Warning: contains spoilers for The End 2099 #3!
Marvel has officially revealed Venom’s biggest power upgrade in 38 years. Since his first appearance in 1988, Venom has grown from a deadly Spider-Man foe to the “Lethal Protector” to the King in Black and back again. Along the way, the nature of his powers has changed as well, and now a new one has manifested.
The seed that would grow into Venom was planted during the epic Secret Wars event in 1984. Spider-Man was given a black, symbiotic costume. Peter soon rejected the costume, and it bonded with Eddie Brock, who also had an axe to grind with Spider-Man. From that union was born Venom.
The Venom symbiote gives its host an impressive array of powers and abilities. The host becomes super-strong and gains enhanced endurance, as well as stealth powers so good they can fool Spider-Man’s Spider Sense. Symbiotes can change hosts, and the process can be fairly painless, but that changes in The End 2099 #3.
Venom Gets a Massive Lore (and Power) Upgrade
Venom’s Mythos Has Changed Considerably Since His Debut in 1988
The End 2099 #3 was written by Steve Orlando and drawn by Ibraim Roberson. Both Spider-Man 2099 and the newly-revealed Spider-Man 3099 are fighting a group of heroes under the thrall of the symbiotic Knull Seeds.
During the fight, Spider-Man 3099 remarks that, in his time, symbiotes are airborne viruses, and he has immunity.
This revelation is a massive change to Venom lore. As Venom has progressed through the Marvel Universe, his backstory has been changed, revealing new and exciting layers to the character. Venom was popular out of the gate. He was so popular that Marvel made him into an anti-hero, which became the first big change to the character.
He was so popular that Marvel made him into an anti-hero, which became the first big change to the character.
Generations of creators would leave their mark on Venom, bringing their own spin to the complex character. Perhaps no two changed Venom than Donny Cates and Ryan Stegman, who built up the character’s mythos by revealing the existence of Knull, the dark god of the symbiotes. The King in Black would become one of the definitive Venom stories.
Airborne Venom Symbiotes Are Bad News for the Marvel Universe
However, This Change in Venom’s Status Quo Introduces a Major Weakness
Now, Steve Orlando and Abraim Roberson are changing Venom’s lore even further, giving them a disturbing new layer. In the current Marvel Universe, there is a degree of consent when bonding with a symbiote: Venom and Eddie shared a hatred of Spider-Man, and Keltus and Carnage were both murderous individuals. This made the bondings easier.
Yet with the symbiotes now airborne viruses by the year 3099, this sheen of consent goes away. Spider-Man 3099 did not dwell too much on this change, namely how and when it happened. He is immune to the process, however, and his ability to resist the symbiotes would later prove instrumental in freeing the heroes from the Knull seeds.
Venom Has Courted Different Hosts, But His New Partner Is the Most Creative Yet
In the All-New Venom’s golden era, the new host shows off just how creatively they can use their symbiote powers – in ways that Eddie never dreamed.
Spider-Man 3099’s immunity to the symbiote virus points to a newly developed major weakness as well: if they genuinely are viruses, then they can potentially be defeated using anti-virals and other medical techniques. Spider-Man 3099 does not reveal either how he became immune, but it is a symbiote weakness to exploit nonetheless.
Will Airborne Venom Symbiotes Come to Earth-616?
Can the Marvel Universe Stand an Onslaught of Venoms?
This new development in Venom’s lore comes with a caveat: Spider-Man 3099 is from an alternate universe, meaning the symbiotes are not airborne on Earth-616. Yet if it happens in one universe, then it can happen in another. It may be only a matter of time before the heroes of the Marvel Universe have a Venom outbreak on their hands.
The End 2099 #3 is on sale now from Marvel Comics!