Symbiote (comics)

Symbiote

The two most enduring symbiotic characters, Venom and his offspring Carnage, battling each other in the cover of Venom vs. Carnage #1 (July 2004). Art by Clayton Crain
Publication information
Publisher Marvel Comics
First appearance Black Costume, The Amazing Spider-Man #252 , The Spectacular Spider-Man #90, and Marvel Team-Up #141 Symbiote, The Amazing Spider-Man #258 (May 1984)
Created by Jim Shooter, Mike Zeck
Characteristics
Notable members Venom
Carnage
Toxin
Anti-Venom
Scream
Inherent abilities Symbiosis with a host provides superhuman strength, speed, agility, and endurance; gains characteristics of host; increases original powers of hosts

The Symbiotes (originally known as the Klyntar) are a fictional race of amorphous extraterrestrial parasites which appear in the Marvel Comics shared universe. The Symbiotes envelop their hosts like costumes, creating a symbiotic bond through which the host's mind can be influenced.

The first appearance(s) of a symbiote occurs in The Amazing Spider-Man #252, The Spectacular Spider-Man #90, and Marvel Team-Up #141 (released concurrently in May 1984), in which Spider-Man brings one home to Earth after the Secret Wars (Secret Wars #8, which was released months later, details his first encounter with it). The concept was created by a Marvel Comics reader,[1] with the publisher purchasing the idea for $220.[2] The original design was then modified by Mike Zeck, becoming the Venom symbiote. The concept would be explored and used throughout multiple storylines, spin-off comics, and derivative projects.

Fictional biography

The Klyntar, as the symbiotes call themselves, originate from an unnamed planet in an uncharted region of space, and are a benevolent species which believes in helping others, which they attempt to do by creating heroes through the process of bonding to the morally and physically ideal. Hosts afflicted with chemical imbalances or cultural malignancy can corrupt symbiotes, turning them into destructive parasites which combat their altruistic brethren by spreading lies and disinformation about their own kind, in order to make other races fear and hate the species as a whole.[3]

The corrupted Klyntar became more widespread than their benevolent counterparts, establishing a space faring culture dedicated to infecting and overtaking planets. The corrupted Klyntar force their hosts to perform death-defying feats in order to feed off of the resulting rushes of adrenaline, and other hormones, such as phenethylamine. These host beings would be sucked dry, exhausted by the constant stress and exertion, or simply die in a failed stunt.[4]

At some point, corrupted symbiotes overran a planet which was later devoured by Galactus. Due to their genetic memory, all symbiotes now loathe both Galactus and his former herald, the Silver Surfer.[5] ZZZXX, a symbiote with a predilection for eating brains, was also captured by the Shi'ar, and imprisoned and studied for years until it was released and employed as a Praetorian Guard by Gabriel Summers.[6]

The cover of Secret Wars #8, which details Spider-Man's first encounter with the black costume. Pencil art by Mike Zeck.

The Venom symbiote is the first permanent symbiote resident of Earth, brought by Spider-Man after the events of Secret Wars. It was later established that the Venom symbiote was considered crazy by its fellow parasites since it sought, like the peaceful Klyntar, a mutual bond with a host rather than domination, and for that reason the symbiote was placed in a prison canister, and supposedly condemned to death by disintegration on a planet that would later become part of Beyonder's Battleworld. Once on Earth, the Venom suit was bonded to Spider-Man for some time before being forced off onto Eddie Brock. Stung by the rejection, the symbiote came to hate the superhero and sought revenge with Brock. During this time it spawned six children, with its first child later having two of its own. Brock would soon reform and spent a considerable amount of time trying to become a hero with the suit.

Though originally happy with Brock, because Brock blamed Spider-Man for his failures, the symbiote gradually became increasingly possessive and abusive of him, eventually being sold off by Eddie. It is later revealed that it only stuck with him because of cancer of his adrenal glands. Since then, the Venom suit has gradually grown more and more monstrous and psychotic. It is currently bonded to Flash Thompson, who struggles to control it, but the symbiote has recently been shown to be developing some slight affection for him.[7] This would suggest the host's mental state might affect the symbiote just as much as the other way around, as the Carnage symbiote is as psychotic as its host and the Venom suit's explosiveness got worse after bonding with its two hosts after Brock, both of which were career criminals. Likewise, the various symbiotes bonded to heroes are not shown to be as twisted, though they occasionally struggle with aggression.

