The alien symbiote Venom has been an integral part of the Spider-Man pantheon as a villainous beast. But in the 2000s, the character received quite a transition. Instead of just being a parasite on Eddie Brock's body, the character turned into an antihero of sorts. This was the same decade when Brock and the symbiote joined to become the Anti-Venom, putting their powers to good use.

RELATED: 10 Best Venom Story Arcs From Marvel Comics

Like all Venom storylines, other symbiotes also make an appearance including Venom's offspring Carnage. Spider-Man himself even relied on the black suit once again in Back In Black. The Ultimate Spider-Man continuity also altered the symbiote's origin making it a product of a lab experiment (instead of having an extraterrestrial origin). With Spider-Man 3 introducing Venom to the big screen, the 2000s was definitely a definitive era for Venom even if the character didn't appear in many comic issues.

New Ways To Die (The Amazing Spider-Man #568-573)

Spider-Man and Anti-Venom swinging in the air with webs in a comic book

Eddie Brock has endured as one of Spider-Man's best comic book villains ever since he embraced the Venom symbiote. But in New Ways To Die, he decides to help a fugitive Spider-Man who is being hunted down by Norman Osborn and the Thunderbolts.

The transition from Venom to Anti-Venom adds an interesting angle to Brock's story and shows that he too is capable of changing himself. The comic marked a watershed event in Venom's history as Anti-Venom went on to appear in numerous other Venom comic book arcs. This led to the genesis of several alternate versions like Agent Venom and a whole new ensemble of symbiotes that appear in 2017's Venomverse.

Venom (Ultimate Spider-Man #33-39)

Eddie Brock turning into Venom in Ultimate Spider-Man

Ultimate Spider-Man presented a rebooted version of Peter Parker's superhero origin story, which signaled a few changes for modern readers. For instance, instead of being an alien symbiote, the Venom Suit is a lab-created suit that both Parker and Eddie Brock's fathers worked on. Initially, Parker relies on the suit for his usual crime-fighting. However, the symbiote arouses homicidal tendencies and drives him to the point of psychosis. Disgruntled by his failing high-school life and rejection by Mary Jane, Brock also allows the suit to take over him, turning into Venom.

RELATED: 5 Reasons Tom Holland's Spider-Man Should Meet Tom Hardy's Venom (& 5 Why He Shouldn't)

The contrast between the two friends and their decisions makes the story an exciting page-turner. Spider-Man's iconic motto 'with great power, comes great responsibility' is evoked here as Parker realizes early on that the suit would only destroy him. As for Brock, he channels his own insecurities on the suit, allowing Venom to feed on those insecurities.

Back In Black (The Amazing Spider-Man #539-543)

Cover of Spider-Man Back in Black

Even though Eddie Brock does not make an appearance in Back In Black, this limited series perfectly showcases the destructive impact that Venom's black suit can have on its wearer. After Aunt May is fatally shot by an unknown assailant, Peter Parker vows to find her killer and ditches his responsible heroics in favor of a more violent style of vigilance. Donning the black suit, he embarks on a ruthless crusade of justice.

This is an extremely different version of Spider-Man when compared to other Spider-Man comic issues of the 2000s. Instead of his friendly and caring self, this version is way more humorless and intimidating. Parker is very well aware of the self-destructive impact the symbiotic suit would have on him but he's pushed to such a level of pain that he is willing to let go of his morals. Such philosophical aspects to the protagonist's flawed heroism make Back In Black a must-read.

Venom Vs. Carnage (Limited Series)

Venomand Carnage fighting

Carnage was introduced as Venom's offspring. But in this limited series, both symbiotes fight over another offspring known as Toxin. Spawned out of Carnage, Toxin went on to become a major ally of Spider-Man's later on. When it comes to this particular storyline, he becomes the reason for discord between its two predecessors. Carnage wishes to kill it right after its birth for fears of Toxin becoming stronger than him. Venom, however, is willing to protect him and make him his partner in crime. What follows is a battle for the ages.

RELATED: Spider-Man Villains, Ranked Least-Most Likely To Win The Hunger Games

The subtle dark humor and the parental tussle make for an amusingly entertaining read. As Carnage is introduced to moviegoers with the upcoming movie Venom: Let There Be Carnage, going through this four-issue limited series seems like a timely option.

Spider-Man 3: The Black (One-Shot)

Cover art for Spider-Man The Black featuring Spider-Man, Venom, and Sandman

The Sam Raimi Spider-Man trilogy came to an end with the third installment that pitted the titular wall-crawler against Sandman, Proto-Goblin, and Venom. The Black is a special one-shot that serves as a prequel to the film and adds further context to Eddie Brock's transition towards becoming Venom. As he's disgruntled by his job at the Daily Bugle and the competition he faces with Peter Parker, he allows the black suit to take control over his mind.

The obscure comic reunites writer Brian Michael Bendis and artist Mark Bagley, the duo behind most of the issues of Ultimate Spider-Man. Bendis adds several internal monologues to perfectly capture Brock's metamorphosis. Even though the original film drew polarizing reactions around this character, this one-shot attempts to enhance the storyline with a more detailed origin. As for Bagley's art, his panels bring out a bulkier and more comic-accurate appearance instead of the blackened Spider-Man suit that is present in Raimi's movie.

NEXT: 5 Things 2018's Venom Got Right (& 5 It Got Wrong)