Rick Jones Isn’t Marvel’s All-New Venom – But He Is a Secret Symbiote Superhero

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Marvel’s career sidekick just proved he’s not Venom, and all by revealing the secret symbiote lurking inside him.

After the titular antihero of All-New Venom #4 interrupts the latest villainous plot masterminded by Madame Masque and M.O.D.O.K., the situation takes an explosive turn, setting the skyline of New York City ablaze. Unfortunately, the new Venom isn’t quite capable of holding his own against the onslaught of high-tech weapons wielded by the opposition. Just when all seems lost, it is none other than Rick Jones who interrupts the proceedings with an unexpected visit from the press. Of course, this is merely a guise under which he can slip into the fray unnoticed, exactly as any other good Sleeper Agent would do.

Written by AL EWING

Art by CARLOS GÓMEZ

Colors by FRANK D’ARMATA

Letters by VC’s CLAYTON COWLES

Design by CARLOS LAO and JAY BOWEN

Main cover art by ADAM KUBERT & LAURA MARTIN

Variant covers by ERIC LARSEN & ALEX SINCLAIR, CHRIS GIARRUSSO, GIUSEPPE CAMUNCOLI & FRANK MARTIN, HUMBERTO RAMOS & EDGAR DELGADO, SKAN, BENGUS, STEPHEN PLATT, and IBAN COELLO & FRANK D’ARMATA

First glimpsed in the pages of 2018’s Venom #165 by Mike Costa and Mark Bagley, the Sleeper symbiote is the seventh of Venom’s spawn. Due to the overtly traumatic nature of that particular birthing process, Sleeper likely should never have survived, yet it did so and thrived thanks to the help of Alchemax’s own Doctor Steven. Though Sleeper is imbued with many of the same powers as other symbiotes, it also has the unique ability to synthesize any chemical substance at will, giving it a much-needed and unexpected edge over any foes it might come up against.

Sleeper has since proven itself on multiple occasions, both as a hero and as a member of the Venom family. It was Sleeper who protected the young Dylan Brock and his friends from the Phage symbiote, just as it was Sleeper who stuck by Dylan’s side throughout the events leading up to Marvel’s Venom War. More importantly, Sleeper has proven that there is nowhere it cannot infiltrate, having been instrumental in disrupting Carnage’s attempt at taking on a blood-soaked political career, ultimately averting what could have easily been millions of deaths across the globe.

When Rick Jones first appeared all the way back in 1962’s Incredible Hulk #1 by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, he was little more than a reckless teen turned unlikely sidekick to the most destructive force on Earth. Over Rick’s long and storied comic book career, he has managed to become partners with and even take on the mantles of various cosmic heroes, irradiated monstrosities, and underground freedom fighters ranging from Captain Marvel to A-Bomb to the Whisperer. In more recent months, Rick has made his way to New York City to embark upon a career in journalism, all while lending his name to the list of prime suspects in the case of the All-New Venom’s true identity.

All-New Venom #4 is available now from Marvel Comics.

Source: Marvel Comics

“}]] Marvel crosses another name off the list of suspects in its latest symbiote mystery, all by revealing Rick Jones as a whole different kind of antihero  Read More