#Symbiote Saga

[theomenmedia]

What Could The Two Reported Post-Credits Scene Of Venom: The Last Dance Be?

"Venom: The Last Dance" could swing us into new dimensions with its post-credits! What if Knull's escape sets up a cosmic battle, or Eddie meets a new Spider-Man? Dive into our speculative take on what's next for Venom!

Link to the full story: https://www.theomenmedia.com/post/venom-s-final-bow-venom-the-last-dance-post-credits-scenes-speculation

[dumbassalex]

So Marvel's Spider-man 2 gameplay dropped and we got to see the symbiote in action, i dig it, a bit anoyed the symbiote is still used to make Peter "angry and bad" when that wasn't really what the symbiote did in the original storyline.

BUT that's not why i am here, i am here because i wanna mention something i noticed when i first saw the Symbiote suit, and that's the way it's armored, because it looks VERY familiar to me, especialy in the shoudlers and face.

The Fortnite Venom with the natural exoskeleton armor look of the symbiote, even with the tendrils being a part of his combat. I dig it tbh.

[vertigoartgore]

90's Venom by Rod Reis.

[circusinarun]

Waiting 24th october

I dunno, they're such a good duo :] (and roommates)

[minimooberry]

Yvette Élodie Issé Auclaire 💗

[theknucklehead]

I'm surprised to see that Sony is making another Venom movie, that's not a bad thing mind you, I liked both movies so it will be cool to see.

Speaking of which, something interesting I always thought about with the first film was Venom telling Eddie that he's a loser where he comes. Some people didn't like that inclusion to the character, but from my point of view I always interpreted it like Radtiz from Dragon Ball Z.

The idea being that he is still a threatening character, but obviously there are higher ups with bigger power levels then him (Nappa, Vegeta, Dodoria, Zarbon, the Ginyu Force, Frieza, King Cold, etc.)

[samasmith23]

One of my favorite Spider-Man: Clone Saga stories has always been the 4-part "The Exile Returns" arc, which not only features Ben Reilly's debut as the Scarlet Spider, but also Benjy's first major victory as a superhero since returning to New York after 5-years when he singlehandedly defeats Venom (aka Eddie Brock) in mortal combat. What made the fight between Ben and Venom so epic was that the story was actually a response to a previous story in Amazing Spider-Man (1963) #375, which had Peter Parker make a deal with Venom to stay out of each other's way. While this plot point was prompted by Marvel’s decision to turn Venom into an anti-hero during the 90s, a lot of fans and creators were angered by this decision since they felt that the concept Peter making a pact with a villain like Venom betrayed the character's morals of power & responsibility.

This frustration was openly expressed in The Exile Returns storyline, which portrays Peter’s clone Ben as being shocked & disillusioned upon learning about Spider-Man & Venom’s deal. Through adopting the mantel of the Scarlet Spider, Ben essentially declares to himself, "If Peter's not going to accept responsibility and bring Venom to justice, I'll just have to step in and do it myself!"

Spider-Man group editor Glenn Greenberg even commented on the writers of The Exile Returns directly responding to the events of ASM #375 in the 36-part online essay, "The Life of Reilly," which extensively covers all the behind-the-scenes drama surrounding The Clone Saga:

In addition to these interesting meta & subtextual themes, another reason why the fight between the Scarlet Spider & Venom so memorable to me is because of the clever & inventive methods that the former utilizes to defeat the latter! Instead of relying upon the symbiote's usual weaknesses of loud noises & extreme heat, Ben utilizes his own original inventions by shooting multiple "impact-webbing" pellets down Venom's mouth that then immediately expand into hundreds of tiny web strands. The impact-webbing strands end up getting caught directly in-between Eddie Brock & the symbiote, forcibly weakening their bond as Ben then utilizes his "stinger" web-darts to further subdue Venom as he beats him into submission.

Seeing Ben Reilly singlehandedly take down the one supervillain that Peter Parker was never able to truly defeat up until that point was honestly one of the most badass and entertaining fight scenes that I've ever read in a superhero comic!

Honestly, it’s rather shocking that neither the impact-webbing nor stingers stuck around in the comics after The Clone Saga ended (only appearing in the video game adaptations), since those things are FREAKING awesome!

From adjectiveless Spider-Man (1990) #53 by Howard Mackie & the late Tom Lyle (May he Rest In Peace...).

