Meet Marvel’s New Venom and Its Four Possible Hosts (and One Who Definitely Isn’t)

Meet Marvel’s New Venom and Its Four Possible Hosts (and One Who Definitely Isn’t)

As a longtime fan of the Venom series, I must say that this new development in All-New Venom has me absolutely hooked! The suspenseful cliffhanger at the end of the first issue leaves us with four intriguing suspects – Robbie Robertson, Luke Cage, Rick Jones, and Madame Masque.

A fresh Venom character has emerged in the Marvel Comics realm, but the identity of the individual wearing the symbiote remains shrouded in secrecy. Throughout its history, Venom has been attached to various hosts, such as Peter Parker and Eddie Brock, with Eddie being most famously linked as the Lethal Protector. However, following the events of “Venom War,” this connection is set to alter significantly as father and son Eddie Brock and Dylan squared off, each striving to be the last Venom in existence. Intriguingly, neither of them emerged victorious, leading us to wonder: who is now patrolling New York City streets under the Venom guise?

In the first issue of the brand-new series titled “All-New Venom,” the creative team of Al Ewing, Carlos Gomez, Frank D’Armata, and Clayton Cowles from Marvel Comics introduce four potential candidates for the new Venom host: Madame Masque, Robbie Robertson, Luke Cage, and Rick Jones. The story takes place during a trial for Madam Masque’s involvement in the “Gang War” event, attended by Robbie Robertson, Luke Cage, and Rick Jones. As the narrative unfolds, there are strong indications that any one of these characters could be the new Venom, but what’s intriguing is that we learn who it isn’t – one of the previous hosts has been definitively ruled out.

Let’s run down the possibilities.

Madame Masque – The Terrorist

Meet Marvel’s New Venom and Its Four Possible Hosts (and One Who Definitely Isn’t)

In the debut issue of All-New Venom, our initial suspect is none other than Madam Masque, who makes her appearance on the opening page within a detention cell during her trial for offenses committed during the infamous supervillain battle known as the Gang War. Remarkably, this trial is being televised live, adding an extra layer of suspense to the events unfolding. Madam Masque has a reputation for leading organized crime operations and has often found herself at odds with heroes such as Iron Man, Captain America, and the Avengers.

During the trial when A.I.M attempted to let loose Madame Masque for a planned attack, Luke Cage swiftly intervened. Taking advantage of the chaos, Madame Masque managed to slip away from her confinement, disappearing mysteriously through the cell floor. The comic doesn’t reveal how she did it, leaving us guessing whether she used the Venom symbiote to tunnel out or if someone/something else helped her. Oh, and by the way, the gold in All-New Venom’s suit resembles Madame Masque’s metallic face mask.

Luke Cage – The Mayor

Meet Marvel’s New Venom and Its Four Possible Hosts (and One Who Definitely Isn’t)

Luke Cage assumed the role of New York’s Mayor following Wilson Fisk in the aftermath of the Daredevil storyline “Devil’s Reign.” However, his duties as Mayor have kept him quite busy, with him getting involved in the ongoing Gang War and other significant occurrences. In “All-New Venom,” Luke Cage attends Madame Masque’s trial, seated next to Daily Bugle Editor-in-Chief Robbie Robertson.

For Luke, it’s uncomfortable to see a federal trial being streamed openly; he worries the justice system may become even more corrupted than it currently is. After getting knocked out of a window while battling A.I.M., if he truly is Venom, Luke switches into his form. Interestingly, similar to Madame Masque, Luke Cage’s signature gold appearance can be found on the new Venom symbiote.

Robbie Robertson – The Journalist

Meet Marvel’s New Venom and Its Four Possible Hosts (and One Who Definitely Isn’t)

Robbie Robertson expresses concern that if Madame Masque’s trial continues to be sensationalized for public consumption, she might walk free. Ever since his son Randy became entangled in the Gang War, Robertson harbors deep-seated resentment towards Madame Masque and all parties involved. He swears he won’t stand idly by and let it continue; he intends to use every means at his disposal to put a stop to it.

In the story, Robbie and Rick Jones flee the courtroom as A.I.M. arrives, providing Robbie with a chance to transform into Venom. Historically, he’s been a secondary character in Spider-Man comics, but the series All-New Venom could offer him an opportunity to step up and fight against more formidable villains.

Rick Jones – The Sidekick

Meet Marvel’s New Venom and Its Four Possible Hosts (and One Who Definitely Isn’t)

Rick Jones, throughout his career, has been a trusted companion to various stars, including Hulk, Captain America, and more. In conversations with Luke Cage and Robbie Robertson, he’s revealed that he’s not only been their sidekick but also took on the roles of Hulk and a version of The Abomination, even experiencing death temporarily. Essentially, Rick Jones has been deeply involved in the superhero world. Now, his new assignment finds him writing a celebrity column for the Daily Bugle, focusing on the “Threat or Menace” aspect.

It’s possible that Rick may assume the role of Venom next, given his mysterious disappearance from the courtroom with Robbie. One of A.I.M.’s scientists, Maddox, specializes in superhuman body language and identifies that the new Venom isn’t Eddie or Dylan Brock. Although Maddox can’t determine exactly who the new host is, he recognizes that he has encountered this person recently, leaving only our four suspects as possibilities. However, All-New Venom #1 leaves us questioning if we’ll learn more about a previous Venom host in upcoming issues.

Dylan Brock – The Detective

Meet Marvel’s New Venom and Its Four Possible Hosts (and One Who Definitely Isn’t)

In the first issue of the newly revamped Venom comic, we find ourselves catching up with Mary Jane Watson, also known as Jackpot, and her companion Paul. They’ve found themselves taking care of a homeless individual named Dylan Brock, who is on a mission to discover who has stolen Venom from him. After scrutinizing news broadcasts of the trial, Dylan suspects that the culprits are Luke Cage, Robbie Robertson, Rick Jones, and Madame Masque. This eliminates any confusion that Marvel might be pulling a trick by having Dylan be Venom himself.

In “All-New Venom,” Dylan is deeply engrossed, while Eddie Brock teams up with Carnage in a new series titled “Eddie Brock: Carnage“. For now, we’ll have to keep tabs on Eddie as the identity of All-New Venom’s host remains an ongoing question.

All-New Venom is on sale at Marvel.

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2024-12-09 02:10