Agent Anti-Venom
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Full Name: | Eugene "Flash" Thompson |
First Appearance: | Amazing Fantasy #15 (as Flash Thompson) Amazing Spider-Man #654 (as Venom) Amazing Spider-Man: Venom Inc. Alpha #1 (as Anti-Venom) |
Created by: | Stan Lee; Steve Ditko |
Home Universe: | Earth-616 |
Alignment: | Good |
Status: | Alive |
Place of Birth: | Forest Hills, Queens, New York |
Citizenship: | American |
Base: | New York City, New York; formerly C.I.T.T.; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania |
Affiliations: | None; formerly Guardians of the Galaxy, Agents of the Cosmos, Avengers (honorary), Secret Avengers, Project: Rebirth 2.0, Sym-Soldier Program, Midtown High School, U.S. army; former ally of the Mercury Team; former partner of Mania and 803; temporary partner of Toxin, Jack O'Lantern and the Red Hulk |
Powers/Abilities: | Alien Symbiote gives enhanced strength, speed, stamina and agility. Gives Spider-like abilities such as clinging to walls, and producing organic "webbing." Spider-sense, poisonous fangs, immunity to Spider-Man's spider-sense, camouflage ability. |
Height: | Variable |
Weight: | Variable |
Hair Color: | Strawberry Blond None (as Venom) |
Eye Color: | Blue Black, Red, Green, or White (as Venom) |
Unique Features: | Lost his legs from below the knee, but has since re-grown them with the help of the symbiote. Prosthetic Legs |
"Coaching the life and death struggle in terms straight out of the glory day playbook... It's all a bunch of smoke and mirrors... A cover up for the fear. Because when it comes to being a hero... When it comes to helping people... I'm terrified by what happens when I fail." |
Flash Thompson (of Earth-616), also known as Agent Venom and Agent Anti-Venom, was a former classmate and school bully of Peter Parker at Midtown High School.
After losing his legs in the Iraq War, he was offered a position in the government's Project Rebirth 2.0, where he was bonded to the Venom Symbiote, becoming Agent Venom.
History[]
Early Life[]
Flash Thompson grew up in Forest Hills, Queens, New York, living only a few blocks from Peter's house. He lived with his father Harrison Thompson, a police officer in the New York Police Department, his mother Rosie Thompson and his little sister Jesse. Flash was physically abused by his alcoholic father, leading to Flash's own violent and bullying nature. Flash was a classmate of Peter Parker at Midtown High School.The friction between the two was a common occurrence, especially their competition for the affection of Liz Allan. Ironically, Flash became a supporter of Spider-Man, despite the popular opinion to be against him, at one point he formed a Spider-Man Fan Club.
Flash tried to play a trick on Peter by dressing in a Spider-Man costume and attempted to frighten him. Before Flash could surprise Peter, he was abducted by Doctor Doom, who mistakenly believed he was the real Spider-Man. Peter was forced to save his own rival. Another time, Flash dressed up as Spider-Man again to redeem his hero who was seen as a coward after having run from a confrontation with the Green Goblin. Flash confronted three car thieves, hoping to draw out the real Spider-Man, but was beaten up.
Flash graduated from high school and enrolled at Empire State University on an athletic scholarship, becoming once more a classmate to Peter Parker. Even though at first, he continued his rivalry with Peter, turning his new classmates Harry Osborn and Gwen Stacy against him, eventually, they became close friends.
Later, Sha Shan returned to the United States, the reluctant bride of cult leader Brother Power, a pawn of the evil Man-Beast. Sha Shan ultimately turned on Korba, and the Man-Beast was defeated through the combined efforts of Spider-Man, Razorback and Flash. Korba died in the battle, Sha Shan became Flash's lover and lived with him for some time.
