#Donny Cates Story

[keycomicbooks]

Hulk #7 (2022) Chrissie Zullo Variant Cover & Martín Cóccolo Pencils, Donny Cates Story, "Hulk Vs. Thor Banner of War Part Three of Five"

#Hulk #7 (2022) #ChrissieZullo Variant Cover & #MartínCóccolo Pencils, #DonnyCates Story, "Hulk Vs. #Thor Banner of War Part Three of Five" In the third installment of the epic crossover between the HULK and THOR series, Iron Man interrupts a pivotal moment of Hulk and Thor's battle to settle a score. SAVE ON SHIPPING COST - NOW AVAILABLE FOR LOCAL PICK UP IN DELTONA, FLORIDA  https://www.rarecomicbooks.fashionablewebs.com/Hulk%202021.html#7  #RareComicBooks #KeyComicBooks #MarvelComics #MCU #MarvelUniverse #KeyIssue

[transrightsjimin]

i wish the venom #5 comic series was less depressive and overly complex and negative and time loop-heavy and removing all the character growth that was built up for 35 years (and removing the main characters themselves technically)

and instead more of this. himbo frankenstein

[willemdafinky]

I just realized this: I HATE when adaptations make the Symbiote this inherently evil race that mind controls its host. The Symbiote is so much more interesting to me when it makes its hosts act out on THEIR intrusive thoughts, it’s not mind control it’s the Symbiote allowing them to let the worst parts of them out and the host either rejects this to keep being the best version of them or EMBRACE it.

Guess what version they went with for Spider-Man 2? I can see an arguement being made that Peter was acting out on his worst thoughts while under the Black Suit, even if my other post made it clear that I think the game handled that poorly, but for Mary Jane and especially Harry? No, it’s one hundred percent mind control under the Symbiote. Mary Jane keeps interjecting that what she’s sayinh in the Scream boss fight isn’t true while with Harry, god it is fucking clear that the Symbiote is mind controlling him and that he’s dormat for most of the third act. Hate hate that so many adaptations go this route for the Symbiote.

I have completed Spider-Man 2 twice now and I have very conflicting feelings on the game’s story, mostly towards its Venom/Symbiote storyline. On my first playthrough my problem was how little screen time and characterization Venom had in the story despite all the build up and prioritizing him over anything else and while I still have a problem with that aspect of the story, upon my second playthrough I realized that my real biggest issue with the narrative is Peter’s time in the black suit and being corrupted by the Symbiote. I felt it was rushed and forced but I didn’t have any deeper and meaningful critiques of it…that is until I looked back on other adaptations of the Black Suit storyline and a review of Spider-Man 2 by Youtuber Dorito God which I recommend watching that made it click as to why Peter and the Black Suit doesn’t work.

Insomniac's Peter Parker is the nicest version of the character.

An aspect of Peter Parker that I feel has been downplayed in many adaptations is that he was, at many points, a jerk. He had an incredibly short temper, tends to be cocky for the worst, and outright selfish at points. This does not inherently mean he was unlikable, I actually believe this makes him more interesting and even sympathetic. His negative traits aren’t there just because but are present of numerous factors, most of them because of his double life as Spider-Man. The sheer responsibility that is required of being Spider-Man would naturally cause high level of stress which as we all know can easily lead into losing your cool: not to mention other elements such as J Jonah Jameson’s constant slander of his name which influenced his public perception amongst New York, the grief and guilt of losing loved ones such as Uncle Ben, his struggles of keeping good relationships due to wanting to keep his identity a secret out of fear of his loved ones getting hurt, and how this all started when he was 16 it is completely understandable that Peter can be frankly a jerk.

I don’t think Peter Parker’s defining characteristic is a jerkass who underneath is a good person but I feel that his jerkiness is an important factor of the character that doesn’t get much attention in adaptations outside of Peter B Parker in the Spider-Verse movies. That being said, I would be arguing in bad faith if I said this has been completely left out of Spider-Man adaptations: Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man trilogy, The Amazing Spider-Man duology, and even the MCU have this aspect of Peter’s personality intact. In the Raimi Trilogy Peter is shown to be a very flawed boyfriend to Mary Jane with Spider-Man 3 being the most prominent example where he just doesn’t understand Mary Jane’s own struggles and subconsciously brushes them off not just because of his own struggles but also from the outright celebration he is getting from New York as Spider-Man. The Amazing Spider-Man duology gave Peter a new motivation for becoming Spider-Man as originally purely being revenge only to later take up the role of hero, not to mention also breaking a dying man’s promise of staying away from Gwen. The MCU had Peter initially refuse to help Norman and the other inter dimensional visitors despite the fact that it was his fault they were brought to the MCU and it’s only because of Aunt May that he does try to help.

Now, I have to ask a question: can you honestly name a scene with Insomniac’s Peter where he has any of these traits? I genuinely can’t think of one. Spider-Man 2 tries with the boss fight against Scream where while under the Symbiote, Mary Jane tells Peter how much he made her feel like she was nothing more than emotional support for his struggles while not doing anything for her and I don’t think that lines up with how Peter was written in the game. Peter is very supportive of Mary Jane throughout the story for her job and does listen to her when she vents about it so this interaction where the story suggests otherwise in the Scream boss fight doesn’t work for me. Peter in these games is just a really nice guy, does this mean he doesn’t have moments where he crosses his limit? No of course not, the climax against Otto disproves but that’s more of an example of the “pissing off the good guy is a bad move” trope than Peter’s more abrasive side. I don’t think this inherently means that Insomniac Peter is a bad character, I very much liked him in the first game and Miles Morales after and one of my other favorite versions of the character is the one from the 90s cartoon who is also a kinder interpretation of Peter Parker. So what is my problem?

I don’t think this overly nice version of Peter Parker works with the Black Suit story. Ever since the 90s cartoon, every version of the Black Suit story has the Symbiote amplifies Peter’s more negatives traits (most notably his temper) and we’ve established that Peter doesn’t have of any these traits so seeing him lash out at other characters and being more aggressive feels extremely out of character and not in the way that I think the writers intended.

