Venom’s New Host Revealed

When Venom: Space Knight came to a close, it gave the impression that Flash Thompson would continue to be the man in clad in black. That was not meant to be forever, however, as in Venom #1 a new person is given the power of the symbiote, and the jury is out if the right choice was made.

Spoilers from here on out, so if you haven’t read the issue yet you can check out some of our other comics coverage. You’ve been warned.

The symbiote appears in rough condition when the issue starts, a bit lost and desperate. It’s searching for a new host and even temporarily finds one. Unfortunately for the symbiote, the host it picked is in equally rough shape.

Meanwhile writer Mike Costa introduces fans to a former Army ranger named Lee Price, a skilled soldier who takes on mercenary jobs to pay the bills thanks to the government’s less than expedited aid. He meets with Mac Gargan, who most will know as one of the previous holder’s of the symbiote.

He hires Lee and his associate to help on a sale to Tombstone’s gang, but of course, they don’t comply with the previous agreement. Pistols are drawn and a firefight is about to erupt when the symbiote jumps to Lee’s aid and starts to bond with him, finding salvation. As they start to merge, the symbiote gets a peek at Lee’s history, specifically his previous time as a soldier, leading him to compare him to Flash Thompson. Thompson had his issues, but more often than not he always wanted to do the right thing. That bliss doesn’t last long, though, as Lee takes control of the symbiote’s powers to brutally kill everyone around him, including his longtime friend.

The most interesting part is how much the symbiote fights against Lee, saying things like “I don’t want this!” during the battle. The symbiote got a taste of what being a hero is like, and is now in a situation where his host doesn’t care what it wants. Lee Price is the new Venom, but he is assuredly not the good guy.

Venom #1 is written by Mike Costa with art by Gerardo Sandoval. Colorist duties fall to Dono Sanchez Almara, with VC’s Clayton Cowles lettering.

You can check out the scenes in the gallery. Venom #1 is in stores today.