Generally, a superhero's most famous villains are those who debuted in their eponymous series' earliest days. There are exceptions to that rule, but that's just what they are: Exceptions. The most famous of those exceptions is Venom; the villain first appeared in 1988, 26 years into Spider-Man's publication history. Yet, he's just behind much older villains like Green Goblin & Doc Ock as Spider-Man's foremost nemesis.

RELATED: 5 Reasons Why Venom Has the Best Internal Dialogue (& 5 Why Deadpool Does)

One common phenomenon of superhero comics Venom embodies is to turn popular villains into anti-heroes. Venom oscillates between the two more easily, since he's really two beings in one; a symbiote and the humanoid host. As the symbiote often changes hosts, inconsistencies in Venom's behavior are easier for writers to explain away.

12 Tel-Kar Was Retconned As The First Host

Venom First Host Tel-Kar

Another comic storytelling trend Venom was subjected to? Retconning of his personal history. In Mike Costa and Mark Bagley's appropriately-titled "Venom: First Host," it's revealed the symbiote was once a captive of the Kree and bonded to soldier Tel-Kar for use as a super-soldier in the Kree-Skrull War.

When Tel-Kar was captured by the enemy, the symbiote escaped and made its way to Battleworld; Tel-Kar briefly reclaimed the symbiote after escaping, but it wasn't his for much longer.

11 The Symbiote Debuted As Spider-Man's New Costume

Venom Hosts Peter Parker

Publication-wise, the Symbiote first appeared in Secret Wars #8 on Battleworld, and was simply a new costume for Spider-Man. When the time came to bring back Spider-Man's usual costume, writer Tom DeFalco revealed in The Amazing Spider-Man that the suit was alive and sapping Peter's adrenaline to sustain itself.

Peter thus separated himself and the suit in Issue #258 (DeFalco & Ron Frenz); following a final rejection in Web Of Spider-Man #1 (Louise Simonson & Greg LaRocque), Peter has eschewed the symbiote since. Despite the acrimonious break-up, the symbiote would reunite with Peter if he would have it back. You never forget your first love after all, and often all that even the most scorned lovers want is not revenge, but a reunion.

10 Eddie Brock Is The Most Famous Venom

venom-first-host-header

The current and easily most famous host for Venom is Eddie Brock. Once a Daily Globe journalist, Brock was fired after Spider-Man proved a story of his inaccurate. With a grudge against Spider-Man, a chance bonding with the symbiote gave him the power to take his revenge.

RELATED: Venom: 5 Reasons Flash Thompson Was The Best Host For The Symbiote (& 5 Why It'll Always Be Eddie Brock)

Brock debuted in David Michelinie & Todd MacFarlane's Amazing Spider-Man #300 (after a cameo in the ending of the last issue). He became one of Marvel's popular villains, and then one of its most popular anti-heroes after teaming up with his enemy to battle Carnage. In 2004, Eddie separated himself from the Symbiote, but after strings as "Anti-Venom" and "Toxin," the two found their way back to each other. Reflecting Eddie's popularity, both of Venom's appearances in live-action and most animated ones feature him as the host.

9 Anne Weying Became She-Venom

13 She Venom

Eddie Brock's ex-wife, Weying debuted in Michelinie and Bagley's Amazing Spider-Man #375 and attempted to help Spider-Man bring her former husband to justice. After she's shot by the Sin-Eater in mini-series Venom: Sinner Takes All (Larry Hama & Greg Luzniak), the symbiote bonds with her to save her life. She then briefly becomes "She-Venom," taking revenge on those who've wronged her before the symbiote returns to Eddie. Traumatized by the experience of murdering while She-Venom and fearful of Eddie, Anne's story ended with a tragic suicide.

Anne appears in the 2018 Venom film, played by Michelle Williams; in a nod to She-Venom, she briefly bonds with the symbiote to rescue Eddie.

8 Patricia Robertson Was The Second She-Venom

Patricia Robertson Venom

In the 2004 series Venom written by Daniel Way, US army lieutenant Patricia Robertson became bonded with a clone of the Venom Symbiote; this new Venom attempted to kill the original before merging with it.

This wasn't Robertson's last encounter with a symbiote, though; during the "Absolute Carnage" event, Robertson bonded with the Scream Symbiote. She became the main character of "Absolute Carnage: Scream" by Cullen Bunn & Gerado Sandoval, but didn't survive the experience.

