VENOM versus SPIDER-MAN

Maximum Carnage, Part Five: Over The Line! (Marvel)
Where: Spectacular Spider-Man #201 When: June 1993 Why: JM DeMatteis How: Sal Buscema

The Story So Far...
Cletus Kasady has re-bonded with the Carnage symbiote and escaped the Ravencroft maximum security facility in a violent slaughter that spills into New York City! There he finds an adopted family of killers to take the massacre city-wide: Shriek, Doppelganger, and the Demogoblin!

After failing to stop them alone: Venom sought to rekindle a desperate alliance with his old enemy, Spider-Man -- but not even a team-up with Black Cat and the vengeful Cloak could stop the destruction! Now the heroes are fighting just to survive as a Manhattan Warehouse burns around them!

Tale of the Tape...
Strength: Venom 5 (Super-Human)
Intelligence: Spider-Man 5 (Professor)
Speed: Spider-Man 4 (Olympian)
Stamina: Draw 5 (Marathoner)
Agility: Spider-Man 5 (Cat-Like)
Fighting: Draw 3 (Street Wise)
Energy: Venom 2 (Projectiles)
Total: Spider-Man 29 (Metahuman)

The fallout from Chapter Four has left our heroes worse for wear, and at each other's throats, as Maximum Carnage continues!

Carnage and his adopted family of demented killers have been left to continue unabated after triggering a dramatic warehouse explosion -- and that's enough to strain the unlikely alliance between Venom and Spider-Man!

Die hard fight fans might want to skip ahead to coverage of Chapter Six, because this isn't really a battle on the same level as their classic clash in Amazing Spider-Man #347, or even the more obscure Spider-Man Family #2.

Venom has been drastically weakened by the symbiote's vulnerability to fire, and Spidey's mind is on rescuing Black Cat from the burning warehouse wreckage.

For a self-professed "Lethal Protector" like Eddie Brock it's difficult to accept that Spider-Man would choose rescuing an ally over stopping the murder spree that could continue at the hands of Carnage and his crew.

Venom's skewed sense of justice has pitted him against various heroes and would-be allies over the years, such as Ghost Rider, Iron Man, and even DC's Superman. With an old enemy like Peter Parker an alliance is extra dicey, and his sense of responsibility for the creation of Carnage makes it all the more personal!

History: Spider-Man (1-0-1)

The Tape: Spider-Man Ranking: Spider-Man (#2)

What Went Down...

The alien symbiote drips from Eddie Brock's body like a thick ooze as he struggles to crawl through the broken beams & boarding of an unknown rock band's burning storage warehouse.

The massive fire drastically weakens the living costume that supplies Venom with his powers, but still he furiously compels Spider-Man to leave the inferno and resume pursuit of Carnage and his cadre of killers.

Spidey feels confident enough to leave Venom to fend for himself, while he goes deeper into the wreckage to rescue Black Cat from certain immolation!

Brock crawls his way out of the burning building, desperately attempting not to save his own life but those of countless others who might be killed by Carnage.

The crawl becomes a stumble as Brock rises to his feet - only to collapse back down into near unconsciousness as the building behind him explodes!

With Black Cat safely under his arm, Spider-Man soon arrives upon Eddie Brock: face down and motionless with tar-like strips strewn across his body.

They slowly begin to thicken as the symbiote revivifies and Venom regains his strength.

Spidey gently helps a rattled Black Cat to the ground, while Venom rises to his feet, suddenly enveloped in his customary black costume. He asks about Spider-Man's success stopping Carnage -- and doesn't like the answer he gets.

Incensed by Spider-Man's refusal to leave Black Cat to "roast" -- Venom lunges at his temporary ally with talon-like claws narrowly missing his injured ribs!

They question each other's sanity and ethics, with Spider-Man deeming a decision to leave either of his allies to die tantamount to murder. It's a prospect that inspires violent ideas for reprisal in the dual minds of Venom.

Black Cat enters the fray to cool things down: "You're really a piece of work, Brock! You get mad at the spider for saving me -- then waste time trying to bash his head in, while those maniacs get farther and farther away!"

The wake-up call steers Venom's rage towards the Cat, but what bruises his ego most is that she's absolutely right. The real enemy is Carnage.

The Hammer...

The tension is ratcheting up, but I think it's fair to say this wasn't much of a fight. Venom threw the only actual punch, and the rest is verbal sparring and philosophical differences. A non-starter ended by everyone getting back on the same page -- kinda...

You might've expected Black Cat to be the hero who calls it quits after a building collapsed on her, but it's actually Spider-Man who decides the alliance isn't working out for him. He simply cannot reconcile with the cutthroat tactics Venom demands -- and Black Cat is agreeing with.

After berating her former squeeze for treating her like a lowly damsel needing rescue; Cat further chides him for choosing her life over the countless lives Carnage could already be taking elsewhere in the city.

It's a moral split that actually sees an irate Black Cat following Venom back into battle, despite a violent history together, and his total willingness to throw her life away.

The duo will reconvene with Cloak on Fifth Avenue, where arriving mere minutes after reports of Carnage's rampage will mean more lives lost to the senseless slaughter.

So far every chapter of Maximum Carnage has featured one or more big battles, but Part Five sadly scales back the serious superhero smackdown right as master of action Sal Buscema joins the party! What we're left with is a couple of short skirmishes and near misses, but there was no way I was going to skip this issue!

Spectacular Spider-Man #201 ignites the fire of the crossover by following up the explosive previous chapter with a heavy sense of consequence and drama.

The issue might see heroes and villains returning to their respective corners, but there's no shortage of action and excitement. In fact, this always struck me as one of the most impactful issues of the Maximum Carnage crossover.

It seemed like Venom and Black Cat were going to tip the scales back in favour of the good guys, but all they really did was accumulate more injuries.

The issue announces its drama with the very first page: A surprisingly cinematic opening, despite its use of a traditional 9 panel grid.

On either side of Page 1 is a column of three panels, each showing an intense close-up of a roaring inferno. They're interspersed with discrete narration boxes for creator credits. Buscema's inks generate a sense of violent animation, given blistering heat by colorist Bob Sharen's use of vivid yellows, orange, and white.

