Venom

**Venom**, codenamed **VNM-252**, is a character in the *Marvel's Spider-Man* video game series, serving as an antagonist in *Marvel's Spider-Man 2*.

It is an alien symbiote that bonds with human bodies to use as hosts. The symbiote briefly appears in the endings of both the first game and *Miles Morales*, where Harry Osborn was confirmed to be its host. After temporarily leaving Harry to bond with Peter Parker, it eventually returns to Harry, becoming Venom.

## History

### Past

Sometime before 2018, Oscorp discovered definitive signs of life from an incoming meteor. When the meteor landed just outside of New York City, a security team including Norman Osborn and Curt Connors went out to investigate. There they discovered a black, tendril-like creature that quickly latched itself to Connors's right arm when he attempted to approach it. Forced to shoot off the arm to release Connors, the team was able to contain the organism within a capsule-like container.

The organism was designated "VNM-252", and studied extensively in secret. Researchers dubbed it a "symbiote" upon realizing it could mutualistically bond at the sub-cellular level with a human host. For this reason, Osborn used the symbiote on his son Harry, who was suffering from the incurable Oshtoran's Syndrome, in hopes that they could stall the disease's progression long enough for treatment to be developed.

### *Marvel's Spider-Man*

Following the Devil's Breath crisis, Norman Osborn visits his son as Norman places his hand on the tank in despair. However, Norman does not notice that symbiote has reacted to his movement.

### *Miles Morales*

While the symbiote is still attached to Harry in after the end of the game, off-screen, Connors is re-enlisted by Norman to examine and study the young Osborn's disease, and the substance which kept him alive. Just as Harry wakes up hearing the news of Rio Morales becoming a member of the New York City Council since the fall of Roxxon and the Underground, Norman becomes impatient of seeing his son remain in the container long enough, and orders Curt to get him out, despite the doctor's warning.

### *Marvel's Spider-Man 2*

While Harry is free, the symbiote keeps his Oshtoran Syndrome in check, keeping him healthy. He does not discover its other powers until his visit to Coney Island with Peter, Mary Jane, Miles Morales and Ganke Lee, where its tendrils allow him to help Peter save some guests from a collapsing roller coaster.

After some experimenting with the symbiote's powers, Harry assists Peter in his fights against Kraven, manifesting the symbiote as military armor. The symbiote, however, is drawn to Peter, even briefly generating a spider emblem on the armor after briefly coming in contact with him. Eventually, after Peter is fatally stabbed by Kraven, the symbiote transfers to him, manifesting as the Black Suit. Its powers enable Peter to ward off Kraven's Hunters, but when Harry requests the symbiote back, it refuses to return, remaining attached to Peter. It eventually begins twisting Parker's personality, even to the point where Miles had to fight him to get it off. Parker was successful in removing it and returning it to Harry.

Despite this, however, Peter attempts to implore Harry to destroy it, as it has proven itself too dangerous. Enraged, Harry strikes the containment unit holding the alien with his cane, cracking the glass. The symbiote, however, shattered what was left, sending Peter into a nearby wall and re-bonding with Harry, becoming Venom. Now with the symbiote's power, Harry fought his way through Oscorp security and then outside, where he engaged Kraven and his hunters. After the fight, it was Venom who proved the victor, granting Kraven a warrior's death by eating his head clean off before fleeing the scene.

Unfortunately, things starting to get worse when the symbiote begins to manipulate Harry to turn three known boroughs of New York into a symbiote hiving place before the rest of the world, using Emily Osborn's voice. Venom also infects Mary Jane into Scream, until Mary Jane breaks free of the influence thanks to Peter, and quits Daily Bugle because of J. Jonah Jameson's tyranny on further ruining Spider-Man's life when he was influenced by Venom.

Venom then breaks into Doctor Connors' lab and steals the meteorite that brought him to Earth as a means of increasing his powers and infects New York even further.

After discovering the location of the meteorite, Peter, Miles and MJ come up with a plan: Peter will take Venom away from the meteorite, Miles will fight the symbiotes and MJ will take the meteorite. The plan works and Peter takes Venom away from the meteorite and the two fight at Midtown High School, the place where Harry and Peter became best friends and Venom says that Midtown will be where they became brothers. Venom tries to convince Peter to join him but Peter refuses, leaving Venom hurt. Venom realizes that the meteorite has been stolen and grows wings and carries Peter with him.

Venom eventually arrive to EMF to reclaim the meteorite, but Miles manages to hold him long enough for MJ to use particle accelerator to destroy it. As a result, Venom's symbiote spawns begin to disappear and Peter then proceeds to use the powers of his Anti-Venom symbiote to separate the symbiote off of Harry, burning it away.

## Characteristics

### Appearance

On its own, the symbiote is a sentient black mass of tendrils, around the size of a basketball. This tendril mass is fully aware, and can move itself using its various appendages. This no-host form of Venom just squeals and shrieks for communication. However, when bonded to a human host, its appearance varies based on said host.

While initially bonded to Harry Osborn, it forms as black tactical armor, with elements of the Spider-Man suit, such as black and white lenses. Later, it forms a stylized spider emblem after touching Peter Parker.

After Peter bonded with it, it formed the Black Suit, a jet-black Spider-Man suit with glossy white eyes, white web-shooters, white patches on the hands, and an elongated, stretchy spider logo on the chest and back. This logo was connected by its eight legs running across the ribcage. The suit could also mutate into the Symbiote Suit; this form was more organic, its eyes were sharper and more jagged, and the spider emblem's legs had distinct sharp edges. At first, the Black Suit could temporarily mutate into the Symbiote Suit while using Symbiote Surge, before eventually taking on the form permanently after touching the Hive Meteorite.

Eventually, after being separated from Peter and bonding with Harry once again, the symbiote adopts a muscular humanoid form. This form is the biggest seen yet, as this Venom form is exactly 10'4 feet tall. This form also has a mouth with two rows of long, sharp fangs, as well as an elongated tongue. For eyes, this form uses distinct, alien-like white eyes, which have curves in some places. In some special situations, this form becomes Enraged. When it does, Venom grows rougher skin, tendril-like structures extend on its body, as well as an extremely long spider emblem. This emblem extends all the way to the higher quarter of the host's arms and back. Venom also gains jagged white hand patches, as a reference to the comics design. And finally, Venom (when extremely enraged) can also grow giant, demon-like wings. Said wings are composed of the same symbiote material as the rest of his body, however on the frame of the wings there are beige colored spikes. The inside of the wings are also a vibrant red, instead of black. However, pieces of black goo intertwine throughout the wings.

### Personality

When first bonded with Harry, the symbiote appeared to be a cooperative life-form that kept him alive and granted him his powers. At this point, it seemed Harry could effectively control the symbiote which briefly allowed him to become a superhero. However, it still showed subtle signs of free will, attempting to bond with Peter multiple times before finally succeeding to heal him.

After bonding with Peter, the symbiote started to show a greater degree of control over him, exacerbating his aggression and more negative qualities. When Peter fell asleep, the symbiote grabbed at the opportunity and took control over his body while he was out. During this time, the symbiote appeared protective and yet very possessive of its host. It further showed extremely violent and animalistic traits, ruthlessly attacking perceived threats like the Hunters and even assaulting Mary Jane.

After Peter removed the symbiote and it returned to Harry to become Venom, the symbiote revealed itself to be a very dangerous and malevolent creature which had the objective of turning the Earth into a symbiote colony. Much of its personality and goals seemed to depend on whomever it was bonded to, but it would twist their desires and corrupt them, influencing if not outright controlling them; this ability was especially shown with Harry. Venom also seemed to have a vendetta against those its host fought, remembering Kraven before dueling and ultimately killing him, but averted killing those its host had an affinity for, not killing Norman and later attempting to manipulate the Spider-Men to join it.

### Abilities

The Symbiote possesses several powerful abilities. Firstly, it is fully sentient and can communicate with its host in a language they understand. It assimilates its host's personality traits, especially negative emotions like grandiosity, obsessiveness, depression, and more. For instance, with Peter Parker, it exploited his grief over losing Aunt May to manipulate him. With Harry, it capitalized on his insecurities and desire to "heal the world."

Throughout the series, Venom has showcased his incredible superhuman strength through combat, from Harry as Agent Venom easily beating Kraven in a duel, to Peter in the Black suit capable of stopping an even more powerful Lizard, to eventually Harry as Venom in his hulking form killing Kraven, who had taken the lives of several supervillains. Venom is so powerful, it could scare a hunter into fear and submission after mercilessly beating him in combat.

Venom also has remarkable regenerative capabilities, healing wounds and even keeping certain medical conditions in remission, such as Harry Osborn's Oshtoran Syndrome. It can shapeshift, creating various weapons like tentacles, maces, or even wings for flight. It can also produce new Symbiotes, each unique in size, shape, and color. Said symbiotes come in 2 different body styles: relatively human proportions, and brute proportions (tons of muscle). These symbiotes also come in 3 color patterns. Yellow and black, pink and black, green and black, and white and dark blue. All of these creatures lack eyes, replaced by a spiral symbol.

Venom and other Symbiotes share a Hive Mind, enabling them to perceive their surroundings mentally. It can absorb matter, redirecting projectiles, and enhance its host's physical abilities. Its genetic memory allows it to copy the powers of those it bonds with and retain them even after separating from said hosts, making it a formidable force when combined with negative emotions. After being bonded to Spider-Man, it also makes Venom attuned to his spider-sense, making him invisible, as well as mimic his spider-sense. As a symbiote, Venom also shares a mental connection to his host, able to communicate with them telepathically and with various other voices.

Furthermore, the Symbiote thrives on its host's negative emotions, exerting control over their deepest flaws. It can sense negative emotions in others, leading it to bond with new hosts to become physically formidable. It can even terraform the environment by covering it in biomass and generate energy projectiles.

#### Weaknesses

The symbiote's most exploitable weakness is vulnerability to high-frequency sound. Exposure will cause intense pain to itself and its host, and sufficient volume may be fatal. With enough sound, the host can eventually rip the symbiote off their body with their willpower. They are also highly susceptible to the effects of the Anti-Venom symbiote, as well as Martin Li’s Negative Energy.

## Original appearance

*For more background of Venom throughout comic book history, see **all appearances of Venom** and the **original appearance of Venom** on the **Marvel Database***

The Symbiote first appeared as Spider-Man's alien costume in The Amazing Spider-Man #252 in May 1984, with the circumstances behind the costume change revealed in the December, 1984 issue of Marvel Super Heroes Secret Wars.

It would later appear as Venom in The Amazing Spider-Man #299 in April 1988, with Eddie Brock serves as its original and well-known moniker. Its tactical armor form, known as **Agent Venom**, first appeared in The Amazing Spider-Man #654 in February 2011 during the early days of Heroic Age, first worn by Flash Thompson.

Unlike other versions of the symbiote, who are susceptible to fire and sound, this version seems resilient to fire.

## References

* PlayStation [@PlayStation] (2023, May 24). *Marvel's Spider-Man 2 - Gameplay Reveal | PS5 Games* [Video]. YouTube.