- Looking for another article about Eddie Brock? Check out the Venom disambiguation page and the Eddie Brock disambiguation page.
Eddie Brock is a rival of Peter Parker's whose hatred for Spider-Man grew and led to him becoming the villain called Venom.
History[]
Humiliation[]
Eddie Brock started out as a journalist for the Daily Bugle and several of his co-workers including Peter Parker did not like him. When the Lizard arrived in New York City, J. Jonah Jameson tasked his reporters and photographers to get the story. One night after following Spider-Man to the Connors house he was attacked by the Lizard but was saved by Spider-Man. After the Lizard had vanished Eddie spied on Spider-Man and learned from Margaret Connors that the Lizard was really her husband. As Eddie ran away, he mentioned that this story would win him a Pulitzer Prize. However, Eddie was caught by Spider-Man and all of his evidence was destroyed. After Spider-Man cured Curt Connors, Brock brought Jameson and a police officer to Curt's house. However, Eddie was unaware that Curt had been cured, and with no proof Jameson became infuriated Brock because he believed that he was wasting his time.
Brock latter allied himself with Norman Osborn and Spencer Smythe in an attempt to humiliate and unmask Spider-Man. Their plan was that after the Black Widow Spider Slayer abducted Spider-Man he would be brought to OsCorp and unmasked by Brock on live television. However, the Black Widow accidentally kidnapped Flash Thompson who was dressed as Spider-Man. J. Jonah Jameson learned that the Spider-Man, Brock unmasked was not the real one and fired him for making the Daily Bugle look like fools.
Months later Brock attempted to get a job at another newspaper company. At first the publisher refused to hire Brock because J. Jonah Jameson said that he was bad news. However, Brock was able to convince him that he could do a good job. Only seconds later the building was attacked by a new Black Widow. The Black Widow destroyed the building and went after Brock, but Spider-Man was able to save him. The newspaper publisher knew the Black Widow was after Brock, so he fired him and blamed him for the destruction of his newspaper. This fueled Brock's hatred for Spider-Man even though Spider-Man saved his life.
Sometime later just by coincidence Brock was on the George Washington Bridge when a space shuttle piloted by John Jameson crashed on the bridge. As Rhino left the shuttle with the Promethium X, Brock took pictures of Spider-Man instead and lied to Jameson saying that he could have the pictures of Spider-Man stealing from the shuttle if he gets his old job back. Jameson agrees being unaware of Brock intentions to frame Spider-Man. J. Jonah Jameson then put a bounty on Spider-Man's head. However, Jameson learned from his son that it was really a man dressed in a rhino costume that stole the Promethium X and he fired Brock from the Daily Bugle once again.
Assassination attempt[]
After losing his job Brock also discovered that he had been evicted from his apartment. Brock blamed this and all other bad things that had happened to him on Spider-Man. At that moment Shocker arrived and confronted Brock. Shocker had been sent by the Kingpin to kill Brock and get the photos he took of the Rhino stealing the Promethium X from the shuttle crash site to make sure that it could not be traced back to him. Shocker then threatened to kill Brock unless he gave him the film. However, Spider-Man arrived and distracted Shocker long enough for Brock to get away.
Becoming Venom[]
Bonding With the Symbiote[]
When Spider-Man and J. Jonah Jameson went to get John Jameson (who had been kidnapped by Shocker), Eddie Brock saw them together and believed that they were plotting against him. Eddie Brock followed them to a church and while Spider-Man was fighting the Shocker he grabbed a mace and tried to use it to kill Spider-Man. However, Shocker spotted him and went after him because Shocker had been hired by the Kingpin to kill him. Brock then runs away in fear. However, he later attacks Spider-Man in the church's bell tower. To get him out of the way Spider-Man covered him in webbing and hung him below the church bell. When Spider-Man used the bell to separate himself from the symbiote the symbiote found Brock and bonded with him. Because the symbiote was first bonded with Peter Parker it knew all of his memories so when it bonded with Brock it passed on this information and Brock learned that Spider-Man was Peter Parker and also learned of his family and friends. Brock then swore vengeance on Spider-Man for he and the symbiote had become Venom.
