Not only does Peter Parker have Kraven the Hunter to contest with inMarvel’s Spider-Man 2, but the web-slinger has a Venom problem, and the New York hero is going to get the full symbiote experience firsthand.
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Off the comic book page,Venomhasn’t metSpider-Manwithin a narrative since Sam Raimi’s live-action trilogy closer, Spider-Man 3, which didn’t receive a great reception in hindsight, but we did see Tom Hardy take on Venom host Eddie Brock in two Sony films. Promising a showdown to remember for the fans,Insomniac Gameshas introduced parasites into the Gamerverse, and we’re here to explain everything you need to know about the symbiotes in Marvel’s Spider-Man 2.
Warning: This post contains SPOILERS for Spider-Man 2
Marvel’s Spider-Man 2
The Symbiotes' Role In Spider-Man 2
Thanks to Insomniac Games’ marketing, we knew very early on that Venom would be making an appearance in the sequel, and Peter Parker would become fused with the symbiote to offer the iconic black Spidey suit. However, the symbiotes' role in the sequel serves a much larger purpose than simply adding overpowered attacks and an iconic suit to Peter’s inventory.
Immediately after the title page, it’s revealed that Harry Osborn was exposed to the Venom symbiote while his father,Norman Osborn, was trying to find a cure for his illness, and as a last attempt to save him, he allowed his son to merge with the alien parasite. Two years later, Harry returns to the city and Peter and MJ are blown away by how healthy Harry looks, and he’s even been able to start a new business, the Emily-May Foundation, in order to heal the world in memory of his mother. As the game progresses, Harry ends up helping Spider-Man save the Coney Island fair, and it’s revealed to Harry that Peter is Spider-Man. However, after Peter receives a fatal attack from Kraven the Hunter, the symbiote decides to leave Harry and bond with Peter which saves his life.
The symbiote gives Peter a wealth ofnew, stronger skills, alongside a black suit, but with the symbiote leaving Harry’s body, Peter’s friend begins to get sick again. Promising to return the symbiote to Harry after Kraven was defeated, Harry became frustrated when Peter refused to return the suit, claiming he was a better Spider-Man with it. Clearly polluting his mind, Peter changed rapidly and began turning evil against his family, which prompted Miles Morales to intervene in order to battle Peter and encourage him to fight to get the suit off him. Miles is successful and Peter manages to rip the symbiote from him and store it within an Oscorp vile. However, while bringing the symbiote back to Dr. Connors, Harry takes it back for himself, and his inner rage towards his health and Peter’s betrayal forces him to turn into the villain Venom. Elsewhere, the Carnage symbiote was stolen from Oscorp byCletus Kasady, who wanted to use the parasite in order to bring about an apocalyptic event known as the “Crimson Hour.” Spider-Man and Wraith, who is the returning character Yuri Watanabe, managed to stop the Crimson Hour, but Cletus escaped with the Carnage symbiote.
Venom goes on a rampage within the Emily-May Foundation and ends up killing Kraven himself, leading to a final battle between Peter, Miles, and MJ. Peter was also told by Dr. Connors that a part of the symbiote may still reside inside him, which turned out to be true. However, before the symbiote can take control again,Mister Negativeand Miles travel inside Peter’s mind in order to kill the symbiote from within. Using the pair’s electric energy, Peter’s symbiote particle is then turned into Anti-Venom, which gives the hero a whole new set of powers, aneye-catching suit, and the ability to kill Venom’s offspring faster. It’s then discovered that the symbiote was attached to a mysterious meteorite that fell to Earth, and MJ is tasked with stealing its fragment from Venom’s base which will destroy the symbiote and its hive mind. Venom’s growing power causes symbiotes to pop up all over the city like vines and take control of civilians, and one of Venom’s offspring, Scream, even possesses MJ for a prolonged battle. In the end, the trio manages to destroy the fragment which causes the symbiote and its offspring to evaporate, however, Harry dies once the parasite disappears. Harry is then brought back to life thanks to Miles' electric Venom power, but Peter’s friend remains in a coma-like state.
What Are Symbiotes?
Formerly known as Klyntars, symbiotes are a race of alien parasites and their first appearances occurred in The Amazing Spider-Man #252, The Spectacular Spider-Man #90, and Marvel Team-Up #141. The concept was actually created by a reader of Marvel Comics and the idea was bought by the company and later adapted by Mike Zeck, with Roger Stern, Tom DeFalco, and David Michelinie molding the race.