[its-a-blog-i-guess]

Hey dose anyone know a fanfic, where Peter is the carnage king?

descriptions: it’s an ultimate Spider-Man fanfic where Peter is the carnage king. Both harry and flash end up kissing peter. Harry to cure him and flash to give him part of the venom symbiont. I can’t remember what it’s called, and I want to read it again.

[toomanysubcultures]

Drawing a marvel character every day till I get too tired to do it pt 6?: Eddie Brock and Venom

[samasmith23]

“Here’s Benjy!”

Amazing Spider-Man #410 (1996)

[theomenmedia]

Themes Explored In The "Venom" Film Franchise so Far And What To Expect From "Venom: The Last Dance"

Dive into the final chapter of Eddie Brock's saga with Venom: The Last Dance! From isolation to cosmic showdowns, what thematic finale awaits?

Dive into the thematic elements explored in the "Venom" franchise so far right here: https://www.theomenmedia.com/post/venom-s-thematic-evolution-a-deep-dive-into-the-last-dance-expectations

[vertigoartgore]

2018's Venom Vol.4 #7 (LGY : #172) cover by artist Ryan Stegman, inker JP Mayer and colorist Frank Martin.

[pixelsandpins]

Let's say you see the new Venom movie this weekend. Then you want to read the comics. Reading guides can be very overwhelming. So as a Venomaniac, let me give a broader approach discussing main storylines, what's worth your time, and where I think you should/could start.

80s-90s: Origin, First Villain Run, Transition to Hero

The Alien Suit Saga begins in Amazing Spider-Man #252 (1984) after Peter finds the goo in Secret Wars #8. Then more specific Eddie/Venom shenanigans start in 298-300. Venom's whole origin story can be found in a trade paperback (aka a TPB) called Spiderman: Birth of Venom which also includes issues from other series to fill out the story. Venom continues to be a villain in Spider-Man for awhile, so most of his story up through 1993 is found across Amazing Spider-Man and Web of Spider-Man. There're couple of collections that cover parts of this, but the most complete is Spider-Man Vs Venom. From this era you can also get the trade paperback called Carnage: Born in Blood which covers the arrival and birth of Carnage. A more in depth reading guide will give you these individual issues, and you can find them all in Marvel Unlimited or other online source.

(I'm having a hard time finding what I feel is the optimal link, but these have the information, at least).

Birth of Venom individual issues.

Birth of Carnage individual issues.

These are all very 80s and 90s comics, however, so they require a little bit of fortitude if you've never read comics before. This theme will continue up through Venom's solo work through the 90s.

Venom's solo stuff begins with Venom: Lethal Protector in 1993 (available as a TPB). This is the arc where Eddie moves from villain to hero. It also introduces the first symbiote spawn and a few other major lore elements.

Up through the rest of the decade there are A LOT of 3-4 issue mini-runs starting with Venom: Funeral Pyre. You can knock each of them out in an evening, and they provide some details about character and story. You absolutely don't have to read most. There are some key ones, though, where the lore carries through:

Venom: The Madness brings value not in lore, but in narrative. It shows the way Eddie and the other physiologically affect each other. It's also just really good.

Venom: Separation Anxiety separates Eddie and the symbiote, exploring the changes in their relationship and deals with more spawn. This one is a major influence on the first movie.

Carnage: Unleashed gives more development to Carnage and sets a story beat up for later.

Go back to Spider-Man for Planet of the Symbiotes. This expands on symbiote lore and is a key element of Eddie and the others relationship. You can read it as individual issues or as a TPB. This one has a major influence on Venom 1 and 3.

Venom: Sinner Takes All introduces She-Venom, traumatizes Anne, and sets some later lore hooks for story.

Venom: The Hunger expands on the brain eating/addiction and introduces the chocolate substitute. They also hold hands at the movies, and I think that's super important, personally.

Venom: Seed of Darkness is one of the lesser priority ones but does provide some interesting Eddie backstory.

Spider-Man: The Venom Agenda sets up some new story and lore beats for the Venom/Spider-Man relationship.

Venom: Finale the symbiote temporarily dies, and it sets up narrative for future comics.

If you've never read comics before, this whole era might be a difficult starting place. Mostly because the ethos of comics have changed, and it can be harder to connect with material from the 80s and 90s. It's not bad, it's just different. It's kind of essential narrative and lore establishment, however. So either accept the challenge or come back to it later and accept you'll have gaps in the lore. If you've read pre-2000s comics before, you'll be fine. Read from the beginning. It's a riot.

