This article is about the fictional character. For the fictional drug, see Venom (DC Comics). For other uses, see Venom (disambiguation). Venom Eddie Brock as Venom Publisher Marvel Comics First appearance Amazing Spider-Man #252 (alien symbiote) Amazing Spider-Man #298 (as Venom) Created by David Michelinie Todd McFarlane (contested, see below) Characteristics Alter ego Edward Charles "Eddie" Brock Abilities An organic host bonded to an alien symbiote whose previous link with Spider-Man grants the wearer all of Spider-Man's powers. Allows limited shapeshifting and cannot be detected by Spider-sense. Venom is a Marvel Comics supervillain and anti-hero commonly thought of as an arch-enemy of Spider-Man. Created by writer David Michelinie and artist Todd McFarlane, he first appeared in The Amazing Spider-Man #298 (March 1988). He is a result of symbiosis between an alien life-form and a living, biological host. Although the name Venom can refer to the alien symbiote alone it is most commonly used to refer to the alien bonded with a human host. The human that has been associated with the symbiote the longest is Eddie Brock, a reporter who held a personal grudge against both Spider-Man and Peter Parker. After many years as Venom, Brock recently parted with the symbiote and it is currently bonded with Mac Gargan, another long time Spider-Man foe. Contents 1 Character history 1.1 The Black Costume 1.2 The Birth of Venom 1.3 The Birth of Carnage 1.4 Maximum Carnage 1.5 The Overreach Committee 1.6 Venom returns 1.7 Venom vs. Carnage 1.8 Clone of the symbiote 1.9 Family and Relationships 1.10 Venom II 1.11 Venom III 1.12 Back in Black 2 Ultimate Venom 3 Other versions of Venom 3.1 Earth X 3.2 MC2 3.3 2099 3.4 Marvel Mangaverse 3.5 Marvel Zombies 3.6 Marvel Adventures Spider-Man 3.7 What If? 4 Powers and abilities 5 Appearances in other media 5.1 Television 5.2 Film 5.3 Video games 6 Disputed creator credit 7 List of symbiote hosts 8 Bibliography 9 References 10 External links Character history Secret Wars: Spider-Man's new "costume" The Black Costume In the Secret Wars comic book limited series, Spider-Man damages his costume in combat and is directed to a facility where he can find a new costume. There he unwittingly activates a machine imprisoning a sentient alien symbiote, depicted as a black liquid. When Spider-Man touches this black liquid, it covers his body and, reacting to Spider-Man's thoughts about the costume worn by the second Spider-Woman, forms a new costume. To Spider-Man's surprise, the "costume" can mimic street clothes and provides a seemingly inexhaustible supply of webbing [1]. Once back on Earth, Spider-Man learns the symbiote wishes to fuse permanently with him and at times controls him while he sleeps. With the aid of Mr Fantastic, Spider-Man discovers the symbiote is vulnerable to sound and he uses sonic waves to remove it [2]. The symbiote escapes the Fantastic Four and locates Spider-Man. In a church tower, the symbiote attempts to forcibly bond itself to Spider-Man. The clanging of the church bells, coupled with Spidey's forced rejection of the symbiote, weakened the alien and Spider-Man, causing him to fall unconscious. The Symbiote, using its remaining strength, carried Spider-Man to safety from the bells before it slithered away [3]. The Birth of Venom First full appearance of Venom, in Amazing Spider-Man (vol. 1) #299 The symbiote discovers Eddie Brock, a reporter who blames Spider-Man for debunking his prize story, the Sin-Eater case, humiliating Brock and ruining his skyrocketing career. The symbiote bonds with Brock, attracted by his intense hatred of Spider-Man, and imparts to him the knowledge of Spider-Man's secret identity, increasing his ire. Together, Brock and the symbiote name themselves "Venom" and torment Spider-Man. The Symbiote however is later revealed to be attracted to Spider-Man [4] and it attempts to leave Brock to reunite with Spider-Man. The bond between the symbiote and Brock is too strong, however, and this separation results in mental trauma to both. Brock is remanded to The Vault, a prison for superpowered criminals, until he escapes by faking his death and murdering one of the guards. This 'origin' story was later retconned, revealing that Brock was diagnosed with a form of cancer that increases his production of adrenaline long before the Sin-Eater case [5]. Instead of their mutual hatred