Eddie Brock
Encyclopedia
Eddie Brock is a fictional character
created by David Michelinie
and Todd McFarlane
. A comic book supervillain
, Brock's earliest appearance is a cameo in Web of Spider-Man
#18 (September 1986) before making his first full appearance in The Amazing Spider-Man
#299 (April 1988) as Venom
. The character has since appeared in many Marvel Comics
publications including his own series Venom. Introduced as the first incarnation of the Spider-Man
villain Venom, the character becomes an anti-hero
working with and against superheroes.
In the original version of the story, Brock is a journalist who exposes the identity of a serial killer only for the real killer to be caught by Spider-Man, Brock having accused the wrong man. Disgraced and suicidal, Brock comes into contact with an alien Symbiote
, rejected by Peter Parker. The Symbiote bonds with Brock becoming Venom and together they seek out revenge against their mutual enemy. Though Brock repeatedly comes into conflict with Spider-Man, he also attempts to operate as a hero, albeit a violent one, seeking to save those he deems "innocent". In 2008, after being separated from the Venom Symbiote, Brock gains a new Symbiote and becomes the anti-hero Anti-Venom. Though Brock is a human with no powers, the Symbiote suit bestows upon him a range of abilities including many of the powers belonging to Spider-Man, the Symbiote's original host.
Debuting in the Modern Age of Comic Books
, the character of Eddie Brock has featured in other Marvel-endorsed products such as animated television series; video games; a feature film
and merchandise such as action figure
s and trading card
s. Eddie Brock's 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."
and artist Todd McFarlane
are generally credited with the character's creation, based on a number of plot ideas and concepts from various other creators, though the degree to which McFarlane should be credited with co-creating the character has been a source of dispute in the comic book industry. The question of who created the character of Venom became an issue of contention in 1993 when Michelinie wrote to the comic book industry magazine Wizard
, which had referred to Michelinie in issue #17 as "co-creator" of Venom. In his letter, printed in issue #21 (May 1993), Michelinie wrote that he was the character's sole creator, while saying also he believed that without McFarlane the character would not have attained the popularity it did.
Writer Peter David
corroborated Michelinie's view in his "But I Digress" column in the June 4, 1993 Comics Buyer's Guide
, in which he stated that Michelinie discussed the ideas behind the character with him at the time of its creation. At that time, David was the writer on The Spectacular Spider-Man and wrote the "Sin Eater" storyline from which Eddie Brock's backstory would be derived, well before McFarlane was assigned to the art duties on Amazing. Because artists who design the costumes or appearances of major characters and/or illustrate their first appearances are generally credited as co-creators, Venom represents a complex situation, because the costume from which Venom's appearance is derived was not designed by McFarlane.
Erik Larsen
responded to Michelinie's letter with one of his own that was printed in Wizard #23 (July 1993), in which he dismissed Michelinie's contributions to the character, arguing that Michelinie merely "swiped" the preexisting symbiote and its powers to place it on a character whose motivations were poorly conceived, one-dimensional, unbelievable, and clichéd. Larsen also argued that it was McFarlane's rendition of the character that made it commercial.
The preexisting elements that dealt with the symbiote costume itself - to which Michelinie did not contribute - have also been noted. For example, editor Jim 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 (though a 2007 Comic Book Resources
story contends that a fan suggested a black costume for the Spider-Man prior to this, for which he was paid by Shooter.) Writer/artist John Byrne asserts 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. Regardless, Peter David's position is that Michelinie is the sole creator, since the idea of creating a separate character using the alien symbiote was Michelinie's, as was Eddie Brock's backstory, and that without the idea to create such a character, the character would not have existed.
In an interview with Tom DeFalco, McFarlane claims that Michelinie did indeed come up with the idea of Venom and the character's basic design ("a big guy in the black costume"). However, he contends that it was he (McFarlane) who gave Venom his monster-like features. He claims; "I just wanted to make him kooky and creepy, and not just some guy in a black suit."
This dispute arose at a time when artists such as McFarlane and Larsen were enjoying a great deal of popularity and clout with readers, and capitalizing on their popularity by publishing creator-owned books with their new company, Image Comics
, and it is possible that this issue was a subtext of the greater debate over the importance of writers versus artists that was being waged in the industry at the time. Prior to McFarlane's departure from Marvel, the company stated that Venom was a creation of McFarlane's, and Michelinie shared credit as co-creator. Regardless of the issues surrounding his creation, Venom was created under a work for hire
contract, and Marvel owns all rights to the character.
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.
The character would remain unseen and inactive until Amazing Spider-Man editor Jim Salicrup
required a villain for that book's 300th issue, and Michelinie suggested a villain consisting of the alien symbiote
grafted onto the body of a human female. Salicrup accepted the suggestion, but changed the character to a male. Michelinie then devised the Eddie Brock identity. Michelinie contends that the plots for issues #298-299, as well as the visual descriptions of the character, were written and bought by Salicrup before McFarlane was ever assigned to the book.
describes Brock's history before bonding with the symbiote. As a child, Edward Allan "Eddie" Brock is raised in a Roman Catholic
household in San Francisco. Eddie's mother dies from complications during his birth and as a result his father is cold and unaffectionate towards him. Eddie excels in academics and sports to earn his approval but does not succeed. In college, Brock switches his major to journalism after reading an article on the Watergate scandal
. After graduating he moves to New York City and obtains a job as a journalist for the Daily Globe
. Though he proves himself to be a highly talented journalist, his father still only treats him with indifference.
As a reporter, Brock investigates the serial killer Sin-Eater
and is contacted by Emil Gregg who claims to be the killer. Pressured by the authorities to reveal the killer's identity, Brock writes an exposé announcing Gregg as the Sin-Eater. However, the real Sin-Eater is caught by Spider-Man and Brock is revealed to have been interviewing a compulsive confessor. Brock is fired from his job in disgrace. Unable to find reputable work, he is forced to work for tabloid magazines and his father ceases communication with him entirely. Brock becomes obsessed with gaining revenge against Spider-Man, blaming him for catching the real Sin-Eater. Brock resumes his passion for athletics through weight training to reduce stress but his anger and depression remain. Meanwhile, Spider-Man uses the sound of bells at a church to remove his symbiote
costume after realizing it is attempting to permanently bond with him. His professional and personal life shattered, Brock contemplates suicide and goes to the same church, where he prays to God for forgiveness. The Symbiote, having waited in the rafters of the church since leaving Spider-Man, senses Brock and bonds with him, granting him powers equal and greater to those of Spider-Man, and imparting knowledge of Spider-Man's secret identity.
, terrifying her and putting Spider-Man on alert. Brock baits Spider-Man to his apartment for their first confrontation. Venom reveals his identity to Spider-Man claiming "You may call me Venom, for that's what I'm paid to spew out these days!" Spider-Man discovers that the Symbiote has completely bonded with Brock and he cannot kill it without also killing Brock. Eventually Venom is tricked into weakening himself by expending too much webbing until the suit lacks enough material to produce more. Venom is incarcerated in the Vault
, but in time escapes by mimicking a fallen guard. Again engaging Spider-Man in battle, Venom is defeated and brought back to the vault.
Venom escapes from the Vault again during the "Acts of Vengeance
" breakout, but is returned by Quasar. Venom later attempts to engineer a prison break, but it fails. He eventually fakes suicide and escaped after being taken to the morgue. He later saves a baby while battling Spider-Man.
During a battle with Spider-Man, the Symbiote is seemingly killed by the plague-inducing villain Styx
, giving its life to protect Brock. Brock is incarcerated and Spider-Man disposes of the Symbiote's remains. The Symbiote survives by entering a comatose state to fight off the illness. It returns to Brock, enabling him to escape from jail. The symbiote asexually reproduces at the same time and leaves behind its spawn. The offspring quickly bonds to Brock's cell mate, Cletus Kasady, creating Carnage
. Venom abducts Spider-Man and transports him to a remote island to do battle. Spider-Man fakes his own death to convince Venom that his vendetta is over. Venom, content with the outcome, resigns himself to life on the island. Spider-Man eventually faces Carnage but is unable to defeat him. Spider-Man is forced to ask Venom for help, promising him freedom in exchange. However, after they defeat Carnage Spider-Man betrays Venom and sends him back to prison.
and Agony, before escaping. After saving the homeless people from being killed, Venom is accepted into their society and finds a new home.
