3. Maximum Carnage
Another story that would need to axe the presence of Spider-Man (as well as several other heroes), this popular arc sees Marvel’s second-favourite symbiote Carnage escape from prison, before attempting to live up to his namesake by going on a murderous rampage through New York City with fellow inmate Shriek. Venom eventually assembles a group of heroes to tackle the threat head on, and the result is a battle that would make the vast majority of comic book fans weak at the knees.
With Shriek’s psychic abilities turning New York City’s population into mindless savages, we could still see Venom be somewhat villainous, killing several frenzied civilians in his crusade against Carnage, whilst still fighting for the greater good. This could be an interesting way to make Venom an anti-hero figure without allowing him to sway too heavily into the territory of either hero or villain. Sadly, the actual heroes in the story would likely need to be traded in for other characters, but it would be equally cool to see Venom assemble a team of villains and other symbiotes to take on Carnage and Shriek. Like Suicide Squad, only with bloodthirsty alien parasites.
2. Project Rebirth 2.0
When Peter Parker’s bully and eventual best bud Eugene ‘Flash’ Thompson loses his legs in Afghanistan, he’s given an opportunity he can’t refuse: a symbiote suit. The government recruits Flash to go out on a variety of black ops missions with the aid of a special combat suit that allows him not only to walk, but to become the hero he always dreamed of being. The catch however, is that the suit is enhanced by the recently acquired Venom symbiote, though Flash doesn’t hesitate to step up, and is soon dubbed Agent Venom. Things quickly spiral out of control however, as Flash struggles to keep the suit (and himself) under control as he fights a cavalcade of comic book villains across several story arcs.
What’s really fantastic here though is that Flash Thompson the war veteran is just as interesting a character as his Venom-clad alter-ego, and his lack of control when it comes to the Venom suit serves as a fascinating microcosm for the rest of his life as he struggles with alcoholism, personal relationships and disability. With the right script, this story could hit some really affecting emotional beats that you wouldn’t necessarily expect from a Venom story, and while it’s a risk to immediately stray this far away from the traditional Eddie Brock incarnation of Venom, it’s a risk that could pay off in a huge way. Plus, Eddie Brock actually shows up fairly frequently in Agent Venom’s stories as both Anti-Venom and Toxin, so this could be another fun way to populate this universe with characters, allowing Sony to have their cake and eat it too.
1. Lethal Protector
In many ways, this could be considered the definitive Venom story. Not only did it kick off the popular string of Venom solo series’ in the 90s, but also established the character as an anti-hero rather than a villain after making a truce with Spider-Man and moving to San Francisco for a fresh start. The story follows Venom’s crime-fighting exploits in San Francisco, which as the title suggests, are a little more… severe than Spidey’s. It’s a lot of fun to read, and the series is also notable for introducing a variety of other symbiotes; namely the aforementioned Scream, Agony, Phage, Riot and Lasher as well as a colourful collection of other characters.
This would be an interesting place for the Venom movies to kick off, and we’d have to assume there was already some significant character history there, but what’s great is that while this story sets Eddie Brock on a somewhat redemptive path, he still constantly struggles with his identity and his morality, flitting back and forth between anti-hero and villain to this day, leaving the character open to some fascinating exploration.
So are you excited for a Venom movie? Which story arc would you like to see Sony tackle?
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