Venomnibus 1 and 2 covers this era. The first bout of Epic Collections also end here.

1999-2010

There's a bit of a tricky transition here over the change in millennia as Venom goes back to being a villain for a bit, joining the Sinister Six. Because of this most of the story moves back to Spider-Man. The problem is: there's major story shit introduced, and there isn't a collected edition that covers this era properly. You'll require a reading guide or accept the lore gap.

Peter Parker: Spider-Man #9-10 covers the return of the symbiote to Eddie.

Amazing Spider-Man #19 features the death of Anne Weying, Eddie's ex-wife and, at one time, temporary host.

In 2003 they start expanding the Venom story again, in earnest, but he's still an antagonist. The first solo run here is Venom Vol 1 by Daniel Way. This is collected into 4-5 trades, also appears in Venomnibus 3, and consists of 4 arcs. This one never got narratively resolved, but Wolverine is there. So that's something. This is probably the most skippable of the "big series" however you could use this as a starting place. It's early enough that you won't be missing the second phase of lore, and it's a more "modern" story. However, it's not the strongest of the runs, so it might set the wrong expectations.

Spectacular Spider-Man: The Hunger adds an element of maliciousness to Venom's motivations. It's moderately essential narrative but very divisive.

Venom/Carnage is pretty good, introduces Toxin, and transitions us into the next narrative beat.

The Symbiote and Eddie Part Company, Scorpion!Venom Begins

Here is where Venom becomes a proper villain again, only...he's a protagonist? A PROTAGONIST VILLAIN, YOU SAY?

Marvel Knights: Spider-Man #5-12 are often left off reading guides, but they transition the symbiote from Eddie to Angelo Fortunato to Mac Gargan.

Gargan, as Venom, then joins the Thunderbolts for a while. This is in Thunderbolts #110-127 and continues in Dark Avengers

Dark Reign: Sinister Spider-Man is the story of Mac Gargan fuckin' around as Venom/Dark Spider-Man.

I'm of the opinion you can pretty much skip the entire Gargan era, and you won't lose much going forward. But it's also...kind of a fun read? And it does expand on what the influence the symbiote has on their host looks like.

Venomnibus 3 also collects much of this, but not all. Marvel Knights, Thunderbolts, Dark Avengers, and Dark Reign are all available as TPS/Omnis

Also skip Venom: Dark Origin, for now. It sort of rewrites Eddie in a way that didn't really stick going forward.

Right at the end here, Carnage gets a few more series and Eddie as Anti-Venom is first introduced in Spider-Man. Anti-Venom barely shows up, at first, but he persists going forward. There's no dedicated collection to the era, but the primary comics are collected in Spider-Man: New Ways to Die, and Anti-Venom: New Ways to Live.

2010->today

Flash Thompson/Agent Venom Begins

Here, the government strips the other from Mac and gives it to military vet Flash Thompson

If you start here you're coming in right at the start of the next major phase of lore for Venom that covers all the Cool Space Shit. It's a fan favorite and an objectively well-written run, but it's also thematically and narratively a bit of a turn from all the others. It will also be a really really long time before you see Eddie as Venom. So just keep that in mind going forward.

After a bit of Spider-Man prologue, this kicks off properly in 2011 with Venom Vol 2 by Remender and Bunn. The Spider Island crossover as part of this run goes in tandem with Amazing Spider-Man. You can use a guide to sort these issues or get the TPB or Epic Collection that covers them.

Right in the middle of Venom Vol 2, Flash joins the Secret Avengers in issue #23. This is the sort of "official" intro of the Agent Venom iteration specifically. You'll also see this era tie in to the Minimum Carnage crossover. It's an okay read, but doesn't leave a lot of lasting impact on the story. You can skip it, for now.

Agent Venom also joins the Thunderbolts from issue #1-23 (Way and Soule). This is skippable.

Superior Spider-Man #22-25 is the pretty darn Superior Venom story and coves the gap between the end of the Agent Venom run and the beginning of the upcoming space-based stories. It's an an odd comic, though, in that very quickly changes the shape of Flash's relationship with the symbiote, but that relationship holds going forward.

Flash Goes to Space

His story continues in the Guardians of the Galaxy run from 2014, joining in issue #14. The most important part of his tenure with Guardians, however is issue #21-23. This is where we see the symbiote/Klyntar homeworld.

