Key Collector Comics
Venom
View Key Issues

Creation & Design

Venom was created by writer David Michelinie and artist Todd McFarlane, first appearing in 'The Amazing Spider-Man' as a dark reflection of Spider-Man, showcasing the consequences of power and obsession.

Early Years

Initially introduced as a villain to Spider-Man, Venom quickly gained popularity, leading to his own series and evolving into an anti-hero with a complex moral code.

Character Development

Over the years, Venom has evolved from a villain into a complex anti-hero, grappling with his darker impulses while striving to protect the innocent, making him one of Marvel's most beloved characters.

Cultural Reception

Venom has received a mixed but generally positive reception, with fans praising his anti-hero status and complex character arc.

Character Details

Real Name:
Eddie Brock
Aliases:
Venom, Anti-Venom, Toxin
Species:
Human/Alien Symbiote
Gender:
Male
Affiliations:
Spider-Man, The Sinister Six, The Thunderbolts
Abilities:
Superhuman strength, Regeneration, Shape-shifting, Web-slinging
Equipment:
Symbiote suit, Web-shooters
Weight:
225lbs
Height:
6' 10"
Eye Color:
white
Hair Color:
black
1 2 3 4 › »

Clicking on the eBay link and making a purchase may result in this site earning a commission from the eBay Partner Network.

Comics Journal #85

Fantagraphics ⋅ 1983

View Details
Comics Journal #85
 
Low
$15
Mid
$45
High
$145

Key Facts

First published sketch of Spider-Man's black costume, side view of the suit

Amazing Heroes #35

Fantagraphics ⋅ 1983

View Details
Amazing Heroes #35
 
Low
$5
Mid
$12
High
$45

Key Facts

Preview sketch of Spider-Man's black costume, rear view of the suit

Heroes Hotline #4

Heroes Hotline ⋅ 1983

View Details
Heroes Hotline #4
 
Low
$12
Mid
$40
High
$125

Key Facts

Preview sketch of Spider-Man's black costume, front and back view of the suit

Comic Reader #215

Street Enterprises ⋅ 1983

View Details
Comic Reader #215
 
Low
$5
Mid
$18
High
$70

Key Facts

Preview sketch of Spider-Man's black costume, front, side and rear view plus crouching stance

Amazing Heroes #39

Fantagraphics ⋅ 1984

View Details
Amazing Heroes #39
 
Low
$4
Mid
$12
High
$40

Key Facts

Preview sketch of Spider-Man's black costume, crouching position

Marvel Age #12

Marvel ⋅ 1984

View Details
Marvel Age #12
 
Low
$5
Mid
$18
High
$60

Key Facts

Preview sketch of Spider-Man's black costume with spider logo colored red

The design of this costume is courtesy of a Marvel fan from Norridge, Illinois, Randy Schueller

Marvel Editor-in-Chief Jim Shooter, paid Schueller $220 for ownership of the costume design which debuted in The Amazing Spider-Man #252 with a white logo instead of the red spider emblem from the original design (tap cover and swipe for interior images)

Amazing Heroes #45

Fantagraphics ⋅ 1984

View Details
Amazing Heroes #45
 
Low
$20
Mid
$80
High
$200

Key Facts

Solicitation for Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #1

Preview of Spider-Man’s Symbiote suit

Amazing Spider-Man #252

Marvel ⋅ 1984

View Details  ⋅  View Variants (20)
Amazing Spider-Man #252
 
Low
$15
Mid
$55
High
$185

Key Facts

1st appearance of Spider-Man's black costume

Cited as being tied with Marvel Team-Up #141 as the first appearance of the black costume, this issue went on sale January 31,1984

Marvel Team-Up #141 went on sale February 14,1984

Cover art inspired by Amazing Fantasy #15

The symbiote costume was designed by a Marvel fan from Illinois named Randy Schueller who was paid $220 by Editor-In-Chief Jim Shooter for the concept

Peter Parker: The Spectacular Spider-Man #90

Marvel ⋅ 1984

View Details  ⋅  View Variants (2)
Peter Parker: The Spectacular Spider-Man #90
 
Low
$5
Mid
$18
High
$65

Key Facts

2nd appearance of Spider-Man's black costume

According to solicitations from 1984, The Amazing Spider-Man #252 went on sale January 31

Marvel Team-up #141 and The Spectacular Spider-Man #90 both went on sale February 14

Marvel Team-Up #141

Marvel ⋅ 1984

View Details  ⋅  View Variants (2)
Marvel Team-Up #141
 
Low
$5
Mid
$20
High
$85

Key Facts

2nd appearance of Spider-Man's black costume, tied with Spectacular Spider-Man #90

