovered by Brock and Peter Parker, the symbiote returned to Eddie.

Anne 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 Venom 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.

The story follows U.S. Army communication specialist Patricia Robertson. 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.

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. 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. 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. Venom 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.

Powers and abilities

Though it requires a living host to survive, Venom is 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, 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, possibly also technopathy as it is able to summon a flying device to help it escape from the Baxter Building.

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 variety created from its biomass.

The symbiote greatly enhances the physical strength of those it bonds with. Its hosts experience a vastly larger size and musculature. The symbiote displays non-human teeth, which are very sharp, and commonly protrudes a long, prehensile tongue from its mouth. Venom is depicted as being physically much bigger than Spider-Man, as well as having more brute strength.

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.

Some incarnations of Venom are able to self-duplicate. This ability is shown in the 2005–2006 miniseries Spider-Man: Reign when Venom recreates his symbiote to combat his loneliness.

Venom 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.

Other versions

Mayhem (April Parker)

In the Marvel Comics 2 series, some of Venom's genetic material was taken by Norman Osborn and used to create a human/Symbiote hybrid. Mayday Parker, considering the symbiote family, allows it to live with her. The symbiote names itself April Parker and befriends May's friends especially Gene Thompson, Flash Thompson's son. Later on, April becomes jealous towards Mayday and confronts her, but inadvertently kills her in battle. Overcome with guilt, April sacrifices herself to resurrect Spider-Girl. April Parker was created by Tom DeFalco and Ron Frenz, first appearing in Amazing Spider-Girl #20 (July 2008).

Marvel 2099

Two versions of Venom appear in the Marvel 2099 imprint.

Kron Stone is the older half-brother of Spider-Man 2099 (Miguel O'Hara). As a child, Stone was continually abused by an android housekeeper who mistook him for a dog. He later became a bully, taking enjoyment in other people's pain. In his introduction, Stone orders Jake Gallows' family to be killed. Gallows finds Stone and fatally wounds him with a knife. Before he can die, Stone bonds with Venom, which had mutated over the years and gained acidic blood and saliva. With this new power, Stone seeks to emotionally torture Miguel—whom Stone never knew was his half-brother—by hurting those close to him. The symbiote bonds with Stone on a molecular level, giving him an amorphous physiology that allows his body to take on the properties of the symbiote itself.

A new Venom 2099, Alea Bell, was introduced in a similarly named one-shot published in 2019. When she was a child, her left arm was badly burned in a crash that also killed her mother. Raised by her father Theo, Alea was bullied at school over her scars. She was then selected to undergo an experimental treatment being developed by Alchemax scientist Dr. Russell. She regained consciousness to find that the treatment had worked and her arm was restored. During a confrontation the next day with a girl at school, a black tendril emerges from Alea's hand and slices through her monitoring bracelet. Alea learns that the purported panacea she had been treated with was a piece of Venom, and that Alchemax intended to turn her into a supersoldier using it. Empathizing with its pain, Alea reluctantly agrees to the symbiote's request to be made whole in exchange for her getting her normal life back.

Spider-Gwen

In this reality, Elsa Brock created the Venom symbiote from radioactive spider isotopes developed by S.I.L.K. leader Cindy Moon to cure the Lizard formula as requested by Matt Murdock, to offer Spider-Woman a solution to losing her powers and curing the new Lizard, Harry Osborn. Gwen is forced to inject Harry with one of her spider isotopes, causing the serum inside him to mutate into Venom and attach to Wolverine before bonding to Gwen. Though Gwen succumbs to the symbiote's bloodlust at first, after discovering her father was brutally beaten by Rhino in prison, she eventually learned to control it.

Ultimate Marvel

The Ultimate iteration of Venom was created by writer Brian Michael Bendis and artist Mark Bagley and was introduced in Ultimate Spider-Man #33, while the Conrad Markus version was introduced in Ultimate Spider-Man Volume 2 #16.1. His appearance was designed by Mark Bagley to be more of a monster than a supervillain, describing him as a "huge cancerous/tumorous creature".

