Marvel fans get to find out what would happen if She-Hulk became the Lethal Protector Venom in a new What If...? series. The new five-issue limited series will put a bold twist on the Venom symbiote's origin story by having five established Marvel characters (She-Hulk, Moon Knight, Wolverine, Doctor Strange, and Loki) bond with it instead of Eddie Brock. What If...? is known for showing alternate stories that diverge from what we typically know about our heroes and villains, and the same can be said for What If...? Venom. The first issue features Jennifer Walters / She-Hulk, who is already mighty and powerful in her own right, bond with the Venom symbiote, and we now have a preview of how that story begins.
ComicBook.com has the exclusive preview of What If...? Venom #1 by Jeremy Holt, Jesús Hervás, Ceci De La Cruz, and VC's Ariana Maher. It takes readers to the streets of Hell's Kitchen, where She-Hulk passes by Our Lady of Saints Church. There, she finds Eddie Brock rushing through the church's door with a pistol on his hip. This is the part of the Eddie Brock / Venom story where Eddie wishes nothing but bad things on Spider-Man for "ruining" his life. On Earth-616, the symbiote is rejected by Peter Parker and finds a host in Eddie who hates Spider-Man as much as it does. However, this origin story plays out differently.
She-Hulk stops Eddie Brock from committing suicide by crushing the gun pointed in his mouth. As Eddie pours his heart out to her, She-Hulk is pulled up into the church rafters by the Venom symbiote. While it liked Eddie's hatred for Spider-Man, the symbiote senses the anger in She-Hulk's blood, which it wants to take advantage of.
What is What If...? Venom about?
In What If...? Venom, years ago, in a familiar church tower, the Venom symbiote was spurned by Peter Parker and found a willing host in the vengeful and wrathful Eddie Brock! Or, at least, that's the story you know! Get an all-new look at what makes the Marvel Universe's most sinister symbiote tick, starting with a journey that reimagines its earliest days bonded to a host with a rage and temper entirely different from those of Eddie Brock!
"Having the opportunity to play within the Venom sandbox is cool. Having the opportunity to bond five iconic heroes to the alien parasite is cooler," Holt said in a statement. "In doing so within the WHAT IF…? concept, I've had an absolute blast crafting a linear revisionist history that's provided me the latitude to introduce distinct versions of the anti-hero that we've all come to love."
The exclusive preview of What If...? Venom #1 is below. The issue goes on sale Wednesday, February 28th.