At one point, he was framed as being the Hobgoblin. After a failed relationship with Sha-Shan, Flash briefly dated Felicia Hardy, a.k.a Black Cat, not knowing that she was dating him in order to make Spider-Man (who at the time was married with Mary Jane Watson) jealous but when she started to show real feelings to him, he broke off the relationship once he found out about Felicia's life as the Black Cat.
He was in a comatose state for a time. When he came out he had forgotten much of what had happened between him and Peter after High School. He was given the position as Coach by the new Principal Roger Harrington at Midtown High School where Peter was working as a teacher. Due to his memory loss, he was confused over how to think about Peter. After an attack by Mysterio, he realized that he and Peter were on good terms and they became friends again. He was dating Miss Arrow until her death. Later he was in the war in Iraq and lost both of his legs, and started dating Betty Brant.
The New Venom[]
Flash enlisted as a part of Project Rebirth 2.0. Flash was bonded with the symbiote, recently acquired by the U.S. government after Mac Gargan's arrest after the Siege of Asgard. While bonded, Flash was able to reproduce his legs and had powers comparable to Spider-Man, becoming the new Venom.
Thompson was sent to the Eastern European country Nrosvekistan to recover Dr. Ekmecic, a specialist in developing weapons made from Antarctic Vibranium. During his mission, he encountered the new Jack O'Lantern, who was also trying to recover Dr. Ekmecic for his boss, the new Crime-Master. Neither was able to take Ekmecic alive but the encounter made Venom and Jack O'Lantern enemies.
He was later sent to the Savage Land to destroy Crime-Master's Antarctic Vibranium shipment. After a confrontation with Kraven the Hunter, Crime-Master learned Venom's identity. Eventually, Venom took control of the helicopter containing the Vibranium shipment, but he was forced to deliver it to Crime-Master when he used his knowledge of Venom's identity to hold Betty Brant captive. In return, Crime-Master told Venom where Betty was being kept, but Spider-Man, who was also trying to save Betty, mistook him for the enemy. After their brief battle, they continued their search for Betty together, but as soon as Venom arrived at the warehouse where Betty was being kept, it blew up. Spider-Man left the destruction with Betty. Returning to Project Rebirth headquarters, he lied to his superior about Crime-Master discovering his identity to a moment when he lost control of the symbiote so that they wouldn't take it away from him.
Back home, Flash learned that his father had cirrhosis and did not have much time to live.
Spider-Island[]
All of Manhattan later succumbed to a virus that gave the people of New York spider-powers. Project Rebirth dispatched Venom to stop Spider-King from breaching the quarantine and infecting others. After defeating him and bringing the Spider-King to headquarters, Venom was sent to infiltrate their enemies' headquarters.
There, he learned that Anti-Venom was capable of curing the infected and took him Horizon Labs to synthesize a cure. Later on, Flash was able to visit his father in the hospital before he passed away.
Venom tried to kill the the Queen, the one responsible for the infestation, with help from Steve Rogers. Venom stabbed the Queen with Rogers' shield, but she mutated to a giant spider. Other heroes came to battle the Queen, but Kaine struck the killing blow while Spider-Man distributed the cure around the city with the help of Doctor Octopus' octobots.
Rogue Venom[]
The Jack O'Lantern showed up at Flash's father's funeral and was taken to Crime-Master's headquarters. Now that he knows who Flash is he forced him to go on a mission for him in Las Vegas, threatening to kill Betty and his family if he didn't comply. Captain America shut down Project Rebirth and tried to confiscate the symbiote from Flash. He evaded him and left to complete his mission, with Jack O'Lantern tagging along. Meanwhile, Captain America sent Red Hulk to bring Venom in.
Jack gave Flash instructions to enter a casino called The Devil's Den. Totally controlled by his instincts, Venom broke into a secret lab in the casino, where the Toxin Symbiote is contained. Venom tried to kill it, but Jack put it in a container and flew away with it.
