Forget Venom, Marvel Gave Spider-Man a Better Symbiote Partner

Venom might have the notoriety that comes with being Spider-Man’s first alien partner, but a much better ally has revealed itself to Peter Parker. Sure, Venom’s power can’t exactly be denied. The symbiote made Spider-Man stronger, faster, and arguably better in many ways. But the risks posed by the gooey alien were too great, and Peter severed their bond ages ago (though that hasn’t stopped the symbiote from romanticizing their brief time together). But it does make you wonder what it would have been like had Spider-Man been given a partner that was a little more stable than Venom.

But that question may finally be answered. After his devastating fight with the powerful villain Hellgate, Peter has been out in the cosmos, working with the mad scientist Xanto Starblood to help Spider-Man become stronger so that he can return to Earth. To aid Spider-Man, Peter was given the Technarachnid Suit, a costume that behaved in ways similar to a symbiote. Now Peter’s discovering the truth behind his outfit and meeting someone who could be the ally that Venom could only dream of being.

Spider-Man’s New Ally Glitch is the Partner Venom Never Was

Joe Kelly and Emilio Laiso continue to showcase Peter Parker’s adventures in space in The Amazing Spider-Man #15. To pay off Rocket Raccoon’s massive debts, Peter is roped into an intergalactic pay-per-view event that pits him against a massive monster known as ‘Betty’. The competition starts in earnest, and Spider-Man can hold his own, largely thanks to the Technarachnid suit. However, the suit’s lifelike components and the commentary from the fight’s announcer make Peter realize that the Technarachnid suit isn’t a husk like he was told, but a living being kept subdued thanks to Xanto’s alterations.

Peter refuses to keep the lifeform subdued and reboots his costume, causing everything for Spider-Man to black out temporarily. His consciousness pairs with the alien he’s bonded with, and they each witness one another’s memories. Peter discovers that the alien was once a part of the Technarchy, before they separated from the groupmind and spent the next several hundred years in solitude before being found by Xanto and turned into a living weapon. The reboot finishes, and the alien introduces themselves as Glitch. Glitch doesn’t re-form into Spider-Man’s costume, but they do give Peter a spare, less-powerful costume.

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All hell breaks loose in the gladiator pit as Rocket and Peter’s crew get into a fight. Thankfully, Glitch manages to communicate with Betty and uses her might to negotiate an escape for the band of heroes. Peter and Xanto return to the lab to continue their work on making Spider-Man stronger. Xanto remains firm that Glitch’s participation as an experiment was voluntary. But Spider-Man refuses to subjugate a living being. Meanwhile, Glitch comprehends what the future holds now that he has his autonomy back for the first time in years.

Glitch is Already Leaps and Bounds Better Than a Symbiote

Despite how popular they are, I’ve never been a particular fan of the symbiotes. They look cool, sure, but the whole toxic co-dependence that comes with them has always rubbed me the wrong way. I know that Marvel has gotten better with them, but just seeing all the damage that Venom caused Spider-Man from the get-go never really endeared me to the symbiote (or any symbiote, really). But I think Glitch avoids much of what I didn’t like about Venom, and it honestly makes for a stronger character.

While Glitch is capable of bonding with others, including on a mental plane like the symbiotes, it’s not something that drives him. Symbiotes need hosts to truly thrive. Glitch, on the other hand, seems rather inconvenienced by the whole dynamic they’ve accidentally forged with Peter. Glitch doesn’t like Spider-Man’s memories, and they’re happy to go back to being their own person. Symbiotes are just so impatient and demanding, but Glitch is a pretty laidback being, and they have a much more chill vibe than any symbiote.

The one hitch, of course, is that while Venom was eager to jump at using a host, Glitch is more reticent, which is understandable given their years in captivity. But they’re not opposed to working with Spider-Man (they even made Peter a suit). It just has to be more on his terms, one that establishes boundaries and personal space. That already lays the groundwork for a healthier partnership than Peter’s past with Venom (or any symbiote, really).

Now I don’t think this partnership is going to last. Peter’s just hanging out in space until he’s ready to go back and face Hellgate once more. But I do think that, for the time being, Spider-Man has the potential for a partnership that can really take his skills to the next level while avoiding all the toxicity that came with Venom. Maybe it’s only temporary, but I think Glitch and Spider-Man could make for a great duo as long as Spider-Man’s stuck in outer space.

What do you think of Spider-Man and Glitch’s partnership? Let us know below!