Alternative versions of Venom

Alternate versions of Venom
Publisher	Marvel Comics
First appearance	As the "alien costume": Amazing Spider-Man #252 (May 1984) Symbiote origin story: Secret Wars #8 (December 1984) As Venom: Amazing Spider-man #299 (May,1988)
Created by	David Michelinie Mike Zeck (alien costume design) Todd McFarlane (Venom's Appearance)
See also	Alternate versions of Eddie Brock

As a fictional character, Venom has appeared in a number of media, from comic books to films and television series. Each version of the work typically establishes its own continuity, and sometimes introduces parallel universes, to the point where distinct differences in the portrayal of the character can be identified. This article details various versions of Venom depicted in works including Marvel Comics Ultimate universe and What if issues.

Other versions

House of M

In House of M an actor plays as Venom.

Ultimate Spider-Man

File:Ultimate venom.jpg

Venom, as depicted in Ultimate Spider-Man #38 (May, 2003). Art by Mark Bagley.

The Venom suit (and Eddie Brock) are greatly altered in the Ultimate Marvel Universe. The symbiote is not extraterrestrial nor is it shown to be sentient in any way. Instead, it is a genetically created "suit" designed by Eddie Brock and Peter Parker's biological father as a cure for cancer. It is meant to bond to the user and protect them from internal and external harm, but also puts a great psychotic pressure on the user.

The suit also apparently requires nourishment to function, which is gained by feeding on organic flesh, either consuming that of its host or devouring other victims. If bonded to an incompatible host, such as Eddie Brock, the Venom suit begins consuming them almost immediately, forcing them to feed to sustain it or die themselves. Venom feeds by literally swallowing his victims whole in mere seconds, usually while the victim was still alive; the suit apparently is very quick to absorb/digest whoever Venom has just swallowed, as Venom had no noticeable size changes even after eating dozens of people. At one point, Venom's hunger became so severe that instead of simply ambushing and swallowing victims in the park, he took to the streets and began swallowing everyone he saw, even swallowing an entire horse, with its rider still on it.

The suit separated itself from Eddie and forcibly bonded itself with Peter Parker, turning him into Venom. The Ultimates arrived and were able to separate Peter from the suit. The whereabouts of this suit are unknown, presumably locked somewhere within the Triskellion. Eddie Brock later approached Peter and demanded that he retrieve the suit for him. During a later encounter, Peter and Gwen confronted Eddie and Gwen transformed into Carnage. Contact with Carnage caused trace amounts of the suit within Eddie's body to multiply, transforming him into Venom. Venom then absorbed all elements of the Carnage symbiote, leaving Gwen an ordinary human, and causing Venom to change into a new form even larger than before, with small glowing red eyes. Venom retreated from battle, and was later captured by the Beetle and taken to Latveria.

Peter was able to control the "suit" to a greater extent than anyone, not only because of his powers, but also because of his DNA. When it bonds to Eddie it took complete control of him, turning him into a life-form that appears similar to the mainstream Venom, with similar powers; though for a few moments when Eddie first gained the suit, he gained an appearance similar to a more muscular black-suited Spider-man.

The Venom Suit shown here is the second phase of the Venom Project, and increases the natural abilities of the person wearing it. The suit is tailored for a specific DNA, and the person who it belongs to can control the suit more easily. If someone uses the suit other than the one who it was made for or a close relative, they find it far harder to control Venom and are constantly damaged by the suit, needing to feed off other temporarily or a more suitable host for a permanent cure.

When Peter wore the suit when calm, he had increased strength, speed and agility, as well as being able to fire webbing from his fingers without limit. However he also suffered delusions, confusing a mugger for his uncle's killer. When enraged, the suit forcefully turns the wearer into Venom, displaying psychosis and far greater power.