Okay so, the amplification of negative emotions doesn’t work but maybe they went through a different approach. Maybe in this version the Symbiote instead brings out the host’s intrusive thoughts and inner frustrations, like they did with Mary Jane. The story suggests this: first in the Spider-Men fight where Peter hints that he has a sense of insecurity in his role as Spider-Man because of how good Miles is in the role, that he might not be needed anymore and how the Symbiote is the only way he could keep and be greater. Second when Miles and Martin Li go into Peter’s subconscious it is outward stated that Peter supposedly may secretly want to kill his foes just so he could end the cycle, which the Symbiote feeds on. This all sounds great, what’s the problem?

Neither of these are even hinted at beforehand. Peter never shows any resentment towards Miles, not helped by how little screen presence Miles has in the story but that’s its own can of worms, and there is nothing to suggest that Peter even entertained the idea of defeating his rogues gallery permanently. So there is nothing in this story that gives any reason as to why Peter acts the way he does while under the Symbiote. Now this might sound weird for me to say since “isn’t that what the Symbiote does” but hear me out:

Harry does not act anywhere similar to Peter when he is using the Symbiote. His personality is the same which gives the idea that perhaps in this continuity the Symbiote might not have the same negative energy it does in most adaptations and is more like in the original comics where its only negative thing is that it takes control over the host while they’re asleep. But I don’t think that was ever the intention, it always felt like that the Symbiote is supposed to be what it usually is in most adaptations. So why was Peter affected by it but Harry wasn't?

There’s also the problem that Peter himself never has the big moment of realizing what the Symbiote is doing to him, he doesn’t have his own self reflection. Compare to other adaptations:

•The 90s cartoon: He almost kills Shocker after the latter had already given up and even after he stops, the Symbiote still tries to kill Shocker.

•Spider-Man 3: Him slapping Mary Jane is the moment where Peter finally sees that he had changed for the worst.

•The Spectacular Spider-Man: Getting called out by Flash Thompson for how he’s been treating his friend is what plants the doubts in Peter’s head that something might be wrong with the Symbiote which only gets confirmed when it tries to convince him that they don’t need anyone.

In Spider-Man 2, we don’t get that. I don’t consider Miles telling Peter that the Symbiote is changing him to be a moment of self realization, it doesn’t work for me. I never got the idea that in this game Peter did something so awful, an action that he wouldn’t act out doing, that would break him free from the hold the Symbiote hivemind has on him and to be better. I don’t get that.

Combine all that and you have what has ended up being one of my least favorite versions of the Black Suit storyline, even more than Spider-Man 3. Note that I hate Spider-Man 3, it’s my least favorite of the Spider-Man movies not counting the Sonyverse movies, but with that I can see how it could work with that version of Peter. Spider-Man 2’s version of the story doesn’t work fundamentally to me because of their Peter unless you change Peter’s characterization, the narrative or how the Symbiote works.

[samasmith23]

Dear @hellyeahheroes/@filipfatalattractionrblog,

All that me and my friend @sjbattleangel ask is that you and the rest of your friends on this blog please acknowledge and apologize for creating such a toxic echo chamber with your blog, which encourages and enables hyperbolic and inflammatory mischaracterization and harassment if comic creators that you personally dislike. If you don’t like the works of people like Jason Aaron, Dan Slott, Brian Michael Bendis, Donny Cates, Jonathan Hickman, Scott Snyder, James Tynion IV, Joshua Williamson etc., that’s fine; but it is UNACCEPTABLE to constantly slander and demonize them as “perverts”, "misogynists", "homophobes", "eugenists" or “fascist apologists” when there’s ZERO evidence to substantiate such extreme claims. Just because these creators wrote comics that you personally disliked does NOT mean that they're even remotely comparable to legitimately bigoted scumbags like Ethan Van Sciver & Chuck Dixon like you treat them as based on the way you constantly talk about them!

And some members of your community, like KK4EverStuff, have gone even further by using your defamatory statements as an excuse to write literal death threats towards said-creators such as these:

These are NOT ad-hominem or hyperbolic Angry Video Game Nerd style criticisms like majingojira once tried to claim. This is violent an unhinged cyberbullying on KK4EverStuff's part. Plain and simple. Your blog encouraged and enabled his kind of toxic behavior, and you need to acknowledge that and do better going forward.

Then there is the X-Men series (particularly anything non-New X-Men: Academy X or post-Schism), Batgirls, any post-One Year Later Cass Cain-stared story or any post-One More Day Spider-Man story. It's fine if they don't appeal to you but deliberately choosing to hate them way before you even read them or gave them a proper chance? That isn't good or healthy criticism, that's just hate-reading for the sake of hate-reading. All it does is create an atmosphere of constant negativity and toxic gatekeeping which really hurt comic fans who just want to have fun. If anything after Avengers: Arena, X-Men: Schism, Robin: One Year Later or One More Day upset you that much then why you are reading them if you're automatically going to hate them? Just don't read them. It's that easy.

So please, acknowledge that you have done wrong with your past attacks against specific comic creators, toxic bad-faith comic criticism and apologize. That’s all we ask for.

Do better!

[oroontheheels]

Daddy’s gonna be real honest with you kittens.

I’m disappointed with current Venom Run. Let me be real CLEAR here. I don’t hate it. I don’t have beef with its creator. So for a long period of time I was telling everyone “it’s a mess, but it’s better that Donnie Cates”.

But I think comparing them is not correct and let me explain why.

So Donnie Cates. Our boy. Extra edgy, made some terrifically BAD retcons, hated symbrock, tried to make Eddie Brock as trad as possible (giving him human son and all). Plus he ignored the fact that Sleeper was a child of Venom and Eddie. “nOt BioLoGiCalLy” Eddie’s but he called Eddie “father” and they both deeply cared about each other. So Donnie Cates couldn’t allow this either.

But! Donnie Cates while fighting the yaoi made the story ironically even more gayer. It was a train wreck but at the end of the day at least it was fun to laugh at this “closeted shipper” as I like to call him.

And most importantly? At the end they were still “Venom family”. All 4 of them. In Donnie Cates comics.

Now Al Ewing and Ram V… It was… ok. I like Dylan, I like Venom, I like Sleeper. I didn’t like that they “killed” Eddie right at the start of the story and sent him running solo trough time traveling shenanigans. I liked him interacting with Doctor Doom. I liked Meridus being gay with Kang and with that one old man.

But what I lacked is interactions between Venom and Eddie. They almost didn’t interact.

But like, okay. Let Eddie do his thing, let Venom singlemom it out. Also did I mention Ewing and V made Dylan Venom’s son? That was NICE. That’s I liked. A LOT.

