Ahead of the release of Al Ewing and Carlos Gómez‘s All-New Venom #5 this Wednesday, Marvel Comics has opted to disclose the identity of the symbiote’s new host before the reveal in the issue itself hits comic book stores. Spoilers ahead for all of our readers after the jump, so if you want to wait until you’re reading the comic to find out, here’s your warning to leave now.
Despite the new host’s identity being teased ahead of the first issue as being Luke Cage, Rick Jones, Robbie Robertson or Madame Masque, and subsequently insinuated by the series to be Mary Jane Watson’s current partner Paul Rabin, it turns out they are none other than Dylan Brock’s foster mother herself:
That’s right, MJ Watson, Spider-Man’s longtime love interest, and one of the first people to be terrorized by Venom in the comics, has been the host of the symbiote that was bonded to Peter Parker, Eddie Brock, and Dylan since last year’s crossover event Venom War. Ewing comments, “We hooked readers in with the big mystery – albeit with a little misdirection thrown in – but now the cat’s out of the bag, we can really get into the unlikely interaction of MJ and Venom. Unlike previous hosts, these two aren’t together by choice, but their odd-couple energy makes for a bubbling pot of old-school soap opera thrills. If you’ve enjoyed this lighter take on Venom, there’s a lot more on the way — as well as some darker directions to come.”
MJ is no stranger to superpowers, having taken on the mantle of Jackpot in 2023’s Amazing Spider-Man #31, nor being a symbiote host, having become Venom’s longtime nemesis Carnage in the Spider-Gwen universe, but I don’t think any of us saw her becoming so close to something with a taste for brains. Readers will be able to discover how the unexpected union transpired in issue #6, due out May 7. In the meantime, check out Martín Cóccolo and Clayton Crain‘s newly revealed spoiler variant covers for Wednesday’s issue, as well as Lucas Werneck‘s spoiler variant for issue #6:
Issue #5 spoiler variant cover by Martín Cóccolo
Issue #5 surprise suspect variant cover by Clayton Crain
Issue #6 spoiler variant cover by Lucas Werneck
Crain’s surprise cover for issue #5 will be a complimentary release for comics shops; it will be used, alongside Gómez’s art for the final page (above), as a variant for the comics’s second printing.
First of all, thank you for the spoiler warning. Gizmodo decided to just plaster it in the headline of the article.
Second of all, this feels dumb. Dumb enough that I almost don’t care that the reveal has been spoiled.
No problem, I wouldn’t want to be denied that choice either. I am sorry you feel that way about the twist though: maybe I’m biased as someone who doesn’t much care for Venom, but I would read this series now!
Marvel same ‘ol stuff. Yawn.