'Marvel: What If… Marc Spector Was Host to Venom?' Excerpt Sees the Alien Symbiote Take Control of Moon Knight

Whether it be his alters, Steven Grant and Jake Lockley, or the Egyptian Moon God Khonshu, Marc Spector is no stranger to hearing other voices in his head. But what happens when a new voice enters the fold and disrupts this system? Enter Venom, who in this universe, finds a host in Moon Knight.

In a brand new story penned by best-selling author Mike Chen, Marvel: What If...Marc Spector Was Host to Venom? A Moon Knight & Venom Story reimagines the origins of two of Marvel’s darker heroic figures. From Penguin Random House, this latest title from the adult novel What If… series is available now wherever books are sold.

Readers can catch a first glimpse into the minds of Moon Knight and Venom as they try to negotiate the terms of their Symbiotic relationship with an exclusive except from Marvel: What If...Marc Spector Was Host to Venom? A Moon Knight & Venom Story below. 

MARVEL: WHAT IF . . . MARC SPECTOR WAS HOST TO VENOM? A VENOM & MOON KNIGHT STORY
ISBN: 978-0593726860
Written by Mike Chen
Available now

YOU WERE MARC SPECTOR. BUT NOW YOU’RE US.

That means you’re Venom.

But we are also you. Which is interesting.

The Whisperer was very clear. So many Moon Knights in so many universes. Some very different from you: in space, living underwater, with lizard scales.

Yet some like you: Marc Spector in New York City at this time.

This last one was nearly identical to you. Ex-marine. Ex-mercenary. Stubborn as all hell.

And prone to talking to alters.

That was what we needed. That was what HE told us to find.

Two Marc Spectors, so alike in every way. Except you had an­other presence, didn’t you? That annoying god. Something about his presence even masked what the Whisperer sought, leading us to pick the other Marc Spector first.

We don’t like making mistakes.

HE does not like us making mistakes. Though that one did come with benefits. A healthy body, a recognizable face to help us get around New York City.

And to lead us to you.

A pity to waste that one. He did have many talents. But as the Whisperer said:

No witnesses. No survivors.

It is the only way.

And you are the only way. You are unique, in ways you do not understand, in ways that we cannot fully grasp just yet. No, not those voices in your head—and we see it all, the space you share with Steven Grant and Jake Lockley, doorways for either of them to come and take over. The memories from both, the knowledge from both, we can grab them as easily as we can move your limbs.

You are calling to them now. Interesting. The other Marc, you called him “Spector,” he tried to do the same thing. Perhaps there is a common thread among all of you?

We feel them, too. No matter. They are walled off now. Do you hear that, both of them pounding at those walls? Begging to be let in, to answer your call for help. To push us out.

And now? That must change.

Silence.

They will not be bothering us. We will not allow those variables to risk our mission.

You shout, you despair. You panic at trying to manage a path ahead without them. You do not understand what is at stake here, so save your grief. Save your anxiety. There is no time for that now. Do you understand?

We must do this.

And you must comply.

THAT’S RIGHT.

Move.

Walk into Spector Manor. Ignore the furniture, the ticking clocks, the drawn drapes. By the cobwebs and dust, it looks like you’ve been ignoring it anyway, so why change now? Go down the hall, reveal the access panel, and put your hand on the scanner. The computer doesn’t even realize what is happening. We see the screen readout: Identity confirmed. We hear the voice: “Welcome back, Marc.”

Go down the steps. The lights are coming on, the main com­puter is greeting you. Give your voiceprint and unlock everything here.

Because even though we are carrying the suit in your backpack, we need more.

Scan the space—what do you see? Weapons. Your precious crescent darts—take more of them. One of your emergency phones—good, communication access. Mooncopter remote access—unnecessary with our abilities. Same with the Angel Wing glider.

But Jake Lockley’s things. His hat, coat, everything that makes you believable. His mustache. The bandage across his nose.

You linger on other items, things that carry sentimental value for you. Ignore them. Ignore the Mr. Knight suit. We don’t need formalities for this. We need efficiency. The clock is ticking on you—and us.

Stop stalling.

You obey. Or perhaps you submit. We overpower your will, though you manage to defy us to take Jake’s fake mustache. If you must, we can give you that. Maybe you even look better with it.

Now our search begins.

We seek the psi-phon.

You remember that, don’t you?

Moon Shade, the psi-phon, that business—Multiverse.

Now you’re starting to understand.

PACK THE SUIT, MARC. STOP RESISTING. PACK THE SUIT.

