Within the last decade, Marvel Comics has introduced dozens of new symbiotes intoVenom’s expanded lore. From eldritch gods to hybrid monstrosities, Marvel has been overrun by a slew of new symbiotes following Knull’s invasion and throughout Eddie Brock’s reign as the King in Black. While Venom will always be Marvel’s most popular alien symbiote, these new symbiotic additions deserve a comic comeback, if not their own MCU debut.
Before Marvel’sAbsolute Carnageevent, Marvel Comics severely lacked a wider range of Klyntar characters. Venom, Carnage, the Life Foundation symbiotes, and a handful of symbiote side characters. However, after Knull’s invasion, Earth became overrun with many new and unique additions to the parasitic alien lifeforms. Among Marvel’s many new symbiotes, some stand out amid the rest. These ten extraterrestrial creatures are unlike anything Marvel has seen in the past. While the Venom War has officially come to a close,these ten symbiotes deserve a comic comebackin future stories featuring Eddie Brock and the Lethal Protector.
1Knull
Debuted In:Venom #3 (2018)by Donny Cates and Ryan Stegman
While Knull may not technically be a symbiote himself, no list of Marvel symbiotes can be complete without the Klyntar’s creator. Eons before Peter Parker discovered Venom, Knull existed in the primordial void between the death of the Sixth Cosmos and the birth of the Seventh. When Celestials brought life to the Multiverse and dubbed Knull the King in Black,the eldritch abomination refused the cosmic gods.
Knull waged war against the cosmos, eventually harnessing the Living Void and the power of a dead Celestial to create the first symbiote, All-Black the Necrosword. While the primordial being initially succeeded in his conquest, the symbiotes revolted, trapping Knull in a living prison until his eventual release. Despite Knull’s importance during theKing in Blackevent, the character failed to persist in the comics following Eddie Brock’s ascension asthe new King in Black. Knull may have solidified himself as an established symbiotic character, but he, more than any symbiote, deserves a chance to return as a refreshed villain.
2Meridius
Debuted In:Venom #1 (2021)by Al Ewing, Ram V, & Andrew Currie
After usurping Knull as the King in Black, Eddie Brock unlocked the cosmic power to see through and possess any symbiote throughout the Multiverse and across all time. At the end of all existence, and the precipice of the Ninth Cosmos, Eddie saw himself become an unparalleled force of destruction called the Anti-All. However, a version of Eddie, thousands of years down the line,refused to accept his inevitable destinyand cast himself aside from his fixed path in time.
Don’t Be Alarmed, But I Think Spider-Man’s Son Is About To Turn Into A New Venom
I’m pretty confident that Marvel’s newest Spider-Man series is setting the stage for a brand-new version of Venom (in the form of Peter Parker’s son).
Now calling himself Meridius, Eddie had practically lost all of his humanity, instead being replaced with a fully symbiotic body and an unparalleled hunger to rule. As an eternal King in Black, Meridiuscommands the Multiversewith an iron grip, far surpassing what Knull was ever capable of. Personally trained by Kang in the art of combat, strategy, and espionage, Meridius is a threat so powerful that only another King in Black could hope to defeat him.
3The Arachniote
Debuted In:Venom War: Spider-Man #1 (2024)by Collin Kelly, Jackson Lanzing, & Greg Land
Also known as the All-Hunger, the Arachniote is an anomaly among the Klyntar. The Arachniote is a specialized symbiote hybrid that spawned from two individual symbiotes bonding together. Unlike a traditional amalgam symbiote, which still requires a host to bond to, the Arachniote is a completely independent organism, severed from the Symbiote Hive-Mind. Among the Klyntar,symbiote-on-symbiote bonding is considered a profane act, so vile that it even intimated Knull. During the Venom War, Meridius summoned the symbiotic monstrosity, directing it to capture the Venom symbiote.
In its full form, the Arachniote is an eldritch abomination unlike any other. Composed of dozens of amorphous blackened arachnid limbs and a tentacled face, the Arachniote wreaks havoc on the minds of those who gaze upon its heretic existence. Sadly, despite its remarkable novelty, the Arachniote died fairly soon after its debut. While Marvel has previously expanded the mechanics of amalgam symbiotes and hybrid symbiotes, this atrocity is a completely new type of symbiote that should be explored further in futureVenom or Eddie Brock comics.
