Move Over Carnage, This Symbiote is Marvel’s Most Dangerous Figure

All-New Venom has been rebuilding the symbiotic side of the Marvel Universe, with All-New Venom #5 revealing the identity of the new Venom. Meanwhile, the book is also doing some legwork for a major story line using a young symbiote. All-New Venom has introduced a new organization called SCAR, one meant to battle against symbiotes and keep them under control. SCAR already has a prison meant specifically for symbiotes, with Flash Thompson’s Agent Venom working as a mole in the prison. Agent Venom is feeding information to a symbiote known as Sleeper, the seventh spawn of the Venom symbiote. Sleeper has had quite a history in the various symbiote wars that have been going on in the last few years, and seems to be rather perturbed about the treatment of the other symbiotes.

Sleeper was revealed to be Rick Jones in All-New Venom #4, and has been using Agent Venom’s information to make moves against any anti-symbiote forces. However, All-New Venom #5 shows just how far Sleeper will go to achieve his goals. Symbiotes have reached a new level of danger in recent years, with several gaining godlike powers like Knull and Venom have. Sleeper may not be at that level, but looking at his action, there’s a chance he could become a new Carnage — a symbiote that doesn’t care about the lives of anyone.

Sleeper’s Actions Show a Disdain for Humanity

All-New Venom #5 revealed several things about Sleeper. The first of these shows how little he cares about actual human beings. Sleeper reveals that when it takes over, it renders Rick Jones unconscious and then wipes his mind afterwards. Jones has no idea what Sleeper does, and has no control at all. This is actually quite rare among the symbiotes, who seemingly do their best to actually bond with their hosts. Later in the issue, Sleeper is able to defeat MODOK by shooting into him and taking over his body. Sleeper then decides that he’s going to blank everyone’s memory of Sleeper, something that Venom finds completely unethical. However, that doesn’t stop Sleeper, who pulled an Ozymandias and was doing it while Venom was talking about why he shouldn’t. Sleeper then leaves the scene, forcing Venom and its new host to muse over how dangerous he is.

RELATED: Marvel Reveals All-New Venom’s Shocking Secret Identity

It’s easy to say that Sleeper isn’t anywhere close to Carnage because of his actions. Sleeper hasn’t gone on killing sprees that kill hundreds of people, and is only mindwiping people, including it own host. However, Sleeper’s use of mind control to keep his existence and mission a secret from the world around him shows a rather disturbing lack of respect for humans. Human memory is one of the ways that we know we’re alive. Taking that away from someone is like a death in its own way. It shows the kind of disrespect for the lives of others that could very easily lead to Sleeper deciding that the best way to keep their secrets is to kill anyone around. Sleeper already believes that humanity’s action are going to damage their people. Sleeper already sees humans as an enemy to an extent, and it would be easy for that to transform into seeing all humans as an enemy that doesn’t need to exist anymore.

Sleeper Is on a Slippery Slope

Carnage’s twisted belief system has led him to kill basically everyone around him. Carnage has zero respect for the lives of everyone else on the planet, and is known for being one of the most dangerous villains in the Marvel Universe. Saying someone is on the road to becoming like Carnage is a pretty serious accusation, but Sleeper definitely deserves it. Sleeper is on a mission all its own; they haven’t revealed anything about their actual mission, other than fighting SCAR, AIM, and anyone who endangers symbiotes. Sleeper almost certainly thinks that their actions are justified because he’s trying to protect the symbiotes, justifying all of his actions. If they are willing to mindwipe people, it’s not that far from killing them.

Sleeper is one of the more powerful and skilled symbiotes around right now. Having him pulling the old Charles Xavier special on a bunch of humans just because they saw Sleeper fighting MODOK and Madame Masque alongside Venom is a pretty unconscionable act. Sleeper isn’t seeing their victims like human beings, which is exactly what Carnage does.

All-New Venom #5 is on sale now.