Good. Grab the cape, the mask, the boots. It is time.

We feel your anger as you coil belt, fold face, check your equip­ment. Your sense that even now, as we get into Jake’s New York taxi and rev the engine, this is against everything Moon Knight stands for. You think about how ashamed Steven and Jake would be at you for having given in to our directives.

You clearly do not see the bigger picture.

In this moment, you have a mission. Because we have a mission. Do as directed. Use that anger. We need it. Now go, drive away from the quiet of Spector Manor and toward the city. We move under the guidance of the moon—but not to strike fear in the hearts of criminals. No, we need information swiftly.

You recoil at that thought. Which means you know something, yet you refuse to cooperate or give it up. We will dig further, push past your resistance. What is it you are hiding? You refuse to tell me, but these things cannot be hidden. It is only a matter of time and effort.

There. That will do nicely:

Jake Lockley’s network of informants.

Jake’s eyes and ears on the street, under bridges, in subway sta­tions. You know them, don’t you? They reside in Jake’s memory—our memory. Seek them out. Find out what they know. Do not hesitate. The clock is ticking.

Even now, as we roar into the city, we gaze at the shadows of buildings and neighborhoods, and Jake’s memory comes alive with the known locales of each person.

Now pull over. Get on your feet. Your mission is not a stakeout. It is active. Time cannot be wasted. You must go from person to person, find the informants, cast a wide net.

Ask them what they know about the psi-phon. Rumors of its whereabouts, whose hands it is in. About anything involved with those things. The Whisperer was certain it remained close.

Why, you ask. That was so long ago, a footnote in Moon Knight’s memory. We can hear you ponder that. Your mind is still there, working, trying to put the pieces together. You remember its pur­pose, where it drew power from.

Clever. We are feeling your mind crawling toward this.

Squash those questions. The answers do not matter to you.

We only need information. You will be our conduit for it.

Your mercenary skills remain. Use them. See how you blend in, lurking in the shadows as we scour the alleys, as we locate Jake’s informants. Notice how you detect when they lie or deflect, the rhythm of their breathing or the quickening of their pulse. Watch as you hold their gaze, the intensity of your interrogation as you find out what they know.

Ask them what they know about the psi-phon. Rumors of its whereabouts, whose hands it is in. About anything involved with those things. The Whisperer was certain it remained close.

Why, you ask. That was so long ago, a footnote in Moon Knight’s memory. We can hear you ponder that. Your mind is still there, working, trying to put the pieces together. You remember its pur­pose, where it drew power from.

Clever. We are feeling your mind crawling toward this.

Squash those questions. The answers do not matter to you.

We only need information. You will be our conduit for it.

Your mercenary skills remain. Use them. See how you blend in, lurking in the shadows as we scour the alleys, as we locate Jake’s informants. Notice how you detect when they lie or deflect, the rhythm of their breathing or the quickening of their pulse. Watch as you hold their gaze, the intensity of your interrogation as you find out what they know.

No, you are no longer Jake working with a network. You are Venom, and the only thing that matters is the location of the psi-phon.

One hour passes. Then another, and another. These informants, they tell you useless information, time wasted. What good is Jake’s informant network if they don’t keep their ears open? Is this too complicated for their purposes? Are they not capable of delivering more?

Ah, but this one knows something. He has heard about it. This one. You sense it as soon as Jake’s informant says it:

Retrograde Sanitarium.

We feel it—your intuition triggers. You must squeeze more in­formation out of him. By any means possible.

Your hesitation. Why does that arise?

You feel pain when you think of it. Of all of the things you have done, the blood on your hands, the justice you claim to have served in the name of Khonshu, and this frightens you?

Curious. But time is slipping away.

We must move fast.

Good. Strike him until he gives us what we need. You hesitate again— we see, Jake is the one who does your dirty work when you . . .

When you have a conscience.

Jake would not do this, you say. Jake cares for these people.

We are not Jake right now. We are not Marc, or Steven, or Moon Knight.

We are Venom.

About the Author
Mike Chen is the New York Times bestselling author of Star Wars: Brotherhood, Here and Now and Then, A Quantum Love Story, and other novels, as well as Star Trek: Deep Space Nine comics. He has covered geek culture for sites such as Nerdist and The Mary Sue, and in a different life, he's covered the NHL. A member of SFWA, Mike lives in the Bay Area with his wife, daughter, and many rescue animals.

What If...Marc Spector Was Host to Venom? A Moon Knight & Venom Story is available from Penguin Random House now wherever books are sold!