From Russia With Blood-Lust!

Sent on a mission to deliver a ransom to Doctor Yes, a biological weapons engineer, Eddie Brock finds himself in the middle of the ocean being attacked by a massive being in a suit of mechanical armor. This cyborg is Kostya Yesenofsky, the son of Doctor Yes. As he struggles with the creature his handler -- Agent Darryll Smith -- orders Brock not to turn into Venom in order to maintain a low profile, warning him if Brock disobeys orders he will activate the thermite bomb planted in his chest. Surrendering, Eddie is taken prisoner by the cyborg and the three female mercenaries that came to collect the money. Hearing about the success, Doctor Yes orders them to bring Eddie to his secret underwater base, as this prisoner could prove useful to them. When they go further out into sea, Agent Smith and his operatives attempt to capture them, but the mercenaries sink their hydrofoil as they near the undersea base. Losing track of Eddie, Smith hopes that Venom will be able to come through with his part of the mission. Thinking they are crazy to sink the ship and that they are all going to drown, Eddie is surprised when the female mercenaries have an oxygen tank for him to breath off of while they take him to the undersea base below, a facility they call New Odessa.

Brought before Doctor Yes, Eddie is told the bio-engineers entire scheme. He explains that he developed his deadly toxins while working for the Russian government. Unfortunately, his son, Kostya, was exposed to the toxins by accident. In order to keep his boy alive, Yes developed the cybernetic suit the boy now wears, he then continued to work for his government in order to earn the money needed to keep his son alive. Unfortunately, with a change in the Russian government, his gainful employment was cut off forcing him to illegally sell his bio-weapons to other nations or resort to global blackmail -- such as in this instance -- in order to get the money he needs to sustain his boy.[1] He then vows that when he son dies, he will unleash a powerful global plague in order to make the world pay. Meanwhile, above water, Agent Smith and his operatives drop sonobuoys to try and locate the New Odyssa. They have been armed with a nuclear weapon and they intend to drop it on the undersea facility in the event that Venom fails in his mission.

Back down below, Doctor Yes shows off Kostay's new suit of armor, a Soviet-era inspired suit of armor he subs Red Flag, although Eddie is unimpressed. That's when the female mercenaries of Doctor Yes reveal that the money in the briefcase is fake and that there is a tracking device planted inside. Unphased by this, Doctor Yes tells Red Flag that they are leaving and orders his mercenaries to kill Eddie. With no other choice, Brock turns into Venom and savagely attacks the mercenaries, discovering that they are cyborgs as well. Not far away, another cyborg informs Doctor Yes of the true nature of their prisoner. Seeing that Eddie Brock is a symbiote, the bio-engineer thinks that this could be the very thing he needs in order to cure his son. Meanwhile, above water, the Overreach Committee at the Pentagon gives Agent Smith orders to arm the bomb and drop it on New Odessa.

Recurring Characters

Venom, Daryll Smith, Dr. Yes, Red Flag

Continuity Notes

1. Doctor Yes states that the fall of communism in Russia at the end of the Cold War is why he was suddenly out of work. This should be considered a topical reference per the Sliding Timescale of Earth-616.