Down the centre of the page are three claustrophobic mugshots: our heroes -- each showing distinct signs of distress!

If the cliffhanger of Black Cat's torn glove poking out of warehouse wreckage got your mind racing at the end of the previous issue -- her wide-eyed grimace, face pouring with sweat, makes the danger all the more personal, and kicks the drama up a whole extra level right on Buscema's first page!

Below the cat is Venom: mouth agape, with symbiote bleeding away to reveal Eddie Brock's barely open right eye. The salivating, bulging monster responsible for so much terror in previous Spider-Man stories is gone -- reduced to a pathetic mortal barely able to act. The situation is real bad for the good guys.

Something about the destruction of that warehouse, and seeing our heroes in such a vulnerable and battered state was arresting. Spidey is already nursing busted ribs from Chapter One, which were aggravated in Chapter Two. That was also the battle that appeared to claim the life of Dagger, which we learn has left Cloak experiencing bouts of dizziness and weakness.

There's an obvious physical toll mounting throughout each issue, but the mental strain is showing, too. That will continue to permeate the story as the heroes endure further punishment, and New York City itself becomes engulfed in violent madness as Carnage's killing spree inspires a wave of likeminded acts.

When I was doing my best to cobble the event together from newsstands back in 1993 -- this was the issue that convinced me it was a story unlike most from Marvel. I didn't have the frame of reference back then, but it strikes me that the format is similar to the saga structures more common in Shonen Jump manga. There's a late era Dragon Ball Z vibe to the weight of temporary defeat, inter-personal drama, and city-wide destruction the heroes will later discover.

We love blockbuster superhero fights on Secret Wars on Infinite Earths, but to put it all into perspective, it helps to take stock of the little battles, as well. Today's skirmish provides context for future installments, while also reminding us that the classic Venom/Spidey rivalry doesn't always erupt into a fight to the death.

If you crave a more substantial struggle -- we've got you covered! You can find well over 600 featured fights in order of publisher, series, and issue number by diving in to the Secret Archive! Or follow links throughout this post to uncover key issues and specific topics relevant to your interests.

You can get ahead of the reading and see the whole thing for yourself by picking up a collected edition of the Maximum Carnage storyline. By using Amazon links provided to do any of your online shopping you'll not only get a convenient deal, but also be supporting the site at no extra cost!

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Winner: Inconclusive (Draw)
#2 (--) Spider-Man
#16 (--) Venom (Symbiote)
#50 (--) Venom (Eddie Brock)
#136 (+2) Black Cat [+1 assist]

TEAM VENOM versus CARNAGE FAMILY

Team Venom: Maximum Carnage, Chapter Four (Marvel)
Where: Spider-Man #35 When: June 1993
Why: David Michelinie How: Tom Lyle

The Story So Far...
Cletus Kasady has escaped Ravencroft maximum security and re-bonded with the Carnage symbiote!

The massacre of innocents unfolds into a city-wide tour of mayhem when Carnage is joined by Shriek, and their adopted pet, the clawed Spider-Doppelganger!

A failed attempt to stop the Carnage Family in Central Park leads a badly injured Venom to seek refuge at the apartment of his old nemesis: Peter Parker. He wants to form an alliance to take Carnage down just like they did last time he was loose.

While Venom & Spidey are out of action -- Cloak goes on a manhunt to avenge the death of Dagger by scouring the city. The odds are already against him, but when he finds Carnage and his allies hiding in an old rock band's storage warehouse they'll have another killer to introduce him to!

Tale of the Tape...
Strength: Venom 5 (Super-Human)
Intelligence: Spider-Man 5 (Professor)
Speed: Spider-Man 4 (Olympian)
Stamina: Carnage 5 (Marathoner)
Agility: Cloak 7 (Intangible)
Fighting: Spider-Man 3 (Street Wise)
Energy: Shriek 5 (Lasers)
Total: Spider-Man 29 (Metahuman)

Team Venom is: Venom, Black Cat and Spider-Man, with Cloak.

Venom first learned of the trouble in Manhattan during Part 2, making the trek to confront today's foes alone in the previous issue.

We didn't get to see any of the fight itself, but Eddie Brock showed up on Peter Parker's doorstep on the verge of passing out, with his symbiote in tatters. That was enough to convince Spider-Man to let his former arch-nemesis bunk on the couch while he recovered -- much to the objections of his wife, Mary-Jane.

When Mary-Jane storms out Spidey turns to Felicia Hardy for advice -- but she insists on tagging along as Black Cat. The threat is too great for her to ignore -- even though she has her own bad blood with Venom!

The Carnage Family is: Carnage, Shriek, Doppelganger, and Demogoblin.

After Carnage slaughtered his way out of Ravencroft, he hooked up with Shriek & Doppelganger, who did a number on Spidey in Spider-Man Unlimited #1. Efforts by Cloak & Dagger to help even the sides turned sour when Dagger was seemingly killed by Shriek in Web of Spider-Man #101.

After their skirmish with Venom; the makeshift family of psycho-killers picked up another likeminded ally who thrashed Spidey in Amazing Spider-Man #378! Demogoblin's war against sinners at first turned him against the Carnage Family earlier in Spider-Man #35, but they soon found mutual interests.

The addition of the demonic zealot makes a four-on-one handicap when Cloak catches up with them. In his grief, Cloak's gone on a vengeful one-man quest to bring the bad guys down -- and it could get him killed!

Venom and Black Cat are willing to do whatever it takes to stop Carnage, but Spidey only agrees to team-up on the proviso he'll stop anyone on either side who tries to kill. Will that save Cloak and stop the bad guys? Let's find out!

The Tape: Team Venom Ranking: Spider-Man (#2)

What Went Down...

Just as Carnage is about to lead his demented family on a fresh killing spree through the city -- Cloak appears in the shadows to divert their attentions!

Ever since the demise of Dagger, the hero has used his dark force powers to teleport into dives across the city. Paying special attention to those once frequented by Shriek has paid dividends, but his strategy failed to take into account the horrible mismatch he faces against four killers!

A powerful sonic blast escapes the warehouse as Cloak is besieged by Shriek!

