Since their origin, symbiotes have piqued our interest. They may be extraterrestrial in origin and create a relationship with the host that affects their memories and personalities. Venom is the first and most well-known symbiote, and it has grown in popularity ever since it originally appeared as a slick new suit for Spider-Man in Secret Wars.
Venom has taken over countless hosts since then, and his deeds have ranged from pure villainy to becoming an anti-hero. Venom’s roots have been investigated, and we may expect more to be added to the enigmatic lore of this powerful creature.
Spider-Man was Venom’s first host, and he was quick to recognize the symbiote’s true malicious nature. Following him, Venom had a slew of other hosts who were manipulated by Venom. We will look at some of the most legendary villains that were taken over by the Venom Symbiote and the mayhem they caused in this video!
Carnage Thanos
If Thanos is so powerful by himself, you imagine what the addition of a powerful symbiote could do to him! In Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy Season Three, we witnessed something of that proportion in the third episode. The season knits up a storyline, where the Guardians of the Galaxy come to the Earth and meet Spider-Man for help in fighting against Thanos.
Thanos, who was previously imprisoned in an underground cell, managed to escape and to make matters worse, he bonded with a Carnage symbiote. According to Thanos, this particular symbiote was more of an empty vessel without a mind of its own. So, it was no more than a tool for Thanos to fight the combined forces of Spider-Man and the Guardians of the Galaxy.
In the third episode, we see the whole team fighting against a supremely powerful Thanos. Their powers are no match and the Carnage-possessed Thanos pins them down in no time. The stealth attacks of Spider-Man and the other heroes do little damage, but Groot pulls off a trick to distract him. The others manage to push him in front of an approaching train in the subway tunnels, but even such a powerful impact doesn’t destroy him.
They soon find out that Thanos is after the Venom symbiote that is kept at Horizon High. He intends to spread the Symbiotes all throughout Manhattan. He would then use the human race as a symbiote army and his plans have to be put to a stop before it is too late. During one of his notorious attacks, Spider-Man gets bonded to the Venom symbiote once again.
Now, Spider-Man has to use the Venom symbiote to fight Carnage Thanos! Eventually, the Mad Titan is captured by their combined force, and Spider-Man webs his mouth shut. While it was an easy end to what could have been a far more complicated battle, it was an idea that can still be recreated into another storyline!
Venom-Ized T. Rex
A Venomosauras Rex or a T-Rex taken over by the Venom symbiote is probably things that nightmares are made up of! Yet, this became a reality in the comic series Old Man Hawkeye. It was premised five years before the original series Old Man Logan. The plot explores a post-apocalyptic world where the superheroes have fallen.
The entire region is controlled by supervillains, and Clint Barton is one of the few Avengers who managed to survive. However, he is dejected by a terrible discovery. The former Hawkeye is going blind, and he wants to accomplish one last thing before his time is up – avenge his fallen comrades.
The Venom T-Rex had a brief appearance in Old Man Logan, and this narrative explores more into the origin of the Venom-bonded dinosaur. The first mention of the Venom symbiote in the storyline was when it chased an aging Wolverine and Hawkeye through the deserts of South Dakota. After bonding with a T-Rex, it chased down the superheroes with ease.
They were left clueless as to why the creature was maniacally after them, and they put up an intense fight with all their firepower. The Venom-ized T-Rex had superhuman strength, speed, and durability that made it an invincible power. This shapeshifting monster also had killer reflexes and the fanged jaws and claws made for terrifying weapons.
Unlike the other symbiotes, this one seemed to be resistant to heat and sonics to some extent. It was certainly one of the most unusual hosts for the Venom symbiote, but one that was thoroughly entertaining and it could be a real showstopper for the big screen!
RED HULK and Hulk Venom
Red Hulk became Venom in the Circle of Four crossovers. Red Hulk Thaddeus Ross was about to fight the forces of hell on Earth and for this, he needed something more than just strength. Thus, he added the powers of Ghost Rider’s Spirit of Vengeance and Venom symbiote to himself. In this unique storyline, Ghost Rider was tricked into opening a portal that would release the notorious forces of hell including the demons and monsters.
It was all a conspiracy of Mephisto’s demonic son Blackheart, who was an owner of a casino in Las Vegas. The unlikely coalition fights his plans, but they are all killed and taken to hell. Mephisto releases them from here and they get a chance to get back to Earth and stop Blackheart. However, this was to come at a price and they would have to help Mephisto when a task suitable for them would come up.
When Red Hulk was fused with Venom and Ghost Rider it was quite a sight watching him come in his flaming motorcycle. As you would expect, they eventually defeat Blackheart and things go back to normal. We are just curious as to what Mephisto’s deal might be for the favor he allowed them!
