In the long history of Venom and their crusade against Spider-Man , there were one or two moments where Venom believed it had actually accomplished their goal of eliminating Spider-Man permanently. But the most graphic example of what seemed to be Venom's grotesque murder of Peter Parker... turned out to be anything but. And it wasn't Eddie Brock in the symbiote, either.
In Marvel Knights: Spider-Man #8 by writer Mark Millar and artist Frank Cho, Peter Parker is at another stressful and low point in his life. Aunt May has been kidnapped and could possibly be dead. Peter and his wife Mary Jane find out they are bankrupt. To make matters worse, the Daily Bugle has issued a $5 million dollar reward for proof of Spider-Man's secret identity, adding an influx of wannabe Spider-Men and Spidey-hunters to Peter's already overwhelmed existence. Which makes it the perfect time for a new Venom to come for blood.
Having acquired the Venom symbiote through a supervillain auction, Angelo Fortunato crashes Peter's high school reunion with the goal of killing Spider-Man once and for all (Angelo was merely along for the ride, with the symbiote returning to its old grudge). The battle rages from Queens to Manhattan as Angelo proves to be a vicious and quick study regarding Venom's abilities. Flying blind in his pursuit, Peter attempts to appeal to Venom's host, telling him that feeding into the symbiote's hate is no justification for violence or murdering innocent people, and that it'll turn him into a monster like it did Eddie Brock. The new Venom brushes the words aside, and kills Spider-Man in a gruesome and detailed full page spread.
Artist Frank Cho gives the moment its significance with a comic book sound effect and an image that brings to mind Kano's "Organ Donor" finishing move from Mortal Kombat. With his heart in his hand, Angelo celebrates accomplishing what other Spider-Man villains failed to do... but it proves to be all for nothing, as a shocked amateur photographer on the roof reveals this was just another look-alike trying to cash in on the Bugle's reward. With even more blood on his hands, Venom faces the real Spider-Man with no restraint or mercy. The beatdown is so intense that despite Venom's powers or insistence, Angelo gives up and attempts to flee the scene.
When he was with Marvel, writer Mark Millar wasn't afraid to take chances and push the characters under his purview to new highs and lows. The idea that Venom could be bought or sold is hilarious, as Venom as a character only works as well as the host who bonds with it. Death in comic books has become a cliché, a shock value act that can be reversed at any time, but Millar didn't make the significance of this death any less poignant to the story. Although it wasn't Peter Parker who died, someone died wearing Spider-Man's red and blue costume trying earn money because of a reward in Spidey's name. The murder of an innocent bystander was not only something Eddie Brock would likely lament, but also one that Spider-Man would no doubt add to his ever growing list of things to feel guilty over. In the end, Spidey defeats Venom once again... but the end result would not be a flawless victory for anyone involved.