When Eddie wore the suit, he resembled symbiote-Spider-Man. Immediately afterwards, the suit grew a fanged mouth and claws, and randomly creating tendrils and spikes. In its hostless form, the Venom Project takes the appearance of a dark purple goo, which rapidly spreads and replicates to cover a host when it makes contact with it. When taking a host, the goo completely envelops the host, regardless of resistance, temporarily blinding it, before encasing itself in a hard, purple casing, similar to a pupa, as it bonds further with the host. When the host escapes, the project then shifts its appearance and function to assist its host, such as creating eyes for it to see through, or tries to take it over, inducing a homicidal rage and attempting to feed itself if bonded with an incompatible host.

When bonded with a host and forcibly removed, the Venom Suit can leave trace amounts of itself in their bloodstream, which attracts other samples of Venom to itself, and can overload Peter's spider-sense. Absorbing these trace amounts, along with Ultimate Spider-Carnage allowed Eddie to take complete control of the Suit, gaining a greater ability to talk and a spider symbol on his chest. This was again illustrated when Eddie, who had lost the Venom Suit to the Ultimates, came into contact with Gwen Stacy, the Ultimate Carnage, and the remaining particles within him multiplied to reform the Venom Suit.

It is worth note, that when Eddie used the suit, he was capable of creating organic webbing, yet in the game he seemed only capable of creating tentacles

Ultimate Venom's only known weakness is electricity, and larger amounts of the Suit will need more electricity to kill, as varying amounts of Venom will be stunned or vaporized by electric shocks. An electrocution from live power-lines vaporized the smaller amount on Peter, while a similar amount disabled Eddie. The suit can take the Shocker's vibro-shocks, and can protect its host from a bullet, who feels nothing more than a relaxing vibration

MC2

In Spider-Girl, the Venom symbiote attempts to re-bond with Peter Parker, but is forcefully bonded instead to Spider-Girl's friend Normie Osborn III, the grandson of the original Green Goblin. It takes control of Normie, but when it also attempts to absorb Spider-Girl, their combined force of will defeats the creature. Instead of destroying it, Normie keeps the symbiote and allows it to bond with him, purging the symbiote of its violent and aggressive emotions. In Spider-Girl #100, Normie transfers the symbiote to a critically injured Spider-Girl so it can heal and save her. The symbiote later sacrifices itself to save Spider-Girl's life by confronting a sonic weapon-armed Hobgoblin

It is later revealed that, while still bonded to Eddie Brock, some of the Symbiote's genetic material had been taken by Norman Osborn and combined with a clone of May to make a Spider-Girl/Symbiote hybrid. After being "absorbed" into the aged Peter Parker, the original Green Goblin-Norman Osborn- takes over Peter's mind, but, in an attempt to become invincible, Osborn combines with the Hybrid, Spider-Man and accidentally Spider-Girl, when she dives in to save her father. After Osborn makes Spider-Man view his worst moments, Spider-Girl's memory overrides Osborn's power, and Spider-Girl convinces the Hybrid to fight Osborn together, and so force everyone out of Peter's body, with Osborn destroyed. The Hybrid is currently living with the real Spider-Girl's family, with her baby brother, Mary Jane, and Peter-until otherwise shown in the new "Spider-Man Family" and "Spectacular Spider-Girl" series.

Marvel Age

In the Marvel Age mini-series Spider-Man and Power Pack #3-4, a fashion designer down on his luck manages to acquire the Venom symbiote after it is blasted off of Eddie Brock by Spider-Man, and, thinking its morphic qualities are just something built into the suit and not a living biological function, clones it three times as a new women's dress line. At the debut fashion show for the line, Peter Parker is photographing with Mary Jane Watson wearing one of the dresses, unaware of its true nature.

