Marvel characters have had a long and storied history in video games, none perhaps more so than Spider-Man. The web-slinger has always been a popular hero and games, TV shows, films, and comics have immortalized him again and again in various iterations. One character that sticks to the Spider-Man mythos like glue is Venom, the complex co-dependent villain. Thanks to two recent Tom Hardy films, Venom is back at the forefront of the popular consciousness, but his multiple appearances in video games in the past have already made him a fan favorite amongst players.
In the comic books, Venom typically starts as a shiny new suit for Spider-Man before Peter Parker realizes just how controlling and violent the mysterious black substance is. Venom then attaches itself to Eddie Brock – the journalist with a Spider-Man-sized grudge – and the two become partners in crime. While Venom has made plenty of appearances in a variety of games to date, he's never quite gotten into the big leagues with a game all of its own.
The Sinister Symbiote Has A Long Video Game History
From fighting games and beat 'em ups to sidescrolling shooters and action adventures, Venom has had quite a varied video game career so far. However, Venom almost exclusively appears in Spider-Man titles, only branching out to feature in ensemble casts of Marvel characters. Venom may be a very recognizable and well-known contender in the Marvel Universe, but his video game appearances seem to be doomed to involve him only as a side character.
But amongst this list of video game appearances, Venom does run the full spectrum from final boss to playable character – or sometimes both. Venom has been in a whole host of fighting games as a selectable option, showing off his signature moves and unquestionable might against other Marvel characters or even Capcom favorites in two Marvel vs. Capcom titles. He is the final boss in the classic Game Boy sidescrolling platformer The Amazing Spider-Man, released in 1990, which was his very first video game appearance. With a fairly early start in the industry, Venom followed this debut with appearances as a boss alongside other Marvel supervillains in a variety of other Spider-Man games.
Most notably, in 2005's Ultimate Spider-Man Venom was both a boss and a playable character, with players able to utilize his impressive jumping capabilities and aggressive tactics as they switched between Spider-Man and his dark counterpart for story missions. Venom featured prominently throughout the game and provided a fun contrast to the more agile and morally unambiguous Avenger.
Video games have also given Venom a chance to show off some of his more inventive guises, rather than the straightforward (although admittedly superhumanly buff) person-shaped version. Marvel Vs. Capcom: Clash Of Super Heroes gave Venom some fun and suitably fantastical animations and moves, but Spider-Man: Web Of Shadows took this a step further, featuring a five-headed version of Venom which Spider-Man had to tackle as a final boss. The multi-headed villain then transforms into an even more gigantic iteration as a struggling Eddie Brock tries to keep him in check.
Here is the full list of Venom video game appearances:
- The Amazing Spider-Man (1990)
- The Amazing Spider-Man vs. The Kingpin (1990)
- Spider-Man: The Video Game (1991)
- Spider-Man and Venom: Maximum Carnage (1994)
- Spider-Man (1995)
- Venom/Spider-Man: Separation Anxiety (1995)
- Marvel vs. Capcom: Clash of Super Heroes (1998)
- Spider-Man (2000)
- Marvel vs. Capcom 2: New Age of Heroes (2000)
- Marvel Nemesis: Rise of the Imperfects (2005)
- Ultimate Spider-Man (2005)
- Marvel: Ultimate Alliance (2006)
- Spider-Man 3 (2007)
- Spider-Man: Friend or Foe (2007)
- Spider-Man: Web of Shadows (2009)
- Marvel: Ultimate Alliance 2 (2009)
- Marvel Super Hero Squad Online (2011)
- Marvel Avengers: Battle for Earth (2012)
- Lego Marvel Superheroes (2013)
- Disney Infinity: Marvel Super Heroes (2014)
- Lego Marvel Superheroes 2 (2017)
- Marvel vs. Capcom: Infinite (2017)
And There Is Still More To Come
It is undeniable that Venom is a go-to character when it comes to both heroes and villains in a Marvel game. Thanks to the announcement trailer for Marvel's Spider-Man 2, fans know that Venom will be making an appearance in the upcoming game, but it is yet unclear if his part will be to help or hinder Peter Parker and Miles Morales. In previous video game appearances, Venom has been both an antagonist and an ally to Spider-Man, and it's fair to say their relationship is a complicated one. It will be interesting to see what Insomniac's portrayal of Venom is like as the release date of Marvel's Spider-Man 2 draws closer.
With another upcoming appearance confirmed, fans wonder if there might be more for Venom's video game future. The list may be long, but there is one glaring omission when it comes to Venom in video games – he's never had a standalone title. Players have had the chance to control him, and it's shown how fun and dynamic his moves could be. With decades of comic lore to draw from, the storyline would not present a problem, but video games have also shown that they're perfectly capable of creating compelling original narratives. The infamous antihero would make for as much of an intriguing protagonist as he has an antagonist, and it seems like it's only a matter of time before Venom gets the chance to flex his main character muscles.