Did You Know Marvel Considers Venom an Official Avenger? Because I Had No Clue.

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I was surprised to learn that Marvel counts Venom as an official member of the Avengers – and not any one host, but the symbiote itself. Over the years, Marvel has introduced dozens of different teams with well over 100 Avengers across all versions. However, not every group that calls themselves the “Avengers” is technically considered a legitimate team, but the publisher has officially confirmed that Venom is an alumni.

As confirmed by this official Marvel Comics article, which details various villains who have joined the Avengers, I was reminded that during the War of the Realms event, the Venom symbiote was offered an official spot on the team.

Venom, alongside its hosts, has stood with the Avengers before, but this is the only instance where the symbiote was independently recognized. At the time, Venom and Eddie Brock had separated, leaving the symbiote to strike it out on his own. Other characters don’t often interact directly with Venom, making this an especially odd exception in a fantastically odd event.

War of the Realms Strikeforce: The War Avengers #1– Written by Dennis Hallum; Art By Kim Jacinto & Ario Anindito; Color By Java Tartaglia & Felipe Sobreiro; Lettering By VC’s Joe Sabino

Shortly before Marvel’s War of the Realms event, Venom and Eddie Brock had spent months
trying to take down Carnage
as the red symbiote used his profane powers to call Knull to Earth. In the chaos and fear of the impending god’s arrival, Eddie and Venom’s relationship had been strained.Thanks to the efforts of the Maker, Venom was forcibly separated from Eddie. In an attempt to keep both Eddie and Dylan Brock safe, Venom cast himself out on his own, suddenly able to retain a humanoid form without a host.

Still unbound to a host, Venom was alone by the time Malekith and his army invaded Earth, which Venom still considered home, and subsequently the symbiote was recruited by Captain Marvel to join her “War Avengers” team. On his own, Venom’s boisterously loud and taunting personality shined, as he helped deliver justice as a member of Earth’s Mightiest Heroes. While his tenure on the team was short-lived, I find it shockingly hilarious that this was actually the third time the Venom symbiote has joined an Avengers roster.

The Symbiote Is An Irreplaceable Asset

Let me take a moment to clarify: as I mentioned before, not all Avengers line-ups are “recognized” by Marvel as official. The War Avengers were the first official time Venom was a member of the team, and stand out because it was a rare instance where the symbiote itself operated independently. I do, however, think it is worth taking a look at the other times Venom – alongside two different hosts, with very different values and purposes – joined unrecognized Avengers squads, because each of those story arcs proved to be pivotal for the character’s evolution.

Long before being known as a hero, Venom went on a maddened downward spiral after being rejected by Peter Parker. Later becoming too bloodthirsty for even Eddie Brock, Venom turned to the criminal Mac Gargan, aka the Scorpion, as its new host. Scorpion was soon after brought into
Norman Osborn’s Dark Avengers
as the team’s Spider-Man. While the Dark Avengers aren’t recognized as an official team now, they were considered the only legitimate Avengers team at the time; even as a villain, Venom was recognized as a talented asset regardless of who the host was.

I think that is what makes
Venom an important character
outside the newer cosmic context. Whether a villain or a hero, Venom has a strong will and rarely refuses a fight. For the Dark Avengers, Venom’s host could have been anyone. Mac Gargan is a petty criminal compared to the team’s other threats. It wasn’t Mac that Norman wanted, it was Venom. The symbiote fills an important role in the team, providing not just brute power, but effectively using its amorphous nature to cover every position within the team in case another member is taken out of the fight.

Working Alongside An Avengers Team Helped The Venom Symbiote Embraced His Heroic Nature

Redirecting Venom’s Instincts

While it wasn’t conscious at the time, Venom was later brought onto the Avengers alongside Flash Thompson. Still feral and infected by its previous host’s darkest natures, Venom was introduced to Flash Thompson as a military asset. During this period, Venom got a first-hand chance to see what real heroes looked like in action.
Venom has since recognized Thompson
as its most heroic host, resetting its monstrous nature since the moment they bonded. In almost a full circle, Venom’s first true chance to embrace heroism happened while serving in the Avengers.

The symbiote has come a long way since his first stint as an Avenger. Outside
Spider-Man’s cast of characters
, Venom was rarely recognized as its own entity. I had no idea that so much of the character’s growth and recognition as a hero first started with the Avengers. Until the King in Black event, I felt like Venom was being kept in its own bubble, insulated from Marvel’s bigger superhero teams. Now that the symbiote is rocking a new host and a golden new look, hopefully we’ll see the alien web-slinger appear on an Avengers team again in the future.

Source: Marvel Comics

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