Surprise! Venom #10 variant cover reveals Bedlam's true identity

Venom #10 variant cover art by Paolo Siqueira (Image credit: Marvel Comics)

Update: Paolo Siqueira's full cover art for September 14's Venom #10 has been revealed, showing off the true identity of the villainous symbiote Bedlam who has been bedeviling current Venom Dylan Brock: his own father, Eddie Brock.

Venom #10 variant cover by Paolo Siqueira — (Image credit: Marvel Comics)

The how's and why's of Eddie's reveal as Bedlam were shown in July 27's Venom #9, and involve Kang the Conqueror, and time travel - as in, that's a future version of Eddie wearing the Bedlam symbiote.

As detailed below, the cover for Venom #10 was previously shown only with Bedlam's true identity blacked out.

Now, with Venom #9 released and the secret out, the rest of the cover is revealed.

Original text follows...

"Bedlam."

In terms of its definition, it means "a scene of uproar and total confusion." And even though anyone could look up a list of synonyms for the term, the true identity of the mysterious symbiote villain named Bedlam has remained a thorn in the side of Eddie Brock and his son Dylan, the two current symbiote anti-heroes leading vastly different lives under the name Venom.

Soon, Bedlam's secret identity will be revealed at last - and it's someone so recognizable that just seeing their face would spoil the surprise. To that end, Marvel has released a censored version of Paolo Siqueira and Rachelle Rosenberg's just-revealed variant cover for the issue which hides the villain's true face behind a black blot marked with the simple question "Who is Bedlam?"

Venom #10 variant cover — (Image credit: Marvel Comics)

But readers won't have to wait till Venom #10 to get an answer to the question of Bedlam's true identity. That will come a little earlier in July 27's Venom #9 - in other words, mere weeks from now.

Weirdly enough, the solicitation text for Venom #9 doesn't mention Bedlam at all. It instead refers to an upcoming nemesis for Eddie Brock and the Symbiote Hive he's now a part of - Kang the Conqueror.

However, the solicitation text for August 31's Venom #10 does offer some more potential insight into Bedlam, stating "Manipulated and maligned by forces stronger than himself, Eddie has no choice but to watch in horror as his son, Dylan, and the Venom symbiote are stabbed in the heart by Bedlam!"

Could that mean that a truly dire fate awaits Dylan Brock at Bedlam's hand? Or is "stabbed in the heart" more metaphorical?

We'll find out more when Bedlam is revealed.

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I've been Newsarama's resident Marvel Comics expert and general comic book historian since 2011, and now I'm the Entertainment Writer at GamesRadar+. I've also been the on-site reporter at most major comic conventions such as Comic-Con International: San Diego, New York Comic Con, and C2E2. Outside of comic journalism, I am the artist of many weird pictures, and the guitarist of many heavy riffs. (They/Them)