Summary
Spinning out ofthe currentVenom Warevent, Marvel is debuting an all-newVenom. The symbiote is being redesigned with a yellow logo, a slimmer build and a mysteriousnew host who is one of four potential characters: superhero Luke Cage, villain Madame Masque, Spider-Man ally Robbie Robertson or Hulk’s best friend Rick Jones.
Fans will meet the new Venom in Al Ewing and Carlos Gómez’sAll-New Venom(per Ewing’s recent interview withPolygon), in which the former Venom Dylan Brock will investigate the true identity of his successor. The series will be marked by a more street-level focus than Ewing’sVenomstories so far, with the writer promising"a much more intimate, character-based story."
Cover Artist:
Adam Kubert
Ewing’sVenomwork so far has seen Eddie Brock lost in time, battling afar-future version of himself named Meridius, with each possessing godlike power. It’s been a heady cosmic journey full of huge ideas and surprising villains, with Kang the Conqueror and Doctor Doom playing significant roles in the story.All-New Venomwill take a different approach, as the new version of the symbiote hero works in and around New York City inwhat Ewing describes as"a Spider-Man-level story."
The new Venom will have a more solid design, with less"ooze and goop and slime and fangs and teeth."
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Marvel confirms Venom’s hosts have never been chosen randomly - the symbiote has a specific power for selecting the ideal ‘other.’
Marvel Is Getting an All-New Venom
Venom War’s Outcome Will Give the Venom Symbiote a New Host
In Marvel’s currentVenom Warevent, the original Venom Eddie Brock, his son and successor Dylan Brock and Peter Parker’sSpider-Man are all fighting for the Venom symbiote, with each believing that if the others obtain it, the world is doomed. However, Marvel is now revealing a major twist is upcoming, withthe Venom symbiote ending up with a totally new host. Ewing notes that this new Venom will use their symbiote powers in different ways to the original, saying:
Part of the “all new” of this All-New Venom is that Venom doesn’t fight like we’ve seen Venom do before. I’m just now writing some pages where Venom does extremely wild shape-shifting, using the gooeyness of the symbiote.
One way the All-New Venom is different is that it has a more heroic-looking Venom. I won’t get into the visuals, I’ll just mention in passing that there is a new look for Venom. But previously, there’s been a lot of gooeyness, a lot of tendrils, a lot of, like, ooze and goop and slime and fangs and teeth. This is maybe a little bit more of a solid Venom. It gives us the advantage that we can pull off all kinds of exciting new tricks and fun new things, right from issue 1.
While it’s not yet clear exactly how the new Venom will use their powers differently, it’s interesting that Kubert’s cover shows tendrils emerging from all over Venom’s body, making their method of travel even more distinct from Spider-Man’s web-swinging.
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Who Is the New Venom?
While the identity of the new Venom is still a mystery, Marvelhasrevealed the shortlist. The first possibility is Luke “Power Man” Cage - a former Avenger with unbreakable skin, played by Mike Colter in his solo Netflix show. Cage has long been a street hero and the shade of yellow chosen for the new Venom’s logo is similar to his vigilante streetwear.Ewing notes that since becoming the mayor of New York, Cage has struggled to fight crime, and that becoming the new Venom could offer him the freedom to do so. However, the symbiote’s gold also matches the mask of Madame Masque - a longtime Avengers villain and onetime lover of Tony Stark. Masque was at the center ofMarvel’s recent Gang War event, fighting to take control of New York’s criminal underworld.
Robbie Robertson was also involved tangentially in theGang War. A stalwart journalist, Robertson has traditionally been a major force at theDaily Bugle, and has long been a mentor to Peter Parker. His son recently engaged in a relationship with the new Beetle, herself the daughter of Robertson’s old enemy,the supervillain gangster Tombstone. Ewing notes that Robertson becoming a hero would be a nod to Superman’s background as a journalist. While Robbie is an older character, the powers of the Venom symbiote would be a great way to turn him into a crime-fighter, allowing him to leap from building to building in the city he’s protected many times over in his day job.
Given Ewing’s recent history with the Hulk, our bet is that the new Venom is Rick Jones.
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Rick Jones Is the Perfect All-New Venom
While the Answer Is Far from Certain, We’re Putting Our Money on Hulk’s Best Friend
Finally, there’s Rick Jones.Rick Jones is a classicHulkcharacterwho has had many adventures alongside Bruce Banner’s Hulk, even briefly becoming the gamma monster known as ‘A-Bomb.’ Rick has a long history of getting tangled up with different superheroes, and was the human half of the original Captain Marvel, as well as working with Captain America as his short-lived modern-day ‘Bucky’ and acting as an honorary Avenger in the team’s early days.
Rick Jones is integral to Hulk lore, as he’s the reason Bruce Banner was hit by the gamma bomb. Rick was out on the testing range on a dare, with Bruce running out to save him and being caught in his own blast.
Given this tradition and Ewing’s history with the Hulk (as the writer of the acclaimedImmortal Hulk),Rick Jones is definitely our pick as the most likely to be the new Venom. However, no matter who is actually wearing the symbiote, each character will appear inAll-New Venomas Dylan Brock carries out his investigation.
Venomhas had a huge decade, moving from strength to strength as a major character in the Marvel Universe - now, he’s greeting a new era with a total reinvention, as Marvel updates and upgrades its most iconic symbiote with a new look and approach.
All-New Venom #1is coming December 2024.
Venom
Venom is a symbiotic alien entity bonded with various human hosts, notably Eddie Brock and later Flash Thompson. It grants superhuman strength, agility, and a shape-shifting black costume. Initially a Spider-Man villain due to its origins, Venom evolved into an antihero, battling both villains and his own dark impulses. The character embodies themes of duality and redemption within the Marvel Universe.
