What's the Deal with Venom?
Venom: Sony Pictures
In case you haven't heard, there is a movie coming out based on the comic book character Venom. I'm pretty excited about this movie because Venom was one of my favorite comic book characters when I was growing up. So what is the deal with Venom anyway? Well, I'll tell you
Venom is from the Spider-Man comic books. Somehow Spider-Man ended up in this epic battle in space, with all kinds of other characters. Come to think of it, may have even been the comic book version of the Avengers Infinity Wars; I'm not sure though.
In any event, faced with battling much more powerful beings; some aliens gave Spider-Man what appeared to be a super-suit. It was black and white and gave Spider-Man a huge boost to all his powers. The war was fought and won, and Spider-Man came home.
He started to notice that the suit had a mind of its own and he begin to act strangely. He soon realized that the suit was a living creature and it’s starting to influence him negatively.
He wanted to take it off but couldn't.
Somehow, some church bells rang in close proximity to Spider-Man, and the loud sound forced the suit/creature off of him.
Eddie Brock: Marvel Comics
The suit found its way on to Eddie Brock. He hates Peter Parker for getting him fired as a photographer for the newspaper. Despite being a newspaper photographer, Eddie Brock is a muscle head, roid-rage case and very angry at Peter Parker.
The alien suit/creature who also feels rejected and angry at Peter Parker, offers to give Eddie Brock the strength and Powers he needs to take down Spider-Man/Peter Parker as revenge.
Marvel Comics
So Venom as an entity is both Eddie Brock and the alien creature/suit.
In the comics, the creature’s dialogue appears as thought bubbles when speaking to Eddie Brock, and as regular dialogue when spoken as Venom. From the fact that he is represented as gooey darkness to him being the whispering, scheming voice in Eddie Brock’s ear; he is almost like a dark spirit in the flesh.
The suit/ creature is a shape-shifting goo-monster that gives Eddie Brock some incredible powers. It is a blob-like alien creature that needs a vertebrated host to help it move around. It’s not a parasite, it amplifies the strengths or powers of its host. In the comics, it’s referred to as a symbiote in reference to the symbiosis formed with the host.
On its own, It can shape-shift into what appear to be street clothes, or anything you would wear normally. When the suit is formed into clothes, Eddie Brock is mostly in control of the creature. In addition, it can blend into surroundings and match patterns like a chameleon.
Marvel Comics
I see transforming into Venom, like gearing up for battle or turning into the Hulk.
While in the black and white Venom state, the creature is mostly in control of Eddie Brock. It is telepathically connected to him. It envelops his head forming its own face and mouth kind of like a mask that is alive. Though Eddie is covered up, the creature seems to be able to do the seeing and hearing for him through the telepathic link. He is Bulletproof super strong and invulnerable to most kinetic attacks. The goo can also form rudimentary stabbing weapons. Wearing the Venom creature would be a bit like wearing the T1000 as a suit.
Since it had previously bonded with Spider-Man, it now retains the powers of Spider-Man such as agility, web-slinging, sticking to walls, etc. Not only does he have Spider-Man's Spider-Sense abilities, but it's more powerful and immune to Peter Parker's Spider-Sense.
While a lot of other villains have typical villainous motivations, Venom is pretty much only interested in revenge against Peter Parker/Spider-Man.Though both Spider-Man and Venom have fought many times in the comics, no one ever really seems to come out ahead.
Although Venom can (and almost has) killed Peter Parker Spider-Man a few times; (even back when I read these comics,) he usually doesn't. Not just because that would end the series, but Venom loves to torment Peter Parker Spider-Man and killing him would prevent more tormenting.
I'm not sure of the plot of the new movie, but that's how it was in the comics a million years ago when I read them. From the clips I have seen, Venom seems to have an interest in eating people which I don't think is original to the comics. That is an interesting angle, and we'll have to see how the new movie plays out.
Vector reproduction of comic drawing.
Mike Olguin
To me, Venom was so cool because I thought he had some of the coolest powers. Strength, agility, bulletproofness, camouflage, and never having to buy a new pair of slacks. Despite all this power, his major flaw (other than hating loud sound), is not being able to get over being rejected by Spider-Man and being fueled by revenge. This makes for a complex and interesting villain in a world oversaturated by cackling, ambitious supervillains.
I will be looking forward to seeing Venom, how about you?
