Venom reprises his role in Marvel’s Spider-Man 2, bringing along a host of his characteristic strengths and weaknesses from the comic books.
Ever since his first appearance in Amazing Spider-Man #300, Venom has been a beloved and highly sought-after villain of Spider-Man. Despite his constant desire to consume brains, fans have been drawn to the daunting and powerful symbiote.
Venom, a member of the alien Klyntar race, is part of a collective consciousness of symbiotes that search for hosts. However, due to his damaged mind, Venom occasionally desires to harm a large number of individuals, which poses a threat to us.
Despite undergoing various transformations and taking on roles such as lethal protector, government agent, and space knight, Venom’s fundamental powers and vulnerabilities have remained largely unchanged.
Venom’s Powers and Weaknesses in Marvel Comics
Prior to the character’s return to gaming in Marvel’s Spider-Man 2, let’s explore the explanations for all of Venom’s powers and weaknesses.
Venom has plenty of Spider-Man’s best powers, including enhanced strength, durability, and webbing.
Venom has many of Spider-Man’s best powers
Similar to Spidey, Venom possesses increased strength, speed, and durability. In addition, he is able to rapidly heal from injuries.
The symbiote is also responsible for generating Venom’s webbing. This means that if too much webbing is used, the symbiote can tire itself out, a feat that Spider-Man was able to accomplish once as well.
Venom possesses incredible strength, placing him among the top tier of characters in the Marvel Universe. With ease, he is able to engage in physical battles with powerful beings such as The Hulk or The Thing.
Because Spider-Man was bonded with the symbiote, Venom is invisible to his Spider-Sense.
Venom Can Negate Spider-Man’s Spider-Sense
Spider-Man’s Spider-Sense cannot detect Venom. The symbiote is able to deceive Spider-Man’s senses because it previously bonded with him.
This immediately puts Spidey at a disadvantage as he is unable to rely on his Spider-Sense. As a result, he is constantly unaware of Venom’s whereabouts and unpredictable attacks.
Despite Venom not possessing a Spider-Sense, the symbiote’s status as a living organism grants it heightened awareness of its surroundings, making it extremely challenging to catch off guard.
Venom is a member of the Klyntar, a symbiotic alien race.
Symbiotes: Amorphous, Living Organisms
Symbiotes are living beings capable of extraordinary abilities. They possess a genetic and hive memory that allows them to communicate and share knowledge across space and, in certain versions, time, enabling them to coordinate their movements.
This also implies that a symbiote lacks a specific form. While the Venom symbiote typically takes on a human-like appearance, it possesses the ability to transform into any desired shape, whether that be a monstrous creature or Eddie Brock’s attire for disguise.
In addition, Venom has the ability to take on other forms such as Agent Venom and the Space Knight form. Most recently, as the King in Black, he acquired a pair of menacing bat wings which grant him the ability to fly to some extent.
Symbiotes are weak to loud noises, which Mr. Fantastic used to remove the alien costume from Spider-Man.
Loud Sounds Can Weaken the Venom Symbiotes
Symbiotes are instinctively affected by loud sounds. This is evidenced by the event in which Spider-Man’s suit is discovered to be a symbiote from outer space, and Mr. Fantastic removes it with the use of a Sonic Blaster.
The church bell that Spider-Man uses to remove the suit when it tries to re-bond with him is perhaps the most recognizable example of this. The ringing bell weakens the symbiote’s hold, freeing Spider-Man from its bond.
The sonics do not necessarily need to be aimed directly at the target. In the midst of Maximum Carnage, Venom entered the fight armed with a sonic blaster, and simply activating it was sufficient to cause discomfort to his symbiote.
Extreme heat can weaken and harm a symbiote.
Venom is Vulnerable to High Temperatures
Venom’s susceptibility to extreme heat is later revealed to be intentional, designed by Knull to manipulate and control the symbiotes.
Firestar’s power lies in her ability to produce heat through manipulating microwave radiation, making her a formidable opponent against symbiotes. Even Carnage, at the height of his powers, struggled against her and was forced onto the defensive. This surprising strength in fighting symbiotes highlights the unpredictability of certain heroes.
Throughout Venom’s history, heat has consistently been one of his greatest vulnerabilities. In several instances, being in a burning building has nearly led to his defeat, such as in his battle against Sin-Eater in the min-series Venom: Sinner Takes All.
Symbiotes rely on Phenethylamine to stay healthy and sane.
The Therapeutic Effects of Phenethylamine on Venom’s Mental State
Eating a large amount of chocolate or brains can help control Venom’s more aggressive impulses. This is due to the presence of Phenethylamine, which has natural benefits for the symbiote’s well-being.
Before becoming an anti-hero, Venom was known as a “lethal protector”and was recruited by a government agency. To maintain his sanity, Venom consumed large amounts of chocolate bars, ensuring he stayed dosed with phenethylamine.
The chocolate bars were the preferable choice. Phenethylamine is also present in brains, a food that other symbiotes have no hesitation in consuming. Luckily, Eddie Brock came to his senses and stuck with candy bars.
Leave a Reply