Eddie Brock Pushes Back Against the Darkness in ‘Venom’ #32

WARNING! THIS ARTICLE CONTAINS SPOILERS FOR VENOM #32, SO READ ON AT YOUR OWN RISK, TRUE BELIEVERS!

Venom is dead. Eddie Brock was one of Knull’s first victims in the first two issues of KING IN BLACK. After the first wave of heroes fell to Knull, Venom confronted the god of symbiotes. In response, Knull violently separated Eddie from his Venom symbiote and sent the all-too-human host falling to his doom.

Eddie barely survived the traumatic fall, but he perished shortly thereafter during Tony Stark’s disastrous attempt to bond Eddie with one of the symbiote dragons. Eddie may be dead, but he’s not out of the picture. Donny Cates and artist Iban Coello reveal what’s next for Eddie in VENOM #32, and it looks like he’s in for the fight of his afterlife.

For Eddie, the events of KING IN BLACK #2 ended with his fatal fall. Within the opening pages of this issue, Eddie’s spirit or soul just keeps on falling long after his body stops. If Knull is truly the darkness that came before the universe was created, then it’s fitting that Eddie’s personal hell is like an eternal abyss. According to Eddie, it’s a different sensation from the last time his bond with the symbiote was disrupted in the VENOM #25. Fortunately, Eddie isn’t alone in the darkness.

A familiar voice tells Eddie that he’s now part of the symbiote hive mind, and Eddie has to will himself to stop falling. After landing, Eddie’s savior revealed himself to be Rex Strickland. In VENOM #1-6, Rex was Eddie’s first ally against Knull.

Despite hoping that Flash Thompson’s Agent Venom was still active, Rex fought alongside Eddie and reluctantly acknowledged that the real Rex Strickland died a long time ago. Out of shame for its previous actions, Rex’s symbiote assumed his life and identity for decades before he was killed in the battle with Knull.

Rex and Eddie’s post-death experience offers up a glimpse at just how badly things are going for Earth at the moment. New York City – and indeed, the entire world – are overrun with symbiotes. Eddie tries to save a fleeing family, but sadly, Eddie has no physical form to do so. Yet that didn’t stop a symbiote dragon from tearing him apart.

After Eddie’s spirit reassembled itself, Rex forced Eddie to see and acknowledge the truth: Eddie is dead, and he only exists as a Codex within the hive mind. To Eddie’s horror, he’s far from alone. Several of Earth’s Mightiest Heroes have also fallen under Knull’s control, as well as most of New York’s civilian population.

Eddie really has changed over the years because he refuses to accept his fate. His first instinct is still heroic, and he wants to get back to his son Dylan. Unlike Rex, Eddie has been bonded with his symbiote for far longer than anyone in human memory. Eddie theorizes that if he can reunite with his symbiote in the hive mind then the reborn Venom can burn it down from within.

If only it were that simple. Rex knows exactly where the Venom symbiote is: joined with Knull and once again corrupted by darkness. Any rescue attempt will not go unnoticed. The good news is that Rex has Eddie’s back, and he’s not the only one. The late Flash Thompson AKA Agent Venom is also present in the hive mind as a Codex, and he’s ready to fight Knull alongside Eddie and Rex.

Can Eddie and his friends turn the tide of battle against the King in Black? We’ll find out in VENOM #33 on Wednesday, February 3!

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