In the audience is the Power Pack in their civilian identities, invited by Peter as a thank you for their help in the previous two issues. When the symbiotes hear Peter's name, their genetic memory recognizes it and they turn Mary Jane and the other three models into She-Venoms, and attack. The Power Pack join Spider-Man in the battle, during which Spider-Man briefly corners the designer and gets the truth out of him about the clones. The symbiote clones are sheared from their unwilling hosts, three by a sonic boom produced by Julie Power/Lightspeed's superhuman speed, the other by an energy burst from Katie Power/Energizer. The battle is then won when Jack Power/Mass Master uses the music booth to blast them all with high audio, crippling them long enough to be captured. During the battle, however, one symbiote clone manages to briefly make contact with Katie Power's alien-born costume, causing it to become "infected" by the Venom symbiote's evil and vengeful desires (the kids' costumes in this continuity are semi-biological themselves, a concept later reinforced during a later mini-series when one is seen to repair damage to itself on its own). This causes Katie's costume to take on a Venom-like appearance, with the only differences being it is obviously smaller and Katie's energy burst symbol takes the place of the spider symbol's main body, the spider legs remaining.

The Kymellian costume-turned-symbiote completely takes control of the little girl at night, using her to team with the Sinister Six to capture Spider-Man, and then turn on the other members of Power Pack, Katie's own siblings, to take revenge on them for their part in the symbiote clones' defeat. In the final battle, Julie Power manages to find and free Spider-Man, and together they manage to get Electro to blast all the villains, including himself, with a large electrical discharge powerful enough to render them all unconscious and again shear the costume-turned-symbiote off of Katie, the discharge purging Katie's costume of the "infection" in the process, restoring it to normal.

Marvel Zombies

In the Marvel Zombies mini-series, Venom briefly appears as one of the many zombified villains. He fights zombie Spider-Man, who quickly kills him, because the Symbiote has started to die, being unable to absorb andrenaline from Eddie Brock's zombified body.

Venom 2099

Venom 2099

Venom 2099 (Kron Stone) is a fictional character, a Marvel Comics Supervillain created by Peter David. Similar to many other characters in the Marvel 2099 imprint, Venom 2099 was a futuristic re-imagining of an established Marvel character.

Kron Stone, in the year 2099, older half-brother to Miguel O'Hara, that era's Spider-Man, bonded with the symbiote to become the Venom 2099. The symbiote was described as having mutated over the years, and displayed new abilities in this time line, including acidic blood and saliva. It was revealed that the symbiote bonded with Kron on a molecular level, giving Kron an amorphous physiology that allowed his body to take on the properties of the symbiote itself.

Later, after the symbiote was separated from Kron, it merged with Roman the Sub-Mariner who fled to the ocean (Spider-Man 2099 #44).

Venom 2099 first made an appearance as Kron Stone in The Punisher 2099 #1-5. His past was revealed in Spider-Man 2099 #15-20. He was then featured as Venom in Spider-Man 2099 #35-40.

Kron Stone is the older half-brother of Miguel O'Hara (they share the same father, Tyler Stone). Kron has always been a bully and takes enjoyment in other people's pain. The relationship between the two is so conflicted that Miguel tries to kill his brother.

In his introduction, Stone gives the orders to have Jake Gallows' family killed. Gallows finds Stone and fatally wounds him with a knife and dumps his body into the sewer. Following the altercation Kron lies dying in the sewer, his body brushed up against a black ball. The ball then bonds with him and forms a new Venom. With this new power, Stone seeks to emotionally torture his half-brother by hurting those close to him, going so far as to kill Miguel's former love Dana. The future Spider-Man and Venom fight, and Spider-Man is the victor after he has the town turn on sonics through all of the speakers, thus neutralizing Venom. They then bring him back to the lab for study.

In Timestorm 2009-2099, Kron and Miguel were caught in the blast from the time flux his father and Jake had unintentionally in the past while in their classroom. Kron was exposed to scorpion particles, and mutated to resemble a monstrous scorpion.

