Eddie Brock
Edward "Eddie" Charles Allan Brock is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character was created by David Michelinie and Todd McFarlane, making a cameo appearance in Web of Spider-Man #18 (September 1986),[5] before making his first full appearance in The Amazing Spider-Man #300 (May 1988)[2] as the most well-known host of the Venom symbiote. The character has since appeared in many Marvel Comics publications, including Venom. He has endured as one of Spider-Man's most prominent villains, and is regarded as one of his three archenemies, alongside the Green Goblin and Doctor Octopus. He later evolved into an antihero, slowly distancing himself from his initial goal to ruin Spider-Man's life to instead do good, even occasionally allying with Spider-Man.
Eddie Brock
Hand that pushes Peter Parker onto train tracks:
Web of Spider-Man #18 (September 1986)
As Eddie Brock:
The Amazing Spider-Man #298 (March 1988)[1]
As Venom:
(cameo appearance)
The Amazing Spider-Man #299 (April 1988)
(full appearance)
The Amazing Spider-Man #300 (May 1988)[2]
As Anti-Venom:
The Amazing Spider-Man #569 (October 2008)
As Toxin:
Venom #17 (May 2012)
As Sleeper:
Venom First Host #3 (August 2018)
David Michelinie (writer)
Todd McFarlane (artist)
Edward Charles Allan Brock
Human
Venom, Anti-Venom, Toxin, Sleeper, Captain Universe
Alien symbiote grants:
- Superhuman strength, speed, agility, and durability
- Ability to cling to most surfaces
- Organic webbing
- Limited shapeshifting and camouflage
- Symbiote's autonomous defense capabilities
- Undetectable by Spider-Man's "Spider-sense"
In the original version of the story, Eddie Brock is a journalist who publicly exposes the identity of a man he believes is a serial killer, the Sin-Eater, only to find his reputation ruined when Spider-Man captures the real killer. Disgraced and suicidal with a growing irrational hatred for Spider-Man, Brock comes into contact with an alien symbiote, rejected by Peter Parker. The symbiote bonds with him and they become Venom, together seeking out revenge against their mutual enemy. Though he repeatedly comes into conflict with Spider-Man, he also attempts to operate as a hero, albeit a violent one, seeking to save those he deems "innocent" and avoid any collateral damage in his clashes with Spider-Man. In 2008, after being separated from the Venom symbiote, he serves as the anti-hero host of the Anti-Venom symbiote which is sacrificed to help cure the "Spider-Island" epidemic during the 2011 storyline. In 2012, he was bonded to the Toxin symbiote, reuniting with the Venom symbiote in 2018. Though Brock is a human with no powers, the Venom symbiote suit bestows upon him a range of abilities including many of Spider-Man's powers.
Debuting in the Modern Age of Comic Books, the character has featured in various Marvel-endorsed products outside of comics, including feature films, animated television series, and video games; and merchandise such as action figures, and trading cards. Topher Grace portrays Eddie Brock/Venom in Spider-Man 3 (2007), while Tom Hardy portrays the character in Sony's Spider-Man Universe's films Venom (2018) and Venom: Let There Be Carnage (2021) as well as a post-credits scene in the Marvel Cinematic Universe film Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021).
