Anti-Venom
Anti-Venom is a fictional antihero appearing in Comic books published by Marvel Comics. It first appeared in The Amazing Spider-Man #569 (August 2008), and was created by Dan Slott and John Romita Jr.[1] The creature belongs to a race of amorphous extraterrestrial parasites known as the Symbiotes and is regarded as Venom's symbiotic brother. His phyisical features include white "skin" and a black face and spider symbol across his chest.
Anti-Venom | |
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Eddie Brock as Anti-Venom. Artwork for the cover of Amazing Spider-Man Presents: Anti-Venom - New Ways to Live #1 (September 2009 Marvel Comics). Art by Mirco Pierfederici. | |
Publication information | |
Publisher | Marvel Comics |
First appearance | The Amazing Spider-Man #569 (October 2008) |
Created by | Dan Slott John Romita Jr. |
In-story information | |
Alter ego | Various hosts |
Species | Symbiote–Human white blood cells |
Abilities |
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Hosts
Eddie Brock
The 2008 story "New Ways to Die" features the first appearance of Anti-Venom.[2] Eddie Brock gets a job at a soup kitchen under Martin Li. Brock is unknowingly cured of his cancer by Li, who possesses the Lightforce abilities, and Brock believes it to be a miracle.[2] After Brock is attacked by Mac Gargan (the Venom symbiote's current host), the Venom symbiote attempts to reunite with Brock, at which point Brock's skin becomes caustic to the Venom symbiote. Brock is enveloped in a new white “Anti-Venom” symbiote when remnants of the Venom symbiote in his body merge with special antibodies (produced by his white blood cells) due to Li's Lightforce energy.[2][3] Eddie later sacrificed his Anti-Venom symbiote to cure people from the Spider Queen's spider-virus during the Spider-Island event.
Second host
During the "AXIS" storyline, a new version of Anti-Venom is seen in the crowd of new heroes attending a "self help" style seminar being held by Roderick Kingsley (aka the original Hobgoblin). All the new heroes have been given heroic personas by Kingsley that already exist, but are no longer used. It is not shown whether the new Anti-Venom is indeed a symbiote or just a man in a suit designed to look like the original Anti-Venom symbiote. However, the speech bubble used for the character is stylized in a way to suggest a distortion of the character's voice similar to the way Eddie Brock spoke when bonded with the Anti-Venom symbiote.[4]
Flash Thompson
During the "Venom Inc." arc, Dr. Steven used elements of the Anti-Venom symbiote to create a new cure for the Venom symbiote's toxic shock syndrome that could adapt alongside it. When high concentrations of this serum was exposed to the Venom symbiote's biomass bonded to Flash Thompson, the Anti-Venom symbiote was recreated.[5]
Powers and abilities
Anyone possessed by the Anti-Venom symbiote possesses superhuman strength, durability, and stamina, an accelerated healing factor, genetic memory, detection of its Symbiote offspring, wall-crawling, web-generating abilities, spider-senses, immunity to Spider-Man's spider-senses, and camouflage.
Unlike the other Symbiotes, the original Anti-Venom symbiote used by Eddie Brock is immune to fire, heat, and sound-based attacks. In addition, the Anti-Venom symbiote can produce antibodies that can "cure" a person afflicted by things like radioactivity, parasites, diseases, and drugs. The new Anti-Venom symbiote used by Flash Thompson has the ability to heal physical injuries as well.[6] Due to its failed attempt at curing Spider-Man's radiation-based powers, Anti-Venom causes Spider-Man's powers to cancel out when he is too close to him.
However, Anti-Venom does possess a few weaknesses of its own. It is vulnerable to high concentrations of Norman Osborn's super-venom via Freak's DNA. Additionally since Martin Li's Lightforce touch created the Anti-Venom symbiote, Mister Negative's Darkforce touch can interfere or halt Anti-Venom's healing abilities. Also as seen during the Spider-Island event, overusing his healing powers can cause Anti-Venom's powers to weaken.
Other versions
In What If? Peter Parker became Kraven the Hunter where Peter Parker killed Kraven the Hunter and replaced Kraven as the new hunter, Madame Web hired Anti-Venom, Spider-Woman and Mac Gargan in order to stop Peter. Despite being successful in mortally injuring him, they were all defeated.[7]
In other media
Television
- The Anti-Venom symbiote made its animated debut in Ultimate Spider-Man vs the Sinister Six, voiced by Matt Lanter.[8] This version is created by Doctor Octopus and Michael Morbius from a sample of the Venom symbiote with Harry Osborn as its host. In its self-titled episode, the symbiote is created as a candidate for the Sinister Six. Anti-Venom nearly kills Agent Venom, only to be stopped by an ion inhibitor used by Spider-Man and the Iron Patriot, leaving the Anti-Venom symbiote inactive and its host in a coma. During the three-part episode "The Symbiote Saga", the Carnage symbiote attacks New York, during which Anti-Venom awakens and neutralizes Carnage's various hosts. However, it is almost consumed by Carnage's "heart" until Spider-Man's identity is revealed to Harry. Anti-Venom sacrifices itself to cure New York of Carnage's infestation, however its abilities are later claimed by the Carnage Queen.
