Warning! Contains spoilers for Venom War: Spider-Man #3!
Marvel Comics has offered a revised explanation for why the Poison Symbiote took the name, and it’s so much more satisfying than the decades-old explanation that fans of the character have had to contend with for so long. Now, as Peter Parker has shockingly bonded with the symbiote once more, it has offered him an insight into his psyche that has instantly captivated fans.
The preview for Venom War: Spider-Man #3 – written by Collin Kelly and Jackson Lanzing, with art by Greg Land – features narration by Marvel’s most famous symbiote, a monologue in which it makes a startling confession: The Venom symbiote admits that it was named after a poison due to how harmful it is to the people it bonds with.
This is a drastic change from the original reason, but it makes a lot of sense with the newly expanded character of the Venom symbiote.
Marvel’s updated origin for Venom’s codename clears up years of confusion
Venom War: Spider-Man #3 – Written by Collin Kelly & Jackson Lanzing; Art by Greg Land
Most Spider-Man Fans will be familiar with the basics of Venom’s origin; Both Eddie Brock and the symbiote despised the webslinger, and this gave them more than just a physical symbiosis, but an emotional bond that made them one of Marvel’s most enduring villains—and, eventually, anti-heroes. As compelling as the origin story is, the reason given for their name, “Venom,” proved to be less exciting. Now, Marvel has finally offered a substitute causeAnd it comes as part of a psychological exploration of the symbiote itself.
The fact that the symbiote’s self-hatred would lead it to name itself Venom makes perfect sense; In a way, it proves that it’s not just Eddie Brock going through a dramatic redemption arc, but the Venom symbiote itself.
In the original version, the two decided on “Venom” because that was what Eddie was forced to write for the tabloids, the only place that would hire him. However, Marvel’s new statement, from Venom War: Spider-Man #3, is so much more powerful. When Venom has had a deeper characterization over the years and his own personality, the fact that the symbiote’s self-hatred would lead it to name itself Venom makes perfect sense; In a way, it proves that it’s not just Eddie Brock going through a dramatic redemption arc, but the Venom symbiote itself.
Gift reveals that it feels it was a poison to every host
Venom’s name came from his own self-hatred
This statement brings a whole new level of interiority to the Venom symbiote, in a way quite unlike anything Marvel fans have encountered before. This should make fans of the character especially excited to pick up Venom War: Spider-Man #3. Like these poison war crossover approaches its climax, the fate of the symbiote and its hosts remains up in the air—but because of its popularity, Venom will certainly continue to have a strong presence in Marvel Comics, and this issue pushes the character a step forward.
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Venom is one of Marvel’s most popular characters, even with a trilogy of movies to his name. It’s no surprise that over the years, the character has been fleshed out, with more nuance to his image, and more depth to his lore. Especially once the Venom symbiote started moving between hosts and having new experiences, it became difficult to justify what it was still called. Poison. But with one simple twist, Marvel manages to build on years of character development and explain a deeper meaning to the iconic name.
Venom War: Spider-Man #3 Will be available October 3, 2024 from Marvel Comics!