One of Spider-Man's most famous rogues and a fan-favorite character, the Eddie Brock incarnation of Venom was rated 33rd on the 50 Greatest Comic Book Characters by Empire,[6] and ranked 22nd on IGN's list of 100 Greatest Comic Villains of All Time.[7] Comics journalist and historian Mike Conroy writes of the character: "What started out as a replacement costume for Spider-Man turned into one of the Marvel web-slinger's greatest nightmares".[8]
Fictional character biography[edit]
Backstory[edit]
The 1993 limited series Venom: Lethal Protector describes Brock's history before bonding with the symbiote. As a child, Edward Charles Allan Brock[20] is raised in a Roman Catholic household in San Francisco. Eddie's mother Jamie dies from complications during his birth. As a result, his father Carl Brock is cold and unaffectionate towards him. Eddie excels in academics and sports in an attempt to earn his father's approval but does not succeed. In college, Brock switches his major to journalism after reading an article on the Watergate scandal. At one point after getting drunk, he accidentally hit and killed a child with Carl's car. Eddie wanted to get what he deserved, but his father did not let him to go to prison much to Eddie's dismay.[21] After graduating and romancing Anne Weying, he moves to New York City and obtains a job as a journalist for the Daily Globe. Though he proves himself to be a highly talented journalist, his father still only treats him with indifference.[22]
As a reporter, Brock investigates the serial killer Sin-Eater and is contacted by Emil Gregg, who claims to be the killer.[23] Pressured by the authorities to reveal the killer's identity, Brock writes an exposé announcing Gregg as the Sin-Eater. However, the real Sin-Eater is caught by Spider-Man and Brock is revealed to have been interviewing a compulsive confessor. Brock is fired from his job in disgrace and Anne divorces him. Unable to find reputable work, he is forced to work for tabloid magazines[23] and Carl disowns him.[22] Unable to cope with his own mistakes, Brock becomes obsessed with gaining revenge against Spider-Man, blaming him for catching the real Sin-Eater. Brock takes up bodybuilding to reduce stress but his anger and depression remain.[23] Meanwhile, Spider-Man uses the sound of bells at a church to remove his symbiote costume after realizing it is attempting to permanently bond with him.[24] His professional and personal life shattered, Brock contemplates suicide and goes to the same church, where he prays to God for forgiveness.[23] The Symbiote, having waited in the rafters of the church since leaving Spider-Man, senses Brock[25] and bonds with him, granting him powers equal and greater to those of Spider-Man, and imparting knowledge of Spider-Man's secret identity.[23]
Venom[edit]
Venom begins a campaign of torment against Peter, who is still unaware of his existence. He first pushes Peter in front of a moving subway and later reaches from behind a window and dislodges him as he scales a building, both times without activating his spider-sense.[26][27] He eventually terrorizes Spider-Man's wife Mary Jane,[28] and baits the hero to his apartment for their first confrontation, where Venom reveals his true identity to Spider-Man, claiming "You may call me Venom, for that's what I'm paid to spew out these days!" Spider-Man discovers that the Symbiote has completely bonded with Brock and cannot be killed without also killing Brock. Eventually Venom is tricked into weakening himself by expending too much webbing until the suit lacks enough material to produce more.[23] Venom is incarcerated in the Vault, from which he makes repeated escapes and escape attempts, only to suffer defeats and returns to the Vault.[29][30][31]
Brock eventually fakes suicide and escapes after being taken to the morgue.[32] During a battle with Spider-Man, the Symbiote is seemingly killed by the plague-inducing villain Styx, giving its life to protect Brock. Brock is incarcerated and Spider-Man disposes of the Symbiote's remains.[33] The Symbiote survives by entering a comatose state to fight off the illness[34] and it returns to Brock, enabling him to again escape from jail. During the escape, the symbiote asexually reproduces and leaves behind its spawn.[35] The offspring quickly bonds to Brock's cell mate, Cletus Kasady, creating Carnage.[35][36] Venom abducts Spider-Man and transports him to a remote island to do battle. Spider-Man fakes his own death to convince Venom that his vendetta is over. Venom, content with the outcome, resigns himself to life on the island.[37] Spider-Man eventually faces Carnage but is unable to defeat him. Spider-Man is forced to ask Venom for help, promising him freedom in exchange.[38] However, after they defeat Carnage, Spider-Man betrays Venom (who had also resumed his plan of revenge and tried to throttle the arachnoid hero to death) by summoning the Fantastic Four and sending him back to prison.[39]
Anti-hero[edit]