These parasites need a host in order to survive in space and time, and they take no solid form without one, simply existing as spheres or sticky substances with sinister mouths including teeth and tongues. Symbiotes are sentient creatures and aim to form a symbiotic bond with their hosts, enveloping their physical body like a costume or protective layer, and despite gifting the host superpowers, they are also able to influence the minds and personalities of their victims often turning them evil.
Within the Marvel Universe, there are over 40 known symbiotes, with the most popular one being the Venom symbiote that forms as a black parasite. Carnage is the offspring of Venom but appears as a red and black parasite, and is an enemy to both Spider-Man and Venom. Other symbiotes include Scream, Lasher, Phage, Agony, and Riot.
Symbiote Powers & Abilities
In addition to sensing the thoughts and emotions of sentient creatures and being resistant to most weapons because of their ever-changing form, symbiotes also possess psychic abilities, the ability to form tendrils and expand without limitations, and the collective ability to recall genetic memory. The symbiotes also grant their hosts superhuman strength, the ability to change shape and size in an instant, resistance to incoming damage, and the ability to prolong life.
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In contrast to their litany of powers, symbiotes also have several weaknesses. An overdose of dopamine or high levels of vitamin C in the bloodstreams of the host can cause a parasite to enter a death-like state, or they’re unable to bond. Vibrations, heat, and magnesium are also common weaknesses, and this is why Spider-Man was able to separate from the Venom symbiote by using sound waves. Miles is able to cause a considerable amount of harm to the symbiote in Spider-Man 2 by ringing a nearby bell.
Knull Created Symbiotes In Marvel Comics
Supervillain, primordial deity, and common Thor foe, Knull is the one responsible for creating the first symbiote, All-Black, in order to rebel against the Celestials. All-Black was recently seen in Taika Waititi’s Thor: Love and Thunder, and it was wielded by Gorr the God Butcher.
Knull used the cosmic energy from a severed Celestial head to forge the symbiotes, and after All-Black deserted him to go to Gorr, Knull then created an army of symbiotes that he used to destroy entire planets and civilizations. Thor later destroyed the connection between Knull and symbiotes, but the parasites’ hive-mind allowed them to survive and begin targeting hosts.
Spider-Man Bonded With The Venom Symbiote In Secret Wars
In the popular 1984 miniseries Secret Wars, Spider-Man was transported to the Beyonder’s Battleworld alongside several other heroes to fight their enemies and asked Thor and Hulk about a new costume to replace his damaged one. Advised to use alien tech located inside the heroes’ makeshift base, Spider-Man encountered a similar device containing the Venom symbiote and accidentally released it.
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The parasite immediately formed a black version of Spider-Man’s costume, and he assumed this was how the alien tech worked to create a new suit. Unfortunately, the web-slinger returned to Earth with the symbiote, and it attempted to corrupt him. Luckily, Spider-Man managed to separate himself from the parasite by using sound waves, and it eventually fled into a church’s bell tower.
Eddie Brock Becomes Venom
After separating from Spider-Man, the Venom symbiote bonded with journalist Eddie Brock as he was attending church. Eddie was already in a bad place after he wrongfully identified the serial killer Sin-Eater, and he blamed his downfall on Spider-Man. After bonding with the symbiote, Eddie and the parasite became commonly known as the supervillain, Venom.
Aside from becoming one of Spider-Man’s most iconic enemies, alongside Green Goblin and Doctor Octopus, the Venom symbiote later spawned several offspring parasites whilst fused to Eddie, including Carnage, Scream, Lasher, et al. Eddie later managed to separate himself from the symbiote when the possession became too much, and the telepathic scream that was released during the separation was heard by the other symbiotes which prompted them to invade Earth to face Eddie, Spider-Man, and Scarlet Spider.
After Eddie Brock, the Venom symbiote found its host in Mac Gargan, who became Venom between 2005 and 2009 in Marvel Comics, and Flash Thompson who became Agent Venom between 2011 and 2016 before the parasite returned to Eddie in 2017. The symbiote Toxin also took control of Eddie for a time, and the other popular parasite, Carnage, bonded most notably with Cletus Kasady, Ben Reilly, and Norman Osborn.
