Venom Faces His Greatest Fear: Losing His Son Dylan Brock
In the latest issue of Marvel Comics' Venom series, the iconic antihero has revealed what truly terrifies him. It is not a powerful enemy or an existential threat. It is the fear of losing his son, Dylan Brock, again.
Venom #261, written by Al Ewing with art by Carlos Gomez, takes readers back to a pivotal moment in Marvel history, but from a new perspective. The issue opens with a flashback to the moment Spider-Man discovered his costume was an alien symbiote and sought help from Reed Richards of the Fantastic Four. In the original story, Richards removed the symbiote from Peter Parker and placed it in a containment dish. This time, the scene is told from Venom's point of view.
Venom Confronts Reed Richards
During the flashback, Venom tells Richards that he was the one who taught him how to hate. Richards apologizes, saying he never intended to harm a sentient being and did not know what the symbiote was at the time. He expresses deep regret for his actions.
The confrontation escalates when Venom breaks out of a containment device and punches Richards, giving the Fantastic Four leader a black eye. Richards apologizes again, calling his actions 'bad science' and admitting he should have known better. Venom calms down and allows Mary Jane Watson to regain control.
Venom's Admission to Spider-Man
Later in the issue, Spider-Man offers to work out with Venom and talk to the symbiote. During their time together, Venom makes a surprising admission about his greatest fear. He explains that when Knull came to Earth, he killed Eddie Brock, and Venom watched him shatter. Eddie returned, but he was not the same. Venom describes how much that hurt, and how it broke his heart when Eddie bonded with Carnage.
Venom then reminds Spider-Man that it was Spider-Man who broke his heart before he ever met Eddie. He says he cannot get his heart broken again. When Spider-Man assumes he is talking about Mary Jane, Venom clarifies that he is not. At that moment, Dylan Brock appears, still bonded with Toxin, and it becomes clear that Venom was talking about him.
A Father's Protective Love
Venom is as much Dylan's father as Eddie is. He was a genetic co-creator and a protective parental figure to the young man. Venom has watched Dylan die before, and he is not willing to see it happen again.
This storyline, part of the 'Queen in Black' arc, follows Dylan as he tries to find his place in the world and prove himself as a hero. His father Eddie has broken out of jail with the Sleeper symbiote to save him, and Venom is working with Mary Jane to help as well. After years of having no one to turn to, Dylan now has two father figures and a mother figure looking out for him. For Venom, losing Dylan again is not an option.