First Appearance: The Amazing Spider-Man #252 (May 1984)

Venom is a Marvel Comics character who is a sentient alien symbiote. The symbiote survives by bonding with a host, usually human. When bonded with a host, the symbiote gives the host enhanced powers and the two become one being called Venom. Venom was originally introduced as a living alien costume in The Amazing Spider-Man #252 (May 1984). The symbiote's first human host was Spider-Man himself, but he eventually discovered its true nature and separated himself from the creature. The symbiote went on to merge with other hosts, beginning with Eddie Brock, its second and best-known host. With Brock, the symbiote became Venom and became one of Spider-Man's most prominent villains. Since his debut, however, Venom has evolved into an antiheroic figure, slowly distancing himself from his initial goal to ruin Spider-Man's life to try and do good instead. Venom has been featured in various media adaptations of Spider-Man over the years, including feature films, television series, and video games. The character is a fan-favorite and is one of Spider-Man's most well-known villains.