And immideatly got my hops up.

Which was a mistake.

So the problem is where Donnie was closeted shipper, I’m starting to believe that Ewing and V don’t actually see Venom and Eddie as a romantic partnership. Or even all that important partnership.

If you check Spider Man Venom War comics, Venom talks A LOT about how much “Saint Peter”(Parker) means to him. It’s very gay very romantic very deep. But at the next pages it also downgraded Eddie role in Venoms life?? Venom is like “so yeah Peter taught me to save lives so I saved Eddie from offfing himself”. And that’s almost it. No emphasis on their bond, on Eddie’s feelings, of their bond. Almost nothing, really.

And now it’s Venom War and Venom says “wow Peter and I are sooo perfect, also it feels nice punching Eddie in the face”.

So what. Venom hates Eddie now? After all those years of forgiveness?? And it wasn’t elaborated in the slightest??

I would hate it but I WOULD understand if they wanted to make Parker new host for Venom for a while. But they don’t?? Apparently Al Ewing planing to give Venom new host (all of the candidates SUCK for the role btw). And if I understood one of his interviews correctly he want to send all the characters their separate ways.

Here’s the statement

Which annoyed me. A LOT. Like i understand that cis hetero males bring all the money to Marvel. We little faggots don’t bring so much cash. So our feelings and wants are not important. But isn’t there big ass FANDOM for symbrock? People who advertise comics for free with their art and activities?? Are we not important whatsoever? And on top of that wasn’t EVERYONE celebrating when Eddie got Venom back (in 2016)?? Don’t we all love homoerotic weird ass bond these two have??

And what does it even mean “yeah it’s been a while since Eddie and Venom have been together”. It wasn’t. Donnie Cates first made Venom into amnesiac DOG, then sent him into exile and then kept him and Eddie from having meaningful interaction until the very end of his run. Everyone who loves symbrock were STARVING.

And Al Ewing and Ram V story separated Eddie into his own story line.

And now Al Ewing tilling us “yeah it’s been too long, it’s time to move on”.

It’s like giving starving person a cup of water and saying “well now you are fed, let’s go on a 20km hike”.

“My work here is done” Tuxedo Mask meme

So like… yeah.

If they’ll make Sleeper a traitor this will be so bad. This will drop from 6/10 to 0/10 immediately.

Not looking forward to Venom future.

And the WORST part? I feel like they are pulling out “this relationship is toxic so it’s cancelled” card on symbrock. They never do that on hetero ships, but they happily destroy gay ships with that argument.

It sucks.

I hope I’m wrong. But like Venom gets new host this December. There’s not much room left to give us decent amount of Symbrock IF writers even want that.

[lilyvalerieorchard]

If anyone of you interacts with any irredeemable media such as

Steven Universe

She-Ra

The Owl House

Star Vs The Forces Of Evil

Avatar: The Last Airbender

The Legend Of Korra

Ducktales

Gravity Falls

Helluva Boss

Hazbin Hotel

Young Justice

Gargoyles

Neon Genesis Evangelion

Sailor Moon

Dragon Ball Z

All anime

All manga

Harry Potter

X-Men

G. Willow Wilson's run on Ms. Marvel

All modern Cass Cain/Batgirl story post-One Year Later

All modern Peter Parker/Spider-Man story post-One More Day

Super Mario Bros

The Legend Of Zelda

Wolfenstein

Doom

The Last Of Us/The Last Of Us Part II

Uncharted

Ratchet & Clank

Jak & Daxter

Sly Cooper

Metal Gear Solid

Tomb Raider (old and new)

Final Fantasy

The Original Star Wars Trilogy

Star Wars: The Clone Wars

Star Wars: Rebels

The Last Jedi

Lord Of The Rings

The MCU

The Mad Max saga

The Evil Dead Trilogy

Braveheart

Lethal Weapon

All films by Francis Ford Coppola

All films by Roman Polanski

All films by Woody Allen

All films by Terry Gilliam

All films by Brian De Palma

All films by Quinten Tarantino

All films by Stanley Kubrick

All films by Tim Burton

All films by Rian Johnson

All films by Don Bluth

All films by Steven Spielberg

All books by Stephen King

All comics by Dan Slott

All comics by Donny Cates

All comics by Jason Aaron

All comics by Jeremy Whitley

All comics by Grace Sina

All comics by Tom Taylor

All Comics by Tom King

All comics by Scott Snyder

All comics by James Tynion IV

All comics Brian Michael Bendis

All comics by Tini Howard

All comics by Vita Ayala

All comics by Joshua Williamson

Music by Michael Jackson

Music by Janet Jackson

Music by Prince

Music by Madonna

Music by The Beach Boys

Music by The Beatles

Music by Mozart

Music by Bach

Music by Beethoven

Music by Hyden

Music by Handel

Music by Wagner

Music by Dvorak

Music by Holst

Hideo Kojima

Greg Weisman

Weird Al

Rebecca Sugar

THEN YOU ARE AN EVIL NAZI ENABLER WHO MUST BURN!

[lady-in-the-lair]

Hii after tld I am trying to read the comics but I don’t know where to start, can you recommend me anything pls:3

Thanks for asking! Here are the most symbrocky of the comics. There are other good Venom comics, but this is where I'd start to fill in everything the movie left out:

“The Hunger” 1996 -- that's where I got my Tumblr banner image from. The most symbrock of any of the comics, in my opinion, even without saying anything outright. It explores the bond between Eddie and Symby and has a uniquely dark, eerie tone without going overboard on the edgelordness. I bought the whole volume it's collected in just for that storyline.

Mike Costa run, starting at issue #5 (the first four issues feature Symby getting abused by its host to the point that it regresses and is unable to speak properly. Eddie only shows up in Issues #5). I'm still unclear on why Eddie asked Liz Allen out other than to no homo a run full of "my love," "my darling," and literally giving birth together...clearly, it did not work.

"First Host" -- the Mike Costa extra featuring the symbrock baby, Sleeper.

Marvel Presents #5 (2019)  -- It's a collection of Marvel stories, one of which features Eddie and Symby getting intimate. I have mixed feelings about choices made in part of the comic, and the art is terrible, but the actual intimacy is great! Also, it's barely PG-13, it's all implied and more psychological than anything else and inspired me to write a fic, it was so validating.

For non-specifically symbrock content after the cut!