He doubles over in pain from the blow, but remains defiant as his Cloak easily absorbs a stream of hellfire sent forth by Demogoblin. Its absorbed into the abyss of the Dark Dimension. Not so another sound blast from behind by Shriek!

The sound and fury knocks Cloak to the ground. Carnage orders Doppelganger to move in to finish him -- but Shriek's earlier attacks caught the attention of Spider-Man and a cadre of allies who arrives to come to Cloak's aid!

The cavalry streams into the warehouse through a hole in the roof, Spidey dropping in with a web swinging fly kick that knocks Demogoblin from his glider!

Black Cat sets her sights on Shriek, but the scream queen summons her loyal pet Demogoblin to catch the kitty by the ankle with his razor webbing.

The sharp substance starts to cut through Black Cat's boot, but the "polarized mesh claws" in her gloves make light work of slicing the webbing away.

Meanwhile, Venom only has eyes for his loathsome offspring.

He confronts Carnage, who boasts about beating both Venom and Spider-Man even before he found a family to help him. A factor soon mitigated when Venom's arm spews forward to push Carnage into the waiting folds of Cloak's cape!

Carnage throws out his own symbiote extensions, tethering himself to the other side of the warehouse. Before he escapes, he projects stabbing prods that poke violently at Cloak's inner shadows seeking to do damage to the wounded hero.

Spider-Man sees the counter-attack unfold, but turns his attentions to wrapping Shriek up in webs so she can't unleash her powers on a recovering Black Cat!

Carnage calls time on the skirmish, asking Demogoblin and Shriek to bring the house down. Demogoblin gets to work filling the warehouse with hellfire, while Shriek blasts herself free of webs and finishes the roof with violent sonic blasts!

Cloak is able to teleport out of the building, but its up to the other heroes to scrambled clear of the demolition as the building begins to collapse in flames all around them!

Spider-Man and Venom race to swing to safety, but the flames have weakened Venom too greatly. Not only can he not pursue the escaping villains -- he slips into unconsciousness and falls back towards the burning building!

Spidey also notices Black Cat did not escape in time. Her limp hand pokes out of the wreckage as flames threaten to engulf both of Spider-Man's helpless allies! He must now make a choice to save their lives, or the lives of those Carnage will kill.

The Hammer...
It looked like it was coming down to a stalemate, but the last minute gambit for escape proved to be a winning strategy for Carnage!

The flaming destruction unleashed by Demogoblin and Shriek not only helped the bad guys get away -- it also endangered the lives of Venom and Black Cat!

It's worth noting that we established hellfire doesn't harm the Venom symbiote in the earlier published Ghost Rider/Blaze: Spirits of Vengeance #6. It might appear as though this was a contradiction of that, but there were bound to be a lot of flammable goods stored in the warehouse that could've ignited to harm Venom.

Spider-Man #35 leaves us with Spidey wrestling with divided responsibilities to protect the public -- whom Carnage & company threaten to slaughter -- and his immediately imperiled allies. No prizes for guessing he'll abandon chase in the next issue to double-back to save his allies.

As noted in The Tape: Venom technically entered the struggle with an off-camera skirmish in the previous issue, but this is the first time he's united with Spidey & friends, and actually appeared in the fight.

It would be tempting to feature the prior Central Park battle, but there's really nothing to speak of. It's three pages: Venom arriving, Shriek & Doppelganger dramatically sneaking up on him, and Eddie arriving at the Parker apartment with his symbiote in tatters. He probably lost, but we have no way of knowing how, or if he actually managed to hold his own and escape an inconclusive result.

Today's featured fight from Part 4 is the one that really fulfills the promise of that kickass Mark Bagley cover from the previous issue! His official arrival and the four-hero team-up is when Maximum Carnage feels like it really kicks into gear.

I always found the moment when Venom and Cloak double-team Carnage to be a particularly arresting image. I don't think they've had a lot to do with each other, before or since, but the intuitive union of their power and disdain is a particularly thrilling part of the fight. Especially after Cloak was in such bad shape.

Why didn't Cloak just teleport everyone to safety when it all 'hit the fan'?

For one: If things were that simple we wouldn't have a dramatic cliffhanger leading to Part 5! It's also worth remembering Cloak's state of mind since the apparent death of Dagger in Web of Spider-Man #101.

He was rash enough to rush into a four-on-one beating. Suffering from the injuries of that decision, Cloak might not have been clear-headed, or strong enough, to rescue his allies from the heat of battle. Not at all hard to believe.

Things look pretty grim for Black Cat, whose hand appears sticking out of rubble in an exciting tease for the next issue. The torn glove is a superb image. One of many created by late artist Tom Lyle, particularly is this back half of the issue.

Lyle pulls out some top shelf action shots in this battle, the second of the issue, but some of his best just feature characters dropping in to a scene.

The fight starts with a particularly nice vertical panel showing Venom gleefully leading the charge, dropping into the warehouse in foreground with his tongue hanging between closed teeth and a simple "Yum!" in dialogue. Classic!

I don't like to infringe on issues with too many images. I like to inform, but leave you with plenty to discover for yourselves should you hunt down the issues. I had to include a few extra panels from this one, though. Just look at that cityscape above with the villains fleeing into the night. Good stuff!

There's something about Lyle's human figures I really enjoy. They're very tight and solid. His Spidey and Venom are particular favourites. Cloak looks awesome, too.

The lines are solid, but fluid. Some of that credit has to go to inker Scott Hanna, whose finishes are beautiful. Colorists Kevin Tinsley and Ericka Moran also contribute to the premium feel of the finished art. I'm sorry my scans don't fully honor their work. I hope newer reprints are able to live up to the original better.

Scrambling to find issues on newsstands back in 1993 was very exciting and I truly wondered what would happen next. These early chapters are my favourites, but you won't have to wait to get answers if you check out the Epic Collection Amazing Spider-Man Maximum Carnage collection!

