Guide Note

Venom is a name by which multiple characters in the Marvel Universe comics books have been known. Each has bonded with a symbiotic alien Spider-Man brought to Earth from an alien planet during the first of the Beyonder's Secret Wars. Spider-Man thought the creature was a highly-advanced costume, and wore it for a short time.

Fast Facts

1. Creators: David Michelinie and Todd McFarlane
2. Symbiote Debut: Secret Wars #8, December 1984
3. Venom Debut: Amazing Spider-Man #300, April 1988
4. Powers: Shape-shifting, invisibility to Spider-Man's "spider sense"
5. Venoms:
   1. Eddie Brock
   2. Angelo Fortunato
   3. Mac Gargan
6. Film Appearance: Spider-Man 3 (2007)

Symbiosis

The alien symbiote requires a living host to bond to for its survival. In return, the host receives super-human strength, reflexes, and agility. While it initially appeared to be non-sentient and an almmost sympathetic entity, after bonding with Eddie Brock and others it has been revealed as an intelligent and malicious creature, even to the point of abusing its hosts.

The Venom symbiote's race is naturally parasitic, eventually draining a host of adrenaline and killing it. Since the Venom symbiote has decided to support its hosts rather than use them up, it's race has deemed it insane and banished it to the planet where Spider-Man discovered it.

The alien symbiote is semi-liquid in form, and is able to change and extend its shape and, to a limited degree, color. It can harden portions of its body to create weapons or a confining web-like substance. It is vulnerable to high-amplitude sonic attacks.

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