Venom has become one of Spider-Man's most enduring and popular foes. Indeed, he has become so popular that he is seen as Spider-Man's arch-nemesis, in terms of his popularity. Venom was ranked as the 22nd Greatest Comic Book Villain of All Time in IGN's list of the top 100 comic villains, 33rd on Empire's 50 Greatest Comic Book Characters, and was ranked as the 98th Greatest Comic Book Character Ever in Wizard magazine's 200 Greatest Comic Book Characters of all Time list.
Overview
Spider-Man first encountered the Venom Symbiote in Secret Wars #8, in which he unwittingly merged with it. After Spider-Man rejected it, the Symbiote merged with Eddie Brock, its most well-known host, in The Amazing Spider-Man #298 (May 1988). Its next host became Mac Gargan, the villain formerly known as Scorpion.
Originally, the Symbiote was portrayed as a mute and lonely creature craving the company of a host. More recently, it has been shown as increasingly abusive of its hosts, and having the power of speech. The Venom Symbiote has no known name, as "Venom" is essentially the moniker it has adopted since its history with Spider-Man on Earth. According to S.H.I.E.L.D., it is considered one of the greatest threats to humanity, alongside Magneto, Doctor Doom, and Red Skull.
Contrary to popular belief, the idea for the Venom Symbiote was not originally thought up by artists Mike Zeck and Todd McFarlane or writer Dave Micheline, but by a Marvel Comics reader from Norridge, Illinois named Randy Schueller. Marvel bought the idea for $220.00 and the current editor in chief at the time, Jim Shooter, sent Schueller a letter acknowledging Marvel's desire to purchase the idea from him. Schueller's design was then modified by Mike Zeck, becoming the Venom symbiote.
Powers and Abilities
Though it requires a living host in order to survive, the Venom Symbiote has been shown on some occasions to be able to fend for itself with its own set of unique powers. The Symbiote, even without a host, has shown shapeshifting abilities like forming spikes and expanding its size.
The Symbiote is telepathic and does not require physical contact to influence the minds of others. In Planet Of the Symbiotes, the creature, after being rejected by its host, emits a psychic scream which drives nearby humans to states of extreme depression. Later, with the assistance of Eddie Brock, it emits an even more powerful variant of that power which results in the mass suicide of an invasive force of Symbiotes. The Symbiote can also blend with any background, using an optic-camouflage type of effect, and shapeshift to resemble ordinary clothing. Venom is immune to the Penance Stare, an ability used by Ghost Rider, Johnny Blaze and Daniel Ketch. The Symbiote also augments the strength of its hosts.
The Symbiote originally rejected its species' habit of consuming its hosts, but in some interpretations it still required certain chemicals (human adrenaline) in order to survive. When starved of these chemicals, the Symbiote developed a mutable exoskeleton, allowing it to form its own solid body which it used to hunt and kill prey without the assistance of a host. However, because of Brock's, and later Gargan's, influence on its personality the Symbiote has developed a taste for blood, which both its hosts were forced to sate by physically devouring their victims. Later, the suit's evolution progressed and as shown in the 2003 Venom comic book series, its clone could spontaneously jump from host to host and after every departure said hosts would be left dead.
Because of its contact with Spider-Man, the Symbiote grants all of its subsequent hosts the hero's powers and cannot be detected by his spider-sense. As Spider-Man's fighting style is partly dependent on his spider-sense, his effectiveness was somewhat hampered when he battled Eddie Brock, allowing the less experienced Brock to keep up with him. However, the Symbiote is vulnerable to loud noises, such as the ringing of church bells.
Some interpretations of the Venom Symbiote has been shown to have the ability to replicate itself. This ability is shown in Spider-Man: Reign, when Venom recreates his own Symbiote to combat his loneliness. This ability is also used by Venom in Spider-Man: Web of Shadows, when Venom discovers the ability to copy his Symbiote and uses it to take over Manhattan. Such an ability has not been demonstrated in the main 616 universe.