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Winners: Shriek, Demogoblin & Carnage (w/ Doppelganger)
#85 (+67) Shriek
#120 (+227) Carnage (Cletus Kasady)
#401 (+537) Demogoblin
#97 (+14) Doppelganger [+1 assist]
#2 (--) Spider-Man
#16 (--) Venom (Symbiote)
#48 (-3) Venom (Eddie Brock)
#134 (-15) Black Cat
#985 (-4) Cloak

VENOM versus GHOST RIDER

Spirits of Venom Part 4 of 4: Last Rites (Marvel)
Where: Ghost Rider/Blaze: Spirits of Vengeance #6 When: January 1993 Why: Howard Mackie How: Adam Kubert

The Story So Far...
Supernatural forces conspire in the night as New York City plays host to a bizarre gathering of occult entities! While Spider-man scrambles to protect Hobgoblin from the evil Demogoblin and Doppelganger -- the progeny of Deathwatch prepares for his resurrection below, drawing Ghost Rider, Johnny Blaze, and Venom!

The forces of darkness threaten to consume the heroes when they converge in the underground of Manhattan's sewers. Against overwhelming odds, the heroes prevail over endless hordes of Deathspawn, but when Venom's hatred for Spider-man gets the better of him, Ghost Rider steps into the line of fire!

Tale of the Tape...
Strength: Venom 5 (Super-Human)
Intelligence: Draw 2 (Average)
Speed: Draw 3 (Athlete)
Stamina: Ghost Rider 6 (Generator)
Agility: Venom 4 (Gymnast)
Fighting: Draw 3 (Street Wise)
Energy: Ghost Rider 5 (Lasers)
Total: Ghost Rider 25 (Champion)

You only need to look at the character mugshots above to see the elephant in the room! Venom has two well known weaknesses - and one of them is fire!

Ghost Rider may have a burning skull for a head, but that's no ordinary flame! When Danny Ketch touched a gas cap sigil on a mystic motorcycle, he was transformed into a demonic spirit of vengeance! Among his occult arsenal of infernal powers is hellfire, which scorches the soul, but not necessarily the flesh!

Hellfire has sometimes been described as being cold upon contact, which is a simple distinction from the burning that usually sends the Venom symbiote into pained frenzy! We saw Venom go relatively unbothered by hellfire when he went up against Demogoblin in Venom: The Enemy Within #3.

If fire isn't going to send Venom running, then we can at least expect this to be a pretty even fight! We're giving Venom a slight strength advantage, as Danny Ketch was often shown to be a little weaker in practice than Johnny Blaze was.

Blaze isn't irrelevant in this encounter! The previous spirit of vengeance, now stripped of his powers save for a hellfire shotgun, is in the midst of partnering with the new Ghost Rider. He's still in the vicinity, as the trio were, until this point, part of a team-up against the deathspawn cult of Deathwatch!

Symbiote tendrils and Ghost Rider's chain roughly cancel each other out, but in close quarters, could give Venom a slight edge. If he tries to pull the rider in, however, he runs the risk of gazing into the abyss of the penance stare!

Venom is two entities in one: Eddie Brock and the alien symbiote. It's unclear how the penance stare would interact with their unique dual psyche, or if it would even matter. Venom has done terrible things, but he acts in accordance with the twisted morality of a self-proclaimed lethal protector. The symbiote found Brock praying in a church, and penance may not be something he fears!

Dan Ketch's stare proved powerful enough to overwhelm Johnny Blaze, when he served the angel Zadkiel many years after this, in Ghost Rider #29! Will it be a factor? Halloween's coming up quick! Let's see what went down!

The Tape: Ghost Rider Ranking: Venom (#67)

What Went Down...
Halted from pursuing his bitter vendetta with Spider-man; Venom turns his hatred toward the binding chains of Ghost Rider! For allowing Spider-man to escape, the spirit of vengeance who was briefly Venom's ally has earned death!

Venom leaps at Ghost Rider, extending a massive alien-enhanced arm as he does. His fist only narrowly misses its target, smashing through the sewer wall immediately behind Ghost Rider's flaming skull!

The Rider attempts to talk reason into Venom, reminding him of the true threat of Deathwatch's deathspawn, but the mutual hatred shared by Eddie Brock and his alien costume will allow nothing else! So intense is their hatred for Spider-man that they dare question the demon spirit's grasp of true vengeance!

Venom clamps his massive teeth around Ghost Rider's wrist and swings his head around to toss him across the sewer!

The throw separates Ghost Rider from his mystic chain. Venom picks it up and launches himself at the struggling spirit, flexing mighty muscle driven by a mad, misdirected lust for revenge against Spider-man!

Ghost Rider finds his back to the ground as Venom bares down over him, pulling the chain ever tighter around his neck! Venom makes a crazed vow to use his own weapon to rip his head off, if Ghost Rider insists on getting in his way.

With his head still in tact, Ghost Rider glares up at his opponent and invites him to meet the searing gaze of his penance stare!

Fire streams from Ghost Rider's eye sockets and licks at the alien costume's wide white eyes! The flame engulfs Venom as the demon challenges him to face the very pain and suffering he has inflicted upon others!

Venom is surprised to find the fire doesn't burn, but he is never the less wracked with pain! He snares and grunts, but his isn't the only discomfort! The fire begins to burn more intensely as Ghost Rider realizes Venom's alien costume is a living sentient entity! A factor that causes an unknown reaction!

An explosion of hellfire breaks the penance stare - throwing the two combatants in opposite directions!

Flames flicker across the battlefield, but only one combatant lies motionless: Ghost Rider! Venom rises to continue his misguided grudge against the demon of vengeance, but a shotgun barrel pressing against his head warrants a stay of execution. Johnny Blaze arrives just in time to stop the finishing blow!

The Hammer...
So, what have we learned today?..

Apparently if Ghost Rider tries to use the penance stare on Venom: it causes some kind of explosive feedback-loop that spares symbiote & host the full effect!

Why exactly is that? There doesn't seem to be any explanation offered here, but it might have had something to do with the alien's vast cosmic experience prior to being brought to Earth.

Two decades later, the symbiote was described as having "too much sin" in Thunderbolts (Vol.2) #23, when Johnny Blaze tried to use the penance stare on Agent Venom. The end result was similar, shorting out the Rider's powers.

Being too guilty for penance is a slightly ridiculous way of framing the unusual exception, but perhaps there's a more satisfying way of looking at it...