According to solicitations from 1984, The Amazing Spider-Man #252 went on sale January 31

Marvel Team-up #141 and The Spectacular Spider-Man #90 both went on sale February 14

Amazing Spider-Man #258

Marvel ⋅ 1984

View Details  ⋅  View Variants (4)
Amazing Spider-Man #258
 
Low
$3
Mid
$9
High
$35

Key Facts

Reed Richards discovers Spider-Man's black costume is an alien symbiote

Debut of Spider-Man’s Bombastic Bag Man costume, a temporary disguise consisting of a Fantastic Four uniform with a brown paper bag for a mask

Marvel Super Heroes Secret Wars #8

Marvel ⋅ 1984

View Details  ⋅  View Variants (11)
Marvel Super Heroes Secret Wars #8
 
Low
$18
Mid
$60
High
$180

Key Facts

"Secret Wars" part 8

Origin of the black symbiote costume that later bonds with Eddie Brock to become Venom

2nd appearance of Spider-Woman, Julia Carpenter

Web of Spider-Man #18

Marvel ⋅ 1986

View Details  ⋅  View Variants (2)
Web of Spider-Man #18
 
Low
$2
Mid
$8
High
$20

Key Facts

1st cameo appearance of Eddie Brock, hands only, pushing Peter Parker into the path of an oncoming train

The hands that push Peter Parker in this panel were intended to be those of a woman who lost her family in an accident, indirectly caused by Spider-Man but eventually Eddie became the main antagonist in the symbiote suit

This scene is retold from Brock's perspective in The Amazing Spider-Man #388

Amazing Spider-Man #282

Marvel ⋅ 1986

View Details  ⋅  View Variants (2)
Amazing Spider-Man #282
 
Low
$1
Mid
$5
High
$18

Key Facts

Specialty border printed on select covers published in November 1986 celebrating Marvel's 25th Anniversary or more precisely, the 25th year since Fantastic Four #1 was published in November 1961

Web of Spider-Man #24

Marvel ⋅ 1987

View Details  ⋅  View Variants (2)
Web of Spider-Man #24
 
Low
$1
Mid
$2
High
$8

Key Facts

2nd cameo appearance of Eddie Brock, a shadowy hand

Amazing Heroes #131

Fantagraphics ⋅ 1987

View Details
Amazing Heroes #131
 
Low
$18
Mid
$55
High
$190

Key Facts

First preview appearance of Venom, the symbiote merged with Eddie Brock

Amazing Spider-Man #298

Marvel ⋅ 1988

View Details  ⋅  View Variants (1)
Amazing Spider-Man #298
 
Low
$10
Mid
$30
High
$100

Key Facts

1st cameo appearance of Venom, creeping over Eddie Brock's hands

First cover art by Todd McFarlane on the Amazing Spider-Man title

1st team appearance of the Life Foundation led by Carlton Drake

1st appearance of Carlton Drake who discovered there were five symbiote seeds that could be extracted from the Venom symbiote

Comics Scene #2

Starlog ⋅ 1988

View Details
Comics Scene #2
 
Low
$5
Mid
$15
High
$50

Key Facts

Second preview appearance of Venom

Article about the 300th anniversary issue of Spider-Man

Amazing Spider-Man #299

Marvel ⋅ 1988

View Details  ⋅  View Variants (1)
Amazing Spider-Man #299
 
Low
$12
Mid
$45
High
$140

Key Facts

2nd cameo appearance of Venom

A copy of Amazing Spider-Man #299 is seen in the movie Elvira: Mistress of the Dark (1988) being read by Jeff Conaway

⚠️ Debatable Firsts: Todd McFarlane explains in an interview that he considers The Amazing Spider-Man #299 the first full appearance of Venom but various comic book resources changed it to The Amazing Spider-Man #300