Angel Medina claims he was reluctant to start work on Mighty Avengers because he was working on a Venom project, only to be told he would be drawing a story with "the Avengers vs. an alien invasion—by the Venoms."[8] This story arc was later confirmed to be drawn by Mark Bagley, as Medina would be unavailable.[9] Solicitations state that the New Avengers will also be part of this arc, themselves becoming infested by symbiotes. New Avengers #34 revealed that Doctor Doom is responsible for dropping a "Venom Bomb" on New York that unleashes the symbiotes. The story was completed in Mighty Avengers #8. Further backstory reveals that Doctor Doom collected a tiny sample of the symbiote's cells from the drone he had sent in earlier.[10] Later, it is revealed that Kristoff Vernard actually orchestrated this so that Doom would be arrested for the event above.[11]

A swarm of Brood that had been overtaken by symbiotes later invade the S.W.O.R.D. satellite and possess all of its inhabitants, among them Abigail Brand, and Deathbird. The symbiotes are defeated by Spider-Man (who temporarily merges with one, controlling it with the help of Martha Johansson) and the X-Men.[12]

Powers and abilities

The symbiote bonding with a host. The symbiote needs a host to survive

Symbiotes empower the natural abilities of a host to the point where they far exceed that of normal members of the hosts' species. These abilities include the following:

The following are functions that have been demonstrated from various hosts' wills (but are not limited to):

Weaknesses

Symbiote were naturally weakened by intense sounds and intense sonic waves – especially large fires of guns. For example, Spider-Man got the Venom symbiote off him using the intense sound of a church bell. Additionally, in some stories and games, (mostly mentioned in the 2000 Spider-Man video game), they are also weakened by fire. However, as each new symbiote has spawned a child, a natural evolution seems to not only increase their strengths, but also reduce their weaknesses. Even already existing symbiotes can mutate and develop these resistances. Still, there has not been an invulnerable symbiote in mainstream continuity, because the newest breeds can be harmed by incredible amounts of sonic waves and heat. Also, in the Ultimate Marvel Universe, symbiotes are vulnerable to the heat produced by high voltage electricity.

There are other weaknesses as well besides sonics and heat. Iron Man managed to create an antidote formula that could destroy a symbiote (it should be noted that these were actually just virus-like biological organisms created by Doctor Doom, originally based on the Venom symbiote and were specially made as a bio-weapon). With Venom and Carnage, authorities have been able to keep the symbiotes in check with a chemical inhibitor. The criminal Styx nearly killed the Venom symbiote with his lethal touch. Whether a symbiote can mutate and reduce the effect of these weaknesses is unknown, although Carnage claimed to have developed invulnerability to sonics. Also, when a symbiote bonded with Wolverine, it was pushed out by his advanced healing factor, although Wolverine's healing factor had no use when he was bonded to a clone of the Venom symbiote.

In some incarnations, the symbiote is depicted as requiring a certain chemical (most likely phenethylamine) to stay sane and healthy, which has been said to be found abundantly in two sources: chocolate and human brain tissue. Thus, the host is forced to steal/buy large amounts of chocolate or become an unwilling cannibal who devours the brains of those he kills. This peculiar trait has only been witnessed in the Venom symbiote. However, both Carnage and Toxin have threatened their enemies with aspirations to "eating their brains", as well as various other body parts. When Toxin teamed up with Spider-Man and Black Cat, he struggled to keep himself together, telling Spider-Man that he was only "joking" about eating the robbers' brains.

On at least one occasion, Spider-Man was able to exhaust the Venom symbiote by taking advantage of the fact that it made its webbing out of itself; after the symbiote had already used a great deal of webbing to bind him to a bell, Spider-Man forced Venom to use further webbing so that it would exhaust itself, like blood dripping from a wound (although the sheer amount of webbing that the symbiotes would need to use for this weakness to be exploited makes its use in a fight limited).

Another weakness that they have is their hunger for feelings. In the storyline Planet of the Symbiotes, Eddie releases a cry of pain and agony so great that the entire symbiote race commits mass suicide.[13] However, how they kill themselves is not clear.

The Xenophages, a race of extraterrestrial shapeshifters which prey on symbiotes, possess the ability to spew an unknown incendiary chemical that can paralyze symbiotes, and enhance their taste.[14]

List of symbiotes

Central symbiotes

The following symbiotes have appeared throughout several years of Spider-Man's history, appeared in multiple media such as film and video games and were main characters/villains in story arcs.