Stalking Peter Parker[]
When Spider-Man is incapacitated by Shocker and Rhino, Venom arrives and makes short work of the two criminals and traps them in a spider web he created. As Spider-Man emerges from the rubble he was trapped under he sees Shocker and Rhino in the web and wonders who could have done that. Eddie Brock then reveals himself to Spider-Man who wonders how he got onto the roof. Brock replies he got up there the same way Spider-Man did. Spider-Man even learns that Brock known that he is really Peter Parker. Brock then has the symbiote surround him and he tells Spider-Man that he now goes by the name Venom. As Spider-Man and Venom began to fight Spider-Man learned that Venom was much stronger than him and that because the symbiote was once bonded to him his spider sense cannot alert him to when Venom is nearby. Venom is able to trap Spider-Man in his webbing. However, Spider-Man is able to escape.
Sometime later while Peter is changing into his Spider-Man costume in an alley Brock approaches him by climbing on a wall and threatens to tell J. Jonah Jameson that Spider-Man is Peter Parker. As Venom ran away Spider-Man followed him and then fight on the roof of the Daily Bugle. However, Venom is once again able to beat him. As Venom webs up Spider-Man he holds him over the side of the building and removes his mask. Venom then threatens to harm Mary Jane Watson and Aunt May. Spider-Man was then able to cut himself free from the web and swing away. As Peter returned home Eddie Brock come up to the door and rang the doorbell. When Peter answered the door, he realized who it was and confronted him outside away from Aunt May. As Peter warned Brock to stay away from Aunt May the symbiote surrounded him and he told Peter that he could not stop him and used his strength to push over a tree which would have crushed the house and killed Aunt May. However, Peter caught the tree and realized that Venom would never stop torturing him and that he must fight back.
Separation[]
As Brock returned to his new apartment, he discovered that one of the walls had been covered with articles about him being fired from the Daily Bugle in disgrace. Spider-Man then led him on a chase that eventually heads into the subway. The two jumped onto a train abut gets knocked off. Venom then stole a truck and made it back onto the train.
Spider-Man then went into the launch site where the John Jameson Space Probe was being sent into space. Unknown to Venom, Spider-Man was luring him into a trap. As Spider-Man climbed up the scaffolding Venom closely followed. When both of them reached a walkway leading to the shuttle Spider-Man eagerly awaited the rockets take off. When the shuttles engine started the roar of the engine was so loud it weakened the symbiote and separated from Brock. As Brock passed out Spider-Man trapped the symbiote in his webbing and attached it to the shuttle which then went into space. Spider-Man then left Brock in the elevator where he was found by security and arrested for sneaking onto a military base.
Carnage & Dormammu[]
Re-Bonding to the Symbiote[]
When Eddie Brock was found at the launch site of the John Jameson Space Probe he was arrested. However, Brock's ramblings about him being bonded to an alien symbiote led people to believe that he was crazy. Because of this Eddie Brock was imprisoned at the Ravencroft Institute for the Criminally Insane.
While at Ravencroft Brock's psychologist was Ashley Kafka. Dr. Kafka believed that Brock's story about Venom was just a delusion brought on by Spider-Man's constant persecution and tried to tell him that Venom was never real.
Sometime later the criminal, Cletus Kasady, was arrested and sent to Ravencroft where he was put in the cell right next to Eddie Brock. Brock and Kasady instantly hated each other.
Eddie Brock was then visited by Baron Mordo's astral form. Brock believed that Mordo was a delusion just like Dr. Kafka told him earlier. However, Baron Mordo assured Brock that he was real. Mordo told Brock that his master, Dormammu, had the power to reunite him with the symbiote and in return Brock would have to serve Dormammu forever. Cletus Kasady overheard this and told Mordo to forget Brock and give him the symbiote and he would do whatever Dormammu asked of him.
On orders from Dormammu, Baron Mordo gained access to a computer at Stark Enterprises and used it to bring the John Jameson Space Probe back to Earth. Mordo then used his sorcery to place a woman under a hypnotic spell and had her bond with the symbiote and go to Ravencroft. The symbiote then leaped off of the woman and bonded to Eddie Brock once again turning him into Venom. Venom then fought off the guards and broke out of Ravencroft.
Attacking Stark Enterprises[]
Shortly afterwards Venom went to Dormammu's lair where he met Dormammu in person. When Venom asked how he was able to bring the symbiote back to Earth, Dormammu answered that he had Baron Mordo sneak into Stark Enterprises and use their computers to control the John Jameson Space Probe so it would come back to Earth. Dormammu then explained that Baron Mordo then hypnotized a woman to bond with the symbiote and deliver it to Brock at Ravencroft. Venom knew that Dormammu's gift wasn't free and he asked him what he had to do in return. Dormammu ordered Venom to go to Stark Enterprises to steal a machine they created called the Inter-Dimensional Probe which would allow Baron Mordo to free Dormammu from the Dark Dimension.