4Bedlam
Debuted In:Venom #20 (2023)by Al Ewing and CAFU
Bedlam is another version of Eddie Brock’s temporally displaced future selves. Like Meridius, Bedlam has long abandoned his original human form, instead omnipresently existing among all symbiotes as a King in Black. Bedlam’s psyche is identical to Eddie’s during his days as the Lethal Protector. All consumed by his rage, Bedlam is a hulking brute who lives for nothing more than to killPeter Parker and Eddie Brock.
While he lacks the same strategic mind as his future selves, Bedlam’s uncontrollable fury is a terrifying distillment of Eddie Brock’s worst qualities.
Like the other Kings in Black, Bedlam is still a master of the Multiverse and commands the Symbiote Hive-Mind with similar authority to the modern Eddie Brock and Meridius. However, his unquenchable bloodlust makes him a relatively simple-minded behemoth. Among Eddie’s other temporal offshoots,Bedlam is by far the strongest in terms of raw power.While he lacks the same strategic mind as his future selves, Bedlam’s uncontrollable fury is a terrifying distillment of Eddie Brock’s worst qualities.
5Dylan Brock / Venom
Debuted In:Venom #7 (2018)by Donny Cates and Iban Coello
Dylan Brock is another anomalous symbiotic hybrid. Technically the child of Eddie Brock, Anne Weying, and the Venom symbiote, Dylan is Marvel’s first naturally born human-symbiote hybrid. When a piece of Venom’s codex left behind inside Anne Weying targeted her reproductive system,Anne had become “miraculously” pregnant.After Anne’s death, Dylan soon found himself homeless and alone until he encountered Venom and Eddie by chance.
Whilebonded with Venom, Dylan has access to powers on par with Knull’s, despite his age. Unlike Eddie who took the power of the King in Black, Dylan was born predisposed to the cosmic station’s power. When he can fully embrace his powers, Dylan takes on the form of a terrifying masked menace known as “Codex.” While Dylan is currently featured in the ongoingAll-New Venomseries, his tenure as the Prince in Black is over. Now, Dylan has been left without Venom and his powers, thus transforming one of Marvel’s most unsuspecting cosmic powers into just another teen boy.
6Extrembiote
Debuted In:King in Black #2 (2020)by Donny Cates and Ryan Stegman
In a desperate attempt to save Eddie Brock’s life during the climactic confrontation with Knull, Iron Man sought to capture a Symbiote Dragon and bond it with Eddie. However, in order to control the powerful symbiote, Iron Man needed to disconnect the Dragon from the Symbiote Hive. By using the living-technology virus Extremis, Iron Man hadhoped the compound could sever the Dragon’s connection by altering its DNA.However, the symbiote instead attacked Iron Man and bonded with the Avenger’s armor.
I Admit It: Venom’s Family Tree Is One of Marvel’s Most Confusing
From its cosmic progenitors to its youngest grandchildren, Venom’s family tree is instead a messy web of clones, hybrids, and off-shoots.
Stark could temporarily control the Symbiote Dragon but was unable to sever its connection to Knull. Like the other Symbiote Dragons, the Extrembiote is one of Knull’s most powerful creations. After being infused with Extremis and laterpossessing Iron Man’s armor, the Extrembiote also possessed the full technological might of the armor. In its Dragon form, the Extrembiote is adorned with thick golden tendrils. However, its most terrifying appearance comes after the techno-organic alien later assimilates into Carnage.
7Serpent
Debuted In:Thor #28 (2022)by Al Ewing and Salvador Larroca
After Eddie Brock, as Bedlam, encounters a demonic being known as Darkoth, the two clash as Bedlam and Eddie wage an internal war within the duo’s shared mind. As the battle with Darkoth neared its climax, two versions of Bedlam were created - one that defeated Darkoth and another that didn’t. When the to-be-dead version of Bedlam was killed, a portion of the symbiote, fueled by Eddie Brock’s distilled rage,separated and reformed into its own being.Now known as “Bedlam’s Child,” the spawn made its way to Asgard to lay siege to the godly kingdom.