Spirits of Vengeance are derived from the realms of Heaven & Hell. Their penance stare weaponizes the esoteric power of an individual's sins.

High-ranking devils and demons are also frequently seen to draw their power from evil & sin. If Ghost Rider is an agent of these higher demons (or angels), unable to dominate them, it stands to reason within the internal logic of the mythology, that there is a threshold for sin being greater than Ghost Rider's ability to utilize it.

This all presumes the Venom symbiote has a staggering history of evil, which may be more difficult to accept, particularly with expansions and revisions to the symbiote backstory. Personally, I think some ambiguity is for best, so I'm happy not to go too deep into the world of "Klyntar". Not yet, at least.

It's fun to think about the chemistry of how unique characters interact, but I'm not sure this much handwringing is really necessary. Spirits of Venom is liquid 1993, crossing over two of Marvel's most visual characters, in the hands of one of their emerging popular artists. It's all about spectacle!

Adam Kubert shows moments of brilliance, leading with a full page POV from the back of Venom's throat on Page 1! You can see part of the image included above, sans credits. It's a great way to exploit Venom's ever-gaping mouth and makes for an awesome open!

Things get a little sketchy from there as the action, initiated by the end of Web of Spider-man #96, gets going, but it soon delivers another great moment. The fire pouring out of Ghost Rider and enveloping Venom [also pictured above] is an example of the really exciting, inventive layouts Kubert cranked out here!

Inker Bill Reinhold and colorist Greg Wright deserve a lot of credit for adding to the look of the issue! A lot of these early nineties Midnight Sons superhero-horror series had a similar look. It's a mistake to think of them as dark. Actually, they frequently had vivid colours and bright light reference! These were the supernatural glows that created the dark shadows people remember.

I really love the glowing purples and greens, and the way they pop against dark blues, greys, and blacks. The stories themselves could get pretty dodgy, but the finished artwork, particularly in the first couple of years, always seemed to have a high gloss that evoked a signature style and standard of quality.

All the interiors arguably pale compared to the Spirits of Venom Part 4 cover by Kubert and Ken Steacy! The image [page top] of an upside down Venom holding Ghost Rider's flaming skull in a chain was recreated in different mediums throughout the early nineties. I particularly recall a brighter version used in the first series of Marvel Flair trading cards - memorable for the thickness of their cardstock, and premium price. It sure helped mythologize the crossover!

Spirits of Venom plays up supernatural plotlines of Jason Macendale and the excised Demogoblin, creating a fairly natural crossover between the third string Spider-man series and secondary Ghost Rider title. It all feels a little gratuitous, but the concerns and motivations of the lead characters are actually pretty well represented. Even if its four issues of everyone raging incoherently through the sewers against each other, generic demons, and low rent villains.

The four-issue "event" really pales in comparison to Maximum Carnage from the same year, but it's an interesting artefact of its time, and I imagine we'll be back to pick apart some of the other conflicts that unfolded. As noted: Johnny Blaze stepped in to follow-up simmering tensions between he and Venom.

If you'd like to follow-up on more Spirits of Venom, or other stories, dive into the Secret Archive for a full index of featured fights organized by publisher, series, and issue number!

You can also find more battles by following links throughout this post, or following Secret Wars on Infinite Earths on Twitter and Facebook! Sharing and liking your favourite fights is a great way to support the site! October is Halloween, so stay tuned for more horrors!

Winner: Venom
#16 (+1) Venom (Symbiote)
#42 (+25) Venom (Eddie Brock)
#362 (-44) Ghost Rider (Dan Ketch)

VENOM versus SPIDER-MAN

The Boneyard Hop! (Marvel)
Where: Amazing Spider-man #347 When: May 1991
Why: David Michelinie How: Erik Larsen

The Story So Far...
When Spider-man's costume was damaged fighting the Secret Wars of Battleworld, he mistakenly chose the wrong repair machine, unleashing an alien symbiote that masqueraded as his new black costume!

Freeing himself from the parasite using its weakness to sound, Spider-man inadvertently created his greatest nemesis when the symbiote bonded with a Peter Parker-hating journalist: Eddie Brock! Sharing the symbiote's knowledge of Parker's secret identity, host and parasite combined to create a deadly Venom!

Using the symbiote's ability to alter his appearance and negate Spider-man's danger sense -- Venom succeeds in luring the web-slinger to the Moleed Labs cryogenic facility. With his mortal nemesis frozen and helpless, Venom transports him to a deserted island so the pair can have their final showdown!

Tale of the Tape...
Strength: Venom 5 (Super-Human)
Intelligence: Spider-man 5 (Professor)
Speed: Spider-man 4 (Olympian)
Stamina: Draw 5 (Marathoner)
Agility: Spider-man 5 (Cat-Like)
Fighting: Draw 3 (Street Wise)
Energy: Venom 2 (Projectiles)
Total: Spider-man 29 (Metahuman)

It's finally time to return to one the great comic book rivalries of the modern age! Venom is the distorted reflection of Spider-man, possessing equivalent powers thanks to the alien symbiote originally bonded to Peter Parker!

With a range of additional skills, Venom is arguably Spider-man's superior in physical combat, but that didn't stop the web-slinger winning their only previously featured encounter: an obscure battle from Spider-man Family #2!

The living black costume enhances Eddie Brock's speed and agility, generates webbing and extending tendrils, imitates materials and surfaces, mimics wall-crawling, and increases Brock's natural size and strength to surpass the brute force and endurance of Spider-man!

Venom's superior strength is one of his most obvious offensive advantages. He's used it to overpower Spider-man on countless occasions, and even gone head-to-head with powerhouses like Iron Man [Iron Man #302], Demogoblin [Venom: The Enemy Within #3], and even Superman, in the controversial crossover battles of DC/Marvel: All Access #1!

Fortunately, Spider-man is no stranger to a physical mismatch! With proper motivation he's out thought, and out fought, the likes of: Juggernaut [Amazing Spider-man #230], Rhino [Spider-man: Blue #2], Tombstone [Spectacular Spider-man #142], Scorpion [Spectacular Spider-man #215], Grey Gargoyle [Marvel: Heroes & Legends #1], and even DC's New God Mantis (and Juggernaut), with a little help from Wonder Woman [Unlimited Access #1]!

