Venom is returning to the big screen in Venom: Let There Be Carnage and Marvel Comics fans know there is much more for the movies to explore with the iconic character. With the prospect of more sequels and the potential for the character to appear in the MCU thanks to the multiverse, the comics may hold the keys to Venom's screen future.
Venom is the product of many comics creators over many years each contributing their own elements to the character, making his evolution in Marvel Comics one of the most dynamic and unique. From a supervillain to a cosmic hero, the comic book story of Venom continues to spawn new dimensions for fans.
A Number Of Creators
Comic book fans know characters are generally the product of a writer and artist. Venom is unusual in that he is the creation of several over a few years. The concept of Venom evolved from the black costume Spider-Man adopted in 1985's Secret Wars crossover to the alien symbiote in the pages of the Spider-Man comics to finally Venom himself, in 1988.
A variety of writers and artists played a role in his evolution, including Randy Schueller, Roger Stern, Tom DeFalco, Mike Zeck, Ron Frenz, David Michelinie, and Todd McFarlane.
The Sin-Eater
A relatively obscure Spider-Man villain, the Sin-Eater, played a key role in the origin of Venom. Eddie Brock publishes a newspaper story claiming to reveal the identity of the villain, but this turns out not to be true when Spider-Man captures the real killer.
This leads to the loss of Brock's job as a reporter, the collapse of his marriage to Anne Weying, and his hatred of Spider-Man. His obsession with Spider-Man eventually led to his bonding with the alien symbiote and becoming Venom, one of Spider-Man's best villains.
Becoming An Anti-Hero
Movie fans know of Venom as a quasi-hero, but comic book fans know the transition between villain to hero was slow and complex for Eddie Brock. In the comic book story arcs "Bride Of Venom" and "Lethal Protector," Eddie's difficult past and backstory are revealed.
He ultimately puts aside his hate for Spider-Man and branches out on his own as a vigilante in San Francisco, protecting the homeless in the city. These mid-90s stories began a long evolution toward a true hero, though not without a lot of stops and starts.
Unusual Symbiote
The connection between Eddie Brock and the alien symbiote is strong and unique. The symbiote is unusual among its own kind as it seeks to maintain its host rather than completely drain it, as is the nature of their alien race. A symbiote typically feeds off the energy of its host until it's consumed.
In the case of Venom, the symbiote is regarded as defective by its peers. The Venom symbiote was actually placed in captivity on Battleworld, where Spider-Man encountered it in Secret Wars, because of its perceived deficits by others of its species.
Maximum Carnage
While Maximum Carnage is not generally considered one of the best Spider-Man comic book story arcs, it is likely to have some influence on the new movie.
Comic book fans know this story pits Venom in the role of the protagonist alongside Spider-Man against the murderous rampage of Carnage. Venom initially seeks to take down his own symbiote spawn himself but fails to do so, leading him to team up with Spider-Man. This could potentially have implications for the movies and the MCU down the line.
Scorpion Becomes Venom
Another possibility for the MCU that comic book fans might be anticipating is Scorpion as Venom. The Spider-Man villain became one of the many hosts for the Venom symbiote during the Marvel Knights era in the early 2000s.
After separating from Eddie Brock, the symbiote offers to bond with Mac Gargan. He joins the Sinister Twelve, a massive version of the comic book Sinister Six, and later the Thunderbolts. This is as intriguing as the Sinister Six connection, as the Thunderbolts could be the team that The Contessa is forming in the MCU.
Anti-Venom
Comic book fans know many characters have been Venom besides Eddie Brock. Eddie wasn't inactive during these periods, though. He becomes Anti-Venom after an attack by the Scorpion Venom results in a strange biological reaction.
A new symbiote bonds to Eddie Brock, forming from the remnants of the previous one still in his body. As Anti-Venom he continues his work as a vigilante, occasionally working with and sometimes butting heads with Spider-Man and other heroes.
Superior Venom
One Marvel character that fans probably don't know was a version of Venom is Doctor Octopus. This occurred while Otto Octavius was also Spider-Man. The Superior Venom is one of the most unique versions of all three characters, combining the intellect of Doc Ock and the powers of Spider-Man and Venom.
The symbiote bonded to the Superior Spider-Man after he inadvertently separated it from its current host, Flash Thompson. Though Venom sought to reunite with Peter Parker, Octavius was able to separate the alien from him.
Venomverse
Far more variants of Venom exist in the Venomverse, a storyline that brought together infinite versions of the character from across the multiverse. These variants could all potentially play a role in the movies as the multiverse expands in the MCU and the Sony live-action and animated Spider-Man ventures.
Venomized versions of Captain America, Deadpool, Black Panther, and many more united to take on the Poisons, a race of alien invaders from another dimension who fed off the energy of symbiotes.
Ultimate Origin
Comic book fans likely found the origin of Venom in the Sony movie somewhat familiar. The Ultimate Comics line from the early 2000s reimagined Venom as the result of a scientific experiment, somewhat like the movie, rather than the alien origin of the comics.
Peter Parker's parents played a role in the creation of the symbiote, which they intended for medical benefit. In the end, the experiment failed and the Venom symbiote would bond with Eddie Brock, who in Earth-1610 was initially a close friend of Peter Parker.