BREAKING SPOILER: Marvel Reveals ‘All-New Venom’
by Tony Thornley
And it’s not anyone we saw coming.
For months, Marvel has been teasing the identity of All-New Venom as Al Ewing and Carlos Gomez’s story has been progressing.
Is it the hero- Luke Cage?
Is it the villain- Madame Masque?
Is it the sidekick- Rick Jones?
Or is it the reporter- Robbie Robertson?
Or…. is it none of them?
Marvel has revealed the identity of All-New Venom ahead of this week’s reveal in issue #5. And it’s none other than…
SPOILERS AHEAD.
SERIOUSLY, TURN BACK IF YOU DON’T WANT TO KNOW.
LAST CHANCE!
All-New Venom is Mary Jane Watson.
Now, a lot of the story behind the story makes sense. Dylan Brock living with MJ and Paul, why we may not have seen MJ’s Jackpot identity in the pages of the series, why none of the clues truly add up to the suspects Marvel gave us. The answer has been in plain sight, and it’s not anyone we expected.
On his decision to take Spider-Man’s greatest love in this bold new direction, Ewing explained, “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.”
This is also an interesting turn for MJ. Venom is one of the few villains who knew Peter Parker’s identity in his villain days. That meant that the villain directly menaced her, which caused some PTSD for her more than once. To see her bonded to the symbiote shows how much both of them have changed, in and out of universe.
Check out the newly revealed covers for the issue from Clayton Crain, Martin Coccolo, and Lucas Werneck as well as the spoiler page, and watch for All-New Venom #5 this Wednesday from Marvel Comics!