Even Hulk, one of the strongest Avengers and one of the most powerful symbiotes should have been a genuinely threatening combination. Thus, when Venom took over the Hulk as its host, the expectations of the fans were sky-high. Venom did find a new host in Bruce Banner, and this had the potential of becoming Marvel’s most powerful entity.
Instead of single-handedly turning the tide of the battle, Venom Hulk went down like a sack of potatoes after a single punch from Carnage. In no time, Carnage forces Hulk to turn into Bruce Banner and rips his spine from his body, thus assimilating the Venom symbiote. This quick defeat was far from the hype that the coalition had created. After this one-sided victory of Carnage, Venom goes back to Eddie, and the Hulk goes his own separate way.
Galactus
Hold your horses! Galactus did not actually become Venom, but there was a curious case of such a possibility even though it was through an illusion. The writer, Howard Mackie is known for his extreme ideas, but he often does not follow up adequately on the same. In this particular instance, the story is about Spider-Man and his fight against Mysterio.
It turns out that Mysterio was playing with his mind and Spider-Man was tangled in the extreme illusions that were created for him. He saw that Galactus, the mighty cosmic entity that consumed planets for his life force, was taken over by Venom. It was quite a moment because all the heroes lay dead at their feet!
The Avengers, the Guardians of the Galaxy, and every other hero had fallen to the might of Venom-Galactus, and Spider-Man was in shock. He was struggling to grapple with what he was seeing, and before he could recover, he saw Galactus going for the kill.
The image in this comic issue of a gigantic Galactus trying to crush Spider-Man like a bug will stay with us for years to come. It did provide an excellent idea that might be cashed in later on! However, the illusion lasted only for a page or so, and then it was back to the original storyline of Spider-Man fighting his enemy! A quick shock to the readers if you will!
Lee Price
He was a former army ranger with a traumatized childhood. Besides, he wanted to rule the criminal underworld of the city one day and clearly, this made him an ideal target for the Venom symbiote! Shortly after being separated from Flash Thompson, Venom was hunting for a new host, but for a change, this time it wanted to do something heroic for humanity.
As luck would have it, Venom found a man who was aspiring to be the exact opposite of this! After he became Venom, he started to manipulate the symbiote to function according to his will to fulfill his aspirations. Yes, this storyline was not focused on Lee Price because it was an attempt to reunite Eddie Brock and Venom. However, Lee Price was soon going to turn the tables!
Andrea Benton became Venom when his arch-rival Jack O’ Lantern murdered her father. It tried to protect her from the noxious gas that would be fatal for her without the synthesis with venom. She became Mania, but later Lee Price stole the symbiote from her once again. He became Maniac, and after this, he even gained a remarkable new power.
He could simply cough or spit on someone using his symbiote, and it would, in turn, make them an extension of the symbiote. These people would then be under his control, and he used this technique to take over several super-criminals. The likes of Scorpion, Black Cat, Hammerhead, and many others became his victims.
However, if any of his mind-controlled subjects managed to break free he would not have any control over them again. There is an epic face-off against a team of Spider-Man, Black Cat, Agent Anti-Venom, etc. and he uses these extensions to become a powerful giant to fight them. Lee Price may not be your regular high-profile villain, but his antics with symbiotes surely put him right up there!
Doctor Octopus
Doctor Octopus embraced life with a symbiote for a while, even though he did not choose it for himself. It all started when he was fighting Agent Venom and found out that Flash Thompson was the one behind the symbiote. Flash Thompson had damaged his legs during his military service and this was one weakness that he had.
Octavius coaxed Flash to allow him to perform a procedure that would give him new robotic leg implants. However, he had other plans and during the procedure, he removed the symbiote from Flash. The symbiote felt isolated and threatened, and as is the norm, it attached itself to Doctor Octopus. This created a superior Venom that soon became a dreaded force.
Initially, he claimed to exercise his control over the Venom symbiote, but it was clearly not the case. In fact, he quickly became more erratic and unpredictable, with a hunger for violence. He went on to find someone that he could overpower, and he was eager to test his newfound strength. When he did not find anyone suitable, he started to bash the petty criminals.
When he got the news that Hobgoblin’s minions were out robbing a bank, he immediately rushed to confront them. He almost killed two of the robbers, and the Avengers stepped in to control this killing machine. Even Flash Thompson helped them to defeat an aggressive Doctor Octopus.
Octavius finally realized that the symbiote was not exactly under his control and wanted to get it out. Even Flash demanded it back, but he failed to cast it out until Peter Parker’s consciousness returned to him. He got away with an explanation that his actions were due to multiplying symbiotes inside him, and finally managed to escape.
