| Limited: | Y |
| Publisher: | Marvel Comics |
| Startmo: | August |
| Startyr: | 2024 |
| Issues: | 5 |
| Main Char Team: | Eddie Brock Dylan Brock Black Widow Agent Anti-Venom Carnage Spider-Man |
| Writers: | Al Ewing |
| Pencillers: | Iban Coello |
"Venom War" is a 2024 American comic book crossover event written by Al Ewing with art by Iban Coello and published by Marvel Comics. The event follows Eddie Brock and his son Dylan who, after seeing glimpses of each other's potential future, engage in a war to determine who will be the one true Venom.
Black Widow: Venomous #1 and Venom War: Spider-Man #1 was dedicated in memory of Ray Chan. Venom Vol. 5 #36 was dedicated in memory of Don Perlin.
Marvel released teaser art by Philip Tan showing Eddie Brock and Dylan Brock leading their symbiote armies in battle, with Agent Anti-Venom, Tyro, Wilde, Bedlam, and Meridius on Eddie's side and Black Widow, Sleeper, Red Goblin, and Flexo on Dylan's side.[1]
Venom War was announced as a five-issue limited series written by Al Ewing which would tie into various tie-in issues and spinoff limited series debuting in August 2024. It is described as the fateful confrontation between father and son after going on separate journeys and realizing that only one of them can be Venom.[2] [3]
During the "Blood Hunt" storyline, the Venom Symbiote works with the zombified versions of Lee Price and the Mania Symbiote to defeat the Captive. Afterwards, Meridius appears and Price abandons the Venom Symbiote and merges with him. Before leaving, Meridius tells the Venom Symbiote that Eddie Brock is returning and that "Then the war can begin".[4]
Dylan tells of how he went to a place beyond death and encountered a being who introduced itself as the Eventuality and spoke in his father's voice, telling him that he could ask it five questions. When he asked it if the Venom symbiote reunited with Eddie, it showed him a vision of him as Venom defeating an opponent and stating "We are Venom". When he asked how to stop him, the Eventuality stated that he would know when he was older and he saw a vision of himself when he was older, telling Dylan that he would get through this.[5]
Eddie Brock has become unstuck in time, along with Bedlam, Meridius, Tyro, and Wilde. Meridius blames Eddie for destroying his garden, but he tells him that Carnage was responsible while forming a planet-sized mass that he does not know the name of, but which Bedlam states is called All-Blood the Necrospear. When Eddie asks if anyone has seen Carnage, Wilde states that he has not and is afraid that he is better than them. Meridius tries to force Eddie out of the timestream by killing him, as they are now physical, but Wilde breaks up the fight, claiming that they are no longer connected due to being temporal offshoots. Tyro assists in knocking Meridius out of the timestream and he is transported to prehistoric times, where he bonds with a Tyrannosaurus. While Eddie states that they will find Meridius again, Tyro tells him that he may find them first. Knowing that if Dylan keeps the Venom symbiote, Earth will become Venom in the future that Meridius was trying to create, Eddie nominates himself to help set him straight since he is the only one with a body. Back in the present, the Venom symbiote reveals that Lee Price has been revived as a Zombiote due to being both dead and alive and arrives at Peter Parker's apartment. After Dylan has a nightmare about Doctor Doom, Sleeper and Flexo confront him and he reveals to them that he had a dream about the Eventuality and Eddie, and they leave as he is told that Eddie will return. He is then approached by someone who he believes to be Eddie as he recalls how they tried to kill each other. However, he realizes that the person is actually his future self, who welcomes him to the "war".[6]
After shooting the Carnage Symbiote with a sonic laser, meaning that it is no longer in control, Flash Thompson confronts Liz Allan, who has become Misery. She tells him that she will explain the Misery symbiote to him later, as they must flee before the police arrive. The next day, Flash attends a support group and receives a call from someone who invites him out for a drink as the Carnage symbiote reunites with the clone of Cletus Kasady. At a pub, Flash meets with Liz, who tells him about the Misery symbiote and why she was at the building where he fought the Carnage Symbiote, which has recreated itself over time. At Investar, Carnage massacres its employees and, two weeks later, massacres a crowd at Ashford Park as soldiers attempt to use Symbiote-killing guns on him. Carnage abducts a soldier and learns that the weapon was made by Alchemax.[7]
Black Widow infiltrates an Alchemax facility with the Widow Symbiote and they fight its security. Later, at Safe House #115, she tells the Widow Symbiote that Alchemax had developed Symbiotech, and it tells her that they have done terrible things to the Symbiotes. Black Widow tells it that if they are to work together, it has to be an asset to the mission. They then simulate the training of the Red Room in Black Widow's memories, where she recalls her training with Spider-Woman, Hawkeye, Revolutionary, Nick Fury Jr., and Phil Coulson as their memory counterparts help with the training. After completing the training, Black Widow returns to Alchemax, where she and the Widow Symbiote fight the guards and the Symbiotech. At the laboratory, they claim a sample of the serum that kills the Symbiotes and plan to give it to someone they trust.[8]