So what makes Venom more dangerous than all the other heavyweights?

Because of the symbiote's time attached to Peter Parker, it knows all that he knew - and shares it freely with Eddie Brock! There's an obvious tactical edge to knowing how Spider-man fights, but the psychological toll is just as great!

Brock has used his knowledge to prey upon Spidey's vulnerabilities, and torment those closest to him, like his former wife Mary-Jane Watson! At the time of this fight, Venom's personal warfare had arguably put him on the level of the presumed-deceased Green Goblin! A physical and mental double threat!

The symbiote's already managed to trick Spider-man into being cryogenically frozen! The thaw could prove an added problem, along with the unfamiliar arena. This has all the makings of a Venom win, but can you ever rule-out a spectacular Spidey comeback? Let's check it out!

History: Spider-man (1-0-0)
The Tape: Spider-man Ranking: Spider-man (#2)

What Went Down...
Chilled to the bone by cryogenic freezing: Spider-man opens his eyes to find himself sweating in the sun on a deserted island! Venom looms above in a tangle of webbing and palm leaves, waiting for his prey to thaw for the hunt!

Spidey cuts a lesson in the island's history short, webbing Venom's face to buy himself precious seconds to escape! He uses them to flee the open beach for the cover of dense jungle growth, while the symbiote briefly explodes off Eddie Brock's head, clearing the obstruction to its human host's vision!

With no fear of exposing his identity, Peter Parker sips at a cool stream sans mask. He tries to clear his head and prepare for combat when the water stirs!

Two massive, camouflaged arms reach from the water and grab Peter Parker by the throat! The alien symbiote both mimicks its visual surroundings, whilst negating any warning by Spider-man's preternatural spidey sense!

Dragged beneath the water, Spidey struggles to find his footing as a massive fist collides with his face! Spying a sunken tree branch, he desperately shoves the makeshift weapon into Venom's face, then swings for the fences!

The web-slinger makes a break for the surface and escapes the deep pool for the open sprawl of the canopy. Venom is in hot pursuit -- a fact that plagues Peter's mind as he web-swings his way toward an abandoned mining village.

At the settlement edge, Parker uses his fleeting time to improvise a trap and plan to lure Venom to it. Then he remembers: Venom always finds him!

Once again the landscape appears to come alive as the camouflaged symbiote extends from the jungle! It's almost as if the trees themselves are reaching out to attack when that massive fists sends Spider-man staggering!

With no way of knowing when his opponent is coming, Spidey briefly considers his plight is hopeless. He rallies as the tongue-wagging killer rapidly descends upon him, running back in the direction of his trap.

With the sound of a snap - Venom triggers the trap and is snared by the ankle like a rabbit on a rope! Dangling upside down from the trees, he's like a living piñata. Parker rips a door off one of the nearby buildings and hits him!

The wooden door shatters into a cloud of splinters as it collides with Venom's super-humanly strong body! It sends his body swinging, but that's nothing he isn't used to thanks to the symbiote's imitation of Spider-man's abilities. He uses another of the skills to turn the tables, blasting Parker's eyes with web!

Spidey desperately rips at the webbing as Venom frees himself, clearing it just in time to flee once more! The Spider swings from the trees on his web, while the lumbering Venom opts to hoist a nearby jeep and toss it down the path!

The airborne projectile is narrowly avoided by its target, but the momentum of his swinging sends Spidey's twisting body tumbling earthbound! Rather than smash to the ground, the soaring truck falls through the grass -- revealing an abandoned mine! Spider-man crawls by the entrance, detecting a pocket of gas presumably responsible for the disaster that destroyed it.

Venom quickly finds the mineshaft as well, blocking the entrance as he descends upon Parker. The web-slinger has to think fast, pulling the support struts with his web to collapse the entrance under Venom's feet!

Parker keeps one step ahead of his nemesis, leaping out of the mine to swing his way back to the beach. He becomes concerned for web fluid reserves as he notices a shipping boat on the horizon. Before he can chance the waters with spider-strength -- black tendrils explode out of the sand beneath his feet!

The strands of symbiote drag Peter Parker across the beach toward an exposed Eddie Brock. Rather than resist -- Parker shoots webs past Brock and launches himself at speed towards his predator! The diving tackle sends Brock hurtling through the trees back in the direction of the center of the island!

The gambit gives Spidey the chance to go on the run again. He conserves his final web cartridge, hoofing it on foot across a makeshift graveyard, while Eddie Brock takes a break, lighting a campfire to keep warm as night falls.

The Hammer...
I thought we'd be following this battle to its famous conclusion, but it turns out an hour elapses before the final showdown even begins! Comic Book Fight Club rules clearly determine this brings an end to Round 1!

A largely exposed Eddie Brock took a pretty heavy hit before the break, but there's very little to suggest he couldn't continue fighting. He merely chooses to light a campfire and take a breather! That's enough for me to call this one an inconclusive draw!

It reminds me a little of the unexpected pause in Spider-man vs Juggernaut [see also; Round 2], but in this case, Spidey is specifically using the time to prepare for the next encounter.

Who wins an island fight if Spidey has prep time? To be answered when we return to Amazing Spider-man #347 at a later date!

Rather than dwell on what didn't happen in this epic showdown - let's just marvel at the pleasures of the collaborative teaming of David Michelinie and Erik Larsen! A couple of modern greats!

My deepest nostalgia for the pairing goes a little earlier, prior and during the time Spidey got cosmic and took on the likes of Graviton, Magneto [Amazing Spider-man #327], and the magically melded Tri-Sentinel [Amazing #329]!

I particularly appreciate the slightly grittier finish to Erik Larsen's pencils in that period. I think of his '89 work being tighter, with darker blacks, and sharper lines. Some of that might come down to the change from Al Gordon to Randy Emberlin on inks, but it might be artistic choice. That grittiness and weight seemed to return in the early years of Image [Savage Dragon #7].