of Spider-Man, it is revealed that Brock's increased adrenaline production, on which the symbiote feeds, is the primary reason for their bonding. The bonding also saves Brock from his cancer. The Birth of Carnage Venom is eventually subdued and incarcerated when the plague-spreading super-villain, Styx, renders the symbiote unconscious [6]. Brock's stay is brief however, his symbiote finding and bonding with him and aiding in his escape. However, the symbiote gives birth and leaves its spawn, which bonds to Brock's cell-mate, Cletus Kassidy, creating Carnage [7]. Venom abducts Spider-Man, taking him to a remote island where the pair fight a vicious battle. During the fight, Spider-Man fakes his own death to convince Venom that his vendetta was over and Venom resigns himself to life on the island [8]. His 'retirement' ends quickly when Spider-Man, unable to defeat Carnage, ends his ruse and enlists Venom's aid [9]. Maximum Carnage Main article: Maximum Carnage In the 1993 Spider-Man event Maximum Carnage, Venom teams up with Spider-Man and a host of other heroes, including Captain America, Black Cat, Nightwatch, Cloak and Dagger, Iron Fist, Deathlok, Morbius and Firestar to defeat Carnage. Carnage and a team of powerful supervillains overtake New York City, but the heroes subdue them and defeat Carnage. The Overreach Committee Venom is eventually put on trial[10], his symbiote held in check with a chemical inhibitor preventing it from manifesting. Carnage is brought in as a witness also with a chemical inhibitor, but manages to overcome the restriction and attack. Venom also overcomes his inhibitor and, aided by Spider-Man and Daredevil, subdues Carnage. Venom is spared jail when the Overreach Committee implants a bomb inside Brock's chest forcing him to become their agent[11]. The symbiote removes the explosive from Brock's chest and Brock tries to publicly reveal the Committee's secrets, but they administer an overdose of the chemical inhibitor, forcefully separating Brock from the symbiote[12]. Venom returns The symbiote regenerates, seeking out Brock to become Venom once more. As Venom, they absorb the Carnage symbiote and join the Sinister Six. Venom turns on the other members, however, crippling both Sandman and Electro before making peace with Spider-Man. The peace is short-lived as Venom's hatred for the web-slinger is renewed when Brock's wife commits suicide. Venom loses his chance at revenge when the powerful human/alien hybrid known as Senator Ward forcefully removes the symbiote from Brock once again. Venom vs. Carnage Carnage attacks Venom. The Carnage symbiote gives birth to the Toxin symbiote. Carnage attempts to kill the newborn Toxin but Venom opposes him. Venom faces off against Carnage until Venom realizes that Toxin's new host will not ally with him. Realizing Toxin's strength, Venom uncharacteristically forms a truce with Carnage to destroy Toxin, who is aided by Spider-Man. Together, Spider-Man and Toxin drive off Carnage and Venom [13]. Clone of the symbiote An alien race secretly operating within the United States government clones the symbiote. Venom absorbs the clone, gaining its knowledge and decides to carry out the aliens' orders [14]. Before he does, however, Brock learns that he has cancer and will die if he does not permanently bond with the symbiote [15]. The Symbiote rejects Brock, not desiring to be bonded with his diseased body any longer. Ultimately, Spider-Man tricks the symbiote into permanently merging with Brock [16]. Family and Relationships Cover to Venom: Lethal Protector' #1. Art by Mark Bagley. Eddie's mother dies in childbirth and his father is a neglectful, angry man (Venom: Lethal Protector #1). It is mentioned in Nova (vol. 3) #6–7 that he has a younger sister, Mary Brock, but her character is never expanded. After Carnage is born, Venom assumes the rest of his "children" (the Life Foundation symbiotes Scream, Lasher, Riot, Phage, and Agony) will turn out the same way, and thus should be destroyed. However, the Life Foundation symbiotes are afraid of becoming like Venom, and instead want his help controlling their symbiotes so they can use them for good. Eddie refuses to help them and Scream goes insane and kills them (Venom: Seperation Anxiety #4). When Scream later reforms, she aids Venom a couple of times. The remains of the other four symbiotes merge to form Hybrid, who considers