The alien symbiote that bonded with Eddie Brock to become the anti-hero known as Venom was originally introduced as a new costume for Spider-Man that served to replace his frequently destroyed but fan-favorite red-and-blue costume. While fans were initially against the costume change, they soon fell in love with the new Black Suit.
It's been years since Peter Parker was bonded to the symbiote, though his connection to the alien costume has continued to be explored with modern series like Symbiote Spider-Man that have uncovered new details about the bonding process. So we'll be taking a closer look at a few possibly forgotten facts about Spider-Man and his sometimes troubled relationship with the symbiote.
10 The Symbiote's Design Was Originally Inspired By Spider-Woman
When Peter Parker first encountered the alien costume, it was during the first Secret Wars event that saw the web-slinger transported to an alien Battleworld alongside other heroes and villains by the powerful Beyonder. Spider-Man's costume was destroyed in battle which was a common occurrence, and he was pointed toward a mechanical tailor by Thor to fix his suit.
However, he inadvertently accessed a holding cell that contained the symbiote. When it covered his body, it read his thoughts that had been admiring Julia Carpenter's Spider-Woman costume and replicated the design while taking inspiration from Knull's insignia to create the design for Spider-Man's black suit.
9 Spider-Man's Powers Were Adapted By The Symbiote And Passed On
The alien symbiotes are also known as Klyntar, and they all have the ability to adapt their host's traits and abilities into themselves. This proved very beneficial for the Earth-bound symbiotes after the original bonded with Peter Parker. The symbiote adapted Spider-Man's powers which allowed it to stick to walls and even produce its own form of webbing.
These powers were then used by Eddie Brock when he became Venom. However, those abilities were also passed on to the Venom symbiote's offspring over a number of lines, which meant Spider-Man's powers transferred to Carnage which he then passed on to his offspring Toxin as well as the many other symbiotes who spawned on Earth.
8 The Symbiote Doesn't Set Off Spider-Man's Spider-Sense Anymore
The symbiote had its own form of Peter Parker's spider-sense which was a unique spatial awareness given by its ability to see in all directions at any given time, so it never really needed to adapt that ability from Spider-Man.
However, given the close bond that has formed between Spider-Man and the symbiote before he rejects it, Parker's spider-sense is no longer triggered by the alien symbiote or its offspring. This weakness is not shared by Spider-Man's clone Ben Reilly, whose spider-sense is still able to detect the symbiotes as he's not the one who's actually bonded with them.
7 The Symbiote Created Literal Pocket Dimensions To Carry His Gear
There are quite a few unique abilities of the symbiote that have popped up over the years, though there are also a few that have largely disappeared as well. When Peter Parker started wearing his new costume, he no longer had the need for his utility belt, which contained his spare web cartridges, spider-signal, and his miniature camera.
Since he still needed to take pictures for his job at the Daily Bugle, the symbiote created a pocket that opened into another dimension for him to store things like his camera without them appearing on his skin-tight costume. This ability only appeared a couple of times for hosts like Eddie Brock and Flash Thompson.
6 Peter Parker's Sleeping Body Was Often Used By The Symbiote
While Peter Parker initially loved the various perks of his new costume, there were some definite downsides as well that were largely kept hidden from him by the symbiote. During his time with the symbiote, he would frequently wake up well-rested yet still exhausted.
This was due to the symbiote taking control of Spider-Man's body while he slept at night so that it could continue fighting crime even while its host was unconscious. This was just one of the many detrimental side effects that were easy for Peter Parker to overlook given the ease and extra power that the costume brought to his life.
5 Peter Parker's Rage Helped Fuel The Symbiote's Darker Impulses
While it was generally known that the symbiote was altering Peter Parker's moods and aggression, it was later revealed to Spider-Man that his own anger and despair had affected the symbiote as well. Deadpool's initial bond with the symbiote during his retconned appearance in Secret Wars also definitely contributed to the instability of the symbiote.
However, its later bond with Flash Thompson helped calm the symbiote and flush out some of the bad emotions. Before Flash Thompson's death during the "Go Down Swinging" storyline, he revealed to an angry Spider-Man that he needed to calm his emotions before rebonding with Venom in order to both control it and keep the symbiote's heroic impulses intact.
4 Spider-Man Deluded Himself About The Symbiote Being Alive
While it originally seemed that Spider-Man was simply clueless about the symbiote's sentience, it was hinted at in the modern Symbiote Spider-Man series (which is set during his time bonded to the symbiote) that he was skillfully deluding himself about the possibility that his new suit was alive.
He was partnered both heroically and romantically with Felicia Hardy/Black Cat at the time, and she quickly deduced that his new costume was a living being given the way it moved and responded to his thoughts. Spider-Man rejected this claim despite Black Cat's use of common sense, which made Peter Parker's decision to keep using the symbiote a little suspect.
3 The Symbiote Fed On Spider-Man's Adrenaline And Hormones
After leaving a piece of the costume with Reed Richards to study, Spider-Man eventually learned (or accepted) that the symbiote costume was not only alive but also acted like a parasite that was feeding on his hormones and emotions.
The symbiote fed on the adrenaline and other hormones that were created by Spider-Man during his unique line of work, which was part of the reason that it would pilot his body at night while he was sleeping to further feed. The symbiote's ties to his emotions also led it to further fuel his aggression that began to alter Peter Parker's personality even when he wasn't wearing the costume.
2 Alternate Reality Symbiotes Have Tragically Remained Bonded With Spider-Man
There have been a few different What If...? stories that explored what might have happened if Peter Parker remained bonded with the Venom symbiote, though they almost always ended in tragedy for Peter Parker. In "What if Spider-Man had rejected the Spider" which reexplored The Other storyline, Peter Parker refused the Great Spider's offer to bring him back to life.
The Venom symbiote sensed this and found his death cocoon where he bonded with Parker's corpse to create a new horrifying being known as Poison. Spider-Man: Spider's Shadow followed an alternate Peter Parker as he succumbed to the symbiote's darkness and began killing off his rogues' gallery.
1 Peter Parker Has Rebonded With The Symbiote A Few Times
While Peter Parker parted ways with his alien costume after he learned it was a symbiotic parasite from Reed Richards, that wasn't the last time he bonded with the symbiote. During one of his first battles with Venom, he forced the symbiote to choose between hosts in order to weaken his enemy, though the shock of bonding to both Eddie and Peter knocked all three of them out.
Doctor Octopus also bonded with the Venom symbiote while in Peter Parker's body to temporarily become the Superior Venom. Finally, Spider-Man rejoined with the Venom symbiote in order to stop Red Goblin during "Go Down Swinging" which saw them separate from each other for the first time as allies before it rejoined with Eddie Brock.