Circle of Four[]
Flash broke up with Betty so that she could be safe and started drinking again. Eventually, Red Hulk tracked Flash all the way to Las Vegas so that he could take the symbiote and bring him in for court martial.
In the midst of their fight, Blackheart created a portal that brought Hell to Earth, but Johnny Blaze stopped it from spreading past Las Vegas. Venom and Red Hulk fought alongside X-23 and the new Ghost Rider to defeat Blackheart. Along the way they fought their Antitheses, the opposite of themselves created with a magic mirror, and died while trying to defeat them.
Their dark pasts brought them to Hell, where Mephisto offered to return them to Earth if they agreed to help him at a later date. The four agreed and challenged Blackheart again. But this time, Venom and Ghost Rider surrendered their powers to Red Hulk, giving him the power to defeat Blackheart.
After the battle, Captain America and the Secret Avengers arrived to bring Venom in, but his heroic deeds convinced Cap to give him a chance and he welcomed him onto the team.
Joining the Secret Avengers[]
Rogers wanted Thompson to be storing the symbiote at the Lighthouse (Space) Station and use the symbiote in short periods of time, joining the Secret Avengers along with the original Human Torch, but Hawkeye's skepticism didn't allow Venom to take part in the team's new mission. Regardless Venom participated in the mission and played a pivotal role in a later mission, eventually earning Hawkeye's trust. Over time, a secret relationship developed between him and fellow teammate Valkyrie. His tenure with the Secret Avengers brought him into conflict with the homicidal Carnage when he tried to take over the town of Doverton, Colorado.
The Gauntlet of the Savage Six[]
When Crime-Master was gathering other four villains to form a team called the Savage Six, Venom sneaked in to Crime-Master's HQ and tried to kill him. Eddie Brock interfered him and tries to kill Thompson, which ruined Flash's plan. Before escaping from the five villains, Master stated that he will kill Flash's loved ones. Eddie Brock was knocked out during battle and was forced by Crime-Master to become the new Toxin and complete the Savage Six.
Flash started searching for Betty, and found her talking with Jack O'Lantern, he protected her from him, Megatak and Toxin. Knowing that there could be any way for her to trust him, Venom revealed his identity to Betty. The Savage Six then attacked Flash and Betty at the home of her parents, Flash engaged in his last fight with the Savage Six, resulting in the deaths of Death Adder and Toxin, who Venom attempted to save. He witnessed Crime Master reveal his identity to Betty and Venom as Betty's brother and became shocked when Betty shot and killed him. Later, Flash fought Jack O' Lantern and brought him to the Raft.
Monsters of Evil[]
The Avengers task Venom with bringing in Daimon Hellstrom. Venom was knocked out by a demon. Venom expels the possessing demon and takes down Damion Hellstrom, who implanted a demon into him to transform the symbiote into one of his Monsters of Evil. Flash was able to subjugate the demon and the Monsters of Evil using the Hell Mark, arresting Hellstrom. He sought to get the demon and it begged to be removed from his body, but was unable to remove it due to the Hell Mark's presence.
Minimum Carnage[]
After Carnage escaped custody, Venom followed the serial killer to a NASA research center, where the villain used a inter-dimensional transport called the Prometheus Pit with the help of beings from the Microverse to be transported there. The Scarlet Spider, who also was following Carnage's steps, joined Venom in the search for him, they were both transported to the Microverse by the Prometheus Pit. However, both are separated once they passed through the Pit, Venom was found by the Enigma Force, who needed Venom's help to oppose Marquis Radu, the leader of Carnage' allies, and get Carnage out of the Microverse, because his symbiote (as well as Venom's) was corrupting the environment. They were attacked and subdued by Marquis Radu's forces.
Venom was brought to Marquis Radu's base along Carnage, in order to replicate their symbiotes and create an army which could make him control the Microverse. Carnage managed to take control over the symbiote army and used it to escape to the regular universe, where he was finally defeated by the combined efforts of Venom and Scarlet Spider, and a special weapon given to them by the Enigma Force. After being stung by the Scarlet Spider, Cletus cured his wounds, but was left in a catatonic state, meaning that the symbiote was now in full control of his body, although it was put in custody.