Venom a threat. Venom II Following the revelation of his cancer, Brock had a religious awakening and decided against permanently merging with the symbiote. Brock instead chose to sell the symbiote to crimelord, Don Fortunato, intending to donate the $100 million received to charity before dying [17]. Angelo Fortunato, the Don's son, became the second Venom for a brief period of time. However, Angelo proved to be a weak host for the Symbiote, being humiliated in a battle with Spider-Man. The Symbiote abandoned Angelo mid-leap, and the subsequent fall killed Fortunato. Upon hearing that Angelo had died due to the Symbiote, Brock slit his wrists in an alley and was seen waiting to die. However he was found before his death and survived the suicide attempt. Eddie is currently recovering in hospital [18]. Mac Gargan (Scorpion) as Venom. Art by Terry Dodson Venom III Main article: Scorpion (comics) After Angelo's death, the symbiote bonded with Mac Gargan, the Scorpion, and became part of the new Sinister Twelve. While he was swiftly defeated by Spider-Man, as the Avengers, Fantastic Four and Daredevil dealt with the rest of the Twelve, he is still the third Venom [19]. Venom III is later seen on a wanted list of the Thunderbolts, reappears in Beyond!, and is confirmed to be in the one-shot Civil War: Choosing Sides. Spoiler warning: Plot and/or ending details follow. As seen on the last page of Civil War #4, he is currently active in the Thunderbolts, which has been drafted by the Avengers to help in the capture of the Secret Avengers. Back in Black Marvel Comics recently announced that Spider-Man will be donning a black suit after the conclusion of Civil War.citation needed] It is not yet clear if this marks the return of Spider-Man with the Venom symbiote or simply a similar looking costume. However, it is worth noting that the "Back in Black" event will precede the release of Spider-Man 3, which will prominently feature the symbiote and then Venom (Edward "Eddie" Brock, Junior) as villain. Ultimate Venom Ultimate Venom as he originally appeared. Eddie Brock, Jr. In the Ultimate Marvel Universe, Eddie Brock Jr. is Peter Parker's closest childhood friend. Instead of a sentient alien, the Venom symbiote is a genetically engineered protoplasmic "suit" designed by Richard Parker and Edward Brock, Sr. Parker intended it to be used for medical purposes in his quest to cure cancer but Brock Sr. was more interested in the military applications of the Suit. After the deaths of both men, Eddie continues the research, using two samples of the suit he found in his father's refrigerator. Peter Parker meets up with Eddie and the pair bond over their shared history before Eddie introduces Peter to their 'legacy'. Peter returns at night, determined to continue his father's research by taking the "Suit" sample but the sample instead bonds with him. After nearly being driven to murder by the suits agressive influence, Peter warns Eddie of the dangers of them not being able to protect the suit from those who would use it for evil and takes the sample to an industrial smoke stack where it is destroyed. Eddie, angry with Peter for destroying the suit sample, uses a second sample to become Venom. The suit consumes Eddie, amplifying his anger and frustration, making him incredibly violent and unreasonable. The as Venom, it feeds on victims to survive, consuming their physical energy to maintain its own power. Ultimate Venom after gaining his chest symbol. In the Ultimate Spider-Man video game, Eddie gains full control of the Venom suit after he absorbs the remnants of the first sample in Peter's blood. In doing so, he develops the familiar white spider symbol on his chest. In Ultimate Spider-Man, Venom is much more physically powerful than Spider-Man, although he is not as fast or agile. He cannot create organic webbing, instead using extruded tentacles to swing from building to building. In the Ultimate Spider-Man video game, he quickly leaps from building to building, jumping several hundred feet in a single bound. Ultimate Venom, unlike the regular Venom, not only activates Peter Parker's spider-sense but overloads it to the point that Peter is in such pain that he sometimes cannot move. This stops when Venom reabsorbs the traces of the Venom suit still in Parker's blood into himself. Unlike the mainstream Venom, Ultimate Venom is not specifically vulnerable