David Michelinie wrote some great general Venom stories I recommend checking out. Even without overt symbrock (which is just one aspect of the characters!), and the absence of Symby's voice, you feel like he gets the characters and his writing isn't all doom-and-gloom.

"Venom: Seed of Darkness" (Len Kaminski, who also has good content) -- Not symbrock; this takes place while Eddie is still a reporter, but it shows how and why he'd bond so closely with Symby even without their mutual hatred of Spider-Man. Everyone is afraid of the alien monster he's reporting on; he's fascinated and even sympathetic iir.

Carnage (2015) -- It's dark and spooky and while it features Eddie, he's bonded to a different symbiote and the symbiotes are not the focus of the story. I like it for the Lovecraftian elements and characterization of Eddie, who seems more like himself than in other recent comics--a bit of a himbo, trying to do the right thing, loves kids, and is generally respectful of women (bunch of female characters in this one).

I also like the Agent Venom comics, though Eddie only briefly appears and Symby is bonded with Flash Thompson, the soldier who lost his legs in the movie. Those are just generally solid action comics with some character development for Flash.

I do not personally recommend the other pre-Costa 2000s Venom comics, as they mostly feature Eddie and Symby hating each other to various extremes and being generally very OOC. This is the era when Venom got dark and edgy and weird in a bad way, with Eddie going off the rails and Symby having a variety of awful hosts. Some good stuff to cherry pick, like Symby still loving Eddie when it sees him in that Anti-Venom getup, but generally bad, bad, bad imo.

I'm only current as of the beginning of Donny Cates's run, as I didn't like where he was going with it and the Look How Dark and Edgy This Is of it all. He also was disrespectful to fans who shipped symbrock (despite it being canon in the Costa run) and tried to no homo it...by having them co-raise a son and having Symby tell Eddie "I love you." Whatever he intended, he clearly backed away from the symbrock so hard he bumped into himself. All that being said, he does explore what Eddie and Symby mean to each other and packs in some good grieving from Eddie when he loses Symby (....who is a dog at the beginning of the run...)

Still, I'm sure there's a lot to like in there even if his dismissal of fans and worship by dudebros has always left a bad taste in my mouth and I stopped reading relatively soon.

I'd avoid Venom: The Madness, too. Hate that one!

Something to be aware of is that both Eddie and the symbiote are very different in the comics than they are in the movie! It varies from writer to writer, but Symby isn't as vocal and sassy and Eddie is just a different character with certain constants that didn't make it into the movie much--a difficult childhood with a distant father, loves kids, uses big words, Catholic, bodybuilder, generally respectful of women (okay that might just be my opinion after reading a lot of comics and cherry-picking the series I like--do not read Venom: The Madness!), and wants to protect innocents, his defining trait.

[marveldcnerdys]

Knull: The Dark God of the Symbiotes and Marvel’s Lord of the Abyss

In Marvel’s cosmic pantheon, Knull stands as one of the darkest, most formidable deities to emerge in recent years. Known as the “God of the Symbiotes,” Knull was introduced in *Venom* (2018), created by writer Donny Cates and artist Ryan Stegman. As the ancient being who gave birth to the symbiote species, Knull's story expands the Marvel Universe’s lore in new, terrifying ways, adding layers of mythology to characters like Venom and Carnage. His story is one of darkness, chaos, and an unquenchable thirst for destruction, making Knull an imposing and memorable villain. This article explores Knull’s origin, powers, motivations, and impact on the Marvel Universe, revealing how this ancient god has become one of the most sinister figures in recent Marvel history.

1. Origin and Creation of Knull

Knull’s story begins at the dawn of time, before the creation of the universe itself. As Marvel lore tells it, Knull existed in a realm of complete darkness, a void predating even the birth of celestial beings. When the Celestials—the cosmic gods who shaped much of the Marvel Universe—began to create stars and planets, Knull viewed it as an act of invasion. To him, their light disrupted the primordial darkness that he had called home for eons. Infuriated by this intrusion, Knull lashed out against the Celestials, vowing to destroy all life that brought light into his beloved void.

To fight these cosmic beings, Knull fashioned a weapon that would become legendary in its own right: All-Black the Necrosword. Forged from living darkness, the sword became the universe’s first symbiotic weapon, a deadly blade capable of cutting through even the mightiest gods. With it, Knull waged a war against the Celestials, slaying several of them before he was ultimately overpowered and cast down into the void he once ruled.

Knull's defeat led him to a revelation: he could create life from the darkness itself. Channeling his rage and hatred, he forged the first symbiote from the abyss, bonding it to himself and becoming a being of unparalleled power. He created a vast army of symbiotes, dark creatures that he sent out across the universe to conquer worlds and spread his influence.

2. The Birth of the Symbiote Hive

Knull’s symbiotes were not merely individual organisms; they were connected to him through a hive mind, allowing him to control and influence them across vast distances. This hive mind became an extension of Knull’s consciousness, allowing him to spread his darkness through the universe. Each symbiote carried a part of Knull's essence, his hatred of the Celestials, and his longing to consume the light.

Over time, the symbiotes became increasingly independent, eventually rebelling against Knull’s control. Realizing the destructiveness of their creator, they imprisoned him within a planet-sized cage made of their combined mass. This prison-planet would become known as *Klyntar*—which, in the symbiote language, ironically means “cage.” While the symbiotes continued to exist, the bond with Knull was severed, leaving them free to pursue their individual instincts.

3. The Role of All-Black the Necrosword

All-Black the Necrosword, the first symbiotic weapon created by Knull, plays a critical role in Marvel’s cosmic history. After being separated from Knull, the sword found its way into the hands of Gorr the God Butcher, a character introduced in *Thor: God of Thunder* (2012) by Jason Aaron and Esad Ribic. Gorr wielded the Necrosword in his quest to kill gods across the Marvel Universe, unaware that his weapon was born from Knull’s darkness. This connection between Knull, the Necrosword, and Gorr adds depth to the Marvel mythos, linking Knull’s influence to events far beyond the scope of the symbiote narrative.

The Necrosword became a symbol of godly destruction, passed from Knull to Gorr and then later to Thor himself. Each wielder carried a fragment of Knull’s hatred, unknowingly perpetuating his dark legacy. This cycle of death and destruction demonstrates how Knull’s influence permeates the Marvel Universe, even when he is not directly involved.

