Given the ever-expanding nature of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, it was perhaps only a matter of time until Venom joined the party. The deadly symbiote is one of the most iconic Spider-Man villains of all time, not to mention one of the most powerful. There are plenty of other symbiotic lifeforms scattered throughout the Marvel universe though, as fans of the MCU will likely soon discover.

As well as the post-credit scene announcing Venom's introduction to the MCU, the closing moments of Let There Be Carnage also hint that another symbiote could soon be making its big-screen debut. Like Carnage before it, Toxin is incredibly strong, but how exactly does it compare to some of the other powerful Symbiotes from Marvel's history? Well, the answer to that question can be found below.

Updated November 7, 2023, by Tom Bowen: To say that symbiotes play an important role in Marvel's Spider-Man 2 would perhaps be a bit of an understatement. In addition to Venom, who serves as one of the game's main antagonists, players are also introduced to two other powerful symbiotes, with a fourth one being teased at the end of Yuri's questline. These are just four of many though, with plenty of other symbiotes having made their marks on the Marvel comic book universe over the years. The strongest symbiotes have been responsible for untold deaths and endless chaos, while the most ruthless have shocked viewers with their unthinkable and, at times, unbelievable antics.

12 Riot

First Appearance: Venom: Lethal Protector #4 (1993)

Riot served as the main antagonist of 2018's Venom, but his origins can be traced back much further than that. He first appeared as an unnamed symbiote way back in Venom: Lethal Protector #4, though it was not until almost two full decades later that this symbiotic powerhouse was finally given a proper name. Since then, he's been fairly active in the comic book world.

Riot boasts all of the qualities that one might expect from a symbiote, but also the same weaknesses, which Venom takes full advantage of at the end of the movie. Before that though, he describes Riot as the most brutal and strongest symbiote, and there's plenty of evidence to support this claim in both the comic books and the 2018 movie.

11 Scorn

First Appearance: Carnage #4 (2011)

Most symbiotes are pretty scary to look at, but Scorn is in a league of its own. Created using the Carnage symbiote and highly advanced prosthetic technology, Scorn is like a cross between the original Terminator and Venom, with a host of devastating abilities that very few are able to stand up against.

Sadly, Scorn's stint in the Carnage comics was a relatively brief one when compared to those of some of the series' other antagonistic symbiotes. The main storyline in which it features is one of the coolest in recent memory though, not to mention one of the most violent.

10 Venomsaurus

First Appearance: Wolverine (Vol. 3) #69 (2008)

Based on the events of Jurassic Park, it's difficult to think of too many things that are more terrifying than a T-Rex. A T-Rex fused together with a symbiote from outer space would probably do it for most people though, which is what makes Venomsaurus so frightening as well as such a cool concept.

Perhaps the very definition of all bark and all bite, Venomsaurus possesses unfathomable destructive capabilities and a real lust for chaos. Granted, its lack of intelligence does make it fairly easy to outsmart and holds it back quite a bit in combat, but its razor-sharp killer instincts help to claw back some of this lost ground; not to mention, anybody unlucky enough to be caught in its path.

9 Scream

First Appearance: Venom: Lethal Protector #4 (1993)

Scream is one of five symbiotes that was created by the evil Life Foundation after traces of Venom were extracted from Eddie Brock. It's by far the most unstable of Venom's offspring, but also one of the most powerful as well. It's at its strongest while bonded with Donna Diego, but, even after Donna's death at Eddie's own hands, Scream still poses a major threat to the world.

Much like many modern depictions of Medusa, Scream uses its hair as a weapon, tangling and choking its foes with ease. It also has web-slinging abilities as well as superhuman strength, though still suffers from debilitating weaknesses to ultrasonic sound and extreme heat. It does have the ability to create ultrasonic sound itself, however, giving it the edge against many other symbiotes.

8 Anti-Venom

First Appearance: Amazing Spider-Man #569 (2008)

After Eddie's cancer is cured by Mister Negative, antibodies in his blood end up mutating Venom, which leads to a brand new symbiote being born. As its name might suggest, Anti-Venom is the complete opposite of the original symbiote, both in terms of its outward appearance and its incredibly impressive innate abilities.

As well as being completely resistant to fire and sound, the symbiote is also able to cure those that it comes into contact with of afflictions such as radiation poisoning and various diseases. Later on, it even develops the ability to heal physical injuries as well. Granted, these powers may not be "strong" in the conventional sense, but they're still incredibly impressive nonetheless.