Name First appearance Description
Venom The Amazing Spider-Man #300 (April 1988) Chronologically introduced in Marvel Super Heroes Secret Wars #8, merged with Spider-Man, and notably Eddie Brock. Mac Gargan then went on to be the symbiote's host for a while, but since then it has been acquired by the government and is now being used by Flash Thompson under the alias Agent Venom.
Carnage The Amazing Spider-Man #361 (April 1992) A child-spawn of Venom bonded to serial-killer, Cletus Kasady. This spawn was eventually reabsorbed into Venom. After losing his symbiote, Kasady discovers a similar symbiote in the Negative Zone and once again became Carnage.
Toxin Venom Vs. Carnage #2 (September 2004) A spawn of Carnage that bonded with police officer Patrick Mulligan, becoming a hero. Later forcibly bonded to Eddie Brock by the Crime Master sometime after Patrick was beaten to death by Blackheart.[15]
Anti-Venom The Amazing Spider-Man #569 (October 2008) Created when remnants of the Venom symbiote in Eddie Brock's body were combined with his white blood cells by the mystical energies of Mister Negative. Anti-Venom possesses curative abilities and its touch is corrosive to the Venom symbiote. Unlike other symbiotes, the Anti-Venom suit is non-sentient. The suit is seemingly destroyed in the 2011 "Spider-Island" story arc.[16]

Other, side symbiotes

The following symbiotes have made only a few other appearances in comic books and are usually excluded from adaptations in other media.

Name First appearance Description
Dreadface Fantastic Four #360 (January 1992) A symbiote capable of mind-controlling subjects by touch. The alien was captured aboard the ship of Devos the Devastator but escaped during an altercation between Devos and the Fantastic Four. Dreadface is presumed destroyed.
Scream Venom: Lethal Protector #4 (May 1993) In an attempt to create "super-cops" to police their new Utopia, the Life Foundation probed the Venom symbiote and extracted the last five of its "seeds" - the materials used to create its spawn. These were cultured and bonded to five of the Life Foundation's best security personnel to form the Guardians: Donna Diego (Scream), Carl Mach (Phage), Leslie Gesneria (Agony), Trevor Cole (Riot), and Ramon Hernandez (Lasher).

In the comics none of the five symbiotes were originally given names. However, in the Venom: Planet of the Symbiotes story line the yellow symbiote was named Scream and the green symbiote was named Lasher. The name Scream was eventually used in Marvel Super Hero Island Adventures #1 and the Spider-Man Back in Black Handbook. The toyline also featured a four armed symbiote named Riot that was loosely based on the unnamed symbiote in the comic What if Scarlet Spider killed Spider-Man?.[17] The other symbiote names became popular among fans but did not appear in an official Marvel work until the 2011 Carnage U.S.A. mini-series.

Mach, Cole, Hernandez, and Gesneria were all murdered by Diego after she decided that symbiotes were evil; the murdered guards' symbiotes fused to create Hybrid.[18] Years later, Scream and Hybrid are hunted and killed by Eddie Brock.[19] The Hybrid symbiote was taken in by the US Government, forcibly separated, and bonded to four soldiers to battle Carnage: Rico Axelson (Phage), James Murphy (Agony), Howard Ogden (Riot), and Marcus Simms (Lasher).[15] The four soldiers come to be known as the Mercury Team. While on another rampage, Carnage kills the Mercury Team without their symbiotes.[20] The four symbiotes temporarily bond with Deadpool to fight Carnage. After Carnage's defeat, Deadpool unbonds with the symbiotes and the symbiotes bond to Mercury Team's dog.[21]

Lasher
Phage
Agony
Riot
Hybrid Venom: Along Came A Spider #1 (January 1996) The character was introduced as the fusion of the four 'Life Foundation symbiotes', bonded to prison guard Scott Washington. Though Eddie Brock later hunted down and murdered Washington,[19] the symbiotes survived and were somehow captured by the US government.[18]
Payback True Believers (September 2008) Bonded to a more evolved cousin of normal race of symbiotes. Is currently a vigilante and head of the True Believers.
ZZZXX X-Men: Kingbreaker #2 (March 2009) He is a unique brain-eating member of the Symbiote species that was discovered several years ago by Shi'ar Emperor D'Ken. Unlike other symbiotes, ZZZXX didn't bother to ask permission or care to know his host.
Scorn Carnage #5 (August 2011) Originally a piece of Carnage recovered after his apparent destruction by Sentry. The piece was used to develop an advanced prosthetic arm used by Dr. Tanis Nieves. After she rejected its attempt to bond with her, it became attached to Shriek but grew fearful of her. Dr. Nieves accepted its desire to return to her and bonded with the symbiote to become Scorn.
Mania Venom #31 (April 2013) Eugene Thompson's neighbor in Philadelphia who bonds with a clone of the Venom symbiote (which is possessed in turn by a demonic entity).
Marcus Deadpool: The Gauntlet #8 (February 2014) An ancient centaur/werewolf hybrid with a black symbiote and diabetes, Marcus was hired by Dracula to be a member of the New Frightful Four.
Karl Malus Captain America: Sam Wilson #3 (November 2015) Somehow surviving within the Carnage symbiote after being consumed by it during the events of Superior Carnage, Malus later emerged from it as a symbiote/human hybrid.
Atrocity Spider-Man Edge of Time Atrocity is a combination of Anti-Venom, Walker Sloane, and Doctor Octopus (though Rhino takes Anti-Venom's place in the DS version). He has no back-story or explanation.

Other versions

Venom, as depicted in Ultimate Spider-Man #38 (May 2003). Art by Mark Bagley.

In the Ultimate Marvel universe, the Symbiotes are featured. The Venom suit is a man-made creation born of an experiment by Richard Parker and Edward Brock, Sr. to develop a protoplasmic cure for cancer. It used Richard's DNA as the starting base for it, thus himself and Peter are "related" to it. The suit enhances the wearer's strength and natural abilities, but also attempts to permanently bond with the host and can affect his/her mind. The Ultimate symbiote is seemingly weak only to electricity. When worn by a host other than Richard's son Peter, the Ultimate Spider-Man, the host is compelled to devour the life energy of other human beings or else have their own be consumed by the suit instead.

The Carnage symbiote also appears in the Ultimate universe as a parasite genetically engineered by Curt Conners from Peter's DNA. Traces of the Venom suit remaining in Peter's blood give Carnage similar properties to the Venom suit. It also devours people, but does not require a host. It is killed after being consumed by fire following its attempt to absorb Peter to become whole. It later reappears in the form of Gwen Stacy, and during an encounter with Venom, the latter absorbs the Carnage suit into itself, making Venom "complete" though more monstrous than ever before.

In other media

Television

Video games

Film

Attractions

References

  1. "Comic Book Urban Legends Revealed Extra: Randy Schueller’s Brush With Comic History | Comics Should Be Good!". ComicBookResources.com. Retrieved 2010-04-27.
  2. Shooter, Jim. Offer letter from Marvel Comics, ComicBookResources.com
  3. Brian Michael Bendis (w), Valerio Schiti (p), Valerio Schiti (i). Guardians of the Galaxy v3, #23 (21 January 2015), United States: Marvel Comics
  4. Venom Super Special #1
  5. Tom DeFalco (w), Joe Bennett (p), Bud LaRosa (i). "Savage Rebirth!/The Carnage Cosmic" The Amazing Spider-Man #430-431 (1998 January–February), United States: Marvel Comics
  6. Chris Yost (w), Dustin Weaver (p), Victor Olazaba and Jaime Mendoza (i). X-Men: Kingbreaker #2 (2009 March), United States: Marvel Comics
  7. Venom vol. 2 #4
  8. "Phoenix Cactus Comic-Con: Angel Medina on ''Mighty Avengers''". Comicscontinuum.com. 2007-01-28. Retrieved 2010-10-18.
  9. "Mark Bagley to become Mark Mighty". Forum.newsarama.com. Retrieved 2010-10-18.
  10. Spider-Man/Fantastic Four #2
  11. Spider-Man/Fantastic Four #4
  12. Elliott Kalan (w), Marco Failla (p), Marco Failla (i), Ian Herring (col), VC's Clayton Cowles (let), Katie Kubert (ed). Spider-Man and the X-Men #5 (15 April 2015), United States: Marvel Comics
  13. Web of Spider-Man Super Special Vol 1 #1
  14. Venom: The Hunted #1-3
  15. 1 2 Rick Remender (w), Lan Medina (p), Nelson Decastro (i). "Home Again" Venom 15 (June 2012), Marvel Comics
  16. "Dan Slott's Formspring account". Formspring.com.
  17. Stuart Vandal. ComixFan Forum - "Things people keep getting wrong", p. 5, http://www.comixfan.net/ X-World Comics Presents . . . Comixfan, the #1 Online Comics Resource! October 13, 2011. Accessed November 24, 2011.
  18. 1 2 Carnage U.S.A. #2
  19. 1 2 Venom vol. 2 #15
  20. Deadpool vs. Carnage #3
  21. Deadpool vs. Carnage #4
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