Apart

Following his defeat at the hands of the Scarlet Spider, Eddie Brock has been separated from his other and taken prisoner.[1] As he is being brought to a secret containment facility in New Mexico. He is surrounded by armed guards who are very afraid of him even though he is heavily restrained. Meanwhile, Eddie's symbiote is being contained at a secret government facility hidden within the Adirondack Mountains in Upstate New York. There the creature's weaknesses are being examined by Doctor Zwerling who has been tasked with learning the alien's secrets. He is surprised when the symbiote's form takes on the appearance of Eddie Brock's face and realizes that the creature is trying to communicate with them.

A few days later, Daily Bugle reporter Ken Ellis has managed to infiltrate the facility where Eddie Brock is being contained with fake credentials in the hopes of getting an exclusive interview with Brock. Entering the lab where Eddie is being contained, Ellis realizes that this is going to be more difficult than he planned as the man once known as Venom is being heavily examined by a team of scientists. As he is being experimented upon, Eddie Brock's mind drifts back to the past. He thinks about how his career as a reporter was ruined. How everything changed when he bonded with his other and devoted their lives to destroying the man they held responsible for ruining both of their lives: Spider-Man.[2] Brock's pain can be felt miles away in New York by the symbiote, which becomes determined to break free. By this point, Ken Ellis' cover is blown and he is about to be arrested when suddenly, Eddie Brock begins trying to break out of his cell.

Meanwhile, outside of the facility, two guards are confronted by an attractive woman in a provocative outfit. They order her to freeze, but suddenly, her outfit comes to life and kills them. This woman is not the only symbiote bonded individual attacking the facility but is a part of a group of five hosts.[3] They sneak into the lab where Eddie Brock is being contained. By this point, Brock begins to reconsider his escape, without the influence of his other, he realizes that he is a killer and deserves to be incarcerated. That's when the other symbiotes arrive and begin slaughtering the guards. In the confusion, Ken Ellis runs for cover and observes from relative safety. Remembering these as the symbiotes that were created by the Life Foundation, Brock decides he has to get loose and stop them.[4] With the guards subdued, the symbiotes female stops the others from killing them, reminding them that they have come for Eddie Brock. By this point, Brock has managed to break free from his containment unit. Even though he is stark naked, Eddie Brock is unafraid to face the symbiotes.

Despite his best efforts, Eddie is overpowered and taken prisoner. As the symbiotes prepare to leave with their prisoner, Ken Ellis comes out of hiding. He tries to convince them that he is Eddie's doctor and they'll need him. However, the symbiotes know exactly who he is, but takes the reporter anyway as Ellis might prove useful to them.

Recurring Characters

Eddie Brock, Scream, Agony, Phage, Riot, Lasher, Ken Ellis, Edmund Zwerling

Continuity Notes

1. Venom was defeated by the Scarlet Spider during the Exile Returns story arc.

2. Both Eddie Brock and the Symbiote blamed Spider-Man for ruining their lives as follows:

   • Spider-Man began wearing the symbiote as a costume in Marvel Super Heroes Secret Wars #8. When he discovered it was alive and trying to bond with him, he abandoned it in Amazing Spider-Man #258. When the symbiote tried to bond with him again, Spider-Man seemingly killed it in Web of Spider-Man #1.

   • Not long after this, Spider-Man arrested the serial killer known as Sin-Eater circa Peter Parker, The Spectacular Spider-Man #107-110.

   • As revealed in Amazing Spider-Man #300, Brock had been interviewing someone who claimed to be the Sin-Eater at the time. When Spider-Man caught the real killer, Brock's career was ruined. He then discovered the symbiote in the church it was left for dead in and bonded to the alien to become Venom.

3. These symbiotes are unnamed here. Scream, the red and yellow symbiote is officially named in Civil War Battle Damage Report #1. The others are identified as Agony, Lasher, Riot, and Phage in Carnage, U.S.A. #2.

4. Brock last encountered these symbiotes in Venom Lethal Protector #4-5 when he seemingly killed them.