Venom is one of Spider-Man's longest-running enemies and allies. The idea of a symbiote taking over the body of a human has been around since the black suit of Spider-Man was first introduced and the idea has evolved since that time.
Venom really has been both a great hero and a terrible villain over the course of the comics and indeed the films. While we love him in both roles, we have a list of 5 reasons he's much better as a hero and 5 reasons why he really should just stick to being a villain.
10 VILLAIN: DARK REIGN
Many different hosts have taken on the alien symbiote and Mac Gargan has got to be one of the most unstable characters to have that responsibility. The former Scorpion's biggest storyline with Venom came during the Dark Reign.
The venom symbiote allowed Mac to actually look like the black suit Spider-Man, tricking everyone into believing that the webhead had joined Norman Osborn's evil Avengers. It's a compelling narrative and one where Venom was definitely better off as a villain.
9 HERO: FIGHTING CARNAGE
Carnage is perhaps even more dangerous and deadly than Venom, due to the psychopath host Cletus Kasady. The serial killer has taken the Carnage symbiote and becomes even more murderous with it, with the two driving one another to be even more violent.
The battles between Venom and Carnage have been legendary and will actually make up a large portion of the plot to the next film. With Venom as the hero in this role, the rivalry that exists here is so much more powerful when it is good against evil.
8 VILLAIN: GENUINELY SCARY
As a villain, no matter who is controlling the symbiote (or being controlled by) Venom is far scarier. The long tongue, the sharp teeth, the larger build and alien-like tentacles that can shoot out like webs, all make this creature absolutely terrifying.
While this is also something that works well as a kind of anti-hero, the Venom design is probably far more effective when used as a villain. Especially when the monstrous beast is paired up against the wall-crawler during his younger years; the contrast is very apparent.
7 HERO: USEFUL ALLY
During times of great danger, Venom can actually be quite a good ally to Spider-Man. We've seen the two team up a few different times and this is what Sony is trying to head towards in their own version of a cinematic Spider-Verse.
The two have abilities that compliment each other in many ways. While one is agile the other is built more like a tank. There's a good cop, bad cop routine that the duo have developed and for the most part, they actually work quite well together.
6 VILLAIN: INFLUENCING SPIDER-MAN
When the symbiote is treated as a villain however, its influence over Peter Parker can always make for an interesting story. The Venom symbiote enjoys bonding with Spider-Man as it is gifted with increased powers when it does so.
Peter Parker is a genuinely good human being, so when a murderous alien tries to takeover his body, a lot of emotional, moral and physical conflict can arise. This makes Venom far more intriguing as a villain that can psychologically attack his nemesis.
5 HERO: AGENT VENOM
Agent Venom is a role taken on by Flash Thompson and it's a unique and original attempt to reinvent this character. It was a memorable change for Venom and one that's had a lot of long terms results, including the continued popularity of this version of the symbiote.
Agent Venom is quite the departure from the other more beastly versions of the character. He's positioned as an anti-hero with stealth and special operative training and has been known to work for a few different organizations. It's a great twist on a character with plenty of longevity.
4 VILLAIN: MAJOR ENEMY
The thing with Venom is that he is one of the major villains for the web-slinger. Peter Parker's rogue gallery is constantly growing but there are a few enemies that will always stand out. Norman Osborn, Doc Ock, Electro, Vulture and Rhino will always stand out.
However, apart from the Green Goblin, no other enemies quite hold the same weight that Venom does. He's really one of the most memorable parts of all of Spidey's villains and is usually defined by how reckless and violent he is. It's a different kind of threat.
3 HERO: INTERESTING ADVERSARIES
When Venom is the hero, he needs his own adversaries to face off against. We've already mentioned that Carnage is one of those and indeed we believe that Kasady is a better villain to Venom than he is to Spider-Man.
However, he also has a long history of a variety of other enemies. We know that his planet housed a symbiote god called Knull who has been a very powerful villain for Venom to face. Characters like these make us want to see Venom as the hero for much longer.
2 VILLAIN: CHANGING HOSTS
When the Venom symbiote is presented as a villain he actually changes hosts far more often. When he's the hero he is mostly adopted by Eddie Brock, although we've already mentioned how Flash Thompson had a stint as Agent Venom.
However, as the villain, the symbiote jumps around from host to host, dangerously influencing major heroes like the Punisher and Captain Marvel. This added element of the character is something we just don't see as a hero and is one of his primary characteristics.
1 HERO: MORE ENTERTAINING
Venom is actually more entertaining as a hero. He cracks a lot more jokes and there's an interesting Mr. Hyde and Dr. Jekyll dynamic to the character. The host and the symbiote often argue against each other over the best course of action in a situation.
The character can actually be made more comedic because of the absurdity of many of the problems he encounters. It's quite funny seeing such a huge and dangerous beast carrying out normal duties or being thrust into situations that just don't suit the monster.