Venom is the greatest character ever created in the entire Comic book universe, including DC.

That’s my opinion, and I have debated to the death with people why I believe that.

Venom is an entity that was introduced to the Spider-Man universe in The Secret Wars Issue#8. He was originally designed to be a new suit for Spider-man, but came to be something more.

Venom is a symbiotic alien that bonds with a host and “blesses” them with powers. The symbiote species feeds on your adrenaline, though the symbiote known as Venom is unique among his race in that he wishes to bond with someone permanently. Most other symbiotes will leech away at you until you die and then move on. Venom possesses incrediblye strength, the web-slinging powers of spider-man without the downside of running out of web cartridges. He can attack WITH the symbiote as well, which makes it even harder to fight him. Probably his most powerful attributes though are that he can disguise as anyone, and that he is invisible to Spider-Sense. (Fun fact, he’s also immune to mind control or the Penance Stare of Ghost Rider)

Now you might be asking yourself, “Hang on, if I learned anything from that STWG post about Rhonin, it’s that a good character has flaws…” and you would be an astute pupil of the Story Time’s were you to find yourself asking that question.

The weaknesses of Venom are high frequency sound-waves and fire. Yes, you read that right: fire and sound. Kryptonite? YOU GO TO HELL.

This guy has all that power I just told you, but if you fire off some sound-waves or bring a flamethrower? BYE.

So now that you know about his strengths and weaknesses of his suit, lets talk about why he’s the best character ever.

Eddie Brock was a rival of Peter Parker’s at the Daily Bugle. He was ambitious, risky and a horrible journalist. Always trying and always failing to beat Peter Parker. He was then diagnosed with cancer, and finally proven to be a fraud in the public eyes for reporting a false story. His wife left him because of his failures, and as a result of no job lost his apartment. He became so obsessed with Peter Parker that he began to stalk Parker and blame him for everything that happened. He began working out in an extreme way, (Bro do you even lift? IS NOT a question you would be asking him at this point) and got super ripped. At this point he still cannot overcome his grief and after considering suicide goes to a church to seek direction and forgiveness. There Peter Parking is in the bell tower removing the symbiote from his body. Upon hearing the bells Brock goes to investigate and becomes fused with the newly freed Symbiote.

Discovering Brock’s increased adrenaline as well as his undying hatred for Spider-Man, the 2 hatch a plan to destroy him, this is where they utter the phrase that makes him unique: “WE. ARE. VENOM.”

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4D2N5Fno1B4

Brock’s motivation is to kill spider-man, but that doesn’t make him evil. See, Brock doesn’t want to rule the world, he doesn’t want infamy or fame or even to harm other people. He doesn’t even want Chaos like Carnage or the Joker.

He just. wants. Parker.

Why is this important? Because oddly enough, there are stories where Venom teams up with Spider-man to save the world, because if the world is destroyed Venom can’t kill Peter Parker. As a result, through his different adventures Venom comes to call himself the “Protector of the Innocent”. He’s no longer a villian or JUST an Anti-Hero, but also a Vigilante. His motivation is first to survival, second to kill Spider-Man and third to protect those HE deems innocent.

Stealth, disguise, unlimited webbing, super strength, relatable motives, actual weaknesses that make sense, invisible to spider-sense and an insatiable hunger for the destruction of the protagonist.

How could you design a more fitting and interesting counter to your protagonist?

THE END!

PS: Fun Fact, Venom is sometimes known to crack open the skulls of victims to devour their brain tissue.

As it turns out though, the thing he’s after is most likely Phenethylamine which is a chemical largely attributed to the feeling of love. He devours this chemical in order to maintain sanity. Oddly enough, there are only 2 sources to obtain Phenethylamine: Human Brain tissue and Chocolate. So upon discovering this, Brock begins to intake large amounts of chocolate in order to keep the symbiote from eating brains.