Venom went to steal the Inter-Dimensional Probe the same day Stark Enterprises was showing it off during a public demonstration. Venom managed to fight off the Stark Enterprise security and made his way in side the demonstration hall. Peter Parker, who was in the audience, changed into his Spider-Man costume and arrived to fight Venom.
Venom nearly succeeded in killing Spider-Man. However, War Machine arrived and saved him. Together Spider-Man and War Machine worked to defeat Venom. Venom managed to trap Spider-Man in his webbing and again nearly killed Spider-Man. However, War Machine used a device on his armor to create a loud sonic noise which weakened the symbiote. Venom was nearly defeated but Carnage arrived and he told Venom that Mordo sent him to help Venom get the Inter-Dimensional Probe. Venom wondered who Carnage was but soon realized that it was another symbiote that he gave birth to during his reproductive cycle.
Carnage nearly killed Spider-Man who had been knocked unconscious. However, Venom stopped Carnage and told him that Spider-Man was for him to kill and him alone. Venom and Carnage then started to fight each other. However, Baron Mordo's astral form appeared before them and ordered them to stop fighting. Venom and Carnage then picked up the Inter-Dimensional Probe and headed back to Mordo's lair. During this time Carnage threatened Venom and told him that Mordo wouldn't always be around to save him.
When Venom and Carnage got back to the cave, they gave the Inter-Dimensional Probe to Baron Mordo. Venom then said that his debt to Mordo was fully paid, and he left them.
Seeking Help[]
Venom later attacked J3 Communications and attempted to get revenge on J. Jonah Jameson and Peter Parker. Ashley Kafka was in the room as well and attempted to talk Venom now. This nearly worked until Venom saw Spider-Man crawling on the ceiling. Venom nearly killed Spider-Man. However, Iron Man arrived and tackled Venom. However, Venom was able to subdue Iron Man. Venom then grabbed Dr. Kafka and was able to escape.
Venom then took Dr. Kafka to Ravencroft. While there Brock told Dr. Kafka that when he spared Spider-Man's life the symbiote nearly tore apart his mind. Brock continued to tell Dr. Kafka that because she was the one that stopped him from killing Spider-Man the symbiote saw her as a threat and was goading him to kill her. However, Brock revealed that he was resisting what the symbiote was trying to get him to do because he loved her. Dr. Kafka then took Brock to Empire State University and had Curt Connors use a machine that created sonic noise to separate Brock from the symbiote.
Sacrifice[]
Spider-Man later attempted to stop Carnage. However, Carnage was too powerful and was able to defeat him. Spider-Man knew that he needed to find Carnage but was unsure how to. However, Spider-Man remembered that Brock had been to Mordo's lair as Venom, and he would know where they were.
Spider-Man and Iron Man then went to Empire State University and asked where Carnage was. Brock told Spider-Man that he and Iron Man wouldn't stand a chance against Carnage, Mordo, and Dormammu alone. However, Brock also said that Venom could help them and walked over to the container that Dr. Connors was holding the symbiote in. Spider-Man and Iron Man tried to talk Brock out of bonding with the symbiote again. However, Brock knew that if he didn't re-bond with the symbiote Ashley Kafka could have been killed. Brock then pushed Spider-Man out of the way and broke the glass container the symbiote was in and bonded with the symbiote becoming Venom. Venom then took Spider-Man and Iron Man to Mordo's lair.
Venom, Spider-Man, and Iron Man then went to Mordo's lair and attacked Carnage and Baron Mordo as they were about too free Dormammu from the Dark Dimension. However, the three heroes attacked Carnage and Mordo. Venom fought Carnage and demanded to know where he was holding Ashley Kafka. However, Venom threw Carnage into a wall, and he ripped a curtain which revealed Dr. Kafka behind it. As Venom ran up to Ashley Kafka, she saw that Brock had re-bonded to the symbiote to save her. Ashley then made Venom promise to use his powers for good instead of evil.