After Carnage reemerges and begins a massacre in New York City, Brock returns to help, feeling responsible. In their first fight however, Brock is nearly killed and he goes to Spider-Man for help. Spider-Man finds himself unwilling to work with Venom's methods and goes off on his own. Venom joins with Black Cat, Cloak and Morbius to go after Carnage. Spider-Man eventually rejoins Venom out of desperation. Venom's attempts to kill Carnage are repeatedly stopped by Spider-Man, causing them to fight. Venom is weakened by Shriek
's sonic blasts and captured by Carnage, who subjects him to torture. Venom eventually frees himself and escapes. Venom and Carnage battle again and Venom tackles him into high-voltage generators, rendering him unconscious and allowing him to be imprisoned by The Avengers. Brock goes into hiding.
Brock is next seen in the 1994 limited series Separation Anxiety
. He is captured and separated from the Symbiote for a government research project. Venom's spawn, Phage, Lasher, Scream, Riot and Agony are revealed to have survived and arrive to free Brock. The Symbiotes reveal they have defected from the Life Foundation and are seeking Brock's help to gain control over their "other". Brock refuses to help. Meanwhile, the Venom Symbiote escapes from its holding facility and seeks out Brock. Scream is revealed to have been mentally unstable before joining with her Symbiote and murders her ally Symbiotes. Brock is reunited with his Symbiote, becoming Venom, and fights Scream. The fight is interrupted by soldiers from the research project. Scream is captured and Venom escapes.
In the 1995 "Planet of the Symbiotes
" event, Brock forces the Symbiote to leave him, concerned about how much influence it may be having on him. The Symbiote unleashes a telepathically-projected scream of sorrow and pain that attracts other members of its species to Earth. They create a portal to their last conquered world, and Brock joins with Venom again and works with Spider-Man and Scarlet Spider
to fight the other Symbiotes and stop their plan to conquer Earth. Carnage is freed by one of the invading Symbiotes and begins consuming the invaders, adding their mass to his own, massively increasing his size before stalking Venom. Spider-Man and Scarlet Spider defeat Carnage while Venom sends out another psychic scream by bonding completely and irrevocably with the Symbiote. The scream contains enough pain and despair to cause the invading Symbiotes to commit suicide.
Brock is captured in his sewer hideout and put on trial, with Matt Murdock
acting in his defense, his symbiote held in check by a chemical inhibitor. Cletus Kassady is called as a witness, but when the case becomes heated both Kassady and Brock overcome their inhibitors. Venom, Spider-Man, and Daredevil team up and subdue Carnage. However, before the trial can continue Venom is unexpectedly taken into custody by a secret government organization offering him amnesty in exchange for him becoming their agent. Though Venom at first enjoyed his new found immunities, he left after being abandoned during a dangerous mission. After receiving a head wound, Eddie suffers amnesia
. He is later separated from the symbiote, which is presumed killed by the government Overreach Committee.
The symbiote survives and tracks down the amnesiac Brock, turning him into Venom again. Venom infiltrates Ravencroft prison seeking Carnage and permanently absorbs the Carnage Symbiote. Brock temporarily joins the Sinister Six
to get Spider-Man but after being betrayed by them, he begins hunting down the members for revenge. He ultimately cripples Sandman
by biting him, leading to the characters apparent death.
Venom's rivalry with Spider-Man is renewed when Ann, who lives in fear since bonding with the Symbiote, commits suicide after seeing Brock become Venom. Venom however, believes Spider-Man swinging by Ann's window in his black costume to be the cause. Before he can take revenge however, the Symbiote is forcefully removed from him by the human/alien hybrid Senator Ward
in order to learn more about symbiosis. An alien race, secretly operating within the United States government, clones the Venom symbiote. Venom absorbs the clone, gains its knowledge, and decides to carry out the aliens' orders.
In the 2003 story "The Hunger", Brock is revealed to have had cancer before joining with the Symbiote. The Symbiote is shown to have chosen Brock not only for his hatred towards Spider-Man, but also because the cancer caused the release of adrenaline, which sustained the Symbiote. By feeding on the cancer, the Symbiote keeps Brock alive. Brock's motivation is also changed, showing him to have pursued Spider-Man not out of anger but fear that Spider-Man would one day take the Symbiote back, leaving Brock to die. Brock dies after the Symbiote leaves him for Spider-Man, not wanting a diseased host. Spider-Man tricks the Symbiote into again bonding with Brock, reviving him.
Later, Carnage gives birth to a new Symbiote. Carnage attempts to kill the newborn while Venom attempts to save it, hoping to turn it into an ally. Venom names the spawn Toxin
. However, after Venom witnesses Toxin nearly kill Carnage but show compassion, he worries that he may be like Spider-Man and joins forces with Carnage to kill him. Carnage and Venom attack Toxin but are driven away by Spider-Man, Toxin and Black Cat.
Brock has a crisis of faith and decides to sell the Symbiote, knowing he will rapidly die from his cancer without it sustaining him. He intends to donate the $100 million received from the sale to charity before dying. The Symbiote is purchased by crime boss Don Fortunato
for his son Angelo Fortunato. Angelo briefly becomes the second Venom but proves an unworthy host. The Symbiote abandons him mid-jump and he falls to his death. Upon learning of Angelo's death, Brock feels responsible and attempts suicide by slitting his wrists.
Brock is next seen in hospital, rapidly succumbing to his cancer and experiencing hallucinations of "Venom". He spots a comatose Aunt May in the same hospital, dying from a gunshot. The Venom hallucination persuades him to kill Aunt May. Brock orders a novelty replica of Spider-Man's black costume and wears it at the demand of "Venom". Brock murders a nurse to test if he can still kill but ultimately refuses "Venom" and decides against killing May, finding he cannot kill an innocent. When Peter comes to visit May, he finds Eddie, who has repeatedly cut his own wrists to get rid of "Venom". Eddie asks for Peter's forgiveness before jumping out of a window, but Peter manages to catch him. Awakening chained to his bed, Brock finds he can still see "Venom" but tells him that he accepts its presence as long as it knows that he is in control.
The 2008 story "New Ways to Die
" features the return of Brock. Matt Murdock convinces a court of law that Brock was not responsible for his actions while bonded to the symbiote and has criminal charges against him dropped. Brock gets a job at the F.E.A.S.T. center soup kitchen under Martin Li. Brock is unknowingly cured of his cancer by Li, who possesses special abilities, but believes it to be a miracle. Brock is later forced to fight the current Venom, Mac Gargan. The Venom symbiote attempts to leave Gargan to bond with Brock again. However, Brock's skin becomes caustic to the symbiote. Brock is enveloped in a new symbiote forged from the remnants of the Venom symbiote in his body bonding with his white blood cells charged with Li's healing energy, becoming Anti-Venom. He engages Gargan in a fight, and after receiving some help from Spider-Man, weakens and nearly destroys the symbiote. When he detects remnants of the symbiote inside Spider-Man, he attempts to "cure" him, draining radiation from his body and nearly de-powering him. Brock later saves Spider-Man from an attack by Osborn and works with him to retaliate. During the attack, Brock faces Gargan again, who is now equipped with a Scorpion battle-suit to protect his recovering symbiote. Gargan hits Anti-Venom with his stinger, injecting a poisonous formula that seemingly destroys Brock's suit. When Gargan attempts to kill Brock, the Venom symbiote prevents him from doing so. Brock's suit later reforms.
Eddie eventually faces the villain Mister Negative
and discovers that he and Martin Li are the same person. Discovering the man he idolized is also a supervillain causes a breakdown for Eddie, making him question his faith and become unstable, referring to himself as a monster. Brock next appears in "The Return of Anti-Venom" (2011). Unable to expose Negative's true identity, believing no-one will trust him, Anti-Venom starts a crusade against Negative, attacking his criminal operations. When Anti-Venom realizes that May also knows Li is Negative, he decides to attack Negative directly before he can silence her. Brock teams up with Spider-Man and the new Wraith to fight Negative. Wraith uses her technology to publicly reveal Mister Negative is Martin Li, sending him into hiding. Spider-Man and Anti-Venom call a truce to their rivalry.