Spider-Man Unlimited

In the animated series and second issue of the comic series Spider-Man Unlimited, Venom and Carnage appear as reoccuring villains, stowing away on John Jameson's shuttle on its way to Counter-Earth and in subsequent appearances attempting to infect the citizens of Counter-Earth with symbiotes and serving a hive-mind called the Synoptic. The Spider-Man Unlimited incarnation of Venom only has the white spider on his chest, oddly isn't shown casting webs, and is capable of reducing his body to a liquid-like state. In the eleventh episode, Eddie Brock is revealed to be dependant on the Venom symbiote for survival, and after he is separated from it a second time, the Synoptic unleashes the symbiote spores on Counter-Earth.

Spider-Man: Reign

In Kaare Andrews' Spider-Man: Reign, set 35 years from current comics continuity, Venom has been posing as "Edward Saks", the aide to the Mayor of New York. "Edward" has been manipulating the city ever since Spider-Man's disappearance in preparation for his eventual return; in the process, he had re-enlisted the Sinister Six, replicated his symbiote thousands of times (chalking it up to being "lonely"), and built a security system named "WEBB" which prevents New York citizens from escaping from the city, trapping them. Upon meeting him, Venom is quick to berate Spider-Man for abandoning him all those years ago with a genuine sense of bitterness and sorrow, leaving the wallcrawler at a loss for words. Defeated, the Sinister Six, Spidey and Venom have their final battle, in which Sandman gives Spider-Man a detonator to make all the Sinners explode. Spidey presses the button, most likely killing Venom and putting an end to his "Reign" once and for all.

Old Man Logan

In "Old Man Logan," the symbiote appears to be following Logan and Hawkeye, having bonded to a Savage Land tyrannosaurus rex. It is stopped by Black Bolt.

Earth X

In the alternate future of the Earth X limited series, beginning with issue one, May "Mayday" Parker, Peter Parker's daughter, merges with the Venom symbiote after the death of her mother Mary Jane Watson; however, May can completely control and communicate with the symbiote.

Marvel Fairy Tales

Spider-Man Fairy Tales #3, Venom is a Japanese demon who seeks to corrupt the young priest Izumi (the Peter Parker character) by making him give in to his anger.

Mangaverse

See also: Marvel Mangaverse

In the Marvel Mangaverse continuity, Venom is the name of a human man, a former member of Spider-Man's clan. Venom's costume is black, and his spider symbol is white, and also much larger than Spider-Man's.

Venom is responsible for the murder of Peter's Uncle Ben, Venom's own father in the Mangaverse, at the command of New York's Kingpin of Crime. Peter defeats him and spares his life. Venom later usurps Kingpin for control over New York's ninja criminal gangs.

Separately, the Venom symbiote appears as a black liquid that is released from a cursed amulet. The symbiote draws energy from the amulet's wearer, which can be fatal after prolonged exposure. The wearer's strength and agility are increased, and his or her ability to control their own violent urges is reduced. When Peter Parker becomes possessed by the evil amulet, removing it leaves him near death.

Venom captures the amulet and chooses to sacrifice his own life to force it to save Peter, repaying the debt he owes for Peter sparing his life. This act revitalizes Peter, but leaves Venom nothing but a skeleton. The amulet, containing Venom's life force, is used to heal the crippled Kingpin.

In the Legend of the Spider-Clan one-shot story Elemental Evil, Venom inexplicably reappears in the mountain-top home of the Spider-Clan, alive and whole, his skin now a dark blue. He also gained new powers, including a pair of vicious jaws and a long drooling tongue, bringing him closer in appearance to his Earth-616 counterpart. Despite their history, Peter agrees that Venom will teach the ways of the Spider-Clan and the use of his powers to Peter. Venom and the rest of the Spider-Clan aid in training Peter to become more powerful, tapping into the mystical side of his spider abilities. In the end, Peter discovers that the group is run by Peter's biological mother, who ordered the death of Aunt May to rid him of emotional attachments. As a result, Peter refuses to take his place as leader, rejecting the clan. Venom is awarded with rulership over the Spider-Clan. No reason is given for Venom's resurrection or his new powers, but when asked about it, Venom only said "I was lucky."

