Venom (comics)

Venom, or the Venom Symbiote, is a fictional supervillain appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics, commonly in association with Spider-Man. Venom was originally depicted as a supervillain when he made his full first appearance in The Amazing Spider-Man #300 (May 1988), but the character has since evolved into the role of an antihero. Venom is a symbiote, a sentient alien, with a gooey, almost liquid-like form. As with real world symbiotes, it requires a host, usually human, to bond with for its survival. After bonding, the symbiote endows its enhanced powers upon the host. When the Venom Symbiote bonds with a human, that new dual-life form refers to itself as "Venom."

The Venom Symbiote's first known host was Spider-Man, who eventually separated himself from the creature when he discovered its true nature. The Symbiote went on to merge with other hosts, most notably Eddie Brock, its second and most infamous host, with whom it first became Venom and one of Spider-Man's archenemies. According to S.H.I.E.L.D., it is considered one of the greatest threats to humanity, alongside Magneto, Doctor Doom, and Red Skull.