The Evil Inside Us All...[]
After, Flash battled the U-Foes. Unknown to Flash, Toxin had survived the flames and was tracking him down. Flash learns that Eddie Brock is still alive. Flash Thompson bids farewell to New York City and head’s to his new home, Philadelphia.
Flash received a job as an assistant gym coach to West Philadelphia High School and also became "the Spider-Man of Philly". When trying to capture a victim of one of Vector's experiments with alien-machine hybrids, Venom was confronted by Toxin, who killed the hybrid. Using a sedative he was saving for his own symbiote, Flash managed to incapacitate Brock, who left the scene vowing a new encounter soon. Toxin tracked down Flash to the high school, wanting to confront him, but the creature Toxin killed managed to spawn and infect new people, people who were now looking for both Toxin and Venom, their new natural enemies. In order to save innocent lives, Flash convinced Brock to temporarily team-up and defeat the monsters, who were ultimately killed. Realizing he was doing good with Venom, Brock offered Flash a deal, he would let him live as long as he had control over the symbiote.
In order to save one of his students, Andi Benton, from being killed by Jack O'Lantern, Flash gave her a portion of the symbiote, which mysteriously bonded with Andi faster than it could have bonded to any other host and turned her into Mania. Andi proceeded to brutally attack Jack O'Lantern, but after removing his mask, Venom realized it was actually an impostor brainwashed by the real Jack O'Lantern into replacing him while he was in prison. After a furious battle in which numerous super villains looking for Venom to step in, Mania started suffocating the fake Jack with the symbiote, but Venom convinced her not to cross that line. Andi moved with her aunt to Jenkintown, although she remained in touch with Flash, who let her have the symbiote, which mysteriously bonded to Andi faster than it could've bonded to any other host. After facing the D.O.A once more when they, they were allied with Crossbones, he tried to get the Venom symbiote's hell-mark it acquired during the fight against Blackheart in Las Vegas, Flash discovered the symbiote that was attached to Mania was the symbiote's clone that was spit back out by the original symbiote, in order to remove the demon planted in him by Hellstrom. Flash promised he would help Andi remove the hell-mark.
Thunderbolts[]
Following the events of the Phoenix War, Flash was recruited by General Thaddeus Ross to join his Thunderbolts team. However, the group's violent methods, which allowed the symbiote to influence him into eating people, caused him to become disenchanted. Flash decided to leave the team, but not before testing their ability to take him down if he should lose control by willingly allowing the symbiote to take over. While the symbiote easily overwhelmed the Thunderbolts individually, they were able to work together to subdue it.
Superior Venom[]
Venom returned temporarily to New York City in order to investigate the sighting of Crime-Master's henchmen. He had an encounter with Spider-Man, at the time Otto Octavius in Peter Parker's body, but managed to escape from him and his Spiderlings. As Flash, he sought "Peter"'s help in giving him a place to stay. Octavius later convinced Flash to allow him to perform a procedure that would give him robotic leg implants, though during the procedure he forcefully removed the symbiote from Flash. The symbiote escaped and re-bonded to its "old" host, but communicated that Spider-Man "tasted" wrong. Flash attempted to recall the symbiote to him, but was thwarted even with Cardiac's assistance. Sanjani Jaffrey from Parker Industries, found out that the drugs they used to suppress the symbiote and keep Flash in control had made his body reliant on the symbiote to survive and he would die without it, inspiring him to get back into action and find Spider-Man. When the Avengers decided to confront Spider-Man after he started showing a more violent behavior, Flash, who was in an Iron Man Armor, helped them defeat Spider-Man. Flash also convinced the symbiote to return to him, becoming Venom once more. Back at the Avengers Tower, Black Widow asked Flash if he could access the symbiote's memories when it was temporarily bonded with Spider Man, but when he tried, Flash told the Avengers that he was not getting a conclusive result. After being recommended by Captain America to stay far away from Spider Man, Flash left to settle in Philadelphia, satisfied that the Avengers were on the case. He also gained honorary membership on the team.