View additional images by tapping the cover image and swiping left

Amazing Spider-Man #300

Marvel ⋅ 1988

View Details  ⋅  View Variants (15)
Amazing Spider-Man #300
 
Low
$60
Mid
$180
High
$600

Key Facts

1st full appearance of Venom

Amazing Spider-Man #315

Marvel ⋅ 1989

View Details  ⋅  View Variants (1)
Amazing Spider-Man #315
 
Low
$3
Mid
$9
High
$25

Key Facts

2nd appearance of Venom

1st partial cover appearance of Venom

Amazing Spider-Man #316

Marvel ⋅ 1989

View Details  ⋅  View Variants (2)
Amazing Spider-Man #316
 
Low
$10
Mid
$30
High
$110

Key Facts

3rd appearance of Venom

1st full cover appearance of Venom - head appears in and inset of issue #315

Amazing Spider-Man #317

Marvel ⋅ 1989

View Details  ⋅  View Variants (1)
Amazing Spider-Man #317
 
Low
$3
Mid
$9
High
$35

Key Facts

4th appearance of Venom

Quasar #6

Marvel ⋅ 1990

View Details
Quasar #6
 
Low
$1
Mid
$2
High
$5

Key Facts

First appearance of Venom outside of a Spider-Man title

Amazing Spider-Man #332

Marvel ⋅ 1990

View Details  ⋅  View Variants (1)
Amazing Spider-Man #332
 
Low
$2
Mid
$8
High
$25

Key Facts

First time Venom is depicted with a long tongue and drool, a significant addition to Venom's design, added by Erik Larsen

Amazing Spider-Man #345

Marvel ⋅ 1991

View Details  ⋅  View Variants (1)
Amazing Spider-Man #345
 
Low
$2
Mid
$8
High
$20

Key Facts

Cletus Kasady becomes infected by the Venom symbiote, later becomes Carnage

Amazing Spider-Man #346

Marvel ⋅ 1991

View Details  ⋅  View Variants (2)
Amazing Spider-Man #346
 
Low
$2
Mid
$8
High
$20

Key Facts

Iconic cover art by Erik Larsen

Amazing Spider-Man Annual #25

Marvel ⋅ 1991

View Details  ⋅  View Variants (1)
Amazing Spider-Man Annual #25
 
Low
$1
Mid
$2
High
$5

Key Facts

First solo story featuring Venom

Quasar #30

Marvel ⋅ 1992

View Details
Quasar #30
 
Low
$1
Mid
$2
High
$5

Key Facts

1st appearance of a Venomized character - Thor appears on the cover, bonded to a symbiote but not the interior story

Amazing Spider-Man #361

Marvel ⋅ 1992

View Details  ⋅  View Variants (5)
Amazing Spider-Man #361
 
Low
$10
Mid
$30
High
$100

Key Facts

1st full appearance of Carnage, spawned from the extraterrestrial parasite known as the Venom symbiote

Amazing Spider-Man Annual #26

Marvel ⋅ 1992

View Details  ⋅  View Variants (1)
Amazing Spider-Man Annual #26
 
Low
$1
Mid
$2
High
$3

Key Facts

Origin of Venom, the first meeting of Eddie Brock and the Venom symbiote

'First Kill' told in 3 back-up chapters

Part 2: Spectacular Spider-Man Annual #12

Part 3: Web of Spider-Man Annual #8

Peter Parker: The Spectacular Spider-Man Annual #12

Marvel ⋅ 1992

View Details  ⋅  View Variants (1)
Peter Parker: The Spectacular Spider-Man Annual #12
 
Low
$1
Mid
$2
High
$3

Key Facts

Part 2 of the three-part story, 'First Kill' that recounts the origin of how Eddie Brock and Venom bonded