to sonics or fire, nor is he particularly concerned about killing innocent bystanders. Venom is set to return in the Ultimate "Clone Saga".citation needed] Other versions of Venom Spider-Girl as Venom in Earth X, art by Alex Ross. Earth X In the alternate future known as Earth X, May "Mayday" Parker merged with the Venom symbiote after the death of her mother Mary Jane Watson. However, May can completely control the symbiote, and actually communicates with it. The symbiote was even altered due to the merge with May, assuming a black-and-red version of Spider-Man's costume, complete with vein-like web designs. Despite the fact that May uses the symbiote for good, her father, Peter Parker, doesn't approve of the merger. MC2 Main article: Normie Osborn The Venom symbiote appears within the MC2 Universe in "Spider-Girl." First, the symbiote attempts to re-bond with Peter Parker. Later, the symbiote appears again when it is forcefully bonded to Spider-Girl's friend Norman "Normie" Osborn III (the grandson of the original Green Goblin). It takes control of Normie, but when it also attempts to absorb Spider-Girl, their combined force of will defeats the creature. Instead of destroying it, however, Normie decides to keep the symbiote and allow it to bond with himself. Somehow, Normie is able to purge the symbiote from the "Venom" personality that used to inhabit it (it is suggested that this personality was a result of Eddie Brock's bonding with the symbiote, and the symbiote was non-harmful by itself). In the final issue, Normie willingly transfers the symbiote to a critically injured Spider-Girl so it can heal and save her. When Spider-Girl with the symbiote attack Hobgoblin, the villain counterattacks with a supersonic weapon. The symbiote sacrifices itself to save Spider-Girl's life. It is presumed to have been completely destroyed, as both Spider-Girl and Osborn report experiencing the psychic bond they shared with the creature to have been broken. 2099 In Spider-Man 2099, the symbiote resurfaced from the sewers of New York and bonds with the half-brother of Miguel O'Hara (Spider-Man 2099) to form Venom 2099. The symbiote was eventually isolated before a riot unleashed it and it joined with Namor the Sub-Mariner. Marvel Mangaverse In the Marvel Mangaverse continuity, Venom is a human renegade. A member of Spider-Man's ninja clan, he is also Spider-Man's older cousin. The distinctive black and white design is here the result of a full-body tattoo or body paint. Venom's skin is pale and colorless, a side-effect from when he was poisoned with spider venom as a child. Venom was responsible for the murder of Peter's Uncle Ben, Venom's own father in the Mangaverse, at the command of New York's Kingpin of Crime. Peter defeated him and could have slain him, but Peter chose to spare his life. Venom went on to apparently murder the Kingpin (who later was revealed to have survived, barely) and take over New York's ninja criminal gangs for himself. The symbiote appears as a black liquid that is released from a cursed amulet. The symbiote draws energy from the amulet's wearer, which can be fatal after prolonged exposure. The wearer's strength and agility are increased, and his or her ability to control their own violent urges is reduced. When Peter Parker was possessed by the evil amulet, removing it nearly caused him to die, as the amulet took all of his life force along with it. Venom captured the amulet and chose to sacrifice his own life force to it in order to save Peter, repaying the debt he owed when Peter spared his life. This act revitalized Peter, but Venom was left as nothing but a skeleton. The amulet, said to contain Venom's life force, eventually wound up in the hands of a crippled Kingpin, who used its power to fully heal himself. It is possible that the spirit of Venom may exist within the amulet, and he may yet return. Marvel Zombies Main article: Marvel Zombies Venom appears in the Marvel Zombies mini-series where an alternate Earth is over-run with a virus that turns people, including all heroes and villains, into zombies. In this reality, weak from the lack of fresh 'food', Eddie's body is withering, causing the symbiote to abandon him. Now only a normal human, albeit a zombie, the zombie Spider-Man kills Eddie for being weak. The fate of the symbiote is unknown. Spider-Man wearing the symbiote in MA:S # 12 Marvel Adventures Spider-Man Main article: Marvel Adventures Spider-Man In Marvel Adventures Spider-Man, which is a re-telling of classic Spider-Man storylines, it was revealed on Marvel's official site that Spider-Man would be wearing the famous black costume/symbiote in Issue # 12.