Guardians of the Galaxy[]
Flash maintained a connection with the Guardians of the Galaxy, the Avengers placed placed on said team as their new envoy. Flash quickly befriended Drax the Destroyer, who advised him to swap his Multi-Gun for more powerful alien weapon, though Wrapje the arms dealer initially refused to trade due to Flash possessing the symbiote. Taking on a new appearance, Flash was later abducted by Skrulls, who separated him from the symbiote and tried to take it for themselves. Flash reclaimed the symbiote and escaped from their ship, but decided not to return to the team. While in hiding at a bar, Flash overheard a drunken Kree ranting about having been to Earth and confronted him in an alley outside, demanding to be taken there. When the Kree tried to attack him, Flash transformed into a monstrous, winged version of Venom and killed the Kree when he admitted to have been bluffing about having been to Earth. Flash returned to Wrapje's dealership demanding to learn more about the symbiote. Gamora entered and the symbiote took over Flash, attacking her until being subdued by the other Guardians and put into containment. Flash apologized for his loss of control over the creature and asked to be returned to Earth. While Flash rested, the Guardians debated launching the symbiote into deep space, but it broke free of its container and took over Groot. Flash remained comatose during the symbiote's subsequent rampage, with it passing up a chance to bond to him in order to take over Rocket Raccoon and later Drax.
After using Drax to defeat the rest of the Guardians, the symbiote used the ship to get to the Planet of Symbiotes. The Venom symbiote separated from Drax and joined with its kind, which appeared to be harmless. After deciding to attempt to communicate with the symbiotes, Flash and the Guardians learned of the true origin of these aliens. The Klyntar (as they prefered to be called), are a race of peaceful creatures whose goal is to use symbiosis with other beings to create a great society. However, the host needs to be a perfect blend of moral and physical ideals. If not, the resulting symbiosis will corrupt both the Klyntar and the host. Events like this caused the spawning of the murderous symbiotes the Klyntar are known for, like Venom and Carnage. Once the Venom symbiote returned to space, the Klyntar managed to reconnect as a collective, causing it to act irrationally, but ultimately being able to reunite with their species. The reunion fixed the corruption for the Venom Symbiote, which rebonded to Flash, creating a more powerful being. Agent Venom was inducted into the Agents of the Cosmos.
Agents of the Cosmos[]
Concurrently with his adventures with the Guardians of the Galaxy, Flash and the Venom symbiote had been travelling to planets they sensed were in trouble, such as saving a family of aliens from smugglers and disabling devices that were destroying the ecosystems of various planets. In doing so he acquired a suicidal robot, 803 and won the affections of the queen of the Wugin, Iqa; but earned the animosity of Gramosian, a space-pirate and a warlord, Mercurio, who was behind the ecosystem-destroying machines. He was contacted by Tarna and Myntril, representatives of the Agents of the Cosmos, who explained what his new duties were. The duties were to respond the voice of the Cosmos and defending those who needed help, and discovered the Venom symbiote had developed the ability to manifest in humanoid form without a host.
Mercurio, angered by Venom for interfering with his plans and coveting the Venom symbiote, sent Ruu'lto warrior Pik Rollo after him, but Venom persuaded her to turn against Mercurio to rescue her child, Hilla. Venom and Pik Rollo attacked Mercurio's base and were easily defeated, with Mercurio taking the Venom symbiote. This proved to be a ploy on Flash's and the symbiote's part, buying time for 803 to gather their allies and attack Mercurio's base. Pik reunited with her daughter and Flash reclaimed the symbiote, but its brief period bonded to Mercurio undid the Klyntar hive-mind's cleanse, causing it to relapse into its old rage-filled state, and go on a rampage across the planets it had helped in order to antagonize Flash. Fortunately, Flash managed to subdue the symbiote and brought it to the home-world of the Klyntars as he had discovered there was still a chance for its redemption.