Normie Osborn
He has been a dreaded villain for Spider-man, and he has also been a valuable ally in some instances. Once a dear friend of Peter Parker, Normie Osborn has also been Venom for a while! He was obsessed with avenging his bloodline, but Mayday helped him cope with his feelings and get over this revenge-seeking madness.
He started to become a brother figure to Spider-Girl, but it is at this juncture that he got bonded to the Venom symbiote. Osborn did not want to be a host to Venom, but he was taken over nevertheless. However, he was not bogged down by the negative influence of Venom. In fact, he chose to stay with the symbiote instead of destroying it!
For a brief moment, Venom was not a dreaded villain but a hero who fought the evil forces. This was an interesting case, where a villain took over the Venom symbiote and transformed it for the better. There is enough indication in the storyline that Normie developed Venom’s conscience and there is an instance where it sacrificed itself to help Spider-Girl fight the Hobgoblin. Before it left Normie, Venom removed all the hate-filled tattoos on his body!
DOCTOR DOOM
Doctor Doom bonded with Venom at a curious stage in his life. He was trying to get rid of his life of crime and destruction and he even offered a peace treaty to the Avengers. When he bonded with the Venom symbiote, it tried its best to control him like the other hosts, but he turned out to be an iron-willed fellow.
While the Avengers discussed the terms of his treaty, Doctor Doom was fighting a mental battle with the symbiote, refusing to give in to its malicious intent. It wanted him to ambush and devour the Avengers, but his strong will prevailed. Finally, he managed to subdue the symbiote and went on to travel the Multiverse, looking for other Venoms.
He was briefly a part of Doctor Strange’s Resistance, but finally, he was assimilated by a Poison. Both Doom and the symbiote were killed, ending a startling bond where a baddie prevailed over Venom to choose the good side!
Mac Gargan/Scorpion
Mac Gargan, who started his criminal career as Scorpion, was a curious choice for Venom. Yet, we did see him as Venom, and soon enough he became one of Osborn’s finest henchmen, serving him both as a Dark Avenger and Thunderbolt. Venom bonded with Mac after it left its deceased host Angelo Fortunato.
He was initially recruited by Norman Osborn, who got to know of Spider-man’s secret identity, to kidnap Peter Parker’s aunt May if anything happened to him. It was during this task that the Venom symbiote approached him with an offer to be the new host.
Mac shared common hate for Spider-man and his criminal instincts made for a perfect host! Even the accepted the offer readily because the temptation of new powers was hard to shed. Venom bonded with him and it brought about a new monstrous Venom!
One of the first face-offs with Spider-man occurred when the new powerful Venom fought alongside Sinister Twelve. They nearly defeated the superhero before help arrived in the form of the Fantastic Four and a group of the Avengers led by Captain America. The Sinister Twelve were defeated, but Osborn escaped when the tides of the battle turned. He had plans of murdering Peter’s wife Mary Jane, and Spider-man rushed after him.
Venom stopped Spider-man and the two engaged in an intense battle above the skyscrapers. It took dropping an entire building on the new Venom to bring him down, and he was arrested and sent to Ryker’s Island. He soon escaped his captivity and Mac Gargan went on to become a member of the Thunderbolts.
This was a sub-group that was marked to track down the fugitive Secret Avengers, and this time he used the power of venom while fighting the ragtag group. He was, however, fitted with electrical implants so that the sudden impulses of the symbiote could be controlled. Even Osborn ordered him around for his own missions.
Later, when the Venom symbiote wanted to leave Mac and re-bond with Eddie Brock, the former wasn’t too happy about it. Mac also posed as one of the Dark Avengers formed by Osborn, and finally, the symbiote was forcibly extracted from him. His tenure as Venom was quite action-packed and was one that thoroughly entertained the Marvel fans.
KINGPIN (WILSON FISK)
Wilson Fisk, a.k.a, the Kingpin is one of the most notorious villains in the Marvel universe. Thus, it is safe to say that his bonding with the Venom symbiote is mighty threatening for the heroes. Yet, this did take place, and we had a fascinating villain bonding with Venom moment! It all started when Spider-man was disgusted with what the Techno symbiote suit made him into, and he wanted to destroy it.
After disagreeing with him initially, even Eddie Brock agreed to destroy the suit. However, they are attacked by an unknown attacker and they find themselves in the Kingpin’s office. He shoots Eddie and bonds with Venom, revealing that he has developed a technology that would allow him to control any machine on the planet.
The monstrous assimilation of Venom and Kingpin came together as Spider-man watched in shock! A Venomized Kingpin goes about wreaking havoc in the city, and Spider-man seems powerless in stopping him.
However, he soon grabs a blowtorch and goes after the symbiote who sees fire as a weakness. He manages to pull Kingpin out of the symbiote’s clutches, much to his disappointment! The story ends with Spider-man stitching back his torn uniform and promising to never go after power that he did not earn.