[20] This could lead to the inevitable conclusion that Venom may soon appear. What If? See also: What If? (comics) What If...Venom Possessed The Punisher? In this one-shot, after the symbiote left Spider-Man it joined with The Punisher (Frank Castle) instead of Eddie Brock. Castle used the symbiote's abilities to further his war on crime; he utilized the suit's shape-shifting nature to create glider-wings and even firearms. The Symbiote caused The Punisher's war to become even more brutal and unrestrained than ever before, even resulting in it influencing Punisher to view Spider-Man as a criminal. At the climax of a confrontation with Spider-Man, Daredevil and Moon Knight, Punisher overcomes and forces the symbiote to submit to his will, making it clear that if he ever lost control to the symbiote he would not hesitate to kill himself to prevent the loss of an innocent life. The symbiote then receeds from Punisher's face and manifests his trademark Skull insignia upon his chest. Castle tells the assembled heroes that he is in control now. What If...The symbiote possessed Spider-Man? In this one-shot, after obtaining the symbiote costume, Spider-Man waited too long before visiting Mister Fantastic to have the alien removed. The suit took control of Spider-Man and escaped, but by constantly feeding on him, Spider-Man was aged at an accelerated rate, being reduced to old age in a matter of days, eventually dying as a result. Desperate to survive, the symbiote bonded with a weakened Hulk. Various heroes struggled with the decision to kill the Hulk while killing the symbiote but decided that it was in the best interest of the Earth. However, when Thor confronted Venom-Hulk and defeated him, the symbiote took over Thor. Reluctant to kill Thor, the heroes used one final plan, employing Black Bolt's incredibly powerful voice to create enough sonic damage to critically injure the symbiote. Thor was freed, and the heroes prepared to transport the alien to another dimension when Black Cat, using a gun created for her by the Kingpin in exchange for lifelong servitude, killed the alien, angry at its murder of Spider-Man. Powers and abilities Further information: Symbiote (comics) The symbiote grants hosts', abilities parallel to those of Spider-Man, based on the symbiote's time bonded with the wall-crawler: superhuman strength, agility, superhuman reflexes, and the ability to adhere to walls. The symbiote is capable of enhancing the strength of its host to varying degrees. Due to Eddie Brock's natural physical strength from weight-training, his strength as Venom is greatly increased, far in excess of Spider-Man's, though his full strength often fluctuates. Venom has demonstrated strength slightly greater than Spider-Man's to being capable of trading blows with high-powered individuals such as Juggernaut and even Superman. Venom's body is highly resistant to physical injury, capable of withstanding assault from high-calibre bullets as well as attacks from super powered individuals. Venom is also capable of surviving in harmful areas for long periods of time such as underwater or in toxic gases, the symbiote filtering breathable air to the host. 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 illness that current human medical care cannot such as cancer. The symbiote makes Venom virtually bulletproof. The symbiote contains a small 'dimensional aperture', similar to a pocket, that allows the host to carry items upon his/her person without adding mass to the costume. It also possesses some limited psychic ability, making it capable of obtaining information from its hosts and even other people and symbiotes simply by touch. This ability allowed Eddie Brock to know the secret identity of Spider-Man when the symbiote bonded with him. It can however be forced to forget information if the symbiote is inflicted with heavy trauma. The symbiote is also capable of psychically detecting its offspring; however this ability can be blocked. Due to Spider-Man being a host to the symbiote, Venom, and as a result his offspring, are immune to Spider-Man's spider-sense. As such, Venom is capable of attacking