The Venom War has officially begun. And with writer Al Ewing promising Newsarama that the big symbiote-centric crossover would crown the "one true Venom," it may turn out that the least likely candidate of all could at least be in the running - Peter Parker.
Though it's been teased for a while in advance solicitations for September's Venom War #2 and October's Venom War #3, we now know exactly how Peter and the Venom symbiote reunite. And as it turns out, the reunion of Spider-Man and the Venom symbiote shows exactly what the heart-and-soul of Peter Parker is all about.
Spoilers ahead for Venom War #1
Venom War #1 by writer Al Ewing, artist Iban Coello, colorist Frank D'Armata, and letterer Ariana Maher opens with a big event taking place at New York City's Grand Garden Arena, with the fabled superhero Unlimited Class Wrestling league hosting a special event.
However, before the action can even get going, Eddie Brock and his "time-split" duplicates Wilde, Tyro, and Bedlam pop in from the timestream to interrupt the event, leading to an all-too-real blowout with some of the UCW combatants.
This in turn triggers a full evacuation of the venue, with Eddie demanding his son Dylan and the Venom symbiote come to the arena, and flat-out declaring "Welcome to the Venom War!"
Meanwhile, elsewhere, the symbiote is now separate from Dylan Brock, Eddie's aforementioned son and its most recent full-time host. It takes a trip down memory lane, recounting its history with Peter Parker and many of its other hosts.
Just as the symbiote finishes thinking about its whole life, we find out why it was thinking so much about Peter and its past misdeeds - because it's disguised itself as Peter Parker's own t-shirt, tricking him into putting it on and turning into Peter's well-known black costume.
Peter is horrified, but before he can remove the symbiote or start fighting against it, the symbiote itself makes an appeal to Peter's better nature as a hero (and removes itself from him as a show of good faith), telling him it is desperate and on the run after Dylan's recent rejection of their bond.
Though the symbiote tries to refuse to help Eddie and Dylan end their conflict, as it now feels tremendous guilt over alienating them both, Peter gives it a pep-talk, telling it that he's watched it - and Eddie - become heroes over the years. Reaching out his hand, Peter entreats the symbiote to once again bond with him to spring into action in the so-called Venom Wars.
Dylan Brock and his gang of symbiote allies arrive at the arena where Eddie and his duplicates are waiting. Eddie demands the symbiote back from Dylan to prevent what may come to pass in the future if Dylan stays bonded to it.
But just as Dylan is explaining that he no longer has it, it's revealed who does: Peter Parker, who is leaping into the arena once again bonded to the Venom symbiote in the revival of one of the most unlikely pairings in the Marvel Universe, complete with an updated version of Peter's black costume.
And it really does go to show exactly who Peter Parker is: a hero who will not ever turn away someone in need, even a (formerly) bloodthirsty alien symbiote that has literally tried to eat his brain. Instead, he even spurs the symbiote back into action to help Eddie and Dylan, risking bonding with the symbiote again just because it's the right thing to do in the moment.
The story continues in Venom War #2 on September 4.
Check out our list of the best Venom hosts of all time.