The eyes and jaw of Venom warp more than I'd probably like. It's a strong, unique visual that compliments these early years when Venom was more readily characterized as a villain, but the sketchy eyes, and ever-extending mandible look too out of control here. I ultimately prefer the aesthetic of the smooth, more rigid Venom that became the model in the years following.more readily characterized as a twisted villain.

Michelinie and Larsen went down some wild roads, but they never strayed too far from a classical core. A big part of the fun of today's featured fight is seeing them take Spider-man out of his classic environment and playing with that.

It's a little silly that the murderous Venom would go this far to catch and release his nemesis, but for the sake of the high-concept of having them duel on a desert island, you've kinda gotta give them the means to deliver the conceit. At a time when third-stringers like Styx and Stone were getting tangled up with the fan favourite rivalry -- I don't think too many would've minded!

The slick black appearance, and toothy drooling maw of Venom sometimes draws comparison to HR Giger's Alien, but there's a little Predator in this story, what with its isolated location, dense vegetation, guerilla warfare, and the exploitation of the symbiote's ability to blend in with its surroundings.

There've been long stretches where the alien symbiote's ability to mimic other materials goes overlooked. Imitating clothing was inherent to the creature's first appearance in Secret Wars! It's a day one play, yet there is something slightly against the grain when Venom turns into things like water, concrete, or even the trunk of a palm tree. It makes sense, copying colour and texture, but it's not something I want to think about too often with this character.

Venom's psychological warfare with Spider-man has always been one of his best qualities as an arch-villain. Spidey can can't trust his sight or his spider-senses and never knows where Venom's coming from! That's enhanced further by the unfamiliar terrain of the island, where there are no tall buildings to swing from!

Taking Spider-man out of Manhattan can be a bad call for some stories, but you know Michelinie and Larsen deliver, getting the most out of the excursion by milking it for its tension. When Parker's inner-monologue starts to doubt his ability to stay ahead of Venom - you're almost believing it! Great stuff!

It all boils down to the chemistry and history between Eddie Brock and Peter Parker. That's going to be one of the biggest challenges facing Sony as they attempt to launch a Spider-Verse of films with Venom - now in theatres! Just one of the inspirations behind today's featured fight!

After you see the movie, get a pure injection of Venom by using the purchase link provided to read this story and others in collected edition! Market symbiosis means you'll be helping Secret Wars on Infinite Earths live at no cost to you!

You can find even more Venom by following relevant links throughout this post, or by diving into the Spider-Verse of the Secret Archive! Every featured fight is indexed by publisher, series, and issue number. Be sure to share your favourite links, and follow on Twitter or Facebook to help find more hosts!

Winner: Inconclusive (Draw)
#2 (--) Spider-man
#17 (--) Venom (Symbiote)
#67 (+1) Venom (Eddie Brock)

VENOM & MORBIUS versus DEMOGOBLIN

The Enemy Within Part 3: Blood Tide (Marvel)
Where: Venom: The Enemy Within #3 When: May 1994 Why: Bruce Jones How: Bob McLeod

The Story So Far...
San Francisco is caught in a grip of madness as demonic goblin hordes swarm the city! Emerging on Halloween night, the creatures bring chaos and death that is soon met with fear and fire at the behest of Mayor Palentine!

While the city burns, its lethal protector Venom finds an unlikely ally in the living vampire Morbius!

Resolving suspicions, they work together to uncover the occult curse behind the goblin's rise. As the chase leads them to Alcatraz, they ready for a showdown with the wicked creatures an their deadly new master: Demogoblin!

Tale of the Tape...
Strength: Venom 5 (Super-Human)
Intelligence: Morbius 5 (Professor)
Speed: Draw 3 (Athlete)
Stamina: Demogoblin 5 (Marathoner)
Agility: Venom 4 (Gymnast)
Fighting: Venom 3 (Street Wise)
Energy: Demogoblin 4 (Arsenal)
Total: Venom/Demogoblin 24 (Champion)

It's a 2-on-1 face-off between misfits of science and magic, but the battle lines aren't exactly as they seem! Technically there are three entities on the side of lethal protection -- and a whole army of darkness fighting against them!

Venom is the walking, talking twofer of man & living costume! The alien symbiote was originally brought to Earth as Spider-man's black costume, but he rejected it upon learning of its true parasitic nature. The symbiote then found a willing recipient in Eddie Brock, who shared its scorn for Peter Parker!

Because of its time spent with Spider-man the symbiote emulates his speed, agility, reflexes, and web-slinging, while also enhancing Brock's bodybuilder muscle. His strength has stretched to a peak of fighting Iron Man [Iron Man #302] and even Superman [DC/Marvel: All Access #1]! Neither foe was aware of the symbiote's natural vulnerability to sound or fire.

Despite a few homicidal tendencies -- Venom follows a skewed sense of justice. He even team with Spider-man against his symbiote-offspring Carnage in Spider-man Unlimited #2 -- but not before making the acquaintance of a few other unlikely allies, including Morbius The Living Vampire!

Dr. Michael Morbius is another Spider-man frenemy, whose vampiric tendencies developed after attempts to cure himself of a rare blood disease. As a living vampire he gained characteristic super-human strength, speed, durability, but also sensitivity toward sunlight -- and a need to consume blood.

His thirst saw Morbius walk a moral tightrope that often drew him towards creatures of darkness. Though not mystical like a true vampire, Morbius has battled the likes of Jack Russell, The Werewolf [Marvel Premiere #28], The Night Shift [Marvel Zombies 4 #2], and even Doctor Strange [Doctor Strange, Sorcerer Supreme #10]! He also came into conflict with Demogoblin while assisting Venom during the Maximum Carnage saga!

Demogoblin is a demonic entity once bound to Hobgoblin by the demon N'astirh. Jason Macendale sold his soul for enhanced powers, but eventually expelled his demonic half, regretting the deal. The resulting separation unleashed a demonic imitation of his costumed alter-ego!

Demogoblin made horrific reality of an arsenal Macendale acquired from the Green Goblin's original designs. He rides a winged glider of hellfire, and conjures pumpkin bombs with various mystic properties. He does so in the name of a righteous crusade against those he perceives as sinners, such as Spider-man, and Ghost Rider & Frank Drake [see; Ghost Rider #40].