Spider-Man without alerting him, making Venom a deadly foe. The symbiote is capable of mimicking the appearance of any form of clothing, camouflaging with its surroundings, and even mimicking other people. The suit can also shoot webbing similar to that of Spider-Man, albeit from the back of the host's hand instead of the wrist, but as this is made from the symbiote itself, overuse weakens it. However, the symbiote is still capable of producing vast amounts of this webbing before it is forced to stop. Furthermore, it does have an upper limit as to how much webbing it can produce. In Amazing Spider-Man #300, Spider-Man defeated Venom by forcing the symbiote to continually fire off its webbing, after correctly deducing that it uses its own substance to create it. The symbiote is weak against sonics and fire. In some incarnations, the symbiote (and, by extension, Venom) requires a certain chemical (most likely phenethylamine) to stay sane and healthy which has been said to be found abundantly in two sources: chocolate and human brain tissue. Thus, Venom is forced to steal/purchase large amounts of chocolate or become an unwilling cannibal who devours the brains of those he kills. Appearances in other media Television Venom and Spider-Man in Spider-Man: The Animated Series Spider-Man: The Animated Series Like the comics' version of Venom, the version in this '90s cartoon is a former reporter named Eddie Brock who becomes bonded to an alien symbiote that was once attached to Spider-Man. The symbiotes origin is altered however, the alien being brought to Earth from an Earth-based space exploration. During their return, the astronauts are assaulted by the symbiote and crash their ship in the centre of New York where Spider-Man arrives to help, inadvertently collecting the Symbiote when he leaves. Realising that the Symbiotes benefits are outweighed by the negative emotions it is creating in Spider-Man, he uses the sound of Bell's in a church tower to force it to leave his body where it bonds with a webbed-up Brock hanging below. Despite the fact that he is a popular character, Venom was only featured in a handful of episodes. Both Brock and Venom were voiced by Hank Azaria. Character appearances: "Night of the Lizard" (as Brock) "The Spider Slayer" (as Brock) "Return of the Spider Slayers" (as Brock) "The Alien Costume, Part One" (as the symbiote) "The Alien Costume, Part Two" (as the symbiote) "The Alien Costume, Part Three" (as Venom) "Venom Returns" (as Venom) "Carnage" (as Venom) Spider-Man Unlimited Venom has also appeared in the later television series, Spider-Man Unlimited. Throughout this series, Venom is seen working together with Carnage in an effort to perpetuate the spread of an alien hive mind throughout the series' Counter-Earth. Within this series, Venom also displays powers markedly similar to that of Carnage. It is unknown how he and Carnage got out of limbo since the events of "Carnage", but it may have happened after the series finale of Spider-Man: The Animated Series and before the premiere of Spider-Man Unlimited in which the saga was never bridged. Film Defunct Film Venom's first appearance in a motion picture was originally to be as the star of Venom, written by David Goyer (who co-wrote Batman Begins and the Blade trilogy) and produced by New Line Pictures. Venom would have been portrayed as an anti-hero, and Carnage would have been the villain. The script was not produced, and the film rights to the Venom character ultimately reverted to Sony.[1] Spider-Man (2002) Main article: Spider-Man (film) In the 2002 film Spider-Man, it is mentioned that a Daily Bugle photographer named "Eddie" hasn't been able to get a good photo of Spider-Man. Presumably this is Eddie Brock (which the DVD's "Weaving the Web" pop-up factoids feature confirms). In the novelization of the film Eddie actually has a cameo and is mentioned by his full name, with J. Jonah Jameson unwittingly making an ironic allusion to Venom by screaming "Would it kill you to get a decent suit!?". Brock was set to be played by R.C. Everbeck; a cameo role was filmed, but was subsequently cut from the film during production. Spider-Man 3 (2007) Eddie Brock becoming Venom in Spider-Man 3 Main article: Spider-Man 3 Venom has been confirmed to appear in the third film in the Spider-Man series as both the symbiote and Edward "Eddie" Brock, Jr., with Eddie being played