Venom: The Hunted #3
Take the 'A' Train
While attempting to discover who is responsible for framing him for a rash of serial killings, Venom has been weakened by a barrage of sonic interference from New York City's air raid sirens. This leaves him at the mercy of police officers who continue to weaken him with whistles, bullhorns, and air horns. That's when the kill, an alien known as Phage leaps out of the window of one of the most recent crime scenes and attacks Venom. The creature explains that it lives to consume symbiotes and has come to Earth to eat the symbiotes that live here. As Venom battles the creature he notices that it has Donna, one of the symbiotes from the Life Foundation, as its prisoner.[1] Despite Venom's best efforts, he is ultimately stunned when Phage injects him with a neurotoxin that incapacitates symbiotes. Not far away, Detectives Steen and Clark witness the battle. Although Detective Steen still thinks that Venom is responsible for the rash of serial killings, Detective Clark isn't so sure. While Steen mobilizes her officers with military-grade weapons, Clark calls Doctor Yao at the coroner's office to learn more about the serial killer's victims.
That's when one of the officers asks the detectives what they should do with the skateboard they found in one of their squad cars. The board is dismissed and the officer hands it off to a kid watching the whole scene. The young boy, named Jerry, recognizes the skateboard as the one a man calling himself "Rad Eddie" bought off of his friend Binky during a recent skateboard competition. Jerry then calls his friends to tell them that "Rad Eddie" is in trouble and the skateboarders begin working together to try and track down the alien that kidnapped Venom. Meanwhile, Donna manages to recover and tries to fight back against Phage, only to be incapacitated by a neurotoxin again. That's when a military helicopter—on loan to the NYPD—locates the trio and begins opening fire. As the skateboarders and the detectives were to close in on Phage's location, the alien creature ducks into a nearby subway station with its intended victims. While Detective Steen orders her officers to cordon off the area, the skateboarders manage to slip by and follow after their friend. With the alien hopping aboard the A Train, the youths jump the turnstiles and barge their way onto the departing train. By this time, Detective Clark is put in touch with Doctor Yao who tells him that all of the victims were harboring symbiotes that have been stranded on Earth since their failed invasion of Earth.[2] Still, Detective Steen insists on following after them and her attack force begins tracking the A Train as it speeds downtown. While back on top of the subway train, Venom refuses to be an easy meal for Phage and tries to fight him off. He does so not only to save his own hide but to protect Donna from the creature as well. That's when the two skateboarders climb up onto the top of the train to see what they can do to help. When Phage threatens the children, Venom tries to fight back but is knocked into the driver's car of the train. When the driver tries to stop the train, Venom insists that they keep ongoing.
While Donna keeps fighting Phage, Venom climbs onto the front of the train as they pass through the next station. There the police are waiting for them and an over-eager officer has pulled the pin off a white-phosphorous grenade in the hopes of throwing it at Venom. However, as the train speeds by, Venom sees an opportunity to grab the live grenade. Venom then uses his own symbiote to lure Phage from Donna, who has been seriously injured. When Phage takes a bite out of the symbiote, it is unaware that it is holding the grenade and is soon incinerated when the explosive goes off inside its body. With the threat over, Venom changes into his Rad Eddie disguise and manages to slip past Detectives Steen and Clark when the train makes it to the next stop. On his way out, "Rad Eddie" tells Detective Clark about Donna and how she needs immediate medical attention. When Clark asks how these skateboarders always seem to be on the scene when something goes down, "Rad Eddie" tells him that it must be luck, flashing his symbiotic teeth as he departs.
Recurring Characters
Venom, Detectives Clark and Steen, Phage, Scream, Dr. Yao
Continuity Notes
Donna's connection to the Life Foundation and how she got a symbiote is detailed in Venom Lethal Protector #1-6.
The symbiotes attempted to conquer Earth during the Planet of the Symbiotes story arc.
Soul Survivor
Hybrid has been taken prisoner by the Jury who thought he was a criminal. However, when they discovered Hybrid was Scott Washington, one of their former colleagues at the Vault, it is too late. The Hybrid symbiote has decided it has been tortured enough and attacks the Jury, despite Scott's efforts to stop it. To make matters worse, the New Warriors have managed to find Hybrid and thinking that the Jury is the threat have started attacking them as well.
As the battle rages, harsh words are also exchanged between the two groups. That's when Max Taylor, the leader of the Jury, and his assistant Olivia Lentz arrive and demand to know what is going on. Firearm explains that they have been invaded by intruders while he and his teammates all swarm on Justice. Seeing their teammate in trouble, Turbo and Powerhouse lend him a hand, trashing Wysper, Bomblast and Ramshot's armor. That's when Max tells them to stop fighting, pointing out that Hybrid is trying to kill Sentry, their field leader. Sentry, pleads with Scott to stop, reminding him that they used to work together. That's when the New Warriors realize that they have misunderstood the situation and try to convince Hybrid to stand down. Washington explains that he has lost control of the Hybrid symbiote and it is going to try and kill Sentry because all it can remember is how Guardsmen tortured it when it was in government custody.[1] Scott tries to get the symbiote back under control by sharing his memories of his time working at the Vault. How he and Sentry, aka Curt Elkins, trained him when he first started working at the facility. They also became fast friends during that time. He remembers how Elkins was a joker, and also how much fun he had when it was the Rhino's regular shower time. He also fought to keep the other security staff safe from the prisoner. However, despite his best efforts the administrators forced Elkins and his staff to work in unsafe conditions. This is what ultimately led to the death of Hugh Taylor at the hands of Venom.[2] He remembers how Curtis quit the Vault with some of his colleagues in order to bring Venom to justice.
After seeing all these memories, the Hybrid realizes that Curtis Elkins is a good man and finally releases him. Although Sentry is safe, the rest of the Jury is furious that Hybrid almost killed him and draw their weapons. However, Justice doesn't want another unnecessary battle and uses his telekinetic powers to disarm the Jury. Scott then explains that the Hybrid made the same mistake that the Jury did about them—thought Sentry was a threat and jumped to conclusions based on prejudice and hate. He insists that they need to get past that and start trusting each other. Not only does the Jury agree to let go of the past, Max Taylor decides that it is time to re-evaluate his organization's practices. With everyone satisfied, Hybrid and the New Warriors depart. On their way out, Justice offers Hybrid a place on the New Warriors. Although he is flattered by the offer, Hybrid declines, telling Justice that he has enough crime to fight in his own back yard and wants to tackle it himself.
Recurring Characters
Hybrid, New Warriors (Justice, Powerhouse, Turbo), The Jury (Sentry, Wysper, Firearm, Ramshot, Bomblast), Max Taylor, Olivia Lentz, Rhino (flashback)
Continuity Notes
After the symbiotes hosts were killed during Venom Separation Anxiety #1-4, they were put in government custody until they escape in Venom: Along Came a Spider #1.
Venom murdered Hugh when he broke out of the Vault in Amazing Spider-Man #315.
