From Knull to Toxin: 5 Insatiable Symbiotes Who Can Devour More Than Venom

The symbiotes are back in the spotlight again for Marvel Comics as the “Queen in Black” storyline has reached Earth, and both Hela, with the former powers of Knull, and Knull, as the new God of Light, are in a war against each other, with Earth caught in the middle. Some of the symbiotes on Earth are also fighting to stop Knull and Hela as they arrive, while other symbiotes are fighting for Hela now. On top of Venom as the most famous symbiote on Earth (and currently bonded with Mary Jane Watson), there are several others who have an even more insatiable appetite than Marvel’s original symbiote.

While the heroes of Earth fight to stop the latest symbiote invasion, here are five symbiotes who can devour more than Venom.

5) Sleeper

The symbiote Sleeper debuted in Venom #165 (2018), but it was unnamed and didn’t receive its official name until the Venom: First Host miniseries by Mike Costa and Mark Bagley. Sleeper is the seventh and youngest spawn of Venom, and it was one of the rare symbiotes born good and deliberately raised to be benevolent rather than a killer. That doesn’t make it any less powerful, but instead of super-strength, it is a chemical- and biological-warfare specialist.

Sleeper can secrete chemicals and pheromones that can tranquilize targets and alter their emotions. It can also serve as a telepathic link to targets. It can also eliminate light, which allows it to become invisible, and that makes it a perfect assassin when needed. Its most impressive feat was when it bonded with and lobotomized Tel-Kar, the rogue Kree who was Venom’s original host. Sleeper is also fiercely protective of Dylan Brock. Interestingly, Sleeper is the most smug and arrogant symbiote regardless of its host, making it one of the most powerful ever produced.

4) Carnage

Carnage never stood a chance. When Venom spawned this symbiote and left it in the prison where Venom freed Eddie Brock, the symbiote first bonded with a man named Cletus Kasady, a sociopathic serial killer with no redeeming qualities. Its first appearance was in The Amazing Spider-Man #361 (1992) by David Michelinie and Mark Bagley. Unlike Venom, who previously bonded with the hero Peter Parker before going to the angry Eddie Brock, Carnage was designed as a Joker-styled Venom to make it more unpredictable.

Carnage is a murderous symbiote and has a hunger that is even greater than its “father.” This was shown in full in the 1993 crossover “Maximum Carnage,” which ran across multiple Spider-titles. The symbiote was also responsible for helping to lead Knull to Earth for the first time in “King in Black.” In more recent comics, Eddie Brock took on the Carnage symbiote, believing he could control it and protect innocents, as long as he killed terrible villains instead, but Carnage proved to be untrustworthy and betrayed Brock in the end.

3) Toxin

Toxin was a hero for the longest time. He debuted in Venom vs. Carnage #2 (2004) by Peter Milligan and Clayton Crain, and the reason he was good was that he first bonded with a police officer named Patrick Mulligan. He developed Mulligan’s honor and moral code, and the two fought crime together. However, Toxin was the 1,000th symbiote descendant in the Venom line, a milestone generation both Carnage and Venom feared would be the strongest and most dangerous symbiote in history.

Carnage and Venom both wanted to destroy Toxin, but both failed, which showed this new spawn’s actual power. Sadly, Mulligan died after teaching Toxin the difference between right and wrong, and the symbiote ended up cycling through other hosts, including Eddie Brock and a teenager named Bren Waters. Toxin is easily more powerful than both Venom and Carnage, which makes it a dangerous threat even with its proper upbringing.

2) Grendel

Grendel first appeared in Venom #1 (2018) by Donny Cates and Ryan Stegman. Unlike most symbiotes, which attach themselves to humans, this one appeared as a dragon-like embodiment of living darkness that was the avatar of Knull, the god of all symbiotes. This being had been on Earth long ago and received the name of the Beowulf monster because that was the title the terrified humans who first encountered the symbiote dragon gave it.

Grendel fought Thor during the early medieval period. After the battle, it was left frozen in ice, tying the symbiote mythos directly into Marvel’s Asgardian history. SHIELD excavated Grendel to help create new Sym-Soldiers, but this helped the beast revive in time for the “King in Black” storyline, leading Knull to Earth. Grendel was an almost unstoppable force, and when Eddie Brock’s Venom teamed with a Tyrannosaurus symbiote to eventually immolate the dragon, it helped lead to Knull’s arrival following “Absolute Carnage” and the start of that crossover series.

1) Knull

The deadliest of all the symbiote characters is the god of the symbiotes, Knull. He made his full debut in Venom #3 (2018) by Donny Cates and Ryan Stegman, although his debut was retroactively made in Thor: God of Thunder #6 (2013), although he was unnamed at that time. Knull was the god of living darkness who predated the current universe. He forged All-Black the Necrosword, which was the first symbiote, using it to decapitate a Celestial, and then he used it to slaughter gods.

Knull was an enemy of the Silver Surfer in Silver Surfer: Black (2019) by Cates, and he then showed up thanks to the events of “Absolute Carnage.” This led him to launch the “King in Black” storyline, where Knull was too powerful for any regular hero to beat, even with names like the Silver Surfer and Thor in the battle. It took Captain Universe bonding with Venom and using the Surfer’s board and Thor’s hammer to finally stop Knull. Now, Knull is back in “Queen in Black” as the God of Light, and is just as deadly as when he lived in darkness.

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