What’s up Venom-Heads! Wait, is that not a thing to call Venom fans? Well, it should definitely become a thing.

Anyways, the final Tom Hardy led Sony Venom film, Venom: The Last Dance, is out in the world with the symbiotic duo causing some chaos, I’m sure. To ‘celebrate,’ we here at Comicon are turning our eyes to all things Venom across the week!

While the cinematic version might be hanging it up, the comic book version of the anti-hero is going strong. In fact, December sees the rise of a whole new Venom duo as the silky black symbiote finds a new partner to bond with in Al Ewing and Carlos Gómez’s All-New Venom series.

After a whole war between Eddie Brock and his son Dylan Brock over the symbiote (some timey whimey stuff mixed in there), the symbiote is looking for someone new to wag its tongue with and swing all over town with. The Brocks won’t be idle though, as Eddie has now become Carnage and Dylan will be the reader surrogate in All-New Venom trying to discover the new host identity.

Oh, also, this time the symbiotic anti-hero is more hero than anti, switching things up just a bit. The lethal protector of the streets become just a protector.

Marvel Comics is keeping mum about just who will star in Al Ewing and Artist’s All-New Venom series, but the writer (and solicit) have narrowed it down to four possibilities: the villain, the journalist, the sidekick, and the mayor. Friend and great writer colleague Anton Kromoff threw some potentially wild and fun (one possibly true…) theories  on characters that could see themselves getting all gooey. Definitely go check that out.

Over here we’re going to take a look at those four potentials listed above, and parse out the odds that any of them are actually behind the (living) mask.

Madame Masque

The villain.

This descriptor says it all. We’re being told that this new Venom is the “smiling, swashbuckling spider-hero New York loves to hate to love” and that doesn’t sound like this generally Iron Man related villain. Recently she was part of the gang war storyline that crossed over between Amazing Spider-Man and Miles Morales: Spider-Man (with some other tie-ins) and found herself betrayed and arrested.

Sure, this wouldn’t be the first time that a villain masqueraded as a hero for their own particular gain (hello Thunderbolts!), but it seems unlikely here. At the same time, Whitney Frost/Madame Masque, with her Maggia ties (her father is the criminal Count Nefaria) and many unexplored avenues, would present the best blank slate, skies the limit type of candidate for a writer to pursue.

Ewing does to use unfamiliar, unexplored, and often forgotten characters/concepts. In this particular case, it seems too much of a stretch even for him.

Venom Chances: 1 out of 4 Venoms

Robbie Robertson

The journalist.

An extremely classic character, who happens to hold a large space in the Spider-mythos having been a supporting character since 1967 (Amazing Spider-Man #51). Robbie has been around super things since day one, from his associations with Spider-Man/Peter Parker to his long relationship with Lonnie Lincoln/Tombstone. Often the voice of reason to the tyrannical J. Jonah Jameson, Robbie is a mentor, steadfast friend, and father figure to many. Journalism is in his blood, and it’s where he’s remained (whether it be as an editor, editor-in-chief, or owner).

Being an older man doesn’t take him out of the running, since the symbiote would be able to give him the power to do so much. His son Randy is married to Tombstone’s daughter and there were some incidents that went down during that aforementioned Gang War story. It’s possible that Robbie is tired of just reporting the news, but takes the chance to have power to actually affect things on a more personal physical level.

Definitely the type of curveball that Ewing would potentially unleash upon an unsuspecting readership. Perhaps too much of a curveball though.

Venom Chances: 2 out of 4 Venoms

Luke Cage

The mayor.

Yes, that’s right, in case you forgot Luke Cage became the mayor of New York City during the Devil’s Reign Daredevil-centric event story from a few years ago. It would be easy to forget since the man became mayor and then has barely appeared in many Marvel Comics since to remind us. One of their own is mayor and most hero books operate as if it’s just some unnamed off screen figure like the past. With his identity known and his hands tied as the mayor, Luke just might jump at the chances to do hero stuff anonymously. Affecting change both behind and outside of the law.

This book, whether he’s the guy or not, at least gives him a chance to appear regularly again. A thing that hasn’t been the case since his time with the Avengers and the Defenders (the version built to synch with the short-lived Netflix era) came to a close many years ago. He’s got the hero chops and is also unbreakable/bulletproof/strong on top of what the symbiote would bring him. A great choice to get the character out there, and another Black hero back in a prominent space.

Ewing just got finished helping elevate a prominent Black character (Storm) to places she should be. Perhaps it’s time to turn his attention to another. Seems a very high possibility here.

Venom Chances: 3 out of 4 Venoms

Rick Jones

The sidekick.

Let’s be real, this is the probably easy bet choice right here. Outside of the various founding heroes, it doesn’t get more OG than one Rick Jones. Right there as the Hulk was born, Jones has been a friend and sidekick to more heroes than one can shake a fist at. Over time he’s also gained his own powers such as his gamma powered time as A-Bomb. Being in proximity to powerful people also means he has died and been reborn far too many times for such a generally typical human man.

Hero, and swashbuckling, are in Rick’s blood as outside of his hero stuff he was also a rockstar. Big and bold and loud are all his styles, and accepting the symbiote and helping it turn into full on big hero stuff just fits. He’s also no stranger to partnership power deals since he was a partner to both Mar-Vell and Genis-Vell during their times as Captain Marvel. In fact, the last we saw him was in the recent Captain Marvel series helping Carol Danvers/Captain Marvel save a corrupted (killed, then revived) Genis-Vell.

While it’s an “obvious” choice in some respects, it’s also the “perfect” choice in many respects. Longtime recognized character with heroic chops but also no connections to the symbiote previously. Helps that Ewing has written the character before (Immortal Hulk). Rick Jones getting his time to shine once more.

Venom Chances: 4 out of 4 Venoms

Some Random Surprise Fifth Choice

The wildcard.

While Ewing and Marvel have been open about the whole four choices thing, neither are strangers to really pulling the rug out from under people’s feet. Misdirection is a huge part of comic books, especially more so these days where they have to advertise (and drop solicits) so far ahead, before previous storylines even finish out.

What better way to throw us off the scent then by giving us trails to chase, while the actual target scampers away for a dramatic reveal? Truth be told, it seems unlikely that it won’t be one of the four above (and shocking if it’s not Rick or maybe Luke) but you never know. Ewing is not generally a writer that relies on shocks or surprises, but more on taking the pieces we know or see and doing tons with them. Deep character stuff, and really digging into the foundations that are Marvel and seeing how we can transcend them.

Hell, it could even be one of these choices that Anton chose in his own list piece. Wouldn’t that be something!?

Venom Chances: ? out of 4 Venoms