4. Return and Rise of Knull

Knull remained imprisoned within Klyntar for millennia, yet his influence persisted. Many symbiotes, such as Venom and Carnage, retained traces of Knull’s malevolent nature, unknowingly serving as conduits of his will. However, it wasn’t until recent events that Knull began to regain his power. In *Absolute Carnage* (2019), Carnage attempted to resurrect Knull by collecting the remnants of his essence embedded in the DNA of various symbiote hosts. His efforts brought Knull closer to liberation, sparking the events that would lead to Knull’s return.

In the *King in Black* storyline, Knull finally broke free from his prison, returning to the universe with a vengeance. Emerging as the supreme ruler of darkness, he unleashed his vast army of symbiotes upon Earth and other planets, declaring himself the “King in Black.” His arrival plunged the Marvel Universe into chaos, as he aimed to consume all light and life, transforming the cosmos back into the empty darkness he so cherished. Knull’s return signaled an existential threat, one that required the combined efforts of heroes, gods, and cosmic beings to combat.

5. Knull’s Powers and Abilities

Knull’s power is nearly godlike, placing him among Marvel’s most formidable villains. His abilities stem from his connection to the primordial darkness and his mastery over the symbiote hive. Key aspects of his power include:

Symbiote Control: As the creator of the symbiotes, Knull holds absolute control over the hive mind, able to manipulate any symbiote across the universe. He can take over symbiote hosts, use symbiotes as weapons, and even transform planets into extensions of his will. His control is so profound that he can sever a symbiote’s bond with its host, returning it to his influence.

Darkness Manipulation: Knull has the power to manipulate and weaponize darkness itself, creating constructs and weapons from living shadows. His power over darkness allows him to engulf entire worlds in blackness, rendering them lifeless and barren.

Superhuman Strength and Durability: Knull possesses immense strength and durability, allowing him to battle cosmic beings such as the Celestials. He has survived confrontations with some of Marvel’s most powerful entities, underscoring his status as a true cosmic powerhouse.

Immortality: As a primordial god, Knull is functionally immortal, existing beyond the constraints of time and space. He is immune to aging, disease, and conventional forms of death, making him a nearly unstoppable force.

Necrosword: With All-Black the Necrosword, Knull becomes even more formidable, capable of slaying gods and cosmic beings. The sword enhances his physical abilities and serves as an extension of his will, symbolizing his desire to eradicate all life.

6. Knull’s Philosophy and Motivations

Knull is driven by a deep-seated hatred of life and light, viewing creation as an affront to the primordial darkness he once ruled. Unlike some villains who seek power, domination, or revenge, Knull’s motivations are almost nihilistic. He desires to return the universe to its original state of darkness, where he alone reigns supreme. To Knull, the very existence of stars, planets, and living beings is an abomination, an invasion that disrupted his perfect void.

This perspective makes Knull a unique villain in the Marvel Universe, as he embodies the concept of pure, cosmic entropy. His ambitions go beyond typical conquest or domination; he seeks to erase creation itself. Knull’s hatred of light, life, and the Celestials reveals an unsettling philosophy that resonates with cosmic horror, painting him as a figure of existential dread.

7. Impact on the Marvel Universe

Knull’s return has had far-reaching consequences in the Marvel Universe, especially for characters associated with the symbiotes. The *King in Black* storyline saw Earth’s mightiest heroes, including the Avengers, the X-Men, and cosmic entities, united in their struggle against him. Knull’s invasion brought humanity to its knees, with symbiote dragons and corrupted heroes spreading his influence across the planet.

Perhaps the most significant impact of Knull’s return was on Eddie Brock, the host of Venom. Throughout the King in Black storyline, Eddie emerged as the primary counterforce against Knull. Empowered by the symbiote hive, Eddie eventually absorbed enough power to challenge Knull himself, using the Enigma Force (the power of Captain Universe) to finally defeat the dark god. In the aftermath of Knull’s defeat, Eddie assumed a new role as the King in Black, taking control of the symbiote hive and redefining its purpose from one of destruction to one of protection.

8. Legacy of Knull

Knull’s legacy endures in Marvel’s cosmic landscape. His creation of the symbiotes has left a permanent mark on the universe, with characters like Venom, Carnage, and countless others carrying his dark influence. While Knull himself was ultimately defeated, his philosophies and power continue to shape the Marvel Universe. Eddie Brock’s new role as the King in Black opens the door to stories where the symbiote hive becomes a force for good, representing the triumph of light over darkness.

Knull’s story also expanded Marvel’s mythos, connecting symbiotes to ancient cosmic forces and establishing a link between various characters and artifacts, such as All-Black the Necrosword. His tale added layers of horror, complexity, and tragedy to the symbiote lore, enriching characters like Venom and providing a deeper context for the symbiotes’ existence.

Conclusion

Knull, the God of the Symbiotes, remains one of the most impactful villains to emerge in Marvel’s recent history. As a primordial force of darkness, he embodies the terror of the unknown and the relentless nature of entropy. His story brings together themes of cosmic horror, nihilism, and power, making him a figure both terrifying and fascinating. In a universe filled with gods, mutants, and superheroes, Knull stands apart as a reminder of the darkness that predates them all—a darkness that, while defeated, forever lingers in the shadows.

[kolbisneat]

MONTHLY MEDIA: February 2024

A real grey month broken up by the colours and beauty of art. Here's how I spent the month of February.

……….FILM……….

The Beekeeper (2024) Perfect February movie.

……….TELEVISION……….

Succession (Episode 1.01 to 2.04) Wasn't sure I was going to like this (every single character is just awful) but now I'm keen to see how these awful people are increasingly awful to each other. So far I'm really appreciating every shot that shows the staff and just the sheer number of people responsible for making the lives of these awful people as low-friction as possible. We 100% need to tax the rich more.

Delicious In Dungeon (Episode 1.05 to 1.08) Now having seen more episodes, the shifting animation styles feels more consistent overall and I love the frenetic style during the high-stress/combat scenes. If you like this show then know it's a near 1:1 with the manga but still worth reading.

……….YOUTUBE……….

Pinocchio is a Story About Art and God by Jacob Geller This opened me up to a wholly new interpretation of what the story of Pinocchio is about. Also go watch the Del Toro adaptation on Netflix it's truly a work of art. VIDEO

Vape-o-nomics: Why Everything is Addictive Now by Tom Nicholas In short: everything is a subscription now and it's making everything worse. Worth the watch and looking forward to further installments in this series. VIDEO

This Experiment Undid Our Cities. How Do We Fix It? by Strong Towns Push back against any local government that doesn't want to introduce mixed use zoning into neighborhoods. The suburbs are subsidized by density, it's as simple as that. VIDEO

……….READING……….