He rejoins the Guardians for 20 issues in the next run starting in 2015, but it's skippable.

These are both available as their own omnis or TPB collections.

Venom: Space Knight is sick as fuck and my favorite with Flash. A lot of good, juicy alien lore.

Eddie Becomes Venom, Again

Before Eddie goes back to his boyfriend, he spends some time as Toxin. The bulk of this is covered in the 2015 Carnage run by Conway.

Venom Vol 3 by Costa begins in 2016, and we see the transition from Flash to Lee Price briefly then finally back to Eddie. This is my personal favorite major run. It currently comes in 4 TPB. Starting here gives you street level Venom again but does drop you deep shit into the lore. You can one-hundred percent start here, though, extremely easily because they treat it as a soft reboot.

Within this run you'll see crossovers for Venom Inc. and Poison X. These expand on the overall story by introducing Mania and the Poisons, the latter of which are lead-ins for the first Venomverse comics. You can skip the Venomverse storylines, for now, but they are a lot of fun.

First Host is a really great mini-run in 2018 that talks about the true first host of the symbiote and introduces Sleeper. It's available as a TPB.

The Cates run (vol 4) (also has Bunn on it) begins in 2018, and it's very very good. It's where the character of Knull comes from, as featured in the new movie. A lot of people start here and have a good time. The way it's narratively constructed, it's beginner friendly, but you're sort of coming in at the end of Eddie's arc.

This also involves the Absolute Carnage and King in Black crossover events which are collected in a TPB/Omni.

This is also all collected in the recent Cates and Stegman Venomnibus.

The current Ewing run (vol 5) ends in November (cries), but you CANNOT START HERE. Without the previous Cates run, at minimum, the current run is missing vital story and lore information. You will be so lost, at first, that it simply won't be fun.

You'll note I've skipped a number of side runs including a few Carnage runs and Toxin. Slot them in if you want additional lore and story, but you can get by without them if it all becomes too much.

The lore drops that appear in Spider-Man in between solo runs might seize you up for a moment, but when necessary, the solo comics will catch you up as needed.

The past five years have also seen a handful of retro-runs that go back in time to tell stories from Eddie's early time with Venom. You could slot them in with the other 90s mini-runs, but I think they're more fun after you've been reading for awhile.

A new run is starting in December called All New Venom where Eddie will no longer be the host. Who will? We don't know! The way it's being advertised, I'm going to make a guess it ends up being a passable starting point for new readers. I'll know when I get my issue #1.

[samasmith23]

No wonder the Venom Symbiote was so messed up when it first met Peter Parker & Eddie Brock! Deadpool’s a complete wackjob!

deadpool's secret secret wars #3

[rubberizer92]

The Eternal Bond

🔬✨ Unlock the Unknown: The Ultimate Experiment Begins! ✨🔬

Ever wondered what it feels like to push the boundaries of human sensation and strength? Meet Max Steele, a fearless pioneer diving into the depths of a revolutionary new experiment. When he tests a cutting-edge rubber material designed to amplify every sensation and never need removal, he steps into the unknown.

But what happens when the experiment goes wrong?

💥👀 Follow Max's Journey as he battles against the shock and pain of an alien symbiote that takes over his body, sealing him in a sleek, impenetrable rubber suit. What starts as a fight for control soon transforms into something far more sinister...

🎬 Join us as the thrilling saga unfolds. Will Max succumb to the symbiote, or can he resist its overpowering influence?

🌌�� Embrace the Darkness: The Transformation 😨🌌

In a world where science and mystery collide, Max Steele's battle intensifies. The alien symbiote, relentless and powerful, begins to merge with his body, transforming him in ways he never imagined. Painful shocks ripple through him as the symbiote tightens its grip, pulling him deeper into a state of constant stimulation and control.

🦾💀 Witness the Change as Max's struggle turns inward. The once separate minds start to meld, creating a new entity—a man permanently encased in a shiny, unbreakable rubber suit, with a mask that reveals only his happy smile and eyes. But as the symbiote's face starts to cover his own, the lines between Max and the alien blur.

Max's thoughts and actions become one with the symbiote, leading to a transformation that is both terrifying and exhilarating. His strength and senses heightened, his old self fading away...

👥 Can Max hold onto his humanity, or will the symbiote's influence consume him completely?