During the symbiote's trial, it was discovered it had succumbed to rage again because the original cleanse was incomplete, as a consequence of having been detached from Mania, which had further corrupted by the hell-mark that even tained Andi Benton's soul. While Flash's crew volunteered to find a purifying elixir in the planet Wenb, he and the Venom symbiote set out to return to Earth and save Mania.
Flash's return to Earth coincided with Captain Marvel's request for the Guardians of the Galaxy to aid her against Iron Man during the second Civil War. Once he made it to Philadelphia, Venom was ambushed by Spider-Man, who was unaware that the Venom symbiote was no longer evil and wanted to save his friend from it. After the misunderstanding was cleared by the symbiote, Venom and Spider-Man teamed up to confront Mania. Her symbiote was contained, but it turned out the hell-mark had transferred to Andi herself. Andi attempted to kill Flash and take both the Mania and Venom symbiotes from him, but Flash's allies arrived just in time with a portion of the elixir to temporarily neutralize Andi's malady and bring her back. Now reunited with Mania, Venom sends a farewell to his allies and remain on Earth for the time being until Andi could be properly cured.
Personality[]
Powers & Abilities[]
Powers[]
- Superhuman Strength: Once they merged, the costume added Spider-Man’s superhuman strength to Flash's, making him at least as strong as Spider-Man. However, his full strength often fluctuates. Anti-Venom has demonstrated strength ranging from only slightly greater than Spider-Man's, to being capable of trading blows with high-powered individuals such as Juggernaut. This is caused by the several mutations that the symbiote took with Brock, gaining additional bulk and muscle mass over long periods of time with its host.
- Superhuman Durability: Anti-Venom's body is highly resistant to physical injury, capable of withstanding assault from high-caliber bullets as well as attacks from super powered individuals. When distributed at a typical thickness over Brock's body, the Symbiote is capable of absorbing bullets from small-arms weapons firing conventional ammunition. The Symbiote is however vulnerable to both sonic and heat-based attacks.
- Superhuman Stamina: Anti-Venom is also capable of surviving in harmful areas for long periods of time, such as underwater or in toxic gases, the symbiote filtering breathable air to the host.
- Accelerated Healing Factor: The symbiote is capable of healing injuries in the host at a faster rate than normal human healing allows. The symbiote is also capable of healing injuries and illnesses that current human medical care cannot such as cancer.
- Genetic Memory: The symbiote possesses some limited psychic ability, making it capable of obtaining information from its hosts and even other people and symbiotes simply by touch. This ability allowed Flash Thompson to know the secret identity of Spider-Man when the symbiote bonded with him. It can however be forced to forget information if the symbiote is inflicted with heavy trauma.
- Offspring Detection: The symbiote is capable of psychically detecting its offspring, however with effort this ability can be blocked.
- Wall-Crawling: The alien costume replicates Spider-Man’s ability to cling to walls by controlling the flux of inter-atomic attraction between molecular boundary layers.
- Webbing Generation: Anti-Venom can shoot strands of the alien’s substance in the form of "webbing" at high pressure up to a distance of 70 feet. The alien’s substance seems to be composed of tough, flexible fibers of organic polymers, which regenerate swiftly after "shedding". The strands have extraordinary adhesive properties, which diminish rapidly once they abandon their living source. After about three hours, with no source to nourish them, the strands dry up like dead skin and dissolve into a powder. The strands possess a tensile strength of 125 pounds per square millimeter of cross section. The one limitation to this ability was used to Spider-Man's advantage during their second bout; Since the webbing itself comprises the costume, if Venom generates too much he will be left vulnerable as the symbiote is weakened and unable to replenish his lost mass for a short period of time. In addition to creating webbing, Brock can use the symbiote in the form of tentacles or tendrils to attack or ensnare his opponents.