- The Anti-Venom symbiote appears in the Spider-Man: Maximum Venom animated series episode "Vengeance of Venom".[9] The symbiote is created when Max Modell uses a sonic device that Peter Parker gave to May Parker on a symbiote-possessed Groot to access the alien's pollination abilities and cure everyone of the Symbiote invasion force.
Video games
- The Eddie Brock incarnation of Anti-Venom appears in Spider-Man: Edge of Time, voiced by Steve Blum.[10]
- The Eddie Brock incarnation of Anti-Venom appears as a playable character in Spider-Man Unlimited.
- The Eddie Brock incarnation of Anti-Venom appears as a playable character in the Facebook game Marvel: Avengers Alliance.
- The Anti-Venom symbiote appears as an available uniform for Venom (Eddie Brock) in Marvel: Future Fight.
- Several variations of the Anti-Venom costume appear in Marvel vs Capcom Infinite.
- The Anti-Venom symbiote appears as an alternate costume for Venom (Eddie Brock) in Marvel Ultimate Alliance 3.
- The Anti-Venom symbiote appears as a playable character in Marvel Strike Force.
- The Eddie Brock incarnation of Anti-Venom appears as a playable character in Marvel Puzzle Quest.
References
- DeFalco, Tom; Sanderson, Peter; Brevoort, Tom; Teitelbaum, Michael; Wallace, Daniel; Darling, Andrew; Forbeck, Matt; Cowsill, Alan; Bray, Adam (2019). The Marvel Encyclopedia. DK Publishing. p. 24. ISBN 978-1-4654-7890-0.
- Slott, Dan (w), Romita Jr., John (p), Janson, Klaus (i), White, Dean (col), Petit, Cory (let), Brennan, Tom, Wacker, Stephen, Brevoort, Tom (ed). "New Ways to Die, Part One: Back with Vengeance" The Amazing Spider-Man 568 (October 2008), New York, NY: Marvel Comics
- Slott, Dan (w), Romita Jr., John (p), Janson, Klaus (i), White, Dean (col), Petit, Cory (let), Brennan, Tom, Wacker, Stephen, Brevoort, Tom (ed). "New Ways To Die, Part Two: The Osborn Supremacy" The Amazing Spider-Man 569 (October 1999), New York, NY: Marvel Comics
- Shinick, Kevin (w), Rodríguez, Javier (p), Lopez, Alvaro (i), Rodríguez, Javier (col), Cowles, Clayton (let), Pyle, Ellie (ed). "Got A Problem? Call Hobgoblin!" AXIS: Hobgoblin 1 (December 2014), New York, NY: Marvel Comics
- Slott, Dan, Costa, Mike (w), Stegman, Ryan (p), Stegman, Ryan (i), Reber, Brian (col), Caramagna, Joe (let), Lowe, Nick, Lewis, Devin, Stock, Allison, Groneman, Thomas (ed). "Venom Inc. Part One" Amazing Spider-Man: Venom Inc. Alpha 1 (February 2018), New York, NY: Marvel Comics
- Slott, Dan, Costa, Mike (w), Stegman, Ryan, Sandoval, Gerardo (p), Leisten, Jay (i), Reber, Brian (col), Caramagna, Joe (let), Lowe, Nick, Lewis, Devin, Stock, Allison, Groneman, Thomas (ed). "Venom Inc. Part Six" Amazing Spider-Man: Venom Inc. Omega 1 (March 2018), New York, NY: Marvel Comics
- What If? Spider-Man #1. Marvel Comics.
- Wayne, Matt; Kim, Jae Woo (April 3, 2016). "Anti-Venom". Marvel's Ultimate Spider-Man vs. the Sinister 6. Season 4. Episode 8. Disney XD.
- "Vengeance of Venom". Spider-Man. Season 3. Episode 3. June 21, 2020. Disney XD.
- Kato, Matthew (March 31, 2011). "Save Peter Parker in Spider-Man: Edge of Time". Game Informer. GameStop. Retrieved December 11, 2017.