Is Venom's New Villain Virus Secretly [SPOILER]? | Screen Rant
In the latest issue of Venom, Eddie Brock and his son Dylan are attacked by new villain Virus, who has a bone to pick. But who is he?
Warning! Spoilers ahead for Venom #26
With the events of Venom Island behind him, Venom and Eddie Brock are now able to divert their attention to preparing for the arrival of Knull the Symbiote God. However, Eddie first needs to figure out what's going on with his son Dylan, and his strange power to control symbiotes. In Eddie's mind, there's no one better to help him find answers than the Maker, whose been obsessed with symbiotes for quite a long time in recent comics. Overshadowing this is the arrival of Virus, a mysterious new villain with a vendetta against Venom. Who is Virus, and why does he hate Eddie? Read on to learn more.
As Eddie is swinging through the streets with Dylan on their way to the Maker, fans get their first look at Virus in action, whose tracking them from a nearby rooftop. Clad in old War Machine armor held together by tape, the armor has been painted on the eyes and chest to resemble a Venom symbiote. It somewhat calls to mind the recent arc where Frank Castle, the Punisher, was granted War Machine armor and gave it a paint job as well, though it's doubtful Castle is the man under the armor, based upon the personal grudge Virus has. However, could it be the same suit of armor, recovered and rebuilt?
The Maker, an evil Reed Richards from the Ultimate Marvel Universe, starts to reveal his plans for symbiotes to Eddie, including the artificial Venom symbiote he's now bonded with (also from the Ultimate Universe). However, that's when Virus makes his explosive entrance atop a battered and old Goblin Glider, hurling pumpkin bombs at Venom and his son. Virus claims that Eddie ruined his life, and that now he's going to be the last man Venom ever sees. He's also about to reveal who he is, when an explosion rocks the warehouse as a result of their fight, and all four of them get sucked into an other-dