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The VENOM Movie Makes The Symbiote The Superhero
Forget everything you think you know about Venom, because this symbiote is actually the HERO of this grisly story. From the first rumors of a Venom movie, words like 'antihero' or 'villain' have been throw around in reference to the titular hybrid - suggesting that Eddie Brock and his symbiote are a far cry from your typical superhero.
But as more details concerning Venom continue to emerge (like the evil symbiote Riot set to appear) it's seeming more and more likely that Sony is adapting the later, more developed origin story of Venom. The story in which the Venom symbiote isn't the reason that Eddie feels unhinged. And in which the Venom symbiote is the only hero powerful enough to save Earth from his symbiote kin - providing Eddie can rise to its own level.
Seeing Eddie sweating and screaming as a voice takes hold of his mind, or violently injuring his enemies and acting dumbfounded are highly effective in making the Venom story seem werewolf-esque in nature. But looks can be deceiving. Let us explain just how The VENOM Movie Makes The Symbiote The Superhero.
FOR STARTERS, THE SYMBIOTE WAS NEVER THE VILLAIN
One of the most common misconceptions about the Venom symbiote (likely due to the Spider-Man 3 movie) is that the alien symbiote itself is villainous, malicious, or just downright evil in nature. In reality, fans know that to say the symbiote "corrupted" Eddie isn't accurate at all. In fact, the opposite might be true.
As the story unfolded the first time around, Spider-Man brought the symbiote suit back to Earth, and had it removed when Mr. Fantastic discovered it was actually alive. Not evil, just a living thing. Eventually it escaped and found its way to Eddie Brock, a man with other legitimate beefs against Peter Parker. On the surface, one could look at the trailers for Venom and assume it has done the same to Eddie on film, just with a different target for his hatred.
But that might not be right, considering the bigger truth about the symbiotes that eventually came to light in the comics.
THE SYMBIOTES ARE A FORCE FOR GOOD, NOT EVIL
Over time, the larger mythology of the symbiote-- well, the symbiotes was expanded, revealing that it wasn't a cosmic virus, or infection. It was just one of an entire planet of symbiotes. Which means it's about time we started calling these symbiotes by their actual name: the Klyntar.
Born of a planet bearing the same name, the symbiotes were about as far from villainous or an 'infection' as you can get. Their goal in life was to attach to a living organism, and form a symbiotic relationship (hence the name). The creature could spread the Klyntar's reach, while the Klyntar helped the organism to do things never thought possible. Give it power, give it purpose, and protect it as much as it would protect itself.
That may even mean using deadly force to protect the host, assuming that host has the necessary makeup to do it. Which makes it easy to misread Eddie's horror at the behavior "Venom" is exhibiting in the movie's trailers. But the biggest source of confusion may be in the other alien symbiotes wreaking havoc in the film.
Symbiotes who may be part of the same evil, violent, murderous tribe to which the Venom symbiote used to belong...
VENOM TRAILERS SHOW THE REAL VILLAIN SYMBIOTES?
If you don't know these intricacies of Venom's alien origins, don't feel bad - most people don't. Even fans may not know that the Klyntar made it their mission to form a group known as the Agents of the Cosmos. A group of powerful, noble, supremely heroic hosts who, once merged with Symbiotes, would work to bring peace to the universe. Unfortunately, even a plan that optimistic is eventually foiled. Not by Symbiotes who are evil to start with, but made so after merging with hosts who desire nothing less than interstellar peace.
Over time, these Venom-like symbiote pairs forged an alliance of their own, intent on conquering and consuming everything that the Klyntar sought to safeguard. They called themselves the Symbiote Imperium, and after being twisted into a hateful, violent symbiote, the alien half of Venom joined their ranks. Which may help to explain exactly how the Venom symbiote comes to Earth - and how a variety of other Symbiotes, including the murderous Venom-like symbiote Riot follow close behind on the upcoming movie.
In the comics, Riot and the other evil Symbiotes we expect to see in Venom were actually extracted from the titular symbiote. However, even the pseudo-science of comic books may have a hard time explaining the extraction of "seeds" from the Venom symbiote as their origin - when shoeing them arriving from the same corner of space is infinitely simpler.
Whether born of the torture inflicted upon the Venom symbiote, or corrupted agents of an evil Klyntar sect, there's only one thing that can stop Riot and its friends from rampaging across the Earth: Venom.
THE SYMBIOTE IS PROTECTING EDDIE (AS THE ACTUAL HERO)
So, why would these villainous Venom-esque monsters want to kill Venom? Assuming they're separate Symbiotes who came to earth alongside it, the Symbiote Imperium of the comics also wanted Venom dead. Where they saw it as their mandate to take a host, consume its life force until it withered and died, then take another, the Venom symbiote was different. Too twisted (beyond its own control to prevent it) to be accepted by the Klyntar, but not evil enough to be accepted by the Imperium.
The Venom symbiote felt a desire to protect its host, eventually explaining its devotion as anything but a "werewolf-like" hostile takeover:
"The bond between a Klyntar and its host is sacred. They give our lives context and our existence meaning. They give us history. All we have are our hosts to tell us who we are."
Considering how vulnerable Eddie actually is, the symbiote may be the only thing to save him. After all, the trailers show him moments from death multiple times, only to be saved by the symbiote.
Assuming the people trying to kill Eddie for investigating the Life Foundation's symbiote experiments are the villains of the movie, that implies the symbiote is the one playing the hero in rescuing Eddie.
So perhaps we should read the scene in which Eddie is covered by the symbiote, and warns a goon that "We Are... Venom" a bit differently. Not as Eddie succumbing to the dark influence of the symbiote, but allowing it to make him into the hero it was born to create.
Lets just hope Eddie Brock is enough of a hero to make it work - because the symbiote has a head start.
