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Venom
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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
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Comics Journal #85

Fantagraphics ⋅ 1983

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Comics Journal #85
 
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$145

Key Facts

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

Amazing Heroes #35

Fantagraphics ⋅ 1983

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Amazing Heroes #35
 
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$12
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$45

Key Facts

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

Heroes Hotline #4

Heroes Hotline ⋅ 1983

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Heroes Hotline #4
 
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$12
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$40
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$125

Key Facts

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

Comic Reader #215

Street Enterprises ⋅ 1983

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Comic Reader #215
 
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$18
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$70

Key Facts

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

Amazing Heroes #39

Fantagraphics ⋅ 1984

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Amazing Heroes #39
 
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Key Facts

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

Marvel Age #12

Marvel ⋅ 1984

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Marvel Age #12
 
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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

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Amazing Heroes #45
 
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Key Facts

Solicitation for Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #1

Preview of Spider-Man’s Symbiote suit

Amazing Spider-Man #252

Marvel ⋅ 1984

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Amazing Spider-Man #252
 
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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

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Peter Parker: The Spectacular Spider-Man #90
 
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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

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Marvel Team-Up #141
 
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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

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Amazing Spider-Man #258
 
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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

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Marvel Super Heroes Secret Wars #8
 
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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

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Web of Spider-Man #18
 
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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

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Amazing Spider-Man #282
 
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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

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Web of Spider-Man #24
 
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Key Facts

2nd cameo appearance of Eddie Brock, a shadowy hand

Amazing Heroes #131

Fantagraphics ⋅ 1987

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Amazing Heroes #131
 
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$190

Key Facts

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

Comics Scene #2

Starlog ⋅ 1988

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Comics Scene #2
 
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Key Facts

Second preview appearance of Venom

Article about the 300th anniversary issue of Spider-Man

Amazing Spider-Man #298

Marvel ⋅ 1988

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Amazing Spider-Man #298
 
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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

Amazing Spider-Man #299

Marvel ⋅ 1988

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Amazing Spider-Man #299
 
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$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

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Amazing Spider-Man #300
 
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$600

Key Facts

1st full appearance of Venom

Amazing Spider-Man #315

Marvel ⋅ 1989

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Amazing Spider-Man #315
 
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Key Facts

2nd appearance of Venom

1st partial cover appearance of Venom

Amazing Spider-Man #316

Marvel ⋅ 1989

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Amazing Spider-Man #316
 
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$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

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Amazing Spider-Man #317
 
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Key Facts

4th appearance of Venom

Quasar #6

Marvel ⋅ 1990

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Quasar #6
 
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Key Facts

First appearance of Venom outside of a Spider-Man title

Amazing Spider-Man #332

Marvel ⋅ 1990

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Amazing Spider-Man #332
 
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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

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Amazing Spider-Man #345
 
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Key Facts

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

Amazing Spider-Man #346

Marvel ⋅ 1991

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Amazing Spider-Man #346
 
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Key Facts

Iconic cover art by Erik Larsen

Amazing Spider-Man Annual #25

Marvel ⋅ 1991

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Amazing Spider-Man Annual #25
 
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Key Facts

First solo story featuring Venom

Quasar #30

Marvel ⋅ 1992

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Quasar #30
 
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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

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Amazing Spider-Man #361
 
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Key Facts

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

Amazing Spider-Man Annual #26

Marvel ⋅ 1992

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Amazing Spider-Man Annual #26
 
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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

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Peter Parker: The Spectacular Spider-Man Annual #12
 
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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

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Web of Spider-Man Annual #8
 
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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

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Spider-Man Special Edition #1
 
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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

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What If...? #44
 
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Key Facts

Alternate reality story where the Venom symbiote bonds with the Punisher

Venom: Lethal Protector #1

Marvel ⋅ 1993

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Venom: Lethal Protector #1
 
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Key Facts

First solo series featuring Venom

1st cameo appearance of General Orwell Taylor

Amazing Spider-Man #375

Marvel ⋅ 1993

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Amazing Spider-Man #375
 
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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

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Venumb #1
 
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Key Facts

Parody of Venom

Venom: Lethal Protector #4

Marvel ⋅ 1993

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Venom: Lethal Protector #4
 
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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

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Web of Spider-Man #102
 
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Key Facts

"Maximum Carnage" part 6

First meeting of Morbius and Venom

Venom The Enemy Within #1

Marvel ⋅ 1994

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Venom The Enemy Within #1
 
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Key Facts

Glow-in-the-dark cover art

Iron Man #302

Marvel ⋅ 1994

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Iron Man #302
 
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Key Facts

Battle of Iron Man vs Venom

Incredible Hulk vs. Venom #1

Marvel ⋅ 1994

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Incredible Hulk vs. Venom #1
 
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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

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Amazing Spider-Man #388
 
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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

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Amazing Spider-Man Super Special #1
 
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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

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Venom: Sinner Takes All #3
 
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Key Facts

1st full appearance of She-Venom

Rune vs. Venom #1

Marvel ⋅ 1995

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Rune vs. Venom #1
 
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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

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Adventures of Spider-Man #12
 
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Key Facts

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

Venom: The Finale #3

Marvel ⋅ 1998

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Venom: The Finale #3
 
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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

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Amazing Spider-Man #19
 
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Key Facts

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

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