Marvel might have an ever-expanding list of exciting characters to choose from, but it’s really hard to deny that Spider-Man is clearly the most popular of the bunch. The success ofSam Raimi’s Spider-Man trilogystarringTobey Maguire,Kirsten Dunst, andJames Francoconfirmed that Spidey was just as beloved on screen as he was the page, eventually leading to another adaptation (albeit a rocky one) withAndrew GarfieldandEmma StoneinThe Amazing Spider-Man. Marvel history was made whenSony and Marvel Entertainmentcame to a deal that would allow Spidey to join the MCU, makingTom Holland’s first appearance as the wall-crawler in 2016’sCaptain America: Civil Warall the more exciting. One can even argue thatSpider-Man works better in animation, as evidenced byPhil LordandChris Miller’s Spider-Verse franchise and PlayStation’s incredibly popular video game franchise.
The MCU really blew our minds, though, withSpider-Man: No Way Home, when we served a heaping helping of Spidey with the appearance of not one, butthreeversions of Spider-Man as Maguire and Garfield reprised their roles. There was also an abundance of villains from the various movies, includingDoc Ock(Alfred Molina),Green Goblin(Willem Dafoe),Electro(Jamie Foxx),Sandman(Thomas Haden Church), andthe Lizard(Rhys Ifans). Phew, that was… a lot of names. Meanwhile, the end credit scene ofVenomsequelVenom: Let There Be CarnagezappedTom Hardy’s Eddie Brock into Tom Holland’s Spider-Man universe, officially inserting him into the MCU. And if you werestilla bit skeptical about whether or not we will see that Venom cross paths with Holland’s Spidey in the future, the post-credits ofNo Way Homefeatured a baffled Eddie Brock talking to a waiter and getting caught up to speed on all of Spidey’s hijinx as of late. He even says, “Maybe I should go to New York to speak to this, uh…Spider-Man.” Are your Spidey sensesalsotingling?
But Tom Hardy’s iteration of Venom was not the first time we saw this sinister symbiote on screen.Topher Gracealso played Eddie Brock, aDaily Bugleemployee that quickly becomes Peter Parker’s rival, in Raimi’sSpider-Man 3. After detaching from Peter, the alien symbiote collectively known as Venom chooses Eddie as its new host. This portrayal of the Venom and Spider-Man origin story and relationship greatly mirrors that of the comic book. Andspeakingof the comics… let’s peel back the webs and take a look at the history of Spider-Man and Venom’s complex relationship.
When Does Spider-Man First Interact With Venom in the Comics?
Let’s establish some of the basics. Created byStan LeeandSteve Ditko, Spider-Man’s first appearance was in 1962’sAmazing Fantasy#15. It tells the origin story of Peter Parker, a scientifically gifted and a “wallflower” of a high school student whose life is forever altered once he gets bitten by a radioactive spider. He develops superhuman strength, can crawl all over surfaces like a spider, has a “spidey sense” that alerts him of pending dangers (keep that in mind!), and creates web shooter technology that enables him to shoot webs and swing from surfaces. And in addition to the web-shooters, he makes a pretty nifty superhero suit for himself. Peter uses his powers to protect the city and people he loves, including his aging guardians, Uncle Ben and Aunt May.
So, what’s this symbiote all about? Spider-Man first comes in contact with it in issue #8 of a 12-issue limited event series known asSecret Wars. (The series startedat the request of Mattel, because it wanted to make more toys.) What resulted was this mega-crossover extravaganza that brought a long list of heroes that included everyone from Spider-Man, Thor, and She-Hulk to Cyclops, Wolverine, and Nightcrawler together to fight villains including Titania, Doctor Doom, Lizard, and Ultron to the distant planet Battleworld that was made by a mysterious being known as the Beyonder. Coincidentally, this being is also responsible for transporting all these heroes and villains to this one location in an effort to see who would emerge victorious. In one of the battles,Spider-Man’s suit gets pretty beat up, and he finds out that there is a machine nearby that could create a new suit for him using the power of his mind. What emerges from the machine is a small black ball that seems to have a mind of its own. It latches onto Spider-Man and creeps up his arm, much to his confusion.
Stan Lee Stood Up to the Comic Code Authority in This Badass Way
David truly can beat Goliath, and Stan Lee proved it.