The Ultimate Marvel version of Eddie Brock was a writer for the Daily Globe. He was at Justin Hammer's press conference; his face is not shown, only his hands and arms appear. Eddie Brock Jr. is Peter Parker's childhood friend (along with a college student who is a lab assistant for Curtis Conners) and the Venom symbiote is not extraterrestrial but is the second stage of a genetically created "suit" designed by Richard Parker (Peter's father) and Eddie Brock Sr. (Eddie's father) as a cure for severe disease meant to bond to the user and protect them from internal and external harm. The suit is tailored for a specific DNA (Richard's in this case), and the person to whom it belongs can control the suit more easily. If, however, someone uses a suit designed for somebody else, they are constantly damaged by the suit which requires nourishment, gained by feeding on organic flesh, to function. If bonded to an incompatible host the Venom suit begins consuming them almost immediately, forcing them to feed on others to sustain it or die themselves. When taking a host, the organic matter that comprises the suit completely envelops the host, regardless of resistance, temporarily blinding it, before encasing itself in a hard, purple casing, similar to a pupa, as it bonds further with the host. When the host emerges, the suit then shifts its appearance and function to assist its host, such as creating eyes for it to see through, or tries to take it over, inducing a homicidal rage and attempting to feed itself if bonded with an incompatible host. When bonded with a host and forcibly removed, the Venom suit leaves trace amounts of itself in their bloodstream, which attracts other samples of Venom to itself, and can overload Peter's spider-sense.

Conrad Marcus was an employee at Oscorp who helped create the spider behind Miles Morales's powers. An employee of the Roxxon Corporation, Marcus willingly becomes the Venom symbiote's new host and was a more larger Venom than the Eddie Brock's version. When investigative reporter Betty Brant incorrectly assumes that the new Spider-Man (Miles Morales) is Jefferson Davis, Venom kills Betty. Afterwards, Venom destroys Oscorp's abandoned building and later appears at Miles's apartment due to his believing Jefferson to be the new Spider-Man. During the ensuing battle between Venom and Spider-Man, Jefferson is injured and taken to a hospital. Venom appears there, leading to another battle with Spider-Man and the police that accidentally kills both Rio Morales and Marcus.

Ultimate Universe

An alternate universe version of Venom appears in Ultimate Spider-Man (2024). This version is a picotech stealth suit created by Howard Stark. The suit contains webbing built into it, has the ability to shapeshift its appearance, and can compact into a small orb.

In other media

Television

Venom appears in Spider-Man: The Animated Series, with Spider-Man's version voiced by Christopher Daniel Barnes and Eddie Brock's version by Hank Azaria. In the three-part episode "The Alien Costume", the symbiote arrives on Earth via a meteorite sample that John Jameson collected called Promethium X. Spider-Man bonds with the symbiote before eventually rejecting it, after which it bonds to Brock, turning him into Venom. They seek revenge on Spider-Man, who defeats and separates them before sending Venom back to space. In the episodes "Venom Returns" and "Carnage", Venom returns to Earth, re-fuses with Brock, and joins forces with Spider-Man and Iron Man to combat Carnage, Dormammu, and Baron Mordo before Venom and Brock sacrifice themselves to ensure the villains' defeat.

The Eddie Brock incarnation of Venom appears in Spider-Man Unlimited (1999), voiced by Brian Drummond. This version of the Venom symbiote evolved into a more powerful form, gaining full control of its host's body as well as elasticity and the ability to change into a liquid-esque form. Venom and Carnage travel to Counter-Earth to join the Synoptic, a hive mind of symbiotes, and ally themselves with the High Evolutionary while secretly helping the Synoptic grow powerful enough to infect the planet's population with symbiotes.