How To Watch Football: 52 Rules for Understanding the Beautiful Game, On and Off the Pitch by Tifo (Complete) So I actually read this over the course of a month or two. I'd read a rule or two, process, then read a couple more a day or two later. I don't even really watch football but this helped so much and now I expect I'll crush the fantasy premier league I'm in.

The Big Four by Agatha Christie (Complete) Only my second Christie novel and this felt SO different. Turns out that's because it really is an outlier amongst her other works. So that was reassuring. Not terrible but I wouldn't exactly recommend it as it felt thoroughly disjointed (a result of stitching together a series of unrelated short stories).

The Last Continent by Terry Pratchett (Complete) Hey I love the Discworld series. You know this. I know this. But there's always gotta be an entry that goes on the bottom of any list. I love Rincewind, but prefer the other wizards in a less prominent role. Not one I'd recommend when trying to get into the series and probably not one I'll revisit. Oh well.

Catwoman: Lonely City by Cliff Chiang (Complete) Big fan of Chiang's artistry on Paper Girls and really enjoyed this interpretation of an aging Gotham. It has such a clear and singular voice it covers so much in just four chapters! Really great read.

Silver Surfer: Black by Donny Cates, Tradd Moore, and Dave Stewart (Complete) Every time I read this I love it more and more. It's truly what I pictured comics to be when I was a kid: vibrant, dramatic, and a little bonkers. Why does the villain ride a dragon? WHO CARES it looks cool. I love it all.

Delicious in Dungeon Vol. 4 by Ryoko Kui (Complete) Watching the series and rereading the manga is really making for a great experience. This volume really highlighted that Senshi isn't a man with all the answers. In the upper levels of the dungeon, he's competent, but as they go deeper and face more dangerous monsters, the rest of the party take more of the lead. It's so good. This series is so good.

……….AUDIO……….

Wolves of Glendale by Wolves of Glendale (2024) Comedy music is always tricky but for me, the comedy is second. If I don't enjoy the music having no understanding of the lyrics then I probably won't stick with it. Some tracks strike this balance better than others but I found The Gym to be a good introductory track.

……….GAMING……….

Disco Elysium (ZA/UM) On one hand, I tend to prefer more...active games. Something that requires hitting buttons at the right time. On the other hand, I'm really digging the mystery and complexity of the game. It really feels like I can play this detective however I want without being forced to follow any one playstyle. Not sure how far into it I am but I read the review that it's less a detective game and more a game about being a detective and that really feels right. But I do have to say that it's...rather buggy on the Switch so that might not be the recommended way to play it.

Neverland: A Fantasy Role-Playing Setting (Andrews McMeel Publishing) The Tuesday crew is working towards ridding the island of a competing group of adventurers. Hook wants them gone, the Gnomes want them gone, heck even the Moss Mother wants them gone. But will they be able to do it? And the more lengthy recap is over here.

Oz: A Fantasy Role-Playing Setting (Andrews McMeel Publishing) The Mof1 D&D crew found a (literal) underground magic item shop so did a bunch of shopping after their big funeral heist. Everyone loves a good shopping session!

And that's it. See you in March!

[superectojazzmage]

What was is that Cates was trying to do in his run, but failed at?

So basically, back during the whole Secret Empire period of Marvel, Donny Cates and Al Ewing both pitched ideas for big Hulk runs at the same time. Ewing’s pitch was a horror saga that eventually became Immortal Hulk. Cates’ run was his Smashtronaut story about “the Hulk’s Hulk”/an evil darkness entity and Bruce and Hulk having a super-adversarial relationship where they’re straight up enemies. Editorial basically made a compromise where Ewing could do his pitch first, and once he was done, Cates could do his if he still wanted to. So Ewing did Immortal Hulk, and Cates went off and did his Venom run (where he ended up using a number of ideas from his Hulk pitch; this is suspected to be where Knull originated from).

Immortal Hulk, of course, went on to be a massive hit and one of the greatest runs on Hulk ever, a series-defining run on the level of Peter David and Greg Pak’s work. It completely upended the status quo of Hulk and went in bold and insane new directions that really reinvigorated a series that had been badly stagnating. Ewing left the book hailed as one of the best Hulk writers ever.

So Cates had a pretty high bar to clear. And instead of reworking his old pitch to account for the changes brought on by Immortal… he just said “fuck it” and tried to do his pitch EXACTLY as he originally planned it, without regard for anything that happened in Immortal, and when he rarely did acknowledge Ewing’s work, is was in a very quick and dirty way that didn’t jive at all with how Immortal ended.

More than that, Cates’ run was SUPPOSED to be, apparently, a very dark and edgy sci-fi adventure kind of story that essentially raised questions about which personality was the real monster, Hulk or Banner, while also taking Hulk on a crazy cosmic journey. Cates seemed to really think he was breaking new ground. But he wasn’t. His run, particularly coming off the truly daring Immortal Hulk, was extremely derivative of better prior runs (an evil Hulk personality just like Paul Jenkins, going to space like Greg Pak, etc.) and showed a deep misunderstanding of the characters and prior lore, sometimes in deeply uncomfortable ways (Bruce’s especially vicious relationship with Savage Hulk in Cates’ run was clearly written without realizing that the previous runs REALLY drove home that Savage is LITERALLY a kid; turning Cates’ Bruce from a man at the end of his rope into a horrific abuser exploiting his power to torment an innocent child who — in the very previous run — had made peace with Bruce and risked his life to save him). It was an attempt to do something crazy and new that instead felt like a massive step backwards for the book. And that was before Cates’ crumbling personal life led to him struggling to keep writing and eventually having to step away early.

Philip Kennedy Johnson’s new run seems to be doing a vaguely similarish premise to Cates’ — Bruce and Hulk as enemies — but is doing it in a radically different and much more well-written way while being much more thematically and continuity-wise linked to Immortal Hulk, not only returning to the horror vibe of Immortal and picking up that run’s hanging threads and sequel hooks, but also all but ignoring Cates’ run. PKJ is essentially doing what Cates should’ve done and just picking up where Immortal Hulk left off while telling a genuinely new and unique story unlike anything Hulk has done before.