- Constituent-Matter Generation: Anti-Venom can also use the same substance comprising the symbiote in the form of constituent black matter or goo, and uses it in this method for lethal force against criminals. Venom can send a part of the symbiote and direct its movements into a victim's body, smothering them from the inside.
- Constituent-Matter Manipulation: The Anti-Venom Symbiote has recently developed this new ability. Venom can morph sections of his body, such as his hands or feet, into spikes, blades, axes or a shield.
- ESP (Spider-Sense): Anti-Venom also possesses an extrasensory ability similar to Spider-Man’s spider-sense. This response is not as complicated as Spider-Man’s inherent sense since the alien costume can detect danger from every direction and conduct Brock in plenty of time. It's a lot more efficient than Spider-Man’s spider-sense because it takes less time to sense the danger, and Flash’s reflexes are faster than Spider-Man’s, because they are enhanced by the alien costume for instance Venom can dodge a gunshot or a barrage of bullets.
- Immunity to Spider-Man's Spider Sense: Anti-Venom is able to bypass Spider-Man's spider-sense. As such, Venom is capable of attacking Spider-Man without alerting him.
- Camouflage Capabilities: The symbiote is capable of mimicking the appearance of any form of clothing, camouflaging with its surroundings, and even mimicking other people.
- Stretching & Deforming: Although it's wide known that the Symbiote can stretch and deform itself, recently it was able to perform this ability while bonded to Flash.
- External Symbiote Rejection: As with the original, the artificial Anti-Venom symbiote is caustic to the Venom symbiote, to the extent that prolonged physical contact will kill it. His touch also kills Poisons, as they are a predator species who thrive on assimilated symbiote biomass.
- Healing Touch: The suit allows Flash to purge a person's body of impurities such as drugs, toxins, and diseases. However, unlike with the original Anti-Venom symbiote, Flash can also heal physical injuries and doesn't have the random power negation effect.
Former[]
Since Flash was not bitten by the radioactive spider, his spider powers come from the Venom Symbiote. While bonded it grants him a variety of powers, almost identical to Spider-Man's, which include:
- Superhuman Strength: Once they merged, the costume added Spider-Man’s superhuman strength to Flash's, making him at least as strong as Spider-Man. However, his full strength often fluctuates. Venom has demonstrated strength ranging from only slightly greater than Spider-Man's, to being capable of trading blows with high-powered individuals such as Juggernaut. This is caused by the several mutations that the symbiote took with Brock, gaining additional bulk and muscle mass over long periods of time with its host.
- Superhuman Durability: Venom's body is highly resistant to physical injury, capable of withstanding assault from high-caliber bullets as well as attacks from super powered individuals. When distributed at a typical thickness over Brock's body, the Symbiote is capable of absorbing bullets from small-arms weapons firing conventional ammunition. The Symbiote is however vulnerable to both sonic and heat-based attacks.
- Superhuman Stamina: Venom is also capable of surviving in harmful areas for long periods of time, such as underwater or in toxic gases, the symbiote filtering breathable air to the host.
- Accelerated Healing Factor: The symbiote is capable of healing injuries in the host at a faster rate than normal human healing allows. The symbiote is also capable of healing injuries and illnesses that current human medical care cannot such as cancer.
- Genetic Memory: The symbiote possesses some limited psychic ability, making it capable of obtaining information from its hosts and even other people and symbiotes simply by touch. This ability allowed Flash Thompson to know the secret identity of Spider-Man when the symbiote bonded with him. It can however be forced to forget information if the symbiote is inflicted with heavy trauma.
- Offspring Detection: The symbiote is capable of psychically detecting its offspring, however with effort this ability can be blocked.
