Venom (Marvel)

Venom is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics, commonly in association with Spider-Man. The character is a sentient alien symbiote with an amorphous, liquid-like form, who survives by bonding with a host, usually human. This dual-life form receives enhanced powers and usually refers to itself as "Venom". The symbiote was originally introduced as a living alien costume in The Amazing Spider-Man #252 (May 1984), with a full first appearance as Venom in The Amazing Spider-Man #300 (May 1988).

The Venom symbiote's first human host was Spider-Man, who eventually discovered its true nefarious nature and separated himself from the creature in The Amazing Spider-Man #258 (November 1984) — with a brief rejoining five months later in Web of Spider-Man #1. 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. As one of Spider-Man's most enduring villains, Venom quickly established himself as one of his arch-enemies, with many regarding him as a dark reflection of Spider-Man. The character later became an anti-hero, working both with and against superheroes. Other notable hosts of the Venom symbiote include the villain Mac Gargan, formerly known as Scorpion, and Flash Thompson, who became the superhero Agent Venom.

The character has been featured in various other media, including animated series, films, and video games. Most notably, he was portrayed by Topher Grace as one of the main antagonists of the film Spider-Man 3 (2007), and by Tom Hardy as the titular protagonist and antihero of the Sony Pictures Universe of Marvel Characters film Venom (2018) and its upcoming sequel, Venom: Let There Be Carnage (2021). The Eddie Brock incarnation of Venom was rated 33rd on Empire's 50 Greatest Comic Book Characters, and was the 22nd Greatest Villain on IGN's 100 Greatest Comic Villains of All Time. 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".

Known hosts

 * Peter Parker / Spider-Man
 * Eddie Brock
 * Mac Gargan / Scorpion
 * Flash Thompson (also known for the alterego Agent Venom)

Iago PUC

 * The Eddie Brock version of Venom appears in Venom vs. Morbius, with Tom Hardy reprising his role.
 * The Eddie Brock version of Venom appears in Marvel's Spider-Man: Webbed Champion, with Brock voiced by Ben Pronsky, and the Symbiote voiced by Benjamin Diskin. Appearing in "On the Tiger's Claw", Brock (as in the canon version of the series) becomes Venom's host in his attempt to get pictures of the V-252 out of jealousy of Peter, although he does it after Jameson fires him for getting Peter to quit from the Daily Bugle to join Stark Industries as a intern. Brock and Venom eventually seek to ambush Peter during his date night with Mary Jane Watson, but ends up getting in a fight against Scorpion (who was at the time hired by J. Jonah Jameson to capture Peter and force him back to the Bugle), before coming face-to-face with Spider-Man and his comrades while Peter and Mary Jane (actually Skrull scouts Amon and Jade in disguise) infiltrate the Bugle to expose Jameson. Defeated, Brock was captured by the young Titanian Tiger scouts to be punished by Chief Soto himself, and the Symbiote taken to be lobotomized by the Skrulls. Brock and the Symbiote return as Venom once more in "The Parker Errand". Initially wanting revenge on Peter, they soon experience memories of Peter's life (which include Peter's former teacher in Midtown High and Brock's lover Anne Weying) which sway them into being heroes, the two decide to stop A.I.M. in their own after discovering that Carlton Drake (the man who ruined Brock's life in San Francisco and ordered his employees to bring the Symbiote from its planet to Earth) also has ties with Truman Marsh and MODOK. In the end of the episode, while Spider-Man, Mockingbird and She-Hulk defeat A.I.M., and take the evidences of Jameson's involvement with the murders of Richard and Mary Parker and the Tesseract, Venom abducts Marsh, and leaves to commence his purpose of revenge on Drake. Venom later returns in "Sons of Fathers", revealing that he is now hunting other Symbiotes to stop their attempts for conquest. He helps Spider-Man and his friends deal with Hydra upon discovering that one of the agents became the host of Carnage, although the young heroes also distrustful of Venom; only of the Symbiote for having tried to kill the humans more than once, but of Brock for not regarding that Peter merely wanted a job on the Daily Bugle to help support his aunt May.
 * The same version appears in the Disney+ TV movie Marvel's Superhero Adventures: Infinity War, again voiced by Benjamin Diskin. In the film, Venom is shown having been captured by Thanos, and held prisoner in the Sanctuary X so that Thanos can extract Venom's DNA to create the "Klyntauri", genetic hybrids of the Symbiotes and the Chitauri made to strengthen his armies. In the film's climax, Venom is freed by Spider-Woman and Invisible Woman, so that Venom will absorb Nighthawk's power chair, becoming more powerful (even becoming able to fly with his new ability to grow dragon-like wings) and earning a new look (which is based on his appearance in the War of the Realms saga). Then, Venom proceeds to battle Thanos himself, providing the heroes time to evacuate with the brainwashed Black Order members while Doctor Octopus teleports the remaining Chitauri and Klyntauri to Sanctuary X. Then, Venom begins laughing as Doctor Octopus creates a large black hole to obliterate Sanctuary X, before grabbing Thanos and plunging themselves into oblivion.
 * The Eddie Brock version of Venom appears in Marvel: All New, All Different Chronicles, with Brock voiced by Crispin Freeman, and the Symbiote voiced by Kevin Michael Richardson.
 * The Eddie Brock version of Venom appears in Iago PUC's Avengers Animated Trilogy, with Brock voiced by Troy Baker (albeit uncredited) in the Forces from the Infinity and Jerry O'Connell in the sequels The Symbiote War and Inhumans Unleashed. The Venom Symbiote is voiced by Tony Todd.
 * Eddie Brock / Venom also appears in the trilogy's spin-off Venom and the New Ravagers, voiced again by O'Connell and Todd.

Joint ideas

 * The Eddie Brock version of Venom appears in Spider-Man: Web of Intrigue, voiced by Wentworth Miller.