WARNING: The following contains major spoilers for "Toxin" by Steve Orlando, Gerardo Sandoval, Victor Nava, Erick Arienaga and VC's Cory Petit from the pages of King in Black: Planet of the Symbiotes #3, on sale now.

The symbiotes of the Marvel Universe have suffered from some serious shake-ups in the wake of King in Black. Over the course of Knull's invasion, readers have seen the return of fan-favorites such as Scream and Flash Thompson, but it's another of the dark god's creations that has just undergone what might be the most shocking transformation yet. Venom's own grandson symbiote, Toxin, has always gone against the grain compared to the rest of their family tree, and they've just shattered tradition by taking on the least suspecting host possible.

The aftermath of Knull's invasion has left some deep wounds on the world. Unfortunately, there isn't much time to heal before further nefarious forces begin moving once again. When an Alchemax transport in the Lincoln Tunnel overturns, a massive Brood is unleashed onto the masses. Toxin is thankfully nearby, though the symbiote and its host are at odds about what to do. After some debate, the symbiote is talked into taking action. Handling one Brood is easy enough, especially when they don't put up much of a fight, but the intervention of the latest Guardsman drives Toxin to a hasty retreat. The brutish symbiote's size doesn't make up for a lack of firepower, though that massively muscular facade fades away soon enough once Toxin has arrived back at home. Surprisingly, the latest bearer of Toxin is an unexpected host.

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Bren Waters as the new Toxin from King in Black

While Toxin's original host appeared in the previous issue, the symbiote itself didn't make its first appearance until 2004's Venom Vs. Carnage #2 by Peter Milligan and Clayton Crain. The spawn of Carnage, Toxin bonded to New York City cop Peter Milligan. Their time together lasted nearly a decade before Milligan was stripped of the symbiote and left for dead by the son of Mephisto, Blackheart. Luckily, Toxin found a perfect new host in Eddie Brock, though their bond only lasted a short while once Venom came back for its proper host. In the time since Toxin was used as a weapon in the fight against Chthon, leaving it so weak that not even Knull felt the need to restore it.

Somehow, Toxin has survived to find a new host on its own, and they just happen to be a random teenage boy named Bren Waters. It appears that these two have only known one another for a few days, but already their bond is proving to be a strong one. Not only have they been able to work together in the field successfully within such a short time, but the two have also become fast confidants of sorts. As close as they might be, there are more than enough reasons to stick to the shadows for now, not the least of because their current worst enemy living under the same roof.

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Bren's father is none other than the Guardsman, currently working on behalf of Alchemax. Whatever upgrades the Guardsman armor has received lately are clearly tailor-made to handle symbiotes. Being able to hide in plain sight could very well be Bren's greatest strength at the moment. There is nothing so far that would make Bren look like a potential host for Toxin, though that will only last as long as the two of them can avoid falling under the eye of Alchemax or its agents. With any luck, Toxin's track record of being miraculously unstoppable will hold true for a long time to come.

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