Warning: SPOILERS for Venom #13
The War of the Realms has just pulled Venom into the fight… by giving Eddie Brock a monstrous new symbiote suit. Given to him by Malekith’s War Witches, the sorcerers hope he would become an agent of evil and fight for the Dark Elf Malekith in the war.
But this new, magical Venom symbiote suit isn’t just an updated look: this is ALL Eddie. That means no symbiote to communicate with, or to alter his emotions or memories into a force for good. The result? A savage and brutal version of Venom hell bent on killing. Proving once and for all which half of Venom is truly the heroic one.
Eddie recently discovered that his symbiote had been tampering with his memories, falsifying his cancer diagnosis, manufacturing a dead sister and uncle to cripple Eddie with guilt–and even keep him from ever knowing that he had a son, Dylan Brock being raised (and abused) by Eddie’s father. Out of anger after discovering he was being manipulated by the symbiote, Eddie permanently separated from it. The Symbiote survives the separation, and is last seen walking into the crowd in a human form. Eddie, on the other hand, is nearly killed during the separation. Bad timing, considering the world goes to hell in the War of the Realms.
Eddie’s new found parental instincts kick in, while he tries to keep both himself, and his son alive with Malkeith’s army running loose through the city–all without his symbiote. But even without his symbiote enhancing his abilities, Eddie still wants to be a hero, taking on three dark elves while civilians escape the potential slaughter.
Eddie’s attempted heroics catch the attention of Malekith’s war witches, who offer Eddie a dreamstone that gives life to dreams and desires. In Eddie’s case, he wants a weapon: his symbiote. Eddie is granted a dark magic symbiote that is “same… but different” from his old partner. Eddie is alone in his dark suit without the voice of the symbiote, and it appears that his actions are solely his own. The war witch left out a crucial part of the deal when they gave Eddie the suit, telling him after the fact that he must now use his gifts in the name of Malekith’s crusade. An offer Eddie promptly rejects. You could even say he bit the hand that feeds… clean off.
After ensuring his son is locked away for safety, Venom swings off to join the fight. But there is more driving him than his need to protect innocents. Once he leaps into the fight he succumbs to his need to hunt, and to kill. Wielding an axe and a sword, the new Venom quickly and savagely decimates a group of dark elves and trolls. Stabbing and decapitating, Venom kills the normally Asgardian foes tormenting innocent civilians. Eddie quickly discovers that this new suit is full of anger and hate. And the voices in his head, screaming at him to kill soon resolve into just one: his own.
Elsewhere in the issue the wounded war witch seems to confirm that Eddie is out of control, all on his own. So does this prove once and for all that Eddie has been the one wanting to kill during his entire time with the symbiote? Or is there dark magic within the new suit pushing him to the extreme? One thing is for sure: Eddie is back as Venom. But this time the title refers to him alone.
Venom #13 is available now from Marvel Comics.