👽🔒 Join the Legion: The Final Chapter 🔒👽

The transformation is complete. Max Steele is no longer just a man—he's a powerful, unyielding force driven by the symbiote that now controls him. Fully encased in the sleek, shiny rubber suit, his old identity is almost forgotten, replaced by an overwhelming urge to spread the symbiote's influence.

😈🔗 Experience the Ultimate Bond as Max's new mission takes shape. With an insatiable desire to recruit new men, he becomes the symbiote's ambassador, seeking out those who dare to experience the ultimate connection. Each encounter is a test of will, a battle of minds, as Max spreads the symbiote's reach.

But not all are willing to join. Resistance is met with the symbiote's relentless power, and those who falter are quickly brought into the fold, their identities absorbed into the collective consciousness of the alien entity.

🔥💥 Prepare for the Climax as the thrilling saga reaches its explosive conclusion. Will humanity fall under the symbiote's control, or is there a final hope to resist?

🎥 Catch the adrenaline-pumping action in theaters this summer.

[kid-az]

All Tomorrow’s: Vanga Vangog’s Processor and Asteromorph’s HC’s

The grand finale of this saga of Vanga’s posthumans, and this one is on one of the saddest stories among the posthumans, the Mantelopes! In canon they had been born in bodies that made them unable to meaningfully interact in the world inspite of their sapience, and this would disappear quickly in a few thousand years as their songs of sorrow turn into regular mating songs and bellows.

Of course, that had not happen in Vanga’s timeline. Instead, the Asteromorph’s took interests on these posthumans due to the realization of their high intellect. This process, at first merely one of master and servant, would become a symbiotic one for both parties, with the Processors acting as the Asteromorph’s brains and memory-keepers, and the Asteromorphs the Processors hands and (Relative) brawn.

You can do a surprising amount with just a brain, and the Processor’s are the penultimate conclusion of that question, their relationship with the Asteromorphs making their empire far more technologically advanced and powerful than in canon, ironic considering the Asteromorph’s themselves wouldn’t become bigger brained.

-Their curious minds and natures made Processor’s extremely excited and interested on learning new ideas and things, to the point that they and the Asteromorph’s would make earlier contact with the Second Empire in this timeline, learning about all of their cultures and sharing some of their technology and ideas. This also had the benefit of stopping the Gravital’s from killing everyone.

-They kept their ancestral traditions of singing songs, their laryx (Voice box) being the only thing other than their brain to grow in size. Only instead of singing exclusively sorrowful songs, they instead sung songs of hope, rage, and so many other different emotions, including those only they can feel. Their laryx were so developed that they could mimic a ton of different sounds we couldn’t, including metal guitars, chainsaws, plane jet engines, and stuff that is beyond our hearing range.

-Most Processors are born offworld in the zero-gravity habitats of their Asteromorph Symbiotes, though there is still a very sizable trillions of them living in their home-Star system. This birthplace is effectively their version of Mecca, as almost every Processor visits once to several times during their lifetime. (With help from Asteromorph’s of course.)

-The Asteromorph’s are much less reclusive than in canon, and in fact a sizable amount of the population are now living in space habitats or even low-gravity worlds of other posthuman species. The highest populations of them live alongside the Modular People, Stickmen, Pterosapien’s, and the Satyriac’s .(Even they need to cut loose and party!)

-The Asteromorph’s knowledge of their ancient history, alongside the Processor’s general intelligence and assistance from the Second Empire, allowed them to find their ancestral homeworld earth far earlier. No one would inhabit the planet however, instead deciding to seed the almost deserted planet with new life from each of their worlds and millions of years later, when the sun threatens to blow up, they safely move earth into a new star system, allowing the introduced, establish and possibly sapient life to flourish.

-The Asteromorph’s and Processor’s of later times treat eachother like friends or even siblings, with an eachother being paired so long as they get along very well.

-After reaching connecting eachother’s consciousness’s, the Processor’s would offer their Asteromorph and other posthuman brethren the ability to do so as well, with them being able to agree or decline however they see fit.

-Once finding the Qu, this Posthuman empire would not horrifically mutate or kill every last one of them, instead deciding to strip them of all of their biotechnology, take down their leadership, and having them live alongside as equals….. the posthuman’s unwilling to stoop down to their abusers level.

-Like in canon, they would all disappear from this galaxy, but instead of it being a relatively ambiguous fate, the Author’s species would discover what had truly happened to humanity……… in that they had reached apotheosis and have left this universe altogether, instead deciding to seed new universe and life, so that they may love today, and seize all tomorrows.