7 Sleeper

First Appearance: Venom #165 (2018)

Sleeper is a little different from some of the other symbiotes, in that rather than bonding with a host straight away, it was instead given some additional time to develop. This extra incubation period led to it developing some new powers, including increased camouflage capabilities and the ability to put its enemies to sleep by releasing powerful neurotoxins.

Perhaps the most notable impact of Sleeper being allowed to fully develop before bonding to a host is the increased cognitive functionality that it boasts. This allows it to take a much more measured approach to combat rather than just diving in headfirst. It's so aware, in fact, that Sleeper lobotomizes its host Tel-Kar and uses him as a puppet in order to avoid being influenced by the Kree warrior.

6 Bedlam

First Appearance: Venom (Vol. 5) #1 (2021)

While traveling around the cosmos following his ascension to King in Black, Eddie Brock winds up at the Garden of Time. What he finds there is another King in Black known as Bedlam, who travels back from the future after being displaced in time. Bedlam is unfathomably strong and possesses some rather useful abilities to boot.

Like Eddie himself, Bedlam is able to possess and control other symbiotes. He can also project his consciousness into the past and future, allowing him to give Brock a real run for his money. He bites off his arm and is seemingly preparing to devour him completely, though ends up fleeing after being distracted by Finnegan, yet another King in Black.

5 Carnage

First Appearance: Amazing Spider-Man #345 (1991)

As Venom mentions in Venom: Let There Be Carnage, red symbiotes tend to be a lot more deadly than others and it doesn't take long for Carnage to prove this point. Bonded with serial killer Cletus Kasady, it very nearly has the beating of its creator, with only the strong bond between Venom and Eddie preventing their destruction.

In truth though, Kasady's Carnage is actually pretty weak when compared to some of the symbiote's other hosts, which include the original Green Goblin Norman Osborn and the Peter Parker clone, Ben Reilly. It even bonds with a great white shark at one point, though this ultimately leads to its downfall, with symbiote-controlled marine life completely destroying Carnage after Eddie Brock sentences it to death.

4 Toxin

First Appearance: Venom Vs. Carnage #2 (2004)

Toxin is probably the most gruesome-looking of the human-bonded symbiotes, sharing many visual similarities to its father, Carnage. In this instance, however, its bite is actually far more deadly than its bark, with even Knull himself afraid of the raw power that Toxin possesses. Fortunately for those who would stand against Toxin, its childlike personality prevents it from ever fully utilizing this massive reservoir of untapped power.

As well as raw strength, Toxin is also far more resistant to fire and sound than the average symbiote and possesses incredible tracking skills that put even Liam Neeson's character in Taken to shame. It also has a venomous bite, though considering it's able to decapitate people with a single snap of its jaws, this would probably be the least of one's worries if they ever found themselves on the symbiote's bad side.

3 Grendel

First Appearance: Venom (Vol. 4) #1 (2018)

Of all of the symbiotes created by Knull, few strike fear into the hearts and minds of comic book readers quite as effectively as Grendel. One of several symbiote dragons, Grendel is able to cross between galaxies and has enough firepower in its arsenal to deal with just about anything and anyone that happens to get in its way.

Unlike other symbiotes, Grendel does not require a host, meaning that there's absolutely nothing holding it back. This makes it utterly relentless in its pursuit of chaos and destruction and even helped it to go toe to toe with Thor during the sixth century. Granted, it didn't end up winning that fight, but it did survive to kill and maim another day.

2 Knull

First Appearance: Venom (Vol. 4) #3 (2018)

The original creator and master of the Symbiotes, Knull is a real force to be reckoned with. He's immensely powerful and wields a sword fashioned out of an undead celestial. He can manipulate dark energy too and is unable to truly die thanks to being an avatar of Oblivion (which led to him living for more than 13 billion years).

Perhaps Knull's biggest strength, however, is his command over the symbiote hive-mind. With an army of symbiotes at his disposal, he's more or less unstoppable. Of course, "more or less" is an important modifier here, as, as Eddie Brock eventually proves, where there's a will, there is quite often a way as well.

1 Venom

First Appearance: Amazing Spider-Man #252 (1984)​​​​​​​

A symbiote is only as strong as the bond that it shares with its host. With that in mind, Venom is the clear winner, having formed a number of strong bonds since making its debut back in issue 252 of The Amazing Spider-Man. The most notable of these is definitely Eddie Brock, though the superior symbiote has taken over plenty of other strong hosts over the years as well.

From Spider-Man to Doctor Octopus, Venom has formed bonds with many of the most powerful people in the Spider-Man universe. In fact, since first bonding with the web-slinger back in 1984, the symbiote has also come into contact with numerous other Marvel heroes as well, including Ms. Marvel and several members of the Guardians of the Galaxy team.

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