After seeing a photo of Spider-Man's recently returned parents, Brock escapes from prison,[40] and kidnaps them.[41] During the resulting fight, Brock's ex-wife, Anne Weying, is nearly crushed under a falling ferris wheel, but Spider-Man saves her. Seeing this act, Venom makes peace with Spider-Man.[42] In Venom: Lethal Protector (1993), Venom moves to San Francisco and acts as the protector of an underground society of homeless people.[25] He is later taken prisoner by the Life Foundation who harvest the last five spawn within the symbiote to create super-powered policemen and Brock is forcibly separated from the symbiote.[43] With Spider-Man's help, Brock is reunited with the symbiote and they seemingly destroy his spawn, Phage, Lasher, Riot, Scream and Agony, before escaping.[44] After saving the homeless people, Venom is accepted into their society and remains their protector.[45]
In the 1993 crossover Maximum Carnage, Carnage reemerges and begins a massacre in New York City, and Brock returns to help, feeling responsible. Venom finds he is no match for Carnage, and seeks help from Spider-Man, but Spider-Man refuses to work with Venom's violent methods.[46] Venom, accompanied by Black Cat, Cloak, Morbius and eventually a desperate Spider-Man,[47] repeatedly confront Carnage and his allies.[48][49][50][51] Venom ultimately tackles Carnage into high-voltage generators, rendering Carnage unconscious and allowing his capture by the Avengers. Brock goes into hiding.[52]
Brock returns in the 1994 limited series Separation Anxiety, in which he is captured and separated from the symbiote for a government research project. Venom's spawn: Phage, Lasher, Scream, Riot, and Agony are revealed to still be alive and arrive to free Brock,[53] seeking his help to gain control over their symbiotes.[54][55] Brock is ultimately reunited with the symbiote, but the experience forces him to evaluate his relationship with the costume.[56] The 1995 "Planet of the Symbiotes" event continued the narrative from Separation Anxiety, with Brock forcing the symbiote to leave him, concerned about how much influence it may be having on him.[20] The symbiote unleashes a telepathic scream of sorrow and pain that attracts the other members of its species to Earth.[20] The story follows the efforts of Brock, Spider-Man, and Scarlet Spider (Ben Reilly) to stop the invasion and defeat an escaped and empowered Carnage.[57][58][59] Brock is forced to bond completely and irrevocably with the symbiote to inflict psychic trauma on the symbiotes, causing them to commit suicide.[60]
Return to villainy[edit]
When Anne Weying is shot by a new Sin-Eater, Brock forces the Symbiote to bond with her to heal her injuries.[61] In the process she temporarily becomes She-Venom but Brock demands the Symbiote return after Ann loses control and kills a pair of muggers, leaving Ann traumatized.[62] Brock helps kill the new Sin-Eater.[63] Ann is taken into custody by the police as they try to hunt Venom and Brock sends her his Symbiote so she can escape.[64][65] As She-Venom she again struggles to control herself, with Brock, Weying and current Spider-Man Ben Reilly becoming caught in the middle of a joint DEA/FBI operation against a major drug smuggler when Weying and Brock rendezvous at the same location where the drug group are meeting.[66] When Brock takes back the Symbiote, Anne tells him to keep himself and the Symbiote away from her after witnessing his brutality against the criminals.[67]
Brock is captured in his sewer hideout and put on trial, with Matt Murdock acting in his defense, his symbiote held in check by a chemical inhibitor.[68] Cletus Kassady is called as a witness, but when the case becomes heated both Kassady and Brock overcome their inhibitors.[69] Venom, Spider-Man, and Daredevil team up and subdue Carnage. However, before the trial can continue Venom is unexpectedly taken into custody by a secret government organization offering him amnesty in exchange for him becoming their agent.[70] Though Venom at first enjoyed his newfound immunities, he left after being abandoned during a dangerous mission.[71] After receiving a head wound, Eddie suffers amnesia. He is later separated from the symbiote, which is presumed killed by the government Overreach Committee.[72]
The symbiote survives and tracks down the amnesiac Brock, turning him into Venom again. Venom infiltrates Ravencroft prison seeking Carnage and absorbs the Carnage Symbiote.[73] Brock temporarily joins the Sinister Six to get Spider-Man but after being betrayed by them,[74] he begins hunting down the members for revenge. He ultimately cripples Sandman by biting him and taking out a chunk of his mass, leading to Sandman's apparent death.[75] He also causes serious wounds to Electro and Kraven the Hunter.
Venom's rivalry with Spider-Man is renewed when Ann, who lives in fear since bonding with the Symbiote, commits suicide after seeing Brock become Venom. Venom however, believes Spider-Man swinging by Ann's window in his black costume to be the cause.[76] Before he can take revenge however, the Symbiote is forcefully removed from him by the human/alien hybrid Senator Ward to learn more about symbiosis.[77] An alien race, secretly operating within the United States government, clones the Venom symbiote. Venom absorbs the clone, gains its knowledge, and decides to carry out the aliens' orders.[78]