50 Greatest Super Villains In Comic Book History

14. Venom

(Write-up by Daniel Wood, Whatever a Spider Can Editor)

It’s crazy to think that number 14 on our list wouldn’t exist if Marvel weren’t intent on pushing merchandise for a specific storyline. I’m sure that when Spider-Man found the black suit during Secret Wars, no one could have imagined that the end result would be one of the most iconic and enduring villains/anti-heroes of all time.

Yes, it’s true. Venom started out as a simple costume change for Spider-Man, but soon developed into a sentient alien symbiote that would become one of Spider-Man’s greatest nemeses when it bonded with humiliated ex-journalist Eddie Brock, after it was rejected by Peter himself.

Since then, S.H.I.E.L.D has declared the Venom symbiote as one of the greatest threats to mankind even saying he’s on the same par as Magneto, Doctor Doom and Red Skull. High villainy praise indeed, although it’s hardly surprising. This is a self-healing, shape-shifting alien symbiote that can take over any living thing as a host (as evidenced most recently by the Guardians of the Galaxy storyline where he takes over Groot, Drax and Rocket Racoon) and is solely responsible for the creation of the equally dangerous and more psychopathic symbiote Carnage.

But the most interesting thing about Venom, apart from his awesome black and white design, is the fact that he’s fairly conflicted as a character. Both he and Brock were driven by a shared desire to hurt and kill Spider-Man, but Venom also has a set of morals that drive it to want to protect and save people and do good.

Hence, Venom has become more of an anti-hero than an out and out villain and is actually a fairly relatable character. The latest and current host of the symbiote, Flash Thompson, goes by the name of Agent Venom, and is currently a part of the super hero team Guardians of the Galaxy.

However, whilst it’s great to see Venom on the side of the angels, there’s absolutely no denying that Venom is at his maniacal best when he’s trying to achieve his first goal– to hurt and kill Spider-Man. And the best part about Venom is that fans know he’s a time bomb. It’s only a matter of time before Venom’s human host loses control and the symbiote wreaks havoc again.

Next: No. 13: Kill all the humans