by Topher Grace. The symbiote will first coat Spider-Man's costume, giving it a new, black appearance and slightly different spider symbol. Eventually, however, Spider-Man will reject the suit, ripping it off himself within an active bell tower and it will subsequently bond with Brock. There was also a scene from an exclusive trailer released at Comic Con where Eddie sat alone in a church saying, teary-eyed, "I want you to kill Peter Parker." The character's name, "Edward Brock, Jr." is taken from the ultimate continuity version mentioned above. Video games Spider-Man (Game Boy Color) The Amazing Spider-Man (Game Boy) Spider-Man and Venom: Maximum Carnage (Sega Genesis, SNES) The Amazing Spider-Man vs. The Kingpin (Sega Genesis, Sega CD) Spider-Man and Venom: Separation Anxiety (Sega Genesis, SNES, PC) Spider-Man (PC, PlayStation 2, Nintendo 64, Dreamcast) Marvel vs. Capcom: Clash of Super Heroes (Dreamcast, PlayStation, Arcade) Marvel vs. Capcom 2: New Age of Heroes (Dreamcast, PlayStation 2, Xbox, Arcade) Spider-Man 2: Enter Electro (PlayStation) Marvel Nemesis: Rise of the Imperfects (Nintendo DS, PlayStation Portable, PlayStation 2, Xbox, GameCube) Ultimate Spider-Man (Nintendo DS, Game Boy Advance, GameCube, Playstation 2, PC, Xbox, Mobile) Spider-Man arcade game (Arcade) Disputed creator credit Main article: Venom creator credit dispute Some controversy surrounds the creation of the Venom character. Although David Michelinie and Todd McFarlane are thought of as the creators, controversy exists due to the concepts of the character, such as Spider-Man's black costume, existing long before McFarlane's involvement. Additionally, the Venom character did appear in comics, albeit heavily concealed, before McFarlane contributed his design elements. Michelinie argues that McFarlane's design elements were minor compared to the background and personality of Venom which McFarlane had no part in developing. List of symbiote hosts Venom's Hosts Spider-Man (Peter Parker) Eddie Brock Ann Weying (Eddie's ex-wife; deceased) Angelo Fortunato (deceased) The Scorpion (Mac Gargan) (currently the symbiote wearer) Alternate Universes May Parker (Spider-Girl/Venom) (Earth/Universe/Paradise X) The Punisher (Frank Castle) (What If... vol. 2 #44) Thor and the Hulk (What If... vol. 2 #4) Norman "Normie" Osborn III, grandson of the Green Goblin (MC2) May Parker, briefly, a couple of times (MC2) Wildstorm Universe Bonded with Pike in the Backlash and Spider-Man crossover 2099 Kron Stone, the half-brother of Miguel O'Hara Namor the Sub-Mariner Ultimate Universe Ultimate Spider-Man (Peter Parker) Eddie Brock Sr. Eddie Brock Jr. Venom's Clone's Hosts several of the staff of Christmastown, an arctic military installation and next to all of the staff of the arctic lab that created the clone several residents of Voici, a town in Canada's Northwestern Territories a husky a raven Wolverine (James "Logan" Howlett) Patricia Robertson, U.S. Army Communications Specialist Bibliography Solo series and one-shots Spider-Man: The Trial of Venom one-shot (1992) Venom: Lethal Protector #1-6 (February–July, 1993) Venom: Funeral Pyre #1–3 (August–October, 1993) Venom: The Madness #1–3 (November, 1993–January, 1994) Venom: The Enemy Within #1–3 (February–March, 1994) Hulk vs. Venom one-shot (April, 1994) Venom: The Mace #1–3 (May–July, 1994) Venom: Nights of Vengeance #1–4 (August–November, 1994) Venom: Separation Anxiety #1–4 (December, 1994–March, 1995) Venom: Carnage Unleashed #1–4 (April–July, 1995) Venom: Sinner Takes All #1–5 (August–December, 1995) Venom Super Special one-shot (August, 1995) Rune vs. Venom one-shot (December, 1995) Venom: Along Came a Spider #1–4 (January–April, 1996) Venom: The Hunted #1–3 (May–July, 1996) Venom: The Hunger #1–4 (August–November, 1996) Venom: Tooth and Claw #1–3 (December, 1996–February 1997) Venom: On Trial #1–3 (March–May, 1997) Venom: License to Kill #1–3 (June–August, 1997) Venom: Seed of Darkness #1 one-shot (July 1997) Venom: Sign of the Boss #1–2 (September–October 1997) Venom: Finale #1–3 (November, 1997–January, 1998) Spider-Man: Venom Agenda one-shot (January, 1998) Venom #1–18 (June, 2003–November, 2004) Venom vs. Carnage #1–4 (August–December, 2004) Reprints Venom: The Return one-shot (1990; reprints Amazing Spider-Man (1963 series) 330, 347, Amazing Spider-Man Annual #25) Venom: Deathtrap: The Vault graphic novel (March, 