The symbiotes are one of the most deadly alien species that the Marvel Universe has to offer, and Venom proved just how absurdly dangerous they are by showcasing their ability to revive people from the dead. When Eddie Brock was in a tight spot and wasn’t able to fight off the guards coming for him, he was able to use his symbiote to ask for help from the previous host, Flash Thompson, who proved that being dead can’t stop him from being the best Venom.
Eddie Brock’s surprising ability to resurrect people is first shown off in 2018’s Venom #8 by Donny Cates, Iban Coello, Andres Mossa, and Clayton Cowles. The issue sees Venom needing to escape from the Maker, an evil version of Reed Richards who is holding him in a lab.
While Eddie is unable to defeat the guards, who all have anti-symbiote weaponry, Eddie’s symbiote reveals a surprising ability. When a symbiote bonds with someone, it leaves an imprint on their DNA. This imprint can be used by the symbiote to mimic the person’s abilities and personality, essentially reviving their memory. Eddie is able to use this to temporarily transform into Flash Thompson and use his skills to escape.
Flash Thompson’s Skills Make Him a Deadly Venom
While there’s no doubt that Eddie Brock makes an absolutely fantastic Venom, sometimes there are people who fit a role even better. That’s how some fans feel in regard to Flash Thompson, who once took up the symbiote to become Agent Venom. While Eddie is loath to admit it, Flash simply was a better fit for the Venom symbiote. Eddie outright admits that he can feel the Venom symbiote longing for Flash at times and that it wishes to return to him. It’s hard to deny this chemistry when both readers and Eddie get to see Flash in action again, easily clearing a room full of soldiers with anti-symbiote tech that Eddie himself struggles against.
The way Flash Thompson is able to be revived as Agent Venom actually has a whole host of possibilities. The imprint that a symbiote leaves on its host’s DNA is known as a codex. This codex can then be absorbed by any symbiote to mimic the memories and skill set of whoever the host was for a short period of time. This means that characters like Wolverine, Captain America, and even Spider-Man could all temporarily be brought back from the dead if necessary. Sometimes these codexes are so strong, that characters can use them to avoid death entirely, which was the case with Cletus Kasady.
Agent Venom is Eddie Brock’s Only Hope
The symbiotes really are the most versatile aliens that have appeared in Marvel so far. They can bond with any living organism, can rapidly heal their host, remove their hosts’ need to eat or sleep, and can grant their hosts new abilities. Now, the symbiotes have gone one step further and can even temporarily cure death. That’s why when Venom’s back was up against a wall with no one to help him, he was able to turn to the previous host of his suit and unleash Agent Venom.
