Spectacular Spider-Man (vol. 2) #5
The Hunger Part 5
Confronting Eddie Brock in the bowels of an old ship, Spider-Man is shocked to discover that Brock is dying of cancer.[1] Brock tells Spider-Man how he knew about it for years and that the cancer was inoperable. He had hoped that his report on the Sin-Eater would be his legacy, but Spider-Man ruined his career when he captured the real Sin-Eater.[2] Eddie then tells Spider-Man how his uncle had died of cancer and he vowed to himself that he wouldn’t let the cancer ravage his body as it did to his uncle. He then admits that on the night on he first met the symbiote, he planned to commit suicide. Thinking back on it now, Eddie — a Catholic — figures that God had other plans for him.[3] Spider-Man is unmoved by any of this, pointing out that Eddie is drawing right from the criminal playbook — blaming someone else for his problems instead of taking responsibility. Brock says that Spider-Man doesn’t understand, explaining that he was diagnosed with pheochromocytoma, which causes the growth of tumors on the adrenal glands. The result is the overproduction of epinephrine in the body. He says that the symbiote chose him as a host because he had an overabundance of adrenaline. Spider-Man correctly deduces that this is why the symbiote has been feeding on Eddie’s cancer for years and this is why it is seeking out other cancer patients. Brock explains that the symbiote is afraid because it hasn’t been able to find a suitable host since its failed attempt to bond to Spider-Man.[4] This causes Spider-Man to realize the root of Brock’s hatred for him, that the symbiote always wanted him and Eddie feared that the symbiote would eventually abandon him.
Eddie is then struck with a coughing fit and begins coughing up blood. Spider-Man helps him back up to his feet. Brock recounts how he could always hear the symbiote in his head, even when he was sleeping and now he hears nothing. Eddie then theorizes that the link between the symbiote and host must have something to do with adrenaline. Eddie is still coughing up blood and Spider-Man decides to take him to a hospital, but Brock laughs this off and passes out, mocking Spider-Man for not figuring out what the symbiote really needs. However, Spider-Man refuses to give up on Eddie, even if he is on death’s door. Webbing Brock up, Spider-Man decides that he is going to try to save his life, and the only way to do this is to reunite Brock with the Venom symbiote.
Spider-Man tracks the symbiote to a forest near the airport. There, Brock tells Spider-Man to stop, saying that he doesn’t want to lose his soul because he will never be allowed into Heaven and passes out. Spider-Man calls out to the symbiote, telling it that Brock doesn’t have to die if the creature bonds with him again. Emerging from the darkness, the symbiote tells Spider-Man that it doesn’t want Brock, that it never did, and that all it ever wanted was to bond with Spider-Man again. The web-slinger warns the symbiote that it doesn’t have much time, as Eddie will undergo brain death in 3 minutes and without a suitable host, the symbiote will be signing its death warrant as well. The symbiote refuses to bond with Brock, telling it needs Spider-Man. It even says that it has a child growing inside and Brock’s cancerous form won’t sustain it. Spider-Man still refuses and in the ensuing struggle, he pulls Eddie into the path of the symbiote as it tries to forcibly bond with him. This bonding is, according to the symbiote, permanent, and as Eddie Brock is restored to life both curse him for condemning them to a life filled with cancer and pain. Retreating, Venom vows to destroy the wall-crawler in due time. In the aftermath of the battle, Spider-Man finds himself wondering if he has made the right choice.[5]
Recurring Characters
Spider-Man, Venom
Continuity Notes
Except he’s not. As revealed in Venom (vol. 4) #11, the symbiote is manipulating Eddie to make him more dependant upon the symbiote. The memories of Eddie getting his diagnosis are false. The appearance of illness seen here was caused by the symbiote altering Eddie’s body chemistry so he is showing signs of cancer when there actually isn’t any.
The Sin-Eater was a mentally ill police officer named Stan Carter. However, another man — Emil Gregg — also claimed to be the killer. Spider-Man investigated and captured the real Sin-Eater in Peter Parker, the Spectacular Spider-Man #107-110. As explained in Amazing Spider-Man #300, Eddie Brock made the mistake of interviewing Emil Gregg. When Spider-Man caught the real Sin-Eater, Brock was disgraced and lost his job. Brock states that this all happened “a few years ago”. The Sin-Eater incident happened roughly four years prior to this story per the Sliding Timescale.
Eddie’s memory of an uncle who died of cancer is also a false memory, as is his suicidal ideation. These were all part of the symbiote’s manipulations. See Venom (vol. 4) #11.
Spider-Man first started wearing the symbiote in Marvel Super Heroes Secret Wars #8 until he discovered it was alive and trying to bond with him, prompting him to abandon it in Amazing Spider-Man #258.
The symbiote’s claim that it is pregnant and that once bonded to Eddie Brock it will be for the last time are both falsehoods likely to sell its deceptions. Here are some facts that prove that these statements are lies:
The symbiote can only reproduce a limited time. The Life Foundation harvested all of the viable symbiote eggs from the Venom symbiote in Venom: Lethal Protector #4-5. Since then, the Venom symbiote has not birthed any other symbiotes. Although it could be referring to the clone of Venom, created in Venom #1 and absorbed by the real symbiote in Venom #18, which was said to allow the Venom symbiote to give birth to an army of symbiotes to destroy all life on Earth. However, this never came to be.
The symbiote’s claim that it would be permanently bonded to Eddie Brock proves to be false as he later put the symbiote up for auction in Marvel Knights: Spider-Man #5-6.
