Carlos Gómez’s Venom #261 cover sets the tone: Reed Richards as the evil villain who traps the heroic Venom and tortures her/them with fire. A looming monster of flowing tendrils and a gapping maw... both familiar and not. It’s an evocative image that, for whatever reason, I associate with the Symbiote Intelligence trapping Dylan Brock, a sort of visual echo of Queen in Black #2’s cover except not exactly. It’s funny how near rhymes and allusions like that work. I look back at that cover or any of the images of Dylan trapped and they don’t really match up with the cover to this issue, yet the association remains. It seems particularly evil because it’s not Peter Parker in the Symbiote costume, seemingly at the mercy of an alien lifeform he wasn’t fully aware was there; nor is it even the Eddie Brock Venom with its own gaping maw, oozing tongue extended, sharp teeth bared; no, it’s heroic Mary Jane Watson molecularly merged with the Venom Symbiote seemingly screaming in pain, saved from Reed’s inferno only by the encasement that holds her captive.
That exact scene doesn’t appear in the issue. The case that Venom is trapped in on the cover is meant to mimic the initial case that Reed used to trap the Symbiote after forcing it off Peter; in the issue, it’s more your standard glass tube that Mary Jane finds herself in as Reed works to find a way to separate her from the Symbiote without killing them both. It evokes memories of tortures past for the Symbiote, who narrates the issue. It’s your typical ‘see events you thought you knew from the other side’ stories complete with recriminations and apologies all around from Reed and Peter both. Much of the issue is spent casting the Venom Symbiote in as sympathetic light as possible, both from its perspective and from the admitted guilt of those who wronged it without intending to do so. And therein lies the key to the issue.
The first five pages of the issue tell the story of Venom from its perspective. Of “before language” when “all I had was a host.” It’s five pages of briefly summarising the Symbiote’s relationship with Peter Parker, including the efforts to continue his crime fighting while he slept by piloting his body, before jumping to Reed’s efforts to separate the two. It’s all very sympathetically told, justified by a bit of “I’m just a smol boi” language to present the Symbiote of devoted yet somehow powerless in its relationship with Peter. Throughout the issue, different people apologise to the Symbiote for making assumptions or acting without its consent. Again, words meant to seemingly cast the supposed heroes in a somewhat negative light – but also pointing towards growth and enlightenment. Their past misdeeds aren’t erased and the memories of them help to guide future actions to avoid making the same mistakes.
But, not for Venom.
In all of the apologies, none come from Venom to Peter. Instead, Venom talks about Peter breaking its heart, never acknowledging that the Symbiote was the first to breach the idea of consent. It sought to bond with Peter without his knowledge or consent and shows seemingly no remorse. By the end of the issue, the idea that it can feel remorse is doubtful as it spreads from Mary Jane to Dylan and Peter, ever growing – the final page a giant sea of Venom’s face looming over Reed Richards, the Symbiote narrating “DON’T PANIC, DR. RICHARDS. / BUT IF YOU WANT TO... / ... YOU CAN PRAY.” The Symbiote does not feel remorse for its violation of Peter Parker because that’s its nature.
In all of the commotion of things with Hela, Knull, an army of invading Symbiotes bonded with dozens of alien races from across the galaxy... well, the common denominator of Symbiotes got lost. As did the idea that the supposed key to defeating the threats to the Earth is a group of Symbiote-bonded heroes. Are any of the baddies actually evil? Or are they following their natures, doing what’s in their own best interests? I’m quickly rambling down a rabbit hole of moral relativity, I’m aware, and I thought I had a point I was approaching, but... There’s the inescapable fact about the nature of the Symbiotes, that their very existence over the long term seemingly lies in bonding with another creature, willing or unwilling. To a certain extent, they will always be threats to Earth. From what I’ve gleaned about the larger story of Ewing’s Venom run, there’s been a lot of teases or possible futures with Eddie Brock King in Black as dictator and oppressor. With Symbiotes very much as the enemy – something that goes back as early as they’ve been part of Spider-Man comics. There’s a bit of ‘the enemy of my enemy..’ even though the enemies here are the ruler of the Symbiote race and their creator...
I don’t know... this event could easily turn into painting the Symbiotes as eternal enemies, I guess. It seems doubtful that that’s actually where Ewing is taking things. The solicitation for Venom #262, the conclusion of his run, teases ‘Venomworld’ with seemingly the entire planet bonded with Venom to face the winner of Hela/Knull... So, Venom’s terrifying expansion here will actually be a boon. A big ol’ win for Earth against its brethren... Part of me is a little disappointed because it was refreshing for the final two pages of this issue to reveal the real Venom. That same being that once forced itself onto an unaware Peter Parker and now plays the victim because everyone is sympathetic in their own story.
Next week: Black Cat #14.