[sjbattleangel]

HellYeahHeroes/Grim Goblin, this needs to stop.

@hellyeahheroes

Before you say it, I'm not "tone-policing" or "censoring", I'm simply calling out your hateful toxicity. Once and for all. The way you demonized creators were-and still are-beyond disgusting. Instead of using your platform to celebrate comics as a fantastic medium and form storytelling, you have used it to personally attack writers you hold pretty grudges against. Let's get a few things out of the way:

Jonathan Hickman is NOT a fascist sympathizer or closeted Neo-Nazi.

Jason Aaron is NOT a misogynist, Reddit-dudebro militant atheist or an eugenics supporter.

Ed Brisson is NOT a homophobe, bigot or fascist sympathizer.

Dan Slott is NOT a racist, misogynist, pervert or fascist sympathizer.

Donny Cates is NOT a homophobe, misogynist or Nazi apologist.

James Tynion IV, Scott Snyder and Joshua Williamson are NOT fascist sympathisers nor does Williamson support eugenics.

But most importantly: They are NOT hacks.

It was never about "wanting well-written stories", "having your favourite characters treated with respect" or "criticising crappy writing", no. Comics completely aside, it was all an excuse to lead hate campaigns. Because you hate them as people. Full stop.

Way before you read any of their work, once you saw their faces and names, you've held a deep parasocial hatred against them for existing. Why? Did they personally hurt you? Did they run over your dog? Did they force you to watch them eat your goldfish? Did they shove you into lockers? Did you see them burn an orphanage of puppies and kittens and then get away with it by claiming it was in "self-defence?" Did they take a massive, stinking dump in the middle of your living room and demand that you pay for it? Why? What did any of these creators do to you? Was sending all those death threats necessary? You're no "critic" or "champion of progress", you're a bully. No better than the supervillains your heroes fight against.

Cass, Kamala, Jen, Carol, The Champions, Runaways, New Mutants, New Warriors, Academy-X New X-Men would be ashamed of you.

[thevindicativevordan]

Aside from Immortal Hulk, what are some of your favorite Hulk runs? I’ve always wanted to get into the character but have run into brick walls repeatedly. I really like what I’ve read of PAD’s run but I just don’t know if I can commit to the 10+ year run, and I read the first issue of Paul Jenkins’ run (as an attempt to read something shorter) which I did like but I haven’t found motivation to come back to it.

Do you want actual 616 runs or merely Hulk stories? Because for runs, the best place to start is Immortal Hulk. Over the course of the run Ewing touches on every major era of Hulk and you should find it easier to jump into other runs afterwards. The other major run is Greg Pak's Planet Hulk/World War Hulk epic, you can jump right into that without anything else. Those are my two favorite runs. The Donny Cates/Ryan Ottley Hulk run after Ewing, regressed Hulk character wise, but it was a beautiful run art-wise that mostly provided some dumb popcorn enjoyment. Cates left early however and the run was abruptly wrapped up, but it paved the way for PKJ's current Incredible Hulk run which is basically Hulk meets Hellboy, and I am enjoying that. If you've seen and liked the Bixby Hulk TV show then I think you'll like PKJ's run.

Otherwise the only major Hulk run is the Bruce Jones Hulk run. Huge influence on Immortal Hulk, but it's been ages since I read it. I remember enjoying it a lot but that was one of my first Hulk reads and I was young. No clue if it holds up.

[theomenmedia]

Knull Co-Creator Donny Cates On The Villain's Future In The Marvel Movies

Knull's reign begins! Donny Cates teases a universe-shaking arc for the God of Symbiotes. Is the MCU ready?

Link to the full story: https://www.theomenmedia.com/post/knull-s-cinematic-ascension-co-creator-donny-cates-teases-epic-marvel-universe-expansion

[sonicasura]

Okay. I keep seeing this confusion constantly pop up on my recommended. For anyone in the Trollhunters fandom or plan to introduce someone to the series...

Trollhunters and Rise of the Titans aren't made by the same writers.

The one responsible for the trainwreck movie is Marc Guggenheim. He's responsible for: Arrow Season 4, 2nd Percy Jackson movie and Green Lantern movie. It is a scenario where someone who doesn't understand the material drags it down to hell: the death touch.

This has happened to two other media I indulge in: Venom and Journey To The West. Donny Cates who destroyed the Lethal Protector's entire character. Two major examples being the destruction of the mutual love between Eddie and Venom alongside a random Anne/Venom love child whose very unsavory conception is from something the symbiote would NEVER do.

Next is Monkey Prince, a middle finger to anyone who enjoys Journey To The West and is most likely banned in China where the "inspiration" originates. This insult was clearly made with no proper knowledge on JTTW, a four textbook sized long story.

It's most popular character is Sun Wukong, the Monkey King and Great Sage Equal To Heaven. A stone monkey who cares greatly when it comes to the principle of family whether it be his monkey subjects or sworn brothers. He WILL kill anyone that harms them.

Sun Wukong ain't someone who would knock up a random woman and leave knowing he has a son. To leave his kid in danger as the Monkey King made himself many enemies whether it be demons/yaoguai to immortals. Nor let an incompetent trainer use a device that was meant to torture Sun Wukong into compliance and punish him FOR TRAINING.

I'm pretty sure Mindy Kaling's self insert "Velma" is a good example too. To summarize, no one treats Rise of the Titans as canon unless its a bad ending universe or Blinky's crackfic. People who don't understand the characters and material should never be allowed to write it.

You be opening the Gates of Hell known as angry fans.

Edit: Apparently Marc was a bit more involved in the series than I thought as I did some research thanks to a heads up from @bluheaven-adw . And oh boy do I see huge errors in his line of thinking. First off, you don't end three different series such as these with an Avengers style movie.

Those style of movies aren't the type you want to use for a vague series such as 3Below/Trollhunters/Wizards. It is a Netflix exclusive series and we all know the flaws with streaming service exclusives. Each show should have it's own conclusion in their respective series but you can have some characters from the other pop up to help with proper context and introduction.

Another idiotic decision is that they were doing this while Wizards was in production. Bad move as you are stretching both budget, management and resources. It became clear that no care was brought into either production. Wizards is shaky at best but escaped the devastation that Rise of the Titans wrought to the fandom.

Love and care is just as important to manage a series than just familiarity.