At Grand Garden Arena, wrestler Symbiote Smith issues a challenge to the members of the Unlimited Class Wrestling Federation with Crusher Hogan and Doc Sawbones serving as commentators. Lumberjack and Ken "Caveman" Corrigan, as well as Gavin "Gator" Grant, enter the challenge. As Symbiote Smith is fighting Gator, the match is disrupted when Eddie emerges from the timestream with Bedlam, Tyro, and Wilde. As Symbiote Smith identifies himself as a Symbiote-themed wrestler, Eddie fights him as the audience flees and the other wrestlers enter the ring in retaliation. Eddie declares that the ring is now under the control of the Kings in Black, and that he will return the ring to them if they give him Dylan and the Venom symbiote, as the Venom War has begun. The Venom Symbiote recalls its previous hosts and how it considered Dylan its child and failed to save Eddie before bonding with Peter Parker. In the sewers, Dylan tries to connect with the Venom Symbiote though his half-Symbiote nature while telling his future counterpart about his contact with the Eventuality. After his future counterpart fades away, Toxin approaches Dylan and tells him of the events occuring at Grand Garden Arena, which he sees on television, as do Normie Osborn, Bren Waters, Sleeper, and Flexo. After Eddie, Bedlam, Tyro, and Wilde defeat Paladin's mercenary team, Crusher Hogan states that the real heroes must enter the ring, as he claims that the Avengers are busy. At Alchemax, which had recently acquired the Life Foundation, Liz holds an emergency meeting regarding Eddie as one of the attendees states that they came recommended and are short on in-house talent with Jack Carson dead. Carlton Drake states that he has a solution to deal with Eddie as he brings in his Life Foundation consultant, Mr. Meridius, who has been studying Eddie and informs them of a chemical leak at Alchemax involving Chemical K-43, which is toxic to the human system and Symbiotes and which they can use to win the Venom War. Meanwhile, Peter talks to the Venom Symbiote, who explains that Eddie and Dylan are better off without him. While Peter explains that Dylan would be safer with his father, the Venom Symbiote is reluctant to bond with Dylan as it would only make things worse, and states that Peter can help Eddie and Dylan. Peter then recalls when Flash Thompson made the Venom Symbiote act like a hero and how he and Eddie saved the world from Knull. Outside Grand Garden Arena, Paladin and her mercenaries are taken to the hospital while the police discuss what happened and how notable superheroes such as the Avengers and the Fantastic Four are nowhere to be found. Dylan arrives at Grand Garden Arena with Bren, Normie, Flexo, and Sleeper to confront Eddie, who wants the Venom, as Spider-Man arrives with it on him. Meanwhile, a Symbiote-possessed horse escapes from an Alchemax facility.[9]
A future version of Dylan Brock is attacked by mechanical Symbiotes before being saved by Normie Osborn, Liz Allan, and Spider-Boy and transported to the present. He meets with his younger self and explains his mission to change the future before sedating Molten Man, who has escaped prison.[10]
Spider-Man bonds with the Venom Symbiote before being attacked by Hobgoblin, who he works with Jackpot to stop. Meanwhile, Meridius releases a Symbiote that fuses with Hobgoblin and several other people to gain power and become Arachnoite, who possesses a lethal touch and is even feared by Knull. Venom insists that he and Spider-Man must fully work together to fight it.[11]
| Title | Issues | Writer | Artist | Colorist | Release Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Free Comic Book Day 2024: Ultimate Universe/Spider-Man | 1 | Al Ewing | Iban Colleo | Frank D'Armata | May 4, 2024 |
| Venom (vol. 5) | 35 | CAFU | July 3, 2024 | ||
| Carnage (vol. 4) | 8 | Torunn Grønbekk | Pere Pérez | Erick Arciniega | June 5, 2024 |
| Black Widow: Venomous | 1 | Erica Schultz | Luciano Vecchio | TBA | July 31, 2024 |
| Title | Issues | Writer(s) | Artist(s) | Colorist | Debut date | Conclusion date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Venom War: Spider-Man | 1 - 4 | Collin Kelly & Jackson Lanzing | Greg Land | August 14, 2024 | rowspan="8" | |
| Venom War: Venomous | 1 - 3 | Erica Schultz | Luciano Vecchio | August 21, 2024 | ||
| Venom War: Carnage | Torunn Grønbekk | Pere Pérez | August 21, 2024 | |||
| Venom War: Zombiotes | Cavan Scott | Juan José Ryp | August 28, 2024 | |||
| Venom War: Wolverine | Tim Seeley & Tony Fleecs | Kev Walker | ||||
| Venom War: Deadpool | Cullen Bunn | Rob di Salvo | ||||
| Venom War: Lethal Protectors | Sabir Pirzada | Luca Maresca | ||||
| Venom War: Fantastic Four | Joey Vasquez | |||||
| Title | Writer | Artist | Colorist | Debut date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Venom War: Daredevil | Chris Condon | Lan Medina | ||
| Venom War: It's Jeff | Kelly Thompson | Gurihiru |