Peter was concerned with what this mystery material was capable of. Since it was giving him nightmares, controlling him in his sleep, and driving him to violence,he asked Reed Richards(Mister Fantastic) to conduct some experiments. We find out inThe Amazing Spider-Man#258from November 1984 that the new black costume is an alien symbiote that is actively trying to become one with Peter Parker. Understandably, Peter is horrified, and does his best to rip the costume from his body. The only problem is, the alien costume doesn’t want to leave. The Fantastic Four realizes that the symbiote is basically allergic to loud sounds, and they create an environment that forces it to become defenseless. Peter’s rid of the bad black stuff, but Reed holds onto it for some more tests. Little did Peter know, this was only the beginning of a real-life nightmare.
When Does Eddie Brock Become Venom?
A year later, inWeb of Spider-Man#1, the alien symbiote returns and re-attaches to Spidey, who is emotionally vulnerable from his breakup with the Black Cat and for being on shaky ground with Aunt May. Desperate to get rid of the costume again, he heads to Reed’s for help. But, this pesky alien reads Peter’s mind, and actively keeps him from going there. Thanks to the ringing of a distant church bell, Peter remembers the creature’s sensitivity to sound and makes his way to the church. The deafening sounds of the church bells push Peter to what feels like the brink of death, but it proves worth it as the alien costume basically dissolves off of him and escapes. Hey, what about that Eddie guy?
Technically, Eddie’s first appearance is inWeb of Spider-Man#18in 1986, when his hand is shown shoving Peter onto train tracks (though he is saved). Peter is concerned as to why his Spidey senses didn’t alert him. It turns out, the alien symbiote had drained some of his powers when it used him as host. At the end ofThe Amazing Spider-Man#298, we see a man (Eddie Brock) examining stories about Spider-Man he attached to a wall. His body is overcome by the same symbiote that took over Peter (gulp!) and he transforms into a beast-like creature. In the following issue, this hulking figure hides out in Peter andMary Jane’s apartment, leaving Mary Jane breathless.
Finally,inThe Amazing Spider-Man#300, we get the official, full appearance of Venom. Eddie had been stalking Peter for quite some time and is able to seamlessly attack him due to Peter lacking his Spidey sense. The symbiote separates itself from his host’s face, which is revealed to be Eddie Brock. Eddie explains that Spider-Man ruined his life and defamed his journalistic reputation. During his time at theDaily Globe, Eddie published a story revealing Emil Gregg to be what he believed was the true identity of the killer known as the Sin-Eater. Much to his embarrassment, however, Spider-Man captured Stan Carter, who was the real Sin-Eater, and it turns out Emil was a “compulsive confessor.” As a result of poor journalism, Eddie was fired and completely humiliated by his peers. Eddie focused his newfound free time on working out and thinking of ways to get revenge on Spidey.
Venom Is One of Spider-Man’s Best Villains
Ultimately, Eddie felt too much at a loss, and contemplated suicide. Fueled with guilt for even considering such an option, Eddie went to church (the same church that Peter used to separate himself from the symbiote) and begged for forgiveness. The symbiote, still lingering in the church, sensed Eddie’s hatred and thirst for revenge. Eddie embraced his role as host for the creature, and in doing so, gained strong spider-like abilities and learned intimate details about Spider-Man and his personal life as Peter. Eddie and the symbiote were fused into one slimy and toothy figure thatprefers to be called Venom. The alien substance and Eddie become so close that they even talk to each other.
Venom became one of Spider-Man’s toughest and merciless foes of all time, often bringing him close to death. Venom’s become somewhat of an anti-hero, wrestling with his morals and even fighting for good alongside Spider-Man. Over the years, the alien symbiote has latched onto a slew of characters, including Mac Gargan (formerly known as the villain Scorpion), Peter’s high school bully Flash Thompson, Red Hulk,Ms. Marvel, and Rocket Raccoon, for varying durations of time. Much like the symbiote when it latches onto its new host, the character Venom isn’t going anywhere. Tom Hardy will reprise his role as Eddie Brock in an untitled third installment of his franchise following 2021’sVenom: Let There Be Carnage, and given the Sony Spider-Verse of it all, there’s a good chance he’ll appear in the upcomingMadame WebstarringDakota JohnsonandSydney Sweeney.