During the 2011 Spider-Island
event in which 99% of New York City's population are transformed into mind-controlled spiders, Brock is forced to sacrifice his suit—and being Anti-Venom—so that it can be converted into a powerful curative capable of healing the infected millions. In a 2011 New Avengers storyline, Brock joins Wonder Man
's Revengers to destroy the New Avengers.
Venom's body is highly resistant to injury, capable of outright stopping bladed weapons, bullets, and it can help its host survive in hostile environments by filtering air, allowing survival underwater and in toxic environments. Venom can also morph his appearance, to create disguises at will, and camouflage itself, even emulating water. It is also capable of psychically detecting its offspring; however, this ability can be blocked. This sense can be used by Brock even when separated from the suit, allowing him to detect and be detected by the Symbiote and its children. The Symbiote is capable of healing injury and illness at an increased rate, allowing the host to survive otherwise mortal damage. The Symbiote and host are capable of sharing knowledge, the Symbiote able to pass on information from previous hosts to future ones. The Venom Symbiote contains a small 'dimensional aperture', allowing Brock to carry items without adding mass to the costume. Due to Eddie Brock's muscular physique and natural physical strength from weight training, his strength as Venom is significantly superior to Spider-Man's.
As Anti-Venom, Brock's suit is corrosive to the Venom symbiote, inflicting pain and damage on the suit to the point of causing it to dissolve. He displays similar abilities as Venom, possessing super strength, speed, negating Spider-Man's spider-sense, and being able to block damage entirely from some guns and knives. He is also capable of extending and morphing the suit to create disguises, form items such as shields, extend his reach, attack from a distance, and create tendrils. Anti-Venom is also immune to the weaknesses of the Venom Symbiote, showing no damage or effect from direct blasts of fire, heat and sound. The only shown weaknesses of the Symbiote are a highly toxic "super venom" created as a direct countermeasure using remnants of Anti-Venom's suit and Mr. Negative's energy. The "super venom" causes the suit to immediately dissolve. Mr. Negative is shown capable of using his energy to weaken or nullify the healing abilities of the suit.
titles in which the character's history, circumstances and behavior vary from the mainstream setting.
Fictional character
A character is the representation of a person in a narrative work of art . Derived from the ancient Greek word kharaktêr , the earliest use in English, in this sense, dates from the Restoration, although it became widely used after its appearance in Tom Jones in 1749. From this, the sense of...
created by David Michelinie
David Michelinie
-Biography:Some of his earliest work is for DC Comics's House of Secrets and a run on Swamp Thing , following Len Wein and preceding Gerry Conway, illustrated by Nestor Redondo. Michelinie did a run on Aquaman in Adventure Comics which led to the revival of the Sea King's own title in 1977...
and Todd McFarlane
Todd McFarlane
Todd McFarlane is a Canadian cartoonist, writer, toy designer and entrepreneur, best known for his work in comic books, such as the fantasy series Spawn....
. A comic book supervillain
Supervillain
A supervillain or supervillainess is a variant of the villain character type, commonly found in comic books, action movies and science fiction in various media.They are sometimes used as foils to superheroes and other fictional heroes...
, Brock's earliest appearance is a cameo in Web of Spider-Man
Web of Spider-Man
Web of Spider-Man is the name of two different monthly comic book series starring Spider-Man that have been published by Marvel Comics since 1985, the first volume of which ran for 129 issues between 1985 and 1995, and the second of which ran for 12 issues between 2009 and 2010.-Volume 1:The first...
#18 (September 1986) before making his first full appearance in The Amazing Spider-Man
The Amazing Spider-Man
The Amazing Spider-Man is an American comic book series published by Marvel Comics, featuring the adventures of the fictional superhero Spider-Man. Being the mainstream continuity of the franchise, it began publication in 1963 as a monthly periodical and was published continuously until it was...
#299 (April 1988) as Venom
Venom (comics)
Eddie Brock is a fictional character created by David Michelinie and Todd McFarlane. A comic book supervillain, Brock's earliest appearance is a cameo in Web of Spider-Man #18 before making his first full appearance in The Amazing Spider-Man #299 as Venom...
. The character has since appeared in many Marvel Comics
Marvel Comics
Marvel Worldwide, Inc., commonly referred to as Marvel Comics and formerly Marvel Publishing, Inc. and Marvel Comics Group, is an American company that publishes comic books and related media...
publications including his own series Venom. Introduced as the first incarnation of the Spider-Man
Spider-Man
Spider-Man is a fictional Marvel Comics superhero. The character was created by writer-editor Stan Lee and writer-artist Steve Ditko. He first appeared in Amazing Fantasy #15...
villain Venom, the character becomes an anti-hero
Anti-hero
In fiction, an antihero is generally considered to be a protagonist whose character is at least in some regards conspicuously contrary to that of the archetypal hero, and is in some instances its antithesis in which the character is generally useless at being a hero or heroine when they're...
working with and against superheroes.
In the original version of the story, Brock is a journalist who exposes the identity of a serial killer only for the real killer to be caught by Spider-Man, Brock having accused the wrong man. Disgraced and suicidal, Brock comes into contact with an alien Symbiote
Symbiote (comics)
In the Marvel Comics universe, The Symbiote is a specific parasitic species of extraterrestrial organism...
, rejected by Peter Parker. The Symbiote bonds with Brock becoming Venom and together they seek out revenge against their mutual enemy. Though Brock repeatedly comes into conflict with Spider-Man, he also attempts to operate as a hero, albeit a violent one, seeking to save those he deems "innocent". In 2008, after being separated from the Venom Symbiote, Brock gains a new Symbiote and becomes the anti-hero Anti-Venom. Though Brock is a human with no powers, the Symbiote suit bestows upon him a range of abilities including many of the powers belonging to Spider-Man, the Symbiote's original host.
Debuting in the Modern Age of Comic Books
Modern Age of Comic Books
The Modern Age of Comic Books is an informal name for the period in the history of mainstream American comic books generally considered to last from the mid-1980s until present day...
, the character of Eddie Brock has featured in other Marvel-endorsed products such as animated television series; video games; a feature film
Feature film
In the film industry, a feature film is a film production made for initial distribution in theaters and being the main attraction of the screening, rather than a short film screened before it; a full length movie...
and merchandise such as action figure
Action figure
An action figure is a posable character figurine, made of plastic or other materials, and often based upon characters from a film, comic book, video game, or television program. These action figures are usually marketed towards boys and male collectors...
s and trading card
Trading card
A trading card is a small card, usually made out of paperboard or thick paper, which usually contains an image of a certain person, place or thing and a short description of the picture, along with other text...
s. Eddie Brock's incarnation of Venom was rated 33rd on Empire's 50 Greatest Comic Book Characters, and was the 22nd greatest villain on IGN
IGN
IGN is an entertainment website that focuses on video games, films, music and other media. IGN's main website comprises several specialty sites or "channels", each occupying a subdomain and covering a specific area of entertainment...
'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."
Creation and conception
Writer David MichelinieDavid Michelinie
-Biography:Some of his earliest work is for DC Comics's House of Secrets and a run on Swamp Thing , following Len Wein and preceding Gerry Conway, illustrated by Nestor Redondo. Michelinie did a run on Aquaman in Adventure Comics which led to the revival of the Sea King's own title in 1977...
and artist Todd McFarlane
Todd McFarlane
Todd McFarlane is a Canadian cartoonist, writer, toy designer and entrepreneur, best known for his work in comic books, such as the fantasy series Spawn....
are generally credited with the character's creation, based on a number of plot ideas and concepts from various other creators, though the degree to which McFarlane should be credited with co-creating the character has been a source of dispute in the comic book industry. The question of who created the character of Venom became an issue of contention in 1993 when Michelinie wrote to the comic book industry magazine Wizard
Wizard (magazine)
Wizard or Wizard: The Magazine of Comics, Entertainment and Pop Culture was a magazine about comic books, published monthly in the United States by Wizard Entertainment from July 1991 to January 2011...
, which had referred to Michelinie in issue #17 as "co-creator" of Venom. In his letter, printed in issue #21 (May 1993), Michelinie wrote that he was the character's sole creator, while saying also he believed that without McFarlane the character would not have attained the popularity it did.