Despite their efforts Venom, Spider-Man, and Iron Man were unable to prevent Carnage from bringing Dormammu to Earth. Venom and Iron Man were able to distract Dormammu while Spider-Man adjusted some settings on the Inter-Dimensional Probe. Spider-Man attempted to use the probe to send Dormammu back to the Dark Dimension. Dormammu was sucked through the portal. However, Spider-Man was unable to close the portal because Dormammu had created a link between the portal and Carnage. Iron Man told Spider-Man that since Carnage and the portal were linked the only way to close the portal would be to send Carnage through it. As Spider-Man aimed the Inter-Dimensional Probe at Carnage, Carnage began to get sucked into it. However, Carnage was able to hold onto something to keep him from going through. Carnage then grabbed Ashley Kafka and said that if he was going to the Dark Dimension he wasn't going alone. To save the woman he loved Venom tackled Carnage and he let go of Dr. Kafka. Venom and Carnage were then sucked through the portal. As Eddie Brock went through the portal, he shouted at Ashley Kafka that he would always love her. Spider-Man was then able to close the portal and Iron Man destroyed the Inter-Dimensional Probe.
Life in the Dark Dimension[]
Counter-Earth[]
Non-canon history[]
In the comic book Totally Kids, Venom teamed up with several of Spider-Man's enemies to defeat Spider-Man. However, Spider-Man was able to get away.
Powers and weaknesses[]
Powers[]
By wearing the symbiote, Eddie Brock possessed all the powers of Spider-Man (because the symbiote was able to copy Spider-Man's powers). Venom could crawl on walls, has super strength and agility, and could naturally fire webbing from his hands without the use of Web-Shooters.
Because the symbiote attempted to bond with Spider-Man's DNA but failed it was able to negate Spider-Man's spider-sense. This means that Spider-Man's spider-sense will not activate when Venom is near.
Eddie Brock could also make the symbiote transform into normal street clothes.
The symbiote later evolved to where Eddie Brock could use it to stretch out parts of his body to great lengths and even ooze through cracks in a wall. Because of this it can be assumed that this evolved symbiote also turned all of Brock's body into a liquified state when on him because had Brock's body not been turned into liquid the symbiote would of had to detach itself from him while oozing through solid objects.
Weaknesses[]
The Venom symbiote is naturally weakened by intense sounds and intense sonic waves.
The symbiote can also be weakened by fire and intense heat.
In the comics[]
For the most part Venom's backstory from the comics remained intact with only one slight change. In the comics Eddie Brock's life had reached a low point (blaming all his problems on Spider-Man) and was contemplating suicide and goes to a church to pray to God for forgiveness. This was the same church that Spider-Man had used the bell to get rid of the symbiote. When Brock arrived at the church the symbiote sensed Brock's hatred and anger for Spider-Man and bonded to him turning Brock into Venom.
No mention of suicide could be made on a kids cartoon so instead Brock went to the church because he was following Spider-Man and J. Jonah Jameson whom he believed were plotting against him.
Left: Eddie Brock as Anti-Venom
Right: Eddie Brock as Toxin
Sometime later Eddie Brock began working for Mr. Li and Aunt May at a homeless shelter where he served food. A symbiote entered the shelter looking for Spider-Man and bonded with Brock again. However, Li's powers clashed with the takeover, and they formed Anti-Venom. However, this time Brock used the symbiote's powers to be a hero and even helped Spider-Man.
Eddie Brock was later separated from the Anti-Venom symbiote and began to use an arsenal to hunt down the symbiotes Carnage, Toxin, Hybrid, and Scream. When he was trying to kill the new Venom, Brock was knocked out and forced by Crime-Master to become the host of the Toxin symbiote to serve him in his Savage Six.
Appearances[]
As Eddie Brock[]
Spider-Man: The Animated Series[]
As Eddie Brock & Venom[]
Spider-Man: The Animated Series[]
Spider-Man Unlimited[]
- World's Apart, Part One
- World's Apart, Part Two
- Where Evil Nests
- Deadly Choices
- Matters of the Heart
- One is the Loneliest Number
- Sins of the Fathers
- Destiny Unleashed, Part One
Venom as an illusion, robot or flashback[]
Spider-Man: The Animated Series[]
- The Alien Costume, Part I (As an illusion seen by Spider-Man)
- The Ultimate Slayer (Flashback)
- Goblin War! (Flashback)
Trivia[]
- Venom refers to himself as "we" or "us" because both Eddie Brock and the symbiote share one body and they know each other's thoughts.
Left: Venom's first appearance
Right: Venom's second appearance
- Venom's design slightly changes between his first and second appearance. In The Alien Costume, Part III, Venom has lightly colored red and blue highlights. In Venom Returns and Carnage, Venom has brighter red and blue highlights and more highlights overall.
- Eddie Brock makes a small cameo in the episode Morbius when Spider-Man lands on a billboard of Eddie holding a carton of milk.
- In Spider-Man Unlimited, Venom was voiced by Brian Drummond.