What If...

See also: What If (comics)

...The alien costume had possessed Spider-Man?

In this one-shot, after obtaining the symbiote costume, Spider-Man waits too long before visiting Mr. Fantastic who would free him from the symbiote's control. The suit takes control of Spider-Man and as it constantly feeds on him, Spider-Man ages at an accelerated rate. Within days, Spider-Man dies of old age. Desperate to survive, the symbiote bonds with a weakened Hulk. Thor confronts Venom-Hulk. The costume explains that it is sorry for Spider-Man's death, but is draining the gamma radiation from Bruce Banner as repentance. Thor in disbelief defeats him, leading the symbiote to take over Thor. Banner however is shown cured of being The Hulk. The heroes employ Black Bolt's incredibly powerful voice to create enough sonic damage to critically injure the symbiote.

Thor is freed, and the heroes prepare to transport the alien to another dimension. Black Cat takes matters into her own hands and kills the alien because of anger at the death of Spider-Man.

...Venom had possessed The Punisher?

In this one-shot issue, after the symbiote leaves Spider-Man, it joins with the Punisher instead of Eddie Brock. Castle uses the symbiote's abilities to further his war on crime; he used the suit's shape-shifting nature to create glider-wings and used its webbing as bullets.

The symbiote causes the Punisher's war to become more brutal and unrestrained than ever before as he set about confronting and murdering many super-criminals. The symbiote eventually influences him to confront and beat Spider-Man. With his new powers, Punisher decides to take out Tombstone and even the Kingpin. At the climax of a confrontation with Spider-Man, Daredevil and Moon Knight, from which the Punisher emerges victorious, a blast from Spidey's borrowed sonic blaster allows Punisher to overcome and tame the symbiote by convincing it that his war in crime means more to him than anything, even his own life, and would sooner commit suicide and kill them both if he did not have complete control over it.

The symbiote then recedes from Punisher's face and manifests his trademark Skull insignia upon his chest. Castle tells the assembled heroes that he is in control now before making his escape.

...The Marvel Super-Heroes had remained on Battleworld?

In this one-shot issue, the Marvel Super-Heroes and Villains left alive from the Secret Wars after Galactus' and the Beyonder's fatal battle find themselves trapped on Battleworld. Deciding to make the best of things, they all settle down and build new lives and families. Twenty-five years later, Spider-Man and the Venom symbiote are a single entity. With Reed Richards dead, there was no way to free Spider-Man from the symbiote and thus he was forced to accept this new way of life. Over time he becomes cold, calculating and emotionally distant from the rest of the group. The body of Peter Parker is now nothing more than a skeleton with the symbiote acting as his skin, much to the dismay of the other super-heroes and their children.

...The Other

This one-shot issue presents a different approach to the events of Spider-Man: The Other, where Peter Parker dies and is resurrected with greater spider powers. Instead, Peter rejects the chance to rise again in a new form and leaves his body and spirit separated. This leaves his body open to a complete takeover by the Venom symbiote. The suit quickly abandons its latest host, Mac Gargan, as soon as it senses Peter's vulnerable state and rushes to once again unite with its first host. After cocooning Peter's body, the symbiote fully bonds with Peter, turning him into a violent monster called Poison. Poison longs for a companion to join them in their new life and chooses Mary Jane. After dispatching the Avengers who rush to her aid, Watson offers herself willingly to prevent any further harm to the people protecting her. She promises Poison that she will give her body but not her soul and make Poison's life as miserable as possible. This seems to leave Poison heartbroken and he flees. Instead, he unearths the grave of Gwen Stacy. The last images reveal Poison watching over a new cocoon like his own, but crimson colored, as it bursts forth showing a hand similar to Carnage's.

What The--?!

In What The--?! #20, Pork Grind, a pig version of Venom is introduced as an enemy of Peter Porker, the Spectacular Spider-Ham.