Venom (Spider-Man: The Animated Series)

Eddie Brock is Spider-Man's archenemy and later ally in Spider-Man: The Animated Series.

His Story

Eddie Brock was a reporter for the Daily Bugle. He was always determined to have a story published, under any circumstances. When he was witness to Doctor Curt Connors' transformation into the Lizard, Spider-Man stopped Brock from revealing Connors' identity and ruining his life.

Brock tried bringing in J. Jonah Jameson and the police to show them the Lizard, only to find Connors in human form. Brock co-leads a setup to cover the story of Spider-Man's capture and unmasking.

His ploy was ruined when he mistakenly reveals Flash Thompson in a Spider-Man suit, who is recognized as a fraud.

This leads to J. Jonah Jameson firing Brock for inaccurate and unprofessional reporting. Brock blames this on the real Spider-Man, swearing vengeance.

Brock rebounded by convincing another publisher to hire him, claiming that his failure at the Bugle was because Spider-Man set him up. Later, Brock was the target of revenge, Alistair Smythe sent a spiderslayer after him, thus damaging his place of employment.

Brock's employer blamed him for the damage firing him immediately. Brock believed that Spider-Man had led the slayer to him, also neglecting to see that Spider-Man had just saved him from the slayer.

Deeply hating Spider-Man,and seeking to capitalize on J. Jonah Jameson contempt for Spider-Man, Brock framed Spidey for stealing the element 'Promethium X' from the shuttle Hudson and potentially injuring John Jameson, when in reality, the Rhino stole it, compelling Jonah to put out a bounty on Spidey.

Wearing a new black suit, Spider-Man confronted Jonah, revealing that Brock left out a few details. Getting testimony from his son about the Rhino, Jonah fired Brock again for smearing the truth.

Returning home to see his eviction notice, Brock blames the recent bad luck on Spider-Man. Brock is saved by Spider-Man from an assault by Shocker who was seeking to prevent Brock from revealing to the public the truth regarding the theft of Promethium X.

Brock stalked J. Jonah Jameson which led him to an exchange between Spider-Man and Alistair Smythe. He attempted to enact his revenge while Spider-Man was embattled with the Shocker, only to be webbed up.

Only after Spidey rejected the alien symbiote that was making him more and more radical that it became bonded to Brock. Brock combined with the symbiote names himself Venom stating that he is poison to Spider-Man.

Immediately, Brock learned of Spider-Man's secret identity and began increasing his strength to bully Spider-Man demonstrating his extreme obsession with the wall crawler.

After harassing Peter, Venom is lured by Spider-Man to the launch of the new John Jameson satellite where Spider-Man tricked Venom with the engines' loud noises, forcing it to detach from Brock.

Eddie was taken to Ravencroft, vowing to keep Peter's identity a secret, hoping that the symbiote would return, although the therapists, particularly Dr. Ashley Kafka, believed it all to be a delusion.

The interdimensional demon, Dormammu, masterminded the symbiote's return to Earth. He had his servant, Baron Mordo, bring the satellite back down to Earth from Stark Enterprises, just as the symbiote was reproducing.

He also enchanted a couple of bystanders to be their temporary hosts. Mordo then appeared to Brock in astral projection form, promising the symbiote in exchange for services to Dormammu.

The following day, the female host visited Brock, reuniting them and resurrecting Venom, proving to Doctor Kafka that it wasn't a delusion. Venom was then ordered to steal an interdimensional transporter from Stark Enterprises.

However, in a fight against Spider-Man and War Machine, Venom was weakened by a sonic blast, only to be saved by Carnage, Brock's former cellmate Cletus Kasady.

As Carnage exacted his own revenge against Spider-Man, Venom attacked him claiming Spider-Man was his kill. Their fight was stopped by Mordo, who reminded them of their promise, and they stole the transporter before continuing their fight.

Venom then turned to finish Spider-Man and J.J. Jameson, although fled once more due to Iron Man and Ashley's interference. Ashley caught up to him and they shared a romantic moment. Despite this, the symbiote was raging.

They sought help from Doctor Connors, who worked with Spider-Man when the symbiote was originally bonded to him. Connors had the symbiote separated using sonics.

Spider-Man and Iron Man soon asked Brock for help after Ashley's soul was taken by Carnage, needing to know the location of Mordo's lair. Brock resolved to assist them, despite having to bond with the symbiote once more.

They fought against their enemies, just as Dormammu was released. After a struggle, Dormammu and Carnage were banished although at the cost of Eddie's banishment, after Carnage pulled him through the portal with him.

Powers and Abilities

Venom possessed all of Spider-Man's powers (since the symbiote had previously bonded with him), as well as the symbiotes unique powers such as stretching and deforming and more durable webbing.

Unknown, likely stronger than Spider-Man, as Venom possesses superhuman strength similar to Spider-Man's combined with Eddie Brock's natural bulk.

Weaknesses

Venom is vulnerable to sonic and heat based attacks.

Notes

• Eddie and Venom were voiced by Hank Azaria in Spider-Man: The Animated Series.
• Like in the comics', in Spider-Man: The Animated Series Eddie Brock is a reporter who becomes bonded to an alien symbiote that was once attached to Spider-Man. The symbiote's origin is altered however, the alien being brought to Earth from an asteroid-based space exploration.
• It is this version of Eddie Brock and the Symbiote that has been adopted into re-tellings of his origin story in other media. Most notably the movie Spider-Man 3 which the symbiote made Peter Parker more aggressive.