Patterns Part Two

Months Ago[1]

Frankie and Vic, two scientists working for the Ararat Corporation, are busy working on a clone of the Venom symbiote based on a DNA sample they collected.[2] While they have managed to coax the clone to come out of hiding it keeps on killing potential hosts within seconds. However, although the creature seems to be hungry, it doesn’t eat, leading them to theorize that the creature just likes to kill. That’s when they are joined by their boss, a man named Bob, who suggests they try giving the symbiote two hosts at once. They then send in the next two test subjects. One an elderly man from a mental hospital, the other a convicted killer who was rotting away in prison. When they unleash the symbiote upon them, the convict tries to fight back prompting the symbiote to suddenly disappear. However, this is merely a tactic as the symbiote had bonded with the mental patient and after taunting the convict, takes on the form of Venom and kills him. Satisfied with the results, Bob thinks their new symbiote is ready for the next phase of their plan. Vic and Frankie protest this as the symbiote’s ability to change tactics and absorb memories from those it comes into contact were unknown commodities until that moment. However, Bob already knew what to expect and says time is of the essence to move onto the next phase of the plan. Once they are left alone, Vic and Frankie get to talking. Frankie explains how she examined the original specimen for months with no results until Bob examined it and managed to pull a perfect DNA sample and clone the creature. It’s almost as if Bob is learning about this creature very quickly and wonder what is secrets are all about. Back in his office, Bob contacts his identical twin — also named Bob — at his office in New York City. He tells his New York counterpart that the specimen is ready for transport to their facility in the Arctic Circle. When New York Bob tells his counterpart in New Mexico that they’re expecting him, New Mexico Bob responds by opening his mouth allowing a number of nano-spiders to crawl out and alter his clothes so he is wearing the same exact suit as his New York counterpart.

Meanwhile, at the Baxter Building,[3] Mister Fantastic and the Invisible Woman watch as similar nano spiders are examining the Venom symbiote that has been in their custody since they helped Spider-MAn defeat Venom. Sue tells Reed she is unnerved by the nano-spiders because they are such an unknown commodity. While she understands Reed is doing some important work, she tells him she is feeling a little neglected. They are interrupted when they receive contact from Nick Fury, who tells Reed that he is arriving with a SHIELD team to take Eddie Brock and take him to the Vault. When Reed tells Fury that he has discovered a strange growth in Eddie’s frontal lobe, Fury dismisses this glad to hear that Brock might have cancer.[4] Fury also only has a passing interest in the nano-spiders that Reed has been using to examine the Venom symbiote. After Sue uses an invisible force field to separate the nanites from the symbiote, Fury takes it into custody and leaves. Although it appears to be a routine extraction and without incident, Fury notices one of the nanites followed them onto their helicopter, causing Fury some great concern.

However, the symbiote is first taken to the SHIELD research facility where the head scientist complains that he won’t get the time required to adequately investigate the symbiote and learn what it is. That’s when Fury hands him the nano-spider telling him that it knows all about the symbiote. When the scientist asks how it was able to tell Nick all of this, he tells the astonished scientist that it contacted him through his cell phone.

Back in New Mexico, the unit coming to pick up the cloned symbiote is about to arrive. Frankie and Vic prepare the specimen for transport and they are ordered to erase all their data on the creature as it is a liability. When they ask why Bob tells them that the Arctic team only needs to know how to contain the creature until it is needed, and will be provided with false and incomplete information. He tells the two women that they won’t be needed any further but tells them to have faith in their project. Bob then meets with the man from the Arctic base and tells him that he looks forward to hearing what they will learn from examining the specimen.

Recurring Characters

Mister Fantastic, Invisible Woman, SHIELD (Nick Fury), Frankie, Vic, Bob

Continuity Notes

1. This story specifically states that the events of this story take place 19 months prior to the events of Venom #1. I went into detail about how the measurement of time was determined by the last issue. Short version: It was based on years of publication than the passage of time in the Marvel Universe which operates on a sliding timescale. Last year it said two years publication wise would equate to 6 months in-universe. As such instead of 19 months that is listed here, the actual passage of time would be roughly around 4 to 5 months instead.

2. That sample would be Venom’s severed tongue which was collected last issue.

3. The Fantastic Four’s headquarters is identified as the Four Freedoms Plaza in this story. As pointed out last issue, this is an error as the Fantastic Four were not habituating the Four Freedoms in this story. The Four Freedoms was destroyed in Thunderbolts #10 and replaced with a new Baxter Building in Fantastic Four (vol. 3) #38.

4. This is explored further in Spectacular Spider-Man (vol. 2) #1, in which Eddie Brock reveals that he has cancer. However, it’s later revealed in Venom (vol. 4) #11, Eddie never had cancer. This was all part of an elaborate trick played on Eddie by the Venom symbiote to make him more dependant upon the alien.