The Black Suit

Fitting this week's topic of scary comic book creations I'd like to tell you readers about a character within comics who has never ceased to creep me out. This character's name is Eddie Brock, but many would come to know him as Venom.

So what is it about Venom that makes him scary? Well, maybe it's his appearance. You see while Eddie is the man in the suit, the Venom suit itself is a living organism. It's an alien parasite that latches to living creatures to survive and because the Venom suit-or Symbiot, as it's called-first attached to Spider-Man it's powers, movements and appearance are inspired by Spidey. The Symbiot took a much more menacing look after it attached to Eddie Brock, who was so driven with hatred for Peter/Spidey that the Symbiot reflected his rage. His inky black complexion, terrifying teeth, and saliva-dripping tongue are all features that pierce through my eyes and disturb me. As mentioned before, the Symbiot attaches to it's host and survives by living off the host's body. However, should the Symbiot stay long enough, it's host will begin to solely live off the Symbiot. After being free of the suit for months on end, Eddie Brock developed cancer that was held dormant thanks to the Symbiot's protection of Eddie's body. Once he was held in a hospital, Eddie began craving the Symbiot and saw hallucinations of Venom sitting by his bedside, teasing him with promises of togetherness. The Symbiot not only makes it's host's body dependent, but it's mind as well as Eddie has frequently claimed he loves the Symbiot and considers he and the Symbiot one single creature.

The concept of the Venom Symbiot is reminiscent of a tape worm or a leech out of a pond, but worse yet it can leave it's host desiring it's presence, living off the host's own poisons. Hence the name Venom. Despite finding the character scary, Venom intrigues me. Much like fear itself, we as human beings find something in concepts like Venom that deep inside we relate to. That our own poisons could have a mind of their own and destroy us. Or use us.