7 Angelo Fortunato, Scion Of A Crime Family, Briefly Hosted The Symbiote

The Venom symbiote leaves its host, Angelo Fortunato, in comics

After Eddie separated himself from the symbiote, it was purchased on the black market by Don Fortunato. In Mark Millar and Terry Dodson's Marvel Knights Spider-Man #7, Fortunato's wimpy son Angelo bonds with the symbiote and attempts to prove himself by killing Spider-Man.

After the attempt fails disastrously, the unimpressed symbiote abandons Angelo and he falls to his death. This turn of events does set up the symbiote with its next host, however...

6 Mac Gargan Traded In His Scorpion Costume For The Symbiote

A close up of Mac Gargan barring his teeth

Mac Gargan was a longtime Spider-Man foe as the Scorpion, but bonding with the symbiote to become the new Venom gave him a boost. Gargan debuted as Venom while a member of Norman Osborn's Sinister Twelve, and remained in the Goblin's employ as a member of Thunderbolts and the Dark Avengers.

Gargan was the host most receptive to Venom's violent impulses, indulging in acts like cannibalism while under the control of the symbiote. He also oscillated between a more classic look or a symbiote-infused version of his look as Scorpion. Nonetheless, after being captured during crossover event "Siege" (Brian Michael Bendis & Olivier Coipel), host and symbiote were separated, ending a match made in hell.

5 Flash Thompson Became Agent Venom

Flash Thompson and Agent Venom

After an unambiguously villainous turn while possessing Gargan, the symbiote found its most heroic host in Flash Thompson. Having lost his legs in an army tour in Iraq, Flash is given the captive symbiote and becomes "Agent Venom" in Dan Slott's The Amazing Spider-Man #654. Flash's moral code and friendship with Peter means he was a true hero, but he's still forced to keep the symbiote in check with drugs and intermittent de-couplings.

RELATED: Agent Venom: 10 Things Fans Should Know About Flash Thompson

Eventually, Eddie returned to claim the symbiote, and so the two swapped identities; while Eddie returned to being Venom, Flash briefly became a new Anti-Venom before being killed by a Carnage-controlled Norman Osborn.

4 The Symbiote Took Over Many Guardians Of The Galaxy

AGENT VENOM – Guardians of the Galaxy

Agent Venom was briefly a Guardian Of The Galaxy during Bendis' run on the team's book. During the storyline "Planet Of The Symbiotes," Venom is briefly separated from Flash, then proceeds to bonds with Groot, Rocket, and Drax at various points.

This offers looks at what each of their species look like with a symbiote attached— with Groot giving the Symbiote an interesting plant-based look that recalls the kinds of monstrosities one might see in a Resident Evil game— but in the end, Flash reclaims Venom.

3 Lee Price Was Briefly A Villainous Venom

Marvel Venom Lee Price

After another separation from Flash, the symbiote found its way into the hands of Lee Price, a discharged army ranger, in Venom Vol. 3 (Costa & Sandoval).

Price becomes another villainous Venom, before being defeated by Spider-Man and Eddie, the latter of whom the symbiote re-bonds with. Price then bonds with the Mania symbiote, but is once more defeated then murdered by Cletus Kasaday.

2 Malekith The Accursed Bolstered His Forces With The Symbiote

Venom Malekith Vertical

During "War Of The Realms," Venom joined the fight against an invasion of Dark Elves led by Malekith the Accursed. The villain defeated and abducted the Symbiote, however; enhancing its abilities with Black Magic, he bonded the Symbiote to himself and his most loyal followers.

After Malekith was defeated, the symbiote's bond with Eddie was restored.

1 Harry Osborn Has Been Venom In Some Adaptations

Spider Man Venom Harry Osborn

Ultimate Spider-Man (the cartoon, not the comic) introduced Venom in its first season, but didn't bother with Eddie Brock. Instead, Harry Osborn became the Symbiote's host, tying in with its new origin as a creation of Doc Ock and Norman. Unable to control the Symbiote, Harry gives super-heroics a brief try but ultimately attempts revenge on both his neglectful father and Spider-Man. After being controlled by his father in the Season 1 finale, Harry is finally freed of the Symbiote.

The continuity of Insomniac's Spider-Man video game series is clearly taking influence from Ultimate Spider-Man, with Venom being an attempt by Norman to restore a terminally ill Harry. Osborn Jr. will likely become Venom proper in Spider-Man 2. 

NEXT: Spider-Man: Every Time Harry Osborn Turned Into a Villain