Part 1: The Amazing Spider-Man Annual #26

Part 3: Web of Spider-Man Annual #8

Web of Spider-Man Annual #8

Marvel ⋅ 1992

View Details  ⋅  View Variants (1)
Web of Spider-Man Annual #8
 
Low
$1
Mid
$2
High
$3

Key Facts

Conclusion of the first solo Venom story 'First Kill' told in 3 back-up stories

Part 1: Amazing Spider-Man Annual #26

Part 2: Spectacular Spider-Man Annual #12

Spider-Man Special Edition #1

Marvel ⋅ 1992

View Details
Spider-Man Special Edition #1
 
Low
$2
Mid
$8
High
$20

Key Facts

Battle of Spider-man and Daredevil vs Venom

Issue exclusively obtained through a UNICEF mail-in charity drive

Interior pin-up poster included

What If...? #44

Marvel ⋅ 1992

View Details  ⋅  View Variants (1)
What If...? #44
 
Low
$2
Mid
$8
High
$20

Key Facts

Alternate reality story where the Venom symbiote bonds with the Punisher

Venom: Lethal Protector #1

Marvel ⋅ 1993

View Details  ⋅  View Variants (10)
Venom: Lethal Protector #1
 
Low
$2
Mid
$8
High
$25

Key Facts

First solo series featuring Venom

1st cameo appearance of General Orwell Taylor

Amazing Spider-Man #375

Marvel ⋅ 1993

View Details  ⋅  View Variants (2)
Amazing Spider-Man #375
 
Low
$1
Mid
$5
High
$15

Key Facts

Gold holofoil cover

1st appearance of Ann Weying, Eddie Brock’s ex-wife who later becomes She-Venom

1st appearance of Carl Brock, Eddie's father

Venumb #1

Parody Press ⋅ 1993

View Details  ⋅  View Variants (2)
Venumb #1
 
Low
$1
Mid
$5
High
$15

Key Facts

Parody of Venom

Venom: Lethal Protector #4

Marvel ⋅ 1993

View Details  ⋅  View Variants (1)
Venom: Lethal Protector #4
 
Low
$1
Mid
$5
High
$15

Key Facts

1st appearance of Scream

1st cameo appearance of Agony

1st cameo appearance of Lasher

1st cameo appearance of Phage

1st cameo appearance Riot

[April 2023 - Juno Temple’s casting in Venom 3 will likely cause speculation that she will portray Scream]

Web of Spider-Man #102

Marvel ⋅ 1993

View Details  ⋅  View Variants (1)
Web of Spider-Man #102
 
Low
$1
Mid
$2
High
$7

Key Facts

"Maximum Carnage" part 6

First meeting of Morbius and Venom

Venom The Enemy Within #1

Marvel ⋅ 1994

View Details  ⋅  View Variants (1)
Venom The Enemy Within #1
 
Low
$3
Mid
$9
High
$30

Key Facts

Glow-in-the-dark cover art

Iron Man #302

Marvel ⋅ 1994

View Details
Iron Man #302
 
Low
$1
Mid
$5
High
$15

Key Facts

Battle of Iron Man vs Venom

Incredible Hulk vs. Venom #1

Marvel ⋅ 1994

View Details
Incredible Hulk vs. Venom #1
 
Low
$2
Mid
$8
High
$25

Key Facts

Battle of The Incredible Hulk against Venom

Issue exclusively obtained through a UNICEF mail-in charity drive

Foil, embossed cover

Amazing Spider-Man #388

Marvel ⋅ 1994

View Details  ⋅  View Variants (2)
Amazing Spider-Man #388
 
Low
$1
Mid
$2
High
$4

Key Facts

Origin of Eddie Brock, events retold from his point-of-view first seen in Web of Spider-Man #18

Originally, the unseen individual who pushed Peter Parker in front of the train was supposed to be a woman and her hands were illustrated as such but later, the character who would be Venom was changed to Eddie Brock

Amazing Spider-Man Super Special #1

Marvel ⋅ 1995

View Details  ⋅  View Variants (1)
Amazing Spider-Man Super Special #1
 
Low
$2
Mid
$8
High
$25

Key Facts

"Planet of the Symbiotes" part 1 in a 5 part series

Origin of the Alien Symbiote

Flip book cover paying homage to McFarlane's Spider-Man #1 featuring the Scarlet Spider

Title colored with silver ink

Venom: Sinner Takes All #3

Marvel ⋅ 1995

View Details
Venom: Sinner Takes All #3
 
Low
$7
Mid
$20
High
$70

Key Facts

1st full appearance of She-Venom

Rune vs. Venom #1

Marvel ⋅ 1995

View Details
Rune vs. Venom #1
 
Low
$1
Mid
$5
High
$15

Key Facts

Marvel and Malibu publisher crossover

Venom is depicted with bat-like wings and claims to be a dark god

Adventures of Spider-Man #12

Marvel ⋅ 1997

View Details
Adventures of Spider-Man #12
 
Low
$1
Mid
$2
High
$8

Key Facts

Final issue featuring a team-up of Venom and Dr. Octopus

Venom: The Finale #3

Marvel ⋅ 1998

View Details  ⋅  View Variants (1)
Venom: The Finale #3
 
Low
$1
Mid
$3
High
$12

Key Facts

Separation of Eddie Brock from the alien symbiote

Final issue of a three-part limited series that marked the end of an era for the Venom character who headlined twenty-three miniseries over a 5 year period

Interest in Venom waned by 1998 causing Marvel to reduce the character's presence for a number of years

Amazing Spider-Man #19

Marvel ⋅ 2000

View Details  ⋅  View Variants (1)
Amazing Spider-Man #19
 
Low
$1
Mid
$5
High
$18

Key Facts

Cover art by Erik Larsen featuring Venom and Doctor Octopus teamed-up against Spider-Man

1 2 3 4 › »

Adjust Your Filters To See More Comics!

By default Key Collector searches for Standard Cover Key Issues.

Adjust the "Variants" and/or "Non-Key Issues" search filters above for additional content:

  • Variant Covers ([[totalVariants]])
  • Non-Key Issues ([[totalNonKeys]])

At Key Collector, our primary focus is on unearthing those rare Standard Cover Key Issues for you. However, the world of comic collectibles is vast and varied. We want to make sure you have the tools to explore it all!