Venom

Venom
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Creation & Design

Venom was created by writer David Michelinie and artist Todd McFarlane, first appearing in 'The Amazing Spider-Man' as a dark reflection of Spider-Man, showcasing the consequences of power and obsession.

Early Years

Initially introduced as a villain to Spider-Man, Venom quickly gained popularity, leading to his own series and evolving into an anti-hero with a complex moral code.

Character Development

Over the years, Venom has evolved from a villain into a complex anti-hero, grappling with his darker impulses while striving to protect the innocent, making him one of Marvel's most beloved characters.

Cultural Reception

Venom has received a mixed but generally positive reception, with fans praising his anti-hero status and complex character arc.

Character Details

Real Name:
Eddie Brock
Aliases:
Venom, Anti-Venom, Toxin
Species:
Human/Alien Symbiote
Gender:
Male
Affiliations:
Spider-Man, The Sinister Six, The Thunderbolts
Abilities:
Superhuman strength, Regeneration, Shape-shifting, Web-slinging
Equipment:
Symbiote suit, Web-shooters
Weight:
225lbs
Height:
5' 10"
Eye Color:
white
Hair Color:
black
Marvel Mar 1984

Marvel Age #12

Marvel Age #12
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Preview sketch of Spider-Man's black costume with spider logo colored red
The design of this costume is courtesy of a Marvel fan from Norridge, Illinois, Randy Schueller
Marvel Editor-in-Chief Jim Shooter, paid Schueller $220 for ownership of the costume design which debuted in The Amazing Spider-Man #252 with a white logo instead of the red spider emblem from the original design (tap cover and swipe for interior images)
Marvel May 1984

Amazing Spider-Man #252

Amazing Spider-Man #252
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1st appearance of Spider-Man's black costume
Cited as being tied with Marvel Team-Up #141 as the first appearance of the black costume, this issue went on sale January 31,1984
Marvel Team-Up #141 went on sale February 14,1984
Cover art inspired by Amazing Fantasy #15
The symbiote costume was designed by a Marvel fan from Illinois named Randy Schueller who was paid $220 by Editor-In-Chief Jim Shooter for the concept
[March 2026 - the evolution of Spider-Man in the Spider-Man (Tom Holland franchise) may be building toward a symbiote bond, based on clues in the latest Spider-Man: Brand New Day trailer]
Marvel May 1984

Marvel Team-Up #141

Marvel Team-Up #141
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2nd appearance of Spider-Man's black costume, tied with Spectacular Spider-Man #90
According to solicitations from 1984, The Amazing Spider-Man #252 went on sale January 31
Marvel Team-up #141 and The Spectacular Spider-Man #90 both went on sale February 14
Marvel Nov 1984

Amazing Spider-Man #258

Amazing Spider-Man #258
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Reed Richards discovers Spider-Man's black costume is an alien symbiote
Debut of Spider-Man’s Bombastic Bag Man costume, a temporary disguise consisting of a Fantastic Four uniform with a brown paper bag for a mask
Marvel Sep 1986

Web of Spider-Man #18

Web of Spider-Man #18
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1st cameo appearance of Eddie Brock, hands only, pushing Peter Parker into the path of an oncoming train
The hands that push Peter Parker in this panel were intended to be those of a woman who lost her family in an accident, indirectly caused by Spider-Man but eventually Eddie became the main antagonist in the symbiote suit
This scene is retold from Brock's perspective in The Amazing Spider-Man #388
Marvel Nov 1986

Amazing Spider-Man #282

Amazing Spider-Man #282
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Specialty border printed on select covers published in November 1986 celebrating Marvel's 25th Anniversary or more precisely, the 25th year since Fantastic Four #1 was published in November 1961
Marvel Mar 1988

Amazing Spider-Man #298

Amazing Spider-Man #298
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1st cameo appearance of Venom, creeping over Eddie Brock's hands
First cover art by Todd McFarlane on the Amazing Spider-Man title
1st team appearance of the Life Foundation led by Carlton Drake
1st appearance of Carlton Drake who discovered there were five symbiote seeds that could be extracted from the Venom symbiote
Marvel Apr 1988

Amazing Spider-Man #299

Amazing Spider-Man #299
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2nd cameo appearance of Venom
⚠️ Debatable Firsts: Todd McFarlane explains in an interview that he considers The Amazing Spider-Man #299 the first full appearance of Venom but various comic book resources cite The Amazing Spider-Man #300
The Amazing Spider-Man #299 was used as a prop in the film, Elvira: Mistress of the Dark (1988)
Marvel May 1990

Amazing Spider-Man #332

Amazing Spider-Man #332
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First time Venom is depicted with a long tongue and drool, a significant addition to Venom's design, added by Erik Larsen
Hidden in the background of a panel featuring Spider-Man in a park are Charlie Brown and Snoopy having a picnic - tap cover and swipe to view additional image
Marvel Mar 1991

Amazing Spider-Man #345

Amazing Spider-Man #345
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Cletus Kasady becomes infected by the Venom symbiote, later becomes Carnage
[March 2026 - a glimpse of Spider-Man battling Boomerang in the Brand New Day trailer was inspired by this cover - tap cover and swipe to view screenshot]
Marvel Jan 1992

Quasar #30

Quasar #30
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1st appearance of a Venomized character - Thor appears on the cover, bonded to a symbiote but not the interior story
Marvel Apr 1994

Amazing Spider-Man #388

Amazing Spider-Man #388
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Origin of Eddie Brock, events retold from his point-of-view first seen in Web of Spider-Man #18
Originally, the unseen individual who pushed Peter Parker in front of the train was supposed to be a woman and her hands were illustrated as such but later, the character who would be Venom was changed to Eddie Brock
Marvel Jan 1998

Venom: The Finale #3

Venom: The Finale #3
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Separation of Eddie Brock from the alien symbiote
Final issue of a three-part limited series that marked the end of an era for the Venom character who headlined twenty-three miniseries over a 5 year period
Interest in Venom waned by 1998 causing Marvel to reduce the character's presence for a number of years
Marvel Dec 2008

Venom: Dark Origin #3

Venom: Dark Origin #3
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Origin of Venom, the symbiote suit bonds with Eddie
Story expands on a back-up story that began in The Amazing Spider-Man Annual #26 ( 1992)
Marvel Jan 2009

Venom: Dark Origin #4

Venom: Dark Origin #4
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Origin of Venom and Eddie Brock
Retelling of the incident that occurred in Web of Spider-Man #18 where Peter was pushed in front of a train by who was originally intended to be a woman seeking revenge for her family who were accidentally killed during a fight between Spider-Man and an enemy. The sequence in this issue shows Eddie Brock pushing Peter in front of the train. This moment was also told in The Amazing Spider-Man #388 as was the other pre-appearance attack that occurred in Web of Spider-Man #24
Marvel Mar 2012

X-Men Legacy #261

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X-Men Legacy #261
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Variant cover art by Mirco Pierfederici featuring Venom-ized version of Gambit, Rogue, Frenzy and Rachel Summers
Marvel May 2012 Vol 2

Venom #17

Venom #17
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Eddie Brock becomes Toxin
1st team appearance of the Savage Six: Toxin, Megatak, Human Fly, Death Adder, Jack O'Lantern, Crime-Master
Marvel Nov 2012 Vol 2

Venom #24

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Venom #24
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Variant cover art by Skottie Young
Spider-Man 50th anniversary celebration cover
Marvel Jun 2017

Venom #150

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Venom #150
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Variant cover art by Mike Del Mundo
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