[samasmith23]

Diving into The Abyss arc of Donny Cates' Venom!

I'm currently marathoning Donny Cates' Venom run in the "Venomnibus by Cates & Stegman" that I got as a birthday present this year. I re-read "The Abyss" arc published in Venom (2018) #9-12 just a few nights ago (which was the last arc from the run that I originally read back in 2019), and holy FREAKING crap... I had honestly forgotten just how effectively heavy and powerful this arc truly was!

When I first read this storyline back in 2019, it completely blew me away with its sheer amount of shocking twists and revelations, ranging from the backstory of a teenage Eddie Brock being involved in a drunk driving accident in which he ran over and killed a kid, but ultimately got off despite wanting to plead guilty due to Eddie's abusive father Carl Brock violently forcing him to plead innocent, to the revelation that his older sister Mary Brock and past experiences with cancer were actually false memories implanted by the symbiote in order to manipulate Eddie into staying with it, to the fact that he has a son named Dylan Brock who was accidentally conceived during that brief time his ex-wife Anne Weying bonded with Eddie's symbiote and briefly became "She-Venom" during the 90s miniseries Venom: Sinner Takes All.

But re-reading the story now I can look back and greatly appreciate the sheer amount of craft that's on display with Cates' writing in this arc, since he carefully foreshadows all of these plot twists all throughout the arc through subtle hints and double-meanings in the character's dialogue. Aside from the brilliant narrative subversion of fooling the reader into initially believing that Eddie is the kid who's run-over in the flashbacks before pulling to rug to reveal that in actuality Eddie was the one behind the wheel, the twist that Eddie's sister was simply a false memory was expertly foreshadowed through both Carl & Dylan being absolutely confused whenever Eddie mentioned the name "Mary."

Another that I really love about the drunk-driving backstory is how it not only recontextualizes Eddie’s motivations as both an anti-hero and as a supervillain. In regards to his anti-hero persona, Eddie's constant proclamations about wanting to "protect the innocent" were rather ill-defined back when the character received over a dozen miniseries' during the 90s. But here Cates' emphasizes how Eddie's guilt over accidentally killing a kid and being let off due to being manipulated by his abusive father has made him want to try to protect "real innocents" from people like himself. but also during his time as a villain pursuing Spider-Man. As for how this backstory recontextualizes Eddie's tenure as a Spider-Man villain, during in the original David Micheline era in which Venom first debuted, Eddie’s hatred for Spidey was connected to the classic Death of Jean DeWolfe storyline, wherein Eddie wrote a series of interviews for the Daily Globe with a man he believed to be the notorious serial killer, “the Sin Eater,” whilst hiding the killer’s true identity under the guise of “first amendment rights and protecting his journalistic source.” But Eddie was eventually forced to reveal his source’s identity due to mounting police pressure and the Sin Eater’s rising body-count, which led to Eddie outing the Sin Eater as Emil Gregg. But literally 30-minutes later it was revealed that Gregg was just a copycat, as Spidey caught the real Sin Eater who turned out to be policeman Stan Carter, which led to Eddie being fired and refusing to take responsibility for his own failures by projecting the blame onto Spider-Man. Additionally, the Micheline's Venom: Lethal Protector & Zeb Wells' Venom: Dark Origin miniseries highlighted how Eddie’s relationship with his estranged father partially influenced his writing of the Sin Eater interviews in an effort to bolster his reputation, but following his firing permanently destroyed any chances of reconciliation with Carl Brock.

And in those classic stories Eddie constantly proclaimed that he was “once an innocent whose life Spider-Man ruined,” even though his actions as a journalist were incredibly morally dubious and unethical. So the drunk driving backstory of Eddie being violently forced to plead innocent by his father and ultimately getting off? That only further fleshes out Eddie’s inability to accept responsibility and false projection of “innocence” onto himself during his villainous phase in those original stories, while also showing how much Eddie has grown since then by acknowledging that he’s not a “real innocent.”

Plus, there's also a strong thematic through-line in this arc about the nature of abusive relationships in the form of Eddie's co-dependent bond with the Venom Symbiote plus Carl's abusive behavior towards Eddie in the past & Dylan in the present day. Additionally, Cates also touches upon ideas of self-improvement and redemption, not only through the backstory of Eddie's motivation to "protect the innocent," but also through the story ending with Eddie deciding to raise Dylan himself after helping him escape Carl's influence, as well as the Venom symbiote willingly leaving Eddie & Dylan after the former denounces the symbiote's manipulative behavior, with the symbiote proclaiming that it's, "Trying... to... be... better... both... of... you... better... without... me..."

It shows that the key difference between Carl and both Eddie & the symbiote is that Venom at least acknowledges his past monstrous behavior and makes efforts to change unlike his coward of a father, thereby simultaneously allowing Eddie to overcome the demons of his past with his abusive father, as well as making the symbiote's later reunion with Eddie in Absolute Carnage more believable!

Like... hot dang! There's a reason why "The Abyss" arc in particular left such a lasting impression on me when I initially read the first 12-issues of Donny Cates' Venom series a few years ago! Not only does it still hold up phenomenally well from both a narrative and thematic standpoint, but it's gotten me even more excited to dive into the rest of Cates' Venom run and the corresponding Absolute Carnage and King In Black events, which will be my first time ever reading those stories!

However, I do have some thoughts regarding two minor points of contention about Cates' run as a whole and "The Abyss" arc in particular that I've encountered from toxic fandom spaces here on Tumblr that I also wanted to address, which I'll link to right here:

[oroontheheels]

Can those so called writers just STOP retconing Eddie Brock origin adding more datails that only took away without actually giving anything??

First it was Dark Origin (I fucking REFUSE to consider Dark Origin a part of 616 Eddie lore)

Then it was Donnie Cates with his BULLSHIT (cancer retcon, Dark Origin Reference, comically bad portrayal of abuse for shock value).

Now it’s this shit. Original Sin comics, 2024.

Eddie Brock origin story was so simple yet so perfectly tailored for the character. A foundation many TALENTED authors build upon. But nope! Those modern shitheads can’t build. They lack imagination, they don’t know how to work with what they have, they can’t develop. So they retcon and make solid character into meh character. If not worse.

I’m so fucking tired why one of MY FAVORITE characters should be the victim of bad writing? Why??

Uuuughhhhhhh!!

I really hope they’ll treat this comics as an AU. Or forget this ever existed.