- Wall-Crawling: The alien costume replicates Spider-Man’s ability to cling to walls by controlling the flux of inter-atomic attraction between molecular boundary layers.
- Webbing Generation: Venom can shoot strands of the alien’s substance in the form of "webbing" at high pressure up to a distance of 70 feet. The alien’s substance seems to be composed of tough, flexible fibers of organic polymers, which regenerate swiftly after "shedding". The strands have extraordinary adhesive properties, which diminish rapidly once they abandon their living source. After about three hours, with no source to nourish them, the strands dry up like dead skin and dissolve into a powder. The strands possess a tensile strength of 125 pounds per square millimeter of cross section. The one limitation to this ability was used to Spider-Man's advantage during their second bout; Since the webbing itself comprises the costume, if Venom generates too much he will be left vulnerable as the symbiote is weakened and unable to replenish his lost mass for a short period of time. In addition to creating webbing, Brock can use the symbiote in the form of tentacles or tendrils to attack or ensnare his opponents.
- Constituent-Matter Generation: Venom can also use the same substance comprising the symbiote in the form of constituent black matter or goo, and uses it in this method for lethal force against criminals. Venom can send a part of the symbiote and direct its movements into a victim's body, smothering them from the inside.
- Constituent-Matter Manipulation: The Venom Symbiote has recently developed this new ability. Venom can morph sections of his body, such as his hands or feet, into spikes, blades, axes or a shield.
- ESP (Spider-Sense): Venom also possesses an extrasensory ability similar to Spider-Man’s spider-sense. This response is not as complicated as Spider-Man’s inherent sense since the alien costume can detect danger from every direction and conduct Brock in plenty of time. It's a lot more efficient than Spider-Man’s spider-sense because it takes less time to sense the danger, and Flash’s reflexes are faster than Spider-Man’s, because they are enhanced by the alien costume for instance Venom can dodge a gunshot or a barrage of bullets.
- Immunity to Spider-Man's Spider Sense: Due to Spider-Man being a host to the symbiote, Venom is able to bypass Spider-Man's spider-sense. As such, Venom is capable of attacking Spider-Man without alerting him.
- Camouflage Capabilities: The symbiote is capable of mimicking the appearance of any form of clothing, camouflaging with its surroundings, and even mimicking other people.
- Stretching & Deforming: Although it's wide known that the Symbiote can stretch and deform itself, recently it was able to perform this ability while bonded to Flash.
Abilities[]
- Skilled Marksman: Flash has been trained in sharpshooting and marksmanship by the U.S. Army.
- Skilled Combatant: Due to his formal training as a boxer and a soldier, Flash is an exceptional combatant.
Weaknesses[]
Current[]
- Alcoholism: Flash has been known to have a drinking problem.
- Paraplegic: Flash lost his legs from the knees down in the Iraq war and was confined to a wheelchair afterwards. While wearing the Venom Symbiote, Flash was able to regenerate his legs.
- Acidity: Much like the previous host of Anti-Venom, the white symbiote’s weakness is an acid.
Former[]
- Sonic & Heat: While Flash is wearing the Venom Symbiote, Flash inherits its weakness to loud sounds and fire. Additionally Flash can not remain bonded to the Venom Symbiote for more than 48 hours without the risk of a loss of control.
Paraphernalia[]
Weapons[]
- Multi-Gun developed by Aaron MacKenzie.
Notes[]
- When he loses control of the suit, Flash takes on a form known as "Savage Venom" whose appearance resembles what Venom looks like Venom's "classic appearance. Also while in this form, Venom has the ability to generate two mouths, one on each side of his neck.
- In Amazing Spider-Man Vol. 1 #108, Flash Thompson enlisted in the U.S armed forces and served in Vietnam. While injured, he was nursed back to health by a South Vietnamese woman named Sha Shan and would later marry her. However, this was not considered canon as it would contradict the steady age for Flash Thompson.