Venom appears in The Spectacular Spider-Man, with Spider-Man's version voiced by Josh Keaton and Eddie Brock's version voiced by Benjamin Diskin. Introduced in the episode "The Uncertainty Principle", the symbiote arrives on Earth by stowing away on John Jameson's space shuttle and bonds to Spider-Man. After eventually being rejected, it bonds with Brock to seek revenge in the episode "Intervention", but is ultimately defeated and separated in the episode "Nature vs. Nurture". Venom reappears in the episodes "First Steps", "Growing Pains", and "Identity Crisis", wherein it rejoins Brock and attempts to expose Spider-Man's secret identity, only to be foiled and separated from Brock once more, though it manages to escape.

Venom appears in Ultimate Spider-Man (2012), with Harry Osborn and Flash Thompson's versions voiced by Matt Lanter and Norman Osborn / Green Goblin's version voiced by Steven Weber. Introduced in a self-titled episode, this version of the Venom symbiote is created by Doctor Octopus using a sample of Spider-Man's blood. After it escapes from its creator, it temporarily fuses with a number of individuals, such as Thompson, Nova, Power Man, Iron Fist and Spider-Man, until it eventually bonds with Harry, who tries to become a hero to impress his father in the episode "Back in Black". However, the Green Goblin takes it for himself in the episode "The Rise of the Green Goblin" and, over the course of the episodes "Carnage", "Venom Bomb", and "The Avenging Spider-Man", uses the symbiote to create the Carnage symbiote, infect himself and the S.H.I.E.L.D. Helicarrier, and create more symbiotic monsters with help from Loki, but is foiled by Harry, Spider-Man and Doc Ock's Anti-Venom formula, and the Avengers respectively. A piece of the symbiote that survived fighting the Avengers later bonds with the Scorpion and eventually Thompson, who shows an unusual amount of control over it and becomes Agent Venom for the rest of the series.

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 were transferred to Sony Pictures.

In March 2012, Josh Trank was in talks to direct a new Venom film as a part of The Amazing Spider-Man film series. In December 2013, Sony officially announced two spin-offs of The Amazing Spider-Man film series, one of which was a Venom film called Venom: Carnage, written by Alex Kurtzman, Roberto Orci and Ed Solomon, with Kurtzman directing it. In September 2014, Kurtzman stated that they had been considering different incarnations of the character, including Eddie Brock, Anne Weying, and Flash Thompson. The film, along with the other spin-offs, was cancelled prior to the studios' contract agreement with Marvel Studios.

Venom appears in Spider-Man 3, with Peter Parker's version portrayed by Tobey Maguire and Eddie Brock's version portrayed by Topher Grace. After landing on Earth, the symbiote bonds with Spider-Man until he eventually rejects it, after which it bonds with Brock and forms an alliance with Flint Marko to kill Spider-Man, only to be killed by Spider-Man via one of the New Goblin's pumpkin bombs.

In July 2007, Sony executive Avi Arad revealed a spin-off of Sam Raimi's Spider-Man trilogy focused on the still-alive Venom symbiote was in the planning stages, with Jacob Aaron Estes commissioned to write a script, tentatively entitled Venom. In September 2008, Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick signed on to write the film after Estes' script was rejected, while Gary Ross would direct. Variety reported that Venom would become an anti-hero in the film, and Marvel Entertainment would co-produce the film. This potential film was ultimately cancelled.

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 after 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 MCU nor have any relation to Spider-Man; it would be set in its own continuity. A year later, Sony announced that Venom would be released on October 5, 2018, with Scott Rosenberg and Jeff Pinkner signed on as screenwriters. It was reported to be Rated R and the first in a series of Spider-Man character-related spin-off films called the "Sony Pictures Universe of Marvel Characters", later renamed to Sony's Spider-Man Universe. In May 2017, Tom Hardy was announced to be cast as Eddie Brock / Venom, with Ruben Fleischer attached to direct. Furthermore, Brad Venable provides additional sound effects and dialogue for the character. Carlton Drake / Riot appeared as the film's primary antagonist, as did Anne Weying, Brock's ex-wife from the comics. The film has been described by Fleischer as taking inspiration from the works of David Cronenberg and John Carpenter. The supporting cast also consists of Riz Ahmed, Michelle Williams, and Jenny Slate. Variety reported that Kelly Marcel would write the script with Pinkner and Rosenberg. Filming officially began on October 23, 2017. Venom was released in the United States on October 5, 2018, with a PG-13 rating.

