Venom is the combination of two living beings: a symbiotic alien and a host. Together, they form one monstrous creature that has been either one of Marvel's most relentless villains or New York's lethal protector.
Back in November 2024, Al Ewing's Venom War run ended, and comic book readers saw Eddie Brock part ways with the Venom symbiote. Instead, the disgraced reporter found a new partner in crime in the form of a relentless serial killer who also happened to come from space. Meanwhile, the Venom symbiote also found an unlikely partner that Spider-Man fans know all too well.
There was a time in Marvel comics when Eddie Brock adopted the Carnage mantle, Mary Jane Watson became Venom, and Peter Parker was confused about the whole situation. For over a year, we watched these characters adjust to their new reality and try to make the most of a desperate situation. But after many twists and turns along the way, things have finally gone back to normal, and Spider-Man fans are happy about what's to come.
Mary Jane gives up on the Venom mantle and Eddie Brock takes her place
Mary Jane and the Venom symbiote first bonded out of necessity; without each other, they would have been left to die. Without any alternative in sight, the two decided to protect New York from many dangers, including A.I.M. and, more recently, even the God of Darkness and creator of symbiotes, Knull. However, things took an unexpected turn when Mr. Fantastic's experiments on the Venom symbiote allowed the parasitic alien to bond with the whole world (quite literally).
During the events of Venom (2025) No. 262, Earth was transformed into Venomworld, with every single human and living being on the planet becoming one with the symbiote. The connection between the alien and eight billion lives was never meant to last long, so it was eventually undone. But when things went back to normal, there was one unexpected side effect: Mary Jane was finally able to separate from the Venom symbiote without dying in the process.
Venom (2025) No. 262 doesn't quite give us a concrete answer as to why Mary Jane can finally live without the intervention of the symbiote. Mr. Fantastic theorizes it was a "parting gift" from Venom, yet he also suggests that "separating the Anti-Carnage out of Venom's substance" stabilized both of them. Regardless of the case, Mary Jane's time as the Lethal Protector came to an end. As a result, it seems her days as a superhero have ended, as it is unlikely that Marvel will want to revisit the Jackpot storyline (which is probably for the best).
However, the Venom symbiote needs a host to survive, and with Mary Jane out of the picture, the alien had no option but to return home. Eddie Brock and the symbiote have bonded once more, and between the two, they will be the one and only Venom moving forward.
On Oct. 14, 2026, a new Venom comic book series will be released in which Eddie will look to become the hero he knows he can be. Charles Soule, who was behind the Death Spiral comic book storyline, will take over writing duties in this new chapter for the Lethal Protector. Fortunately, it won't be long before we discover what the future holds in store for one of the most popular Spider-Man characters ever created.
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