Warning: Contains spoilers for Spider-Man: The Black Suit and Blood #3!Poison is most famous for its iconic host, Eddie Brock, as well as the man who brought him to Earth – Peter Parker’s Spider-Man. But a new look at the past shows that a Marvel character first teamed up with Venombefore Spider-Man even laid eyes on the symbiote.
In Spider-Man: Black Suit and Blood #3, A hidden moment in Marvel history comes to light. The story “What Happened to Master Blood?” (by Al Ewing, Juann Cabal, Edgar Delgado and Joe Caramagna) reveals the invisible story of Master Blood. A master planner, Blood is a successful villain who finds himself on Battleworld during the 1984 event Secret Wars. In history, Master Blood finds the Venom symbiote and frees it before Spider-Manbecoming ‘Master Venom’.
It turns out that Master Blood was the first Earthling to bond with the Venom symbiote and become a powerful (and, surprisingly, red) version of the symbiote called Master Venom. The reason fans never learned about this fascinating story is that, shortly after his connection with the symbiote, Kang the Conqueror erased Master Blood from the timeline. For anyone but Kang, Master Blood never existed, however, his history with Venom could have some major consequences.
Venom’s first human host was Master Blood
The forgotten villain
During Secret WarsPeter Parker discovered a black version of his costume at what he assumed was a costume maker. It turns out that the costume was actually an imprisoned symbiote – one that tried to take control of Spider-Man’s life. Peter ultimately rejected the symbiote, which bonded with Eddie Brock, taking the name Venom. Venom became a major antagonist for Spider-Man, but in recent years he has shifted towards heroics, with Eddie Brock eventually becoming the godlike King in Black.
Most notably paired with Eddie Brock, the first human to take on the Venom moniker, the symbiote was also paired with Flash Thompson, becoming Agent Venom. He’s also teamed up with Deadpool, Mac Gargan aka Scorpio, and most recently Eddie’s son Dylan. However, it turns out that another human beat them all. It’s a fascinating development for fans of the character, but also one with some major potential consequences.
Master Blood could return thanks to the symbiote
Kang the Conqueror may regret his betrayal
While the story is short and nasty about a villain fans have never heard of, could also be preparing the return of Master Blood. The poison lore has expanded into cosmic territory, with the fate of the symbiote species becoming a proxy war for Kang the Conqueror and Doctor Doom. Given that Al Ewing is writing the major Marvel films Poison series and this tale, it wouldn’t be surprising to see the return of Master Blood. While Kang may have erased him from the timeline, the symbiotes transcend time and space, meaning Master Blood’s consciousness may still exist somewhere within the alien species’ shared DNA.
Given that Kang has been trying to influence Eddie’s actions as the King in Black, it would be the perfect twist for a rival he erased to finally return, given a second chance thanks to his brief bond with Venom. Although Ewing’s story is a cruel example of just how deadly Kang the Conqueror can be, the writer has made a habit of bringing back a long-forgotten tradition with new consequences, and there’s every reason to hope that fans will see the only Poison Master again.
Spider-Man: Black Suit and Blood #3 It’s on sale now at Marvel Comics!