Video games

The Eddie Brock incarnation of Venom appears as a boss in the Sega Mega-CD version of The Amazing Spider-Man vs. The Kingpin.

The Eddie Brock incarnation of Venom appears as a playable character in Spider-Man and Venom: Maximum Carnage and Venom/Spider-Man: Separation Anxiety.

The Eddie Brock incarnation of Venom appears as a boss in The Amazing Spider-Man: Lethal Foes.

The Eddie Brock incarnation of Venom appears as the final boss of Spider-Man (1995).

The Eddie Brock incarnation of Venom appears as a boss, later a supporting character, in Spider-Man (2000), voiced by Daran Norris.

The Ultimate Marvel iteration of Eddie Brock / Venom appears as a playable character in and the final boss of Ultimate Spider-Man (2005), voiced by Daniel Capallaro and Arthur Burghardt respectively. Additionally, the symbiote suit is also available as an alternate skin for Spider-Man.

The Eddie Brock incarnation of Venom appears in the Spider-Man 3 film tie-in game, voiced by Topher Grace. Similarly to the film, Spider-Man removes the symbiote after it becomes a negative influence on his behavior, only for it to then bond with Brock, who seeks revenge against both Spider-Man and Peter Parker. Adopting the alias Venom, he blackmails the Sandman into helping him kill Spider-Man, only to meet his demise in the ensuing fight.

The Eddie Brock incarnation of Venom appears as a playable character in Spider-Man: Friend or Foe, voiced by Quinton Flynn.

The Eddie Brock incarnation of Venom appears as the final boss of Spider-Man: Web of Shadows, voiced by Keith Szarabajka. A piece of the Venom symbiote splits off from him and bonds with Spider-Man, re-granting him access to his symbiote suit. Afterward, Venom gains the ability to self-replicate and leads a symbiote invasion. Eventually, Spider-Man appeals to Brock's better nature and, depending on the player's choices, will either kill Venom himself or allow Brock to sacrifice himself to do so.

Miscellaneous

The Eddie Brock incarnation of Venom appears in The Ultimate Spider-Man short story collection book as part of the short story "An Evening in the Bronx with Venom", by Keith R.A. DeCandido.

The Eddie Brock incarnation of Venom appears in the Adi Shankar's Bootleg Universe fan film Truth In Journalism, portrayed by Ryan Kwanten and Denis Sergovskiy respectively. This version of the latter was realized via a suit created by Robert Pendergraft and the makeup effects house Aunt Dolly's Garage, based on Todd McFarlane's original Venom sketches, with Rainfall Films designing a computer-generated head and tendrils. For the film's "vomit" scene, Rainfall concocted a mixture of maple syrup, soy sauce, and flour, which was shot separately and digitally inserted into the scene.

Reception

Originally David Michelinie planned to kill Venom in Amazing Spider-Man #400, and have other villains become the host. However, due to the popularity of the character Marvel would not allow this, leading him to create Carnage instead.

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." Venom was ranked as the 22nd Greatest Comic Book Villain of All Time in IGN's list of the top 100 comic villains. IGN also ranked Mac Gargan's incarnation of Venom as #17 in their list of "The Top 50 Avengers", while the Flash Thompson incarnation was ranked as #27. The character was listed as #33 on Empire's 50 Greatest Comic Book Characters and was also ranked at #8 in Marvel's Top 10 Spider-Verse Characters. Spike Chunsoft and Danganronpa mascot Monokuma was designed by Rui Komatsuzaki and Kazutaka Kodaka to partially resemble Venom.

Legacy

The Australian spider Venomius is named after the character, with the species name (V. tomhardyi) referencing Tom Hardy's portrayal of the character.

An original page of the 1984 Marvel Superheroes Secret Wars, showing Spider-Man wearing the black suit for the first time, was sold by Heritage Auctions in January 2022 for over $3 million. At the time, it was the highest price paid for a single comic-book page at an auction.