Eddie and Thorput down the creature, but the alien mass crept away and evaded its destruction. Meanwhile, as Bedlam’s child seeped through the cracks of Asgard, it found its way into the secret torture chamber of Donal Blake, Thor’s previous mortal host. Blake had been subjected to his punishment after a violent revolt against Asgard, now enduring the venom of a great serpent dripping into his eyes. When the remaining portion of Bedlam’s Child bonded with Donald Blake, a magically enchanted symbiote called “Serpent” was born. However, Serpent has yet to be seen freed from his Asgardian prison.
8Princess
Debuted In:Deadpool #1 (2022)by Alyssa Wong and Martin Coccolo
In an attempt to recreate Cletus Kasady, Deadpool was kidnapped and implanted with samples of the Carnage symbiote. Hoping that the infant symbiote would adopt Deadpool’s healing factor, the organization behind the endeavor aimed to create an immortal symbiotic monstrosity completely subservient to its new masters. However, after one of the samples burst from Deadpool’s body, the Merc with a Mouth escaped his confinement withthe Carnage symbioteclone close by.
Despite her semi-physical status, Deadpool and Princess can bond, resulting in a mountainous dog-like beast called “Princess Deadpool.”
Due to the unique nature of its incubation, the resulting symbiote now known as “Princess” is noticeably more docile compared to her genetic lineage. Princess adores Deadpool, treating the anti-hero as her father, despite symbiotes not often maintaining familial relationships. Additionally, Princess lacks the need for a host,most likely due to her uncharacteristically organic inner body.Unlike the rest of her kind, Princess possesses muscles and bones. Despite her semi-physical status, Deadpool and Princess can bond, resulting in a mountainous dog-like beast called “Princess Deadpool.”
9Sleeper
Debuted In:Venom #165 (2018)by Mike Costa and Mark Bagley
As Venom’s supposedly final spawn, Sleeper is one of the most powerful in Venom’s lineage. Unlike Venom’s more mundane children, the Life Foundation symbiotes, Sleeper takes more after his brother Carnage. While he doesn’t haveCarnage’s murderous disposition, Sleeper, like his brother, possesses powers unseen by the rest of the species. As Sleeper matured, he gained a slew of chemokinetic abilities.
His body naturally produces various chemicals ranging from psychedelics to pheromones to tranquilizers and toxins. If Sleeper pushes himself hard enough, he can use his chemokinetic powers to propel himself like a rocket. In addition to its chemical-based powers, Sleeper is seamlessly capable of creating fully-sized remotely piloted offshoots. This ability is a particularly rare talent thatonly the Symbiote Dragons and a small handful of normal symbiotes possess.The Maker suggests that Sleeper was created as a direct result of the arrival of the Grendel symbiote upon Earth. Despite his relatively young age, Sleeper has a boisterous personality. His combined raw power and entertaining demeanor make him an ideal candidate for a future comic book return.
10Venom Bloom
Debuted In:Extreme Venomverse #4 (2023)by Peach Momoko
In this variant universe, Earth-17239, instead of bonding with a living mortal host, drips of the Venom symbiote had infected a mystically enchanted forest within one of Peach Momoko’s beautifully rendered watercolor depictions of Japan. The symbiote consumed a nearby flower, clinging to the complex root structure underneath the ground of the forest. Venom Bloom soon after consumed a fairy creature, giving it a morehumanoid body and adorned with flower petals.
Venom’s Most Unique Design Belongs to an Unexpected Avenger
One classic member of the Avengers got a radical reinvention from their usual design with a Venom Symbiote form that has to be seen to be believed.
The creature rapidly evolved, taking to the sky and reconfiguring into an inky black cloud. Venom Bloom cast itself apart, raining itself upon the forest and consuming everything. Thisvariant of Venomexcelled past its traditional mortal limitations to instead become that of a living forest, infecting and consuming all who entered. Unlike any version of the symbiote seen before, Venom Bloom is the first symbiote to ever bond with plant life. This fantastical symbiote is possibly the coolest of its kind. Hopefully, Marvel givesVenomBloom a second chance to appear in Earth-616 at a future date.