1993; reprints Avengers: Deathtrap: The Vault) Venom: Shiver trade paperback (2004; reprints Venom #1–5) Venom: Run trade paperback (2004; reprints Venom #6–13) Venom: Twist trade paperback (2005; reprints Venom #13–18) Venom vs. Carnage trade paperback (2005; reprints Venom vs. Carnage #1–4) Appearances in novels and short stories Spider-Man: The Venom Factor by Diane Duane, October 1994 "An Evening in the Bronx with Venom" by Keith R. A. DeCandido and John Gregory Betancourt, in The Ultimate Spider-Man, ed. Stan Lee, December 1994 Spider-Man: The Lizard Sanction by Diane Duane, October 1995 "The Deviant Ones" by Glenn Greenberg, in The Ultimate Super-Villains, ed. Stan Lee, August 1996 Spider-Man: The Octopus Agenda by Diane Duane, October 1996 Spider-Man: Venom's Wrath by Keith R. A. DeCandido and Jose R. Nieto, October 1998 References ^  Jim Shooter (w),  Mike Zeck (p),  John Beatty (i). ""Secret Wars"" Marvel Super Heroes #8 December, 1984 Marvel Comics. ^  Tom DeFalco (w),  Ron Frenz (p),  Josef Rubinstein (i). ""The Sinister Secret of Spider-Man's New Costume"" The Amazing Spider-Man #258 November, 1984 Marvel Comics. ^  Louise Simonson (w),  Greg La Rocque (p),  Jim Mooney (i). ""Til Death Us Do Part"" Web Of Spider-Man #1 April, 1985 Marvel Comics. ^  David Michelinie (w),  Todd McFarlane (p),  Todd McFarlane (i). ""The Sand and the Fury"" The Amazing Spider-Man #317 July, 1981 Marvel Comics. ^  Paul Jenkins (w),  Humberto Ramos (p),  Wayne Faucher (i). ""The Hunger"" Spectacular Spider-Man v2 #5 December, 2003 Marvel Comics. ^  David Michelinie (w),  Erik Larsen (p),  Mark Machlan (i). ""Stalking Feat"" Amazing Spider-Man  v1 #333 June, 1990 Marvel Comics. ^  David Michelinie (w),  Mark Bagley (p),  Randy Emberlin (i). ""Gun From the Heart"" Amazing Spider-Man  v1 #345 March, 1991 Marvel Comics. ^  David Michelinie (w),  Erik Larsen (p),  Randy Emberlin (i). ""The Boneyard Hop"" Amazing Spider-Man  v1 #347 May, 1991 Marvel Comics. ^  David Michelinie (w),  Mark Bagley (p),  Randy Emberlin (i). ""Carnage"" Amazing Spider-Man  v1 #362 May, 1992 Marvel Comics. ^  Larry Hama (w),  Josh Hood (p),  Derek Fisher (i). ""On Trial"" Venom #1 March, 1997 Marvel Comics. ^  Larry Hama (w),  Mark Pajarillo (p),  Robert Jones (i). ""Finale"" Venom #1 November, 1997 Marvel Comics. ^  Larry Hama (w),  Mark Pajarillo (p),  Robert Jones (i). ""Finale"" Venom #3 January, 1998 Marvel Comics. ^  Peter Milligan (w),  Clayton Crain (p),  Clayton Crain (i).  "Venom vs. Carnage" December, 2004 Marvel Comics. ^  Daniel Way (w),  Francisco Herrera, Paco Medina, , Sean Galloway et al (p),  Carlos Cuevas (i).  "Venom 1-14" April, 2003 Marvel Comics. ^  Paul Jenkins (w),  Humberto Ramos (p),  Wayne Faucher (i). ""The Hunger"" Spectacular Spider-Man v2 #4 November, 2003 Marvel Comics. ^  Paul Jenkins (w),  Humberto Ramos (p),  Wayne Faucher (i). ""The Hunger"" Spectacular Spider-Man v2 #5 December, 2003 Marvel Comics. ^  Mark Millar (w),  Terry Dodson (p),  Rachel Dodson (i). ""Venomous"" Marvel Knights: Spider-Man  #7 December, 2004 Marvel Comics. ^  Mark Millar (w),  Frank Cho (p),  Frank Cho (i). ""Venomous"" Marvel Knights: Spider-Man  #8 January, 2005 Marvel Comics. ^  Mark Millar (w),  Terry Dodson (p),  Rachel Dodson (i). ""The Last Stand"" Marvel Knights: Spider-Man  #10 March, 2005 Marvel Comics. ^ http://www.marvel.com/catalog/?book_title=Marvel+Adventures+Spider-Man External links A speculative essay on Marvel Symbiotes Insania 1998 – profiles Venom, his allies, and enemies Extensive information on Venom and Venom 2099 Venom's profile at Spiderfan.org Unofficial Venom page Villains of Marvel Comics - Venom profile Venom 2099 Marvel Database: Venom Search Term: "Venom_%28comics%29" Categories: Articles with unsourced statements | Doppelgängers | Fictional Americans in Marvel Comics | Fictional symbionts | Marvel Comics aliens | Marvel Comics titles | Marvel vs. Series characters | Sinister Six members | Spider-Man villains | Spider-Man supporting characters | Spin-off comic book superheroes | Spider-Man Classics | Marvel Legends | Computer and video game bosses | Fictional characters with precognition | Marvel Comics characters with superhuman strength | Fictional characters with the power to move at superhuman speeds | Fictional characters with the power of accelerated healing | Ultimate Marvel

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