Writer Peter David
Peter David
Peter Allen David , often abbreviated PAD, is an American writer of comic books, novels, television, movies and video games...
corroborated Michelinie's view in his "But I Digress" column in the June 4, 1993 Comics Buyer's Guide
Comics Buyer's Guide
Comics Buyer's Guide , established in 1971, is the longest-running English-language periodical reporting on the American comic book industry...
, in which he stated that Michelinie discussed the ideas behind the character with him at the time of its creation. At that time, David was the writer on The Spectacular Spider-Man and wrote the "Sin Eater" storyline from which Eddie Brock's backstory would be derived, well before McFarlane was assigned to the art duties on Amazing. Because artists who design the costumes or appearances of major characters and/or illustrate their first appearances are generally credited as co-creators, Venom represents a complex situation, because the costume from which Venom's appearance is derived was not designed by McFarlane.
Erik Larsen
Erik Larsen
Erik J. Larsen is an American comic book writer, artist and publisher. He is best known for his work on Savage Dragon, as one of the founders of Image Comics, and for his work on Spider-Man for Marvel Comics.-Early life:...
responded to Michelinie's letter with one of his own that was printed in Wizard #23 (July 1993), in which he dismissed Michelinie's contributions to the character, arguing that Michelinie merely "swiped" the preexisting symbiote and its powers to place it on a character whose motivations were poorly conceived, one-dimensional, unbelievable, and clichéd. Larsen also argued that it was McFarlane's rendition of the character that made it commercial.
Jim Shooter
James Shooter is an American writer, occasional fill-in artist, editor, and publisher for various comic books. Although he started professionally in the medium at the extraordinarily young age of 14, he is most notable for his successful and controversial run as Marvel Comics' ninth...
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
Mike Zeck
Mike Zeck is an American comic book illustrator.-Biography:Zeck was born in Greenville, Pennsylvania to Michael and Kathryn Jean Zeck...
and Rick Leonardi
Rick Leonardi
Rick Leonardi is an American comic book illustrator who has worked for various books for Marvel Comics and DC Comics, including Cloak and Dagger, The Uncanny X-Men , The New Mutants, Spider-Man 2099, Nightwing, Batgirl, Green Lantern Versus Aliens and Superman...
, as well as others, designing the black-and-white costume (though a 2007 Comic Book Resources
Comic Book Resources
Comic Book Resources, also known as CBR is a website dedicated to the coverage of comic book-related news and discussion.-History:Comic Book Resources was founded by Jonah Weiland in 1996 as a development of the Kingdom Come Message Board, a message forum that Weiland had created to discuss DC...
story contends that a fan suggested a black costume for the Spider-Man prior to this, for which he was paid by Shooter.) Writer/artist John Byrne asserts 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
Roger Stern
Roger Stern is an American comic book author and novelist.-Early career:In the early 1970s, Stern and Bob Layton published the fanzine CPL , one of the first platforms for the work of John Byrne...
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
Tom DeFalco
Tom DeFalco is an American comics writer and editor, well known for his association with Marvel Comics and in particular for his work with Spider-Man.-Career:...
and artist Ron Frenz
Ron Frenz
Ronald Wade Frenz is an American comic book artist known for his work for Marvel Comics. He is well-known for his 1980s work on Amazing Spider-Man, and more recently, for his work on Spider-Girl...
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. Regardless, Peter David's position is that Michelinie is the sole creator, since the idea of creating a separate character using the alien symbiote was Michelinie's, as was Eddie Brock's backstory, and that without the idea to create such a character, the character would not have existed.
In an interview with Tom DeFalco, McFarlane claims that Michelinie did indeed come up with the idea of Venom and the character's basic design ("a big guy in the black costume"). However, he contends that it was he (McFarlane) who gave Venom his monster-like features. He claims; "I just wanted to make him kooky and creepy, and not just some guy in a black suit."
This dispute arose at a time when artists such as McFarlane and Larsen were enjoying a great deal of popularity and clout with readers, and capitalizing on their popularity by publishing creator-owned books with their new company, Image Comics
Image Comics
Image Comics is a United States comic book publisher. It was founded in 1992 by high-profile illustrators as a venue where creators could publish their material without giving up the copyrights to the characters they created, as creator-owned properties. It was immediately successful, and remains...
, and it is possible that this issue was a subtext of the greater debate over the importance of writers versus artists that was being waged in the industry at the time. Prior to McFarlane's departure from Marvel, the company stated that Venom was a creation of McFarlane's, and Michelinie shared credit as co-creator. Regardless of the issues surrounding his creation, Venom was created under a work for hire
Work for hire
A work made for hire is an exception to the general rule that the person who actually creates a work is the legally recognized author of that work...
contract, and Marvel owns all rights to the character.
Venom's existence was first indicated in Web of Spider-Man #18 (Sept. 1986), when he shoved Peter Parker
Spider-Man
Spider-Man is a fictional Marvel Comics superhero. The character was created by writer-editor Stan Lee and writer-artist Steve Ditko. He first appeared in Amazing Fantasy #15...
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.
The character would remain unseen and inactive until Amazing Spider-Man editor Jim Salicrup
Jim Salicrup
Jim Salicrup is an American comic book editor, known for his tenures at Marvel Comics and Topps Comics. At Marvel, where he worked for twenty years, he edited books such as The Uncanny X-Men, Fantastic Four, Avengers and various Spider-Man titles...
required a villain for that book's 300th issue, and Michelinie suggested a villain consisting of the alien symbiote
Symbiote (comics)
In the Marvel Comics universe, The Symbiote is a specific parasitic species of extraterrestrial organism...
grafted onto the body of a human female. Salicrup accepted the suggestion, but changed the character to a male. Michelinie then devised the Eddie Brock identity. Michelinie contends that the plots for issues #298-299, as well as the visual descriptions of the character, were written and bought by Salicrup before McFarlane was ever assigned to the book.
Back-story
The 1993 limited series Venom: Lethal ProtectorVenom: Lethal Protector
Venom: Lethal Protector was a six-issue comic book limited series featuring the Eddie Brock Venom, published by Marvel Comics from February 1993 to July 1993...
describes Brock's history before bonding with the symbiote. As a child, Edward Allan "Eddie" Brock is raised in a Roman Catholic
Roman Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...
household in San Francisco. Eddie's mother dies from complications during his birth and as a result his father is cold and unaffectionate towards him. Eddie excels in academics and sports to earn his approval but does not succeed. In college, Brock switches his major to journalism after reading an article on the Watergate scandal
Watergate scandal
The Watergate scandal was a political scandal during the 1970s in the United States resulting from the break-in of the Democratic National Committee headquarters at the Watergate office complex in Washington, D.C., and the Nixon administration's attempted cover-up of its involvement...
. After graduating he moves to New York City and obtains a job as a journalist for the Daily Globe
Daily Globe (comics)
The Daily Globe is a fictional New York City newspaper in the . It was introduced in Amazing Spider-Man #27 , and for a long time its Editor was Barney Bushkin.-History:...
. Though he proves himself to be a highly talented journalist, his father still only treats him with indifference.
As a reporter, Brock investigates the serial killer Sin-Eater
Sin-Eater (comics)
Sin-Eater is a name given to several fictional characters appearing in books published by Marvel Comics, usually those featuring Spider-Man and Ghost Rider.- Stanley Carter :...
and is contacted by Emil Gregg who claims to be the killer. Pressured by the authorities to reveal the killer's identity, Brock writes an exposé announcing Gregg as the Sin-Eater. However, the real Sin-Eater is caught by Spider-Man and Brock is revealed to have been interviewing a compulsive confessor. Brock is fired from his job in disgrace. Unable to find reputable work, he is forced to work for tabloid magazines and his father ceases communication with him entirely. Brock becomes obsessed with gaining revenge against Spider-Man, blaming him for catching the real Sin-Eater. Brock resumes his passion for athletics through weight training to reduce stress but his anger and depression remain. Meanwhile, Spider-Man uses the sound of bells at a church to remove his symbiote
Venom (comics)
Eddie Brock is a fictional character created by David Michelinie and Todd McFarlane. A comic book supervillain, Brock's earliest appearance is a cameo in Web of Spider-Man #18 before making his first full appearance in The Amazing Spider-Man #299 as Venom...
costume after realizing it is attempting to permanently bond with him. His professional and personal life shattered, Brock contemplates suicide and goes to the same church, where he prays to God for forgiveness. The Symbiote, having waited in the rafters of the church since leaving Spider-Man, senses Brock and bonds with him, granting him powers equal and greater to those of Spider-Man, and imparting knowledge of Spider-Man's secret identity.
Venom
Venom begins a campaign of torment against Peter, who is still unaware of his existence. He first pushes Peter in front of a moving subway without activating his spider-sense. Venom later confronts Spider-Man's wife Mary JaneMary Jane Watson
Mary Jane Watson, often shortened to MJ, is a fictional supporting character appearing, originally, in Marvel comic books and, later, in multiple spin-offs and dramatizations of the Spider-Man titles as the best friend, love interest, and one-time wife of Peter Parker, the alter ego of Spider-Man...
, terrifying her and putting Spider-Man on alert. Brock baits Spider-Man to his apartment for their first confrontation. Venom reveals his identity to Spider-Man claiming "You may call me Venom, for that's what I'm paid to spew out these days!" Spider-Man discovers that the Symbiote has completely bonded with Brock and he cannot kill it without also killing Brock. Eventually Venom is tricked into weakening himself by expending too much webbing until the suit lacks enough material to produce more. Venom is incarcerated in the Vault
Vault (comics)
The Vault is the widely used nickname of a fictional defunct prison facility for technological-based superhuman criminals in Marvel Comics' Marvel Universe. The prison's full official name is the United States Maximum Security Installation for the Incarceration of Superhuman Criminals.It first...
, but in time escapes by mimicking a fallen guard. Again engaging Spider-Man in battle, Venom is defeated and brought back to the vault.
Venom escapes from the Vault again during the "Acts of Vengeance
Acts of Vengeance
"Acts of Vengeance" is a comic book crossover storyline that ran through several titles published by Marvel Comics from December 1989 to February 1990.-Publication history:...
" breakout, but is returned by Quasar. Venom later attempts to engineer a prison break, but it fails. He eventually fakes suicide and escaped after being taken to the morgue. He later saves a baby while battling Spider-Man.
During a battle with Spider-Man, the Symbiote is seemingly killed by the plague-inducing villain Styx
Styx and Stone
Styx and Stone are two fictional comic book characters in the Marvel Comics universe. They are a criminal duo that have crossed Spider-Man's path on a number of occasions. They were created by David Michelinie and Todd McFarlane and first appeared in The Amazing Spider-Man #309...
, giving its life to protect Brock. Brock is incarcerated and Spider-Man disposes of the Symbiote's remains. The Symbiote survives by entering a comatose state to fight off the illness. It returns to Brock, enabling him to escape from jail. The symbiote asexually reproduces at the same time and leaves behind its spawn. The offspring quickly bonds to Brock's cell mate, Cletus Kasady, creating Carnage
Carnage (comics)
Carnage is a fictional character, a supervillain in the . The character first appears in The Amazing Spider-Man #344 , and was created by writer David Michelinie and artist Mark Bagley. The character is frequently depicted as an enemy of Spider-Man...
. Venom abducts Spider-Man and transports him to a remote island to do battle. Spider-Man fakes his own death to convince Venom that his vendetta is over. Venom, content with the outcome, resigns himself to life on the island. Spider-Man eventually faces Carnage but is unable to defeat him. Spider-Man is forced to ask Venom for help, promising him freedom in exchange. However, after they defeat Carnage Spider-Man betrays Venom and sends him back to prison.
Anti-hero
In Venom: Lethal Protector, Brock again escapes prison after seeing a newspaper photo of Spider-Man's recently returned parents, seeking out and kidnapping them. During the resulting fight, Brock's ex-wife Ann Weying is nearly crushed under a falling ferris wheel, but Spider-Man saves her. Seeing this act, Venom makes peace with Spider-Man. Venom moves to San Francisco and acts as the protector of an underground society of homeless people. He is later taken prisoner by the Life Foundation who harvest the last five spawn within Venom to create super-powered policemen and Eddie is forcibly separated from the Symbiote. With the help of Spider-Man, Brock is reunited with the Symbiote and they seemingly destroy his spawn Symbiotes, Phage, Lasher, Riot, ScreamScream (comics)
Scream is a fictional supervillainess from the Spider-Man comic book series. She is one of six symbiote spawns of Venom.-Fictional character biography:...
and Agony, before escaping. After saving the homeless people from being killed, Venom is accepted into their society and finds a new home.
After Carnage reemerges and begins a massacre in New York City, Brock returns to help, feeling responsible. In their first fight however, Brock is nearly killed and he goes to Spider-Man for help. Spider-Man finds himself unwilling to work with Venom's methods and goes off on his own. Venom joins with Black Cat, Cloak and Morbius to go after Carnage. Spider-Man eventually rejoins Venom out of desperation. Venom's attempts to kill Carnage are repeatedly stopped by Spider-Man, causing them to fight. Venom is weakened by Shriek
Shriek (comics)
Shriek is a fictional character, a supervillainess in the Marvel Comics universe. She is an enemy of Spider-Man. She was created by Tom DeFalco, Mike W...
's sonic blasts and captured by Carnage, who subjects him to torture. Venom eventually frees himself and escapes. Venom and Carnage battle again and Venom tackles him into high-voltage generators, rendering him unconscious and allowing him to be imprisoned by The Avengers. Brock goes into hiding.
Brock is next seen in the 1994 limited series Separation Anxiety
Venom: Separation Anxiety
Venom: Separation Anxiety is a four-issue comic book limited series, published by Marvel Comics from December 1994 to March 1995.The plot line features Eddie Brock separated from his symbiote costume...
. He is captured and separated from the Symbiote for a government research project. Venom's spawn, Phage, Lasher, Scream, Riot and Agony are revealed to have survived and arrive to free Brock. The Symbiotes reveal they have defected from the Life Foundation and are seeking Brock's help to gain control over their "other". Brock refuses to help. Meanwhile, the Venom Symbiote escapes from its holding facility and seeks out Brock. Scream is revealed to have been mentally unstable before joining with her Symbiote and murders her ally Symbiotes. Brock is reunited with his Symbiote, becoming Venom, and fights Scream. The fight is interrupted by soldiers from the research project. Scream is captured and Venom escapes.
In the 1995 "Planet of the Symbiotes
Planet of the Symbiotes
-External links:* at The Unofficial Handbook of Marvel Comics Creators...
" event, Brock forces the Symbiote to leave him, concerned about how much influence it may be having on him. The Symbiote unleashes a telepathically-projected scream of sorrow and pain that attracts other members of its species to Earth. They create a portal to their last conquered world, and Brock joins with Venom again and works with Spider-Man and Scarlet Spider
Scarlet Spider
Scarlet Spider is a fictional character who appeared in the Marvel Comics series Spider-Man. His costume was designed by Tom Lyle. The identity of the Scarlet Spider has been used by several characters: Ben Reilly, Peter Parker , Joe Wade , a group of three Michael Van Patrick clones working with...
to fight the other Symbiotes and stop their plan to conquer Earth. Carnage is freed by one of the invading Symbiotes and begins consuming the invaders, adding their mass to his own, massively increasing his size before stalking Venom. Spider-Man and Scarlet Spider defeat Carnage while Venom sends out another psychic scream by bonding completely and irrevocably with the Symbiote. The scream contains enough pain and despair to cause the invading Symbiotes to commit suicide.
Venom series
When Ann is shot by a new Sin Eater, Brock forces the Symbiote to bond with her to heal her injuries. In the process she temporarily becomes She-Venom but Brock demands the Symbiote return after Ann loses control and kills a pair of muggers, leaving Ann traumatized. Brock helps kill the new Sin-Eater. Ann is taken into custody by the police as they try to hunt Venom and Brock sends her his Symbiote so she can escape. As She-Venom she again struggles to control herself. When Brock takes back the Symbiote, she tells him to keep himself and the Symbiote away from her.Brock is captured in his sewer hideout and put on trial, with Matt Murdock
Daredevil (Marvel Comics)
Daredevil is a fictional character, a superhero in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character was created by writer-editor Stan Lee and artist Bill Everett, with an unspecified amount of input from Jack Kirby, and first appeared in Daredevil #1 .Living in the Hell's Kitchen neighborhood...
acting in his defense, his symbiote held in check by a chemical inhibitor. Cletus Kassady is called as a witness, but when the case becomes heated both Kassady and Brock overcome their inhibitors. Venom, Spider-Man, and Daredevil team up and subdue Carnage. However, before the trial can continue Venom is unexpectedly taken into custody by a secret government organization offering him amnesty in exchange for him becoming their agent. Though Venom at first enjoyed his new found immunities, he left after being abandoned during a dangerous mission. After receiving a head wound, Eddie suffers amnesia
Amnesia
Amnesia is a condition in which one's memory is lost. The causes of amnesia have traditionally been divided into categories. Memory appears to be stored in several parts of the limbic system of the brain, and any condition that interferes with the function of this system can cause amnesia...