Typically hellfire burns the soul more than flesh, which means Venom won't be uniquely vulnerable to Demogoblin's attacks. That said, the demon has taken command of an army of goblins that drastically outnumber Venom and Morbius!

The Tape: Venom & Morbius Ranking: Morbius (#63)

What Went Down...
Tiny goblins claw and scratch, bubbling up from the depths of Alcatraz like a living flood that threatens to overwhelm Venom & Morbius! Above them streaks the flame of Demogoblin, riding his glider with gleeful greetings!

The hulking Venom tosses a few goblins aside, escaping to the ceiling on a strand of webbing! His escape leaves Morbius struggling with the hordes, but Venom rejects his offer for noble sacrifice. Instead, Venom covers the living vampire with a protective coating of web that catches a few goblins, as well.

Demogoblin swoops in to blast Venom with untold occult energies!

Venom is blown back by the blast, but the black symbiote spits out a tendril that fixes to Demogoblin's chest like tar. It yanks him completely off his glider!

Alas; dismounting this goblin doesn't separate him from his deadly arsenal. The Demogoblin is grounded, but immediately back on the attack when he conjures a pumpkin bomb and hurls it! Venom only narrowly avoids its blast!

The explosion blows a hole in the exterior wall that floods Alcatraz with sunlight!

The evening glow is enough to drive the goblin hordes back towards the darkness of the lower depths. It also sears the pallid complexion of Morbius!

Distracted by his ally's peril, Venom doesn't notice a line of goblins forming for a parting attack -- a united sonic cry that drives the alien symbiote to agony!

Though effective against their target, the intense sound waves also do further damage to the prison wall -- bathing the goblins in yet more evening light!

With his army burning, Demogoblin is shocked to find Venom recovered from the sonic assault so quickly. Venom takes great pleasure in demonstrating his strength with an uppercut that sends the demon hurtling out of the building!

Venom checks on Morbius, who was badly weakened by the intense exposure to sunlight. As the San Francisco sun sets, he assures Venom that he will soon heal from his wounds. More than can be said for the scorched goblins, whose master blazes away from the prison atop his flaming goblin glider!

The Hammer...
Demogoblin flees to fight another day, but he and his goblin horde were clearly defeated by Venom! Chalk Morbius up for an assist. He helped keep the terror at bay, but remained in a support role.

The outcome of the battle loosely alludes to the unusual pairing of Venom and Morbius. By this point, Eddie Brock had relocated to sunny San Francisco. Sure, they have nights in California, but Venom is a character of visual excess. He rarely remains in the shadows that nocturnal, vampire-types typically prefer. So why bring them together?

Venom: The Enemy Within plays in the loosest of ways as a three-issue follow-up to Maximum Carnage. It doesn't address any of the concerns of the 1992-93 crossover in the slightest, but does capitalize on its visual iconography, and appeal of its oddball assembly of heroes who disbanded less than a year prior.

Venom had extra beef with Demogoblin via another '92 crossover: the four-issue Spirits of Venom. Morbius developed his issues during Maximum Carnage itself, with a particularly memorable battle in the Statue of Liberty, where he sought to rescue a tortured Venom. All of this addresses the surface connections that might enhance The Enemy Within, but it doesn't pay them much mind.

The real appeal of bringing Venom, Morbius, and Demogoblin together should lie in their thematic similarities. Each has explored common themes of duality and moral ambiguity, representing them from slightly different perspectives.

Venom is the self-styled lethal protector, enforcing a skewed view of justice with action-movie violence and flippancy. He is the man embracing his "dark passenger", accepting the symbiote's negative influence in service of what sometimes appears to be good.

Morbius too does good, but is an unintended instrument of death, compelled to drink blood to survive. His evil is of his own making - a responsibility he cannot ultimately expel as a living entity the way Jason Macendale expelled Demogoblin. Morbius did briefly deal in demonic possession around this time, but nothing as interesting as Demogoblin himself. He is the dark passenger personified, roaming untethered in pursuit of what he believes is a righteous crusade.

Somewhere among these thematic variations lies a very interesting thesis, but The Enemy Within is a Venom mini-series from the mid-nineties, with no such concern or aspiration. Action movie one-liners and disjointed, oversized panels tell a story of thinly motivated mayhem.

As you can probably guess, I was never one to follow Venom solo comics too closely. It wasn't for lack of interest in the character. The basics of design and concept were as exciting to me most wide-eyed fanboys who're still drawn into the character's web. The books were usually just a little too pricy, hard to find, and ultimately unsatisfying to read.

I always thought it was surprising Marvel didn't lock down an on-going series given Venom's popularity, but if you've read The Enemy Within #3, you know there's minimal distinction. There's a second showdown ending with Demogoblin's defeat and departure later in the issue. Then Venom: The Mace is teased in an open-ended coda.

The wrap really reads like any other monthly issue of a regular series. The only obvious difference: inconsistent creative teams, mixed prospects for follow-up stories, and a whole lot of new #1s for the speculator market to jump on. If you've ever looked into back issues, you know quality comics still don't dictate sale price. I like these characters, but I still don't have the set. I have my limits.

Want to get a bunch Venom #1s without chasing them all? The Enemy Within is collected with several accompanying mini-series and on sale now! Using the Amazon link provided will not only get you a decent deal - but also help support Secret Wars on Infinite Earths at no extra cost! That's symbiosis!

Hollywood will finally attempt their own Venom spin-off this October when Tom Hardy takes the role in a more faithful direction than past incarnations. It's the first in an ambitious slate of Sony spin-offs that will attempt to tell stories with Spider-man's friends -- but not Spider-man!

No doubt we'll be talking more about Venom and Morbius in the future. Find more battles with both by diving into the Secret Index where every featured fight is catalogued by publisher, series, and issue! You can also follow and subscribe on Twitter and Facebook to get daily links to fights inspired by the topics of the day. A like and share is a great way to show your support!

Winner: Venom (w/ Morbius)
#17 (+2) Venom (Symbiote)
#68 (+50) Venom (Eddie Brock)
#63 (--) Morbius [+1 assist]
#869 (-191) Demogoblin