. He is later separated from the symbiote, which is presumed killed by the government Overreach Committee.
The symbiote survives and tracks down the amnesiac Brock, turning him into Venom again. Venom infiltrates Ravencroft prison seeking Carnage and permanently absorbs the Carnage Symbiote. Brock temporarily joins the Sinister Six
Sinister Six
The Sinister Six are a group of supervillains in the Marvel Comics universe, drawn from Spider-Man's rogues gallery. The original incarnation of the group was organized by Doctor Octopus, and first appeared in The Amazing Spider-Man Annual #1 ....
to get Spider-Man but after being betrayed by them, he begins hunting down the members for revenge. He ultimately cripples Sandman
Sandman (Marvel Comics)
Sandman is a fictional character who appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. A shapeshifter endowed through an accident with the ability to turn himself into sand, he eventually reformed, and became an ally of Spider-Man...
by biting him, leading to the characters apparent death.
Venom's rivalry with Spider-Man is renewed when Ann, who lives in fear since bonding with the Symbiote, commits suicide after seeing Brock become Venom. Venom however, believes Spider-Man swinging by Ann's window in his black costume to be the cause. Before he can take revenge however, the Symbiote is forcefully removed from him by the human/alien hybrid Senator Ward
Senator Ward
Steward Ward first appears as a Senator in Peter Parker: Spider-Man Vol. 2 #4, with frequent appearances in this and the concurrent Amazing Spider-Man title throughout Amazing Spider-Man Vol. 2 #24...
in order to learn more about symbiosis. An alien race, secretly operating within the United States government, clones the Venom symbiote. Venom absorbs the clone, gains its knowledge, and decides to carry out the aliens' orders.
Cancer and post-Venom
Later, Carnage gives birth to a new Symbiote. Carnage attempts to kill the newborn while Venom attempts to save it, hoping to turn it into an ally. Venom names the spawn Toxin
Toxin (comics)
Toxin is a fictional character, a superhero in the Marvel Comics universe. He is the third major symbiote of the Spider-Man series, the ninth known to have appeared in the comics outside of the Planet of the Symbiotes storyline, and the first symbiote that Spider-Man considers an ally, despite...
. However, after Venom witnesses Toxin nearly kill Carnage but show compassion, he worries that he may be like Spider-Man and joins forces with Carnage to kill him. Carnage and Venom attack Toxin but are driven away by Spider-Man, Toxin and Black Cat.
Brock has a crisis of faith and decides to sell the Symbiote, knowing he will rapidly die from his cancer without it sustaining him. He intends to donate the $100 million received from the sale to charity before dying. The Symbiote is purchased by crime boss Don Fortunato
Don Fortunato
Vincente Fortunato is an elderly crime boss and enemy of the Marvel Comics superhero Spider-Man. He first appeared in Spider-Man #70. He is affiliated with the Maggia and HYDRA, and a competitor to the Kingpin.-Fictional character biography:...
for his son Angelo Fortunato. Angelo briefly becomes the second Venom but proves an unworthy host. The Symbiote abandons him mid-jump and he falls to his death. Upon learning of Angelo's death, Brock feels responsible and attempts suicide by slitting his wrists.
Brock is next seen in hospital, rapidly succumbing to his cancer and experiencing hallucinations of "Venom". He spots a comatose Aunt May in the same hospital, dying from a gunshot. The Venom hallucination persuades him to kill Aunt May. Brock orders a novelty replica of Spider-Man's black costume and wears it at the demand of "Venom". Brock murders a nurse to test if he can still kill but ultimately refuses "Venom" and decides against killing May, finding he cannot kill an innocent. When Peter comes to visit May, he finds Eddie, who has repeatedly cut his own wrists to get rid of "Venom". Eddie asks for Peter's forgiveness before jumping out of a window, but Peter manages to catch him. Awakening chained to his bed, Brock finds he can still see "Venom" but tells him that he accepts its presence as long as it knows that he is in control.
Anti-Venom
New Ways to Die
New Ways to Die is a six-issue Spider-Man story arc written by Dan Slott with art by John Romita, Jr. and published by Marvel Comics. The arc first appeared in The Amazing Spider-Man #568-#573.-Plot summary:...
" features the return of Brock. Matt Murdock convinces a court of law that Brock was not responsible for his actions while bonded to the symbiote and has criminal charges against him dropped. Brock gets a job at the F.E.A.S.T. center soup kitchen under Martin Li. Brock is unknowingly cured of his cancer by Li, who possesses special abilities, but believes it to be a miracle. Brock is later forced to fight the current Venom, Mac Gargan. The Venom symbiote attempts to leave Gargan to bond with Brock again. However, Brock's skin becomes caustic to the symbiote. Brock is enveloped in a new symbiote forged from the remnants of the Venom symbiote in his body bonding with his white blood cells charged with Li's healing energy, becoming Anti-Venom. He engages Gargan in a fight, and after receiving some help from Spider-Man, weakens and nearly destroys the symbiote. When he detects remnants of the symbiote inside Spider-Man, he attempts to "cure" him, draining radiation from his body and nearly de-powering him. Brock later saves Spider-Man from an attack by Osborn and works with him to retaliate. During the attack, Brock faces Gargan again, who is now equipped with a Scorpion battle-suit to protect his recovering symbiote. Gargan hits Anti-Venom with his stinger, injecting a poisonous formula that seemingly destroys Brock's suit. When Gargan attempts to kill Brock, the Venom symbiote prevents him from doing so. Brock's suit later reforms.
Eddie eventually faces the villain Mister Negative
Mister Negative
Mister Negative is a fictional comic book supervillain, appearing in books published by Marvel Comics, usually as an enemy of Spider-Man and the Punisher...
and discovers that he and Martin Li are the same person. Discovering the man he idolized is also a supervillain causes a breakdown for Eddie, making him question his faith and become unstable, referring to himself as a monster. Brock next appears in "The Return of Anti-Venom" (2011). Unable to expose Negative's true identity, believing no-one will trust him, Anti-Venom starts a crusade against Negative, attacking his criminal operations. When Anti-Venom realizes that May also knows Li is Negative, he decides to attack Negative directly before he can silence her. Brock teams up with Spider-Man and the new Wraith to fight Negative. Wraith uses her technology to publicly reveal Mister Negative is Martin Li, sending him into hiding. Spider-Man and Anti-Venom call a truce to their rivalry.
During the 2011 Spider-Island
Spider-Island
"Spider-Island" is a comic book storyline starting in The Amazing Spider-Man and crossing over into other comic books published by Marvel Comics in 2011.-Infested:...
event in which 99% of New York City's population are transformed into mind-controlled spiders, Brock is forced to sacrifice his suit—and being Anti-Venom—so that it can be converted into a powerful curative capable of healing the infected millions. In a 2011 New Avengers storyline, Brock joins Wonder Man
Wonder Man
Wonder Man is a fictional character, a superhero that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Stan Lee and artists Don Heck and Jack Kirby, he first appeared in The Avengers #9 .-Publication history:Wonder Man debuted in the superhero-team title The Avengers #9 Wonder...
's Revengers to destroy the New Avengers.
Powers and abilities
Brock is a human and has no superhuman powers without the symbiote. Prior to joining with the Symbiote, he possessed olympic-level strength from engaging in repeated, significant weight-training exercise. After separating from the Symbiote and suffering from cancer, Brock loses much of his physical muscle and possesses the strength of an average human.As Venom
As Venom, Brock gains several abilities similar to those of Spider-Man, the Symbiote's former host, including superhuman strength, speed, agility and reflexes as well as the ability to adhere to most surfaces with his hands and feet. The Symbiote is also able to project a web-like substance from its body, similar to Spider-Man's. However, this webbing is produced organically by the Symbiote from its own mass meaning overuse can weaken the alien until it is able to regenerate. The Symbiote can also send out tendrils which can be used to grab or manipulate items from a distance. When bonded with the host, the Symbiote allows the host to bypass Spider-Man's spider-sense, preventing him sensing attacks. The Symbiote is susceptible to harm from high-pitched sonic frequencies which can cause it to be severely weakened or killed. The bond between the Symbiote and Brock was strong enough that using sonics against the Symbiote could also stun and kill Brock.Venom's body is highly resistant to injury, capable of outright stopping bladed weapons, bullets, and it can help its host survive in hostile environments by filtering air, allowing survival underwater and in toxic environments. Venom can also morph his appearance, to create disguises at will, and camouflage itself, even emulating water. It is also capable of psychically detecting its offspring; however, this ability can be blocked. This sense can be used by Brock even when separated from the suit, allowing him to detect and be detected by the Symbiote and its children. The Symbiote is capable of healing injury and illness at an increased rate, allowing the host to survive otherwise mortal damage. The Symbiote and host are capable of sharing knowledge, the Symbiote able to pass on information from previous hosts to future ones. The Venom Symbiote contains a small 'dimensional aperture', allowing Brock to carry items without adding mass to the costume. Due to Eddie Brock's muscular physique and natural physical strength from weight training, his strength as Venom is significantly superior to Spider-Man's.
As Anti-Venom
Anti-Venom is created when the healing energies of Martin Li cause Brock's white-blood cells and traces of the Venom Symbiote still within his body to combine into a new suit composed of human/alien hybrid antibodies possessing powerful restorative abilities. Brock is capable of rapidly healing significant injury as Anti-Venom, recovering almost instantly after being shot in the head and suffering damage to his brain. However, this healing ability can be negated by the energy of Mr. Negative, counteracting the energy of Martin Li. Anti-Venom is able to detect when others are ill and "cure" or "cleanse" them. He is able to cure ailments from hepatitis to removing narcotics and even radiation from a person's body. After his attempt to "cure" Spider-Man by removing the radiation in his body, any time he and Anti-Venom are in close proximity to each other, Spider-Man's begins to grow weak until they are apart.As Anti-Venom, Brock's suit is corrosive to the Venom symbiote, inflicting pain and damage on the suit to the point of causing it to dissolve. He displays similar abilities as Venom, possessing super strength, speed, negating Spider-Man's spider-sense, and being able to block damage entirely from some guns and knives. He is also capable of extending and morphing the suit to create disguises, form items such as shields, extend his reach, attack from a distance, and create tendrils. Anti-Venom is also immune to the weaknesses of the Venom Symbiote, showing no damage or effect from direct blasts of fire, heat and sound. The only shown weaknesses of the Symbiote are a highly toxic "super venom" created as a direct countermeasure using remnants of Anti-Venom's suit and Mr. Negative's energy. The "super venom" causes the suit to immediately dissolve. Mr. Negative is shown capable of using his energy to weaken or nullify the healing abilities of the suit.
Other versions
The character appears in several alternate universeParallel universe (fiction)
A parallel universe or alternative reality is a hypothetical self-contained separate reality coexisting with one's own. A specific group of parallel universes is called a "multiverse", although this term can also be used to describe the possible parallel universes that constitute reality...
titles in which the character's history, circumstances and behavior vary from the mainstream setting.
Television
- Eddie Brock appears in the 1994 Spider-ManSpider-Man (1994 TV series)Spider-Man, also known as Spider-Man: The Animated Series, is an American animated series starring the Marvel Comics superhero, Spider-Man. The show ran on Fox Kids from November 19, 1994, to January 31, 1998. The producer/story editor was John Semper, Jr. and production company was Marvel Films...
TV series voiced by Hank AzariaHank AzariaHenry Albert "Hank" Azaria is an American film, television and stage actor, director, voice actor, and comedian. He is noted for being one of the principal voice actors on the animated television series The Simpsons , on which he performs the voices of Moe Szyslak, Apu Nahasapeemapetilon, Chief...
. Eddie appears as a journalist working for the Daily Bugle, and as in the comics, becomes Venom after Spider-Man ruins his journalism career. - Eddie Brock appears in the 1999 sequel series, Spider-Man UnlimitedSpider-Man UnlimitedSpider-Man Unlimited was a short-lived animated series featuring the Marvel comic book superhero Spider-Man. The series was released in 1999, but, although it had fair ratings, was overshadowed by Pokémon, and was canceled after airing only a few episodes. Fox later resumed airing the show, airing...
voiced by Brian DrummondBrian DrummondBrian Drummond is a Canadian actor. He also serves on the board of directors for the New Westminster-based Urban Academy along with his wife, Laura Drummond, also a voice artist. He and his wife serve as vice-president and president, respectively.- Career :Drummond was born in Salmon Arm, British...
. By this time, the Symbiote has merged completely with Eddie Brock and he attempts to conquer Counter-EarthCounter-EarthThe Counter-Earth is a hypothetical body of the Solar system first hypothesized by the presocratic philosopher Philolaus to support his non-geocentric cosmology, in which all objects in the universe revolve around a Central Fire...
alongside Carnage with an invasion of Symbiotes. - Eddie Brock appears in the 2008 series The Spectacular Spider-Man voiced by Benjamin DiskinBenjamin DiskinBenjamin Isaac "Ben" Diskin is an American voice actor. He is known as the voices of Numbuh 1 and Numbuh 2 in the animated series Codename: Kids Next Door....
. Brock is portrayed as a close friend of Peter. Brock loses his research job studying the Symbiote after it bonds with Spider-Man. Spider-Man attempts to destroy the Symbiote after discovering its negative influence, but Brock frees the alien and bonds with it, becoming Venom.
Film
- Eddie Brock appears as Venom in the 2007 feature film Spider-Man 3Spider-Man 3Spider-Man 3 is a 2007 American superhero film written and directed by Sam Raimi, with a screenplay by Ivan Raimi and Alvin Sargent. It is the third film in the Sam Raimi Spider-Man trilogy based on the fictional Marvel Comics character Spider-Man...
, in which he is played by Topher GraceTopher GraceChristopher John "Topher" Grace is an American actor. He is best known for his portrayal of Eric Forman on the Fox sitcom That '70s Show, Eddie Brock/Venom in the Sam Raimi film Spider-Man 3, and Edwin in the 2010 film Predators....
, and serves as one of the antagonists. In the film, Brock is a rival freelance photographer of Peter Parker's, and is publicly ruined when Parker exposes his use of a fake photograph of Spider-Man. Brock encounters the Symbiote, and joins with it to become Venom. After learning that Parker is Spider-Man, Venom seeks an alliance with Sandman in order to kill Spider-Man, but is killed in an explosion. - In July 2007, Avi AradAvi AradAvi Arad is an Israeli-American businessman. He became the CEO of the company Toy Biz in the 1990s, and soon afterward became the chief creative officer of Marvel Entertainment, a Marvel director, chairman, CEO and the founder of Marvel Studios....
revealed that a spin-off of Spider-Man 3, following Eddie Brock, was being pursued. In September 2008, Paul WernickPaul Wernick-Television:Wernick created, executive-produced, and wrote The Joe Schmo Show with writing and producing partner Rhett Reese for Spike TV. The critically acclaimed series drew Spike's highest ratings in history...
and Rhett Reese signed on to write. Gary RossGary RossGary Ross is an American writer, director, and actor. He is best known for directing Pleasantville and Seabiscuit, both of which featured Tobey Maguire in the lead role...
has been called to direct the film. VarietyVariety (magazine)Variety is an American weekly entertainment-trade magazine founded in New York City, New York, in 1905 by Sime Silverman. With the rise of the importance of the motion-picture industry, Daily Variety, a daily edition based in Los Angeles, California, was founded by Silverman in 1933. In 1998, the...
reported that Venom will become an anti-hero, and Marvel EntertainmentMarvel EntertainmentMarvel Entertainment, LLC , formerly Marvel Enterprises and Toy Biz, Inc., is an American entertainment company formed from the merger of Marvel Entertainment Group, Inc. and Toy Biz, Inc....
will produce the film. As of 2011, no further news has emerged regarding the film.
Video games
- Venom appears as a bossBoss (video games)A boss is an enemy-based challenge which is found in video games. A fight with a boss character is commonly referred to as a boss battle or boss fight...
multiple times throughout Spider-Man: The Video GameSpider-Man: The Video GameSpider-Man: The Video Game is a 1991 arcade video game developed by Sega based on the Marvel Comics comic book character Spider-Man.-Gameplay:...
(1991) and is also the final boss of the game where the player must defeat various clones of Venom. - Venom is both a protagonist and playable character in Spider-Man and Venom: Maximum CarnageSpider-Man and Venom: Maximum CarnageSpider-Man and Venom: Maximum Carnage is a scrolling fighting game for the Super NES and Sega Mega Drive/Genesis, developed by Software Creations and published by LJN in 1994...
(1994) and Venom/Spider-Man: Separation Anxiety (1995). - Venom is a boss and later a supporting character in Spider-ManSpider-Man (2000 video game)Spider-Man is an action video game based upon the Marvel Comics character of the same name. It is loosely based on the 1990s Spider-Man: The Animated Series. The game was developed by Neversoft and published by Activision. Released originally for the PlayStation and Nintendo 64 in 2000, the game...
(2000) video game voiced by Daran NorrisDaran NorrisDaran Morrison Nordland , usually credited as Daran Norris, is an American film and television actor and voice artist. Since 1977 he has participated in more than 400 films, video games, and television projects. He is best known as Gordy from Ned's Declassified School Survival Guide, the voice of...
. - Venom is a playable character in a number of fighting games, including Marvel vs. Capcom: Clash of Super HeroesMarvel vs. Capcom: Clash of Super Heroesis the fifth Marvel Comics-licensed fighting game by Capcom and the third game in the Marvel vs. Capcom series. In contrast to X-Men vs. Street Fighter and Marvel Super Heroes vs. Street Fighter, the game features characters from numerous Capcom franchises such as Mega Man and Strider, rather than...
(1998), Marvel vs. Capcom 2: New Age of HeroesMarvel vs. Capcom 2: New Age of Heroesis a fighting game, developed and published by Capcom. It is the fourth game in the Marvel vs. Capcom series. With the fourth installment of this series, Capcom simplified the controls to make the gameplay more accessible for casual players. The button configuration was trimmed down to 4 main...
(2000), and Marvel Nemesis: Rise of the ImperfectsMarvel Nemesis: Rise of the ImperfectsMarvel Nemesis: Rise of the Imperfects is a fighting game for the PlayStation 2, Xbox, GameCube, DS, and PSP, which ties into the "Marvel Nemesis" comic book series.-Gameplay:...
(2005). - Venom is a playable character in Ultimate Spider-ManUltimate Spider-Man (video game)Ultimate Spider-Man is a video game based on the comic book of the same name by Brian Michael Bendis and Mark Bagley. The game was released for most sixth generation consoles, including PlayStation 2, Xbox, GameCube, Nintendo DS, Game Boy Advance, and Microsoft Windows, as well as a mobile phone...
(2005) with Eddie Brock Jr. voiced by Daniel Capallaro and Venom voiced by Arthur BurghardtArthur BurghardtArthur Burghardt is an American actor known for portraying Dr. Jack Scott on the soap opera One Life to Live.His first movie appearance was as the Great Ahmed Kahn in Network . A prolific voice actor during the 1980s, his most celebrated roles were Destro in the animated series G.I. Joe and...
. - Venom is included in the downloadable "Villains Pack" expansion for the Xbox 360Xbox 360The Xbox 360 is the second video game console produced by Microsoft and the successor to the Xbox. The Xbox 360 competes with Sony's PlayStation 3 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles...
version of Marvel: Ultimate AllianceMarvel: Ultimate AllianceMarvel: Ultimate Alliance is an action role-playing game developed for PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3, Xbox and Xbox 360 by Raven Software and published by Activision. The game was simultaneously ported to the PlayStation Portable and Wii by Vicarious Visions, and to Microsoft Windows by Beenox...
(2006) voiced by Steven BlumSteven BlumSteven Jay Blum is an American voice actor known primarily for his work in anime dubs and video games, using his distinctive deep voice. Among his credits include the voice of Spike Spiegel of the anime series Cowboy Bebop and Mugen of the anime series Samurai Champloo...
. Venom has his Classic, Marvel Knights, Thunderbolts, and Ultimate looks as alternate skins. Venom has special dialogue with MysterioMysterioMysterio is the name of three fictional characters, all of which are supervillains and enemies of Spider-Man in the . The original Mysterio was created by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko and first appears in Amazing Spider-Man #13, although it was later retconned that the aliens seen in Amazing...
and RhinoRhino (comics)The Rhino is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Stan Lee and artist John Romita, Sr., the character first appeared in The Amazing Spider-Man #41 The Rhino (Aleksei Mikhailovich Sytsevich) is a fictional character that appears in comic...
. - Topher GraceTopher GraceChristopher John "Topher" Grace is an American actor. He is best known for his portrayal of Eric Forman on the Fox sitcom That '70s Show, Eddie Brock/Venom in the Sam Raimi film Spider-Man 3, and Edwin in the 2010 film Predators....
reprised his role as Venom in the Spider-Man 3Spider-Man 3 (video game)Spider-Man 3 is an action game loosely based on the Spider-Man 3 film and released for the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 2, Wii, PlayStation Portable, Nintendo DS, Microsoft Windows and Game Boy Advance. The Xbox 360 and PS3 versions were developed by Treyarch, the PC version by Beenox while...
(2007) video game. Unlike the film where Venom proposes to the Sandman that they team up to kill Spider-Man, Venom threatens the Sandman's daughter which forces them into an alliance. He is the final boss of the game. - Venom is a boss and unlockable character in Spider-Man: Friend or FoeSpider-Man: Friend or FoeSpider-Man: Friend or Foe is a Spider-Man computer and video game based on the comic book series and Spider-Man movies. The game was released on October 2, 2007....
(2007) voiced by Quinton FlynnQuinton FlynnQuinton Joseph Flynn , is an American voice actor, actor and writer....
. - Venom is the main antagonist in Spider-Man: Web of ShadowsSpider-Man: Web of ShadowsSpider-Man: Web of Shadows is a video game title encompassing three versions: a full-3D action game for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 3, Wii, and Xbox 360; a 2.5D sidescrolling beat em up action game for the PlayStation Portable and PlayStation 2 , and a 2.5D side-scrolling brawler/platformer for...
(2008) voiced by Keith SzarabajkaKeith SzarabajkaKeith Szarabajka is an American actor and voice artist.-Early life:Szarabajka was born in Oak Park, Illinois, the son of Anne, a school teacher, and Edward Szarabajka, a savings and loan officer....
. - Anti-Venom appears as a major character in Spider-Man: Edge of TimeSpider-Man: Edge of TimeSpider-Man: Edge of Time is a video game developed by the Activision-owned developer Beenox, based on the superhero Spider-Man. The story was written by Peter David, and gameplay has a "cause-and-effect" system where one Spider-Man's actions will affect the other and vice versa. It was released on...
(2011) voiced by Steven BlumSteven BlumSteven Jay Blum is an American voice actor known primarily for his work in anime dubs and video games, using his distinctive deep voice. Among his credits include the voice of Spike Spiegel of the anime series Cowboy Bebop and Mugen of the anime series Samurai Champloo...
. He is brainwashed by a scientist from 2099 named Walker Sloane into killing Spider-Man. He then fuses with Dr. Octupus into the being known as Atrocity. - Venom appears as a villain character in Marvel Super Hero Squad OnlineMarvel Super Hero Squad OnlineMarvel Super Hero Squad Online is a MMOG for younger audiences based on the Marvel Super Hero Squad franchise.The MMOG officially was released as a open beta on April 29, 2011 and a closed beta was released in early 2011. The first debut trailer for Marvel Super Hero Squad Online was released on...
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External links
- Eddie Brock at the Marvel Universe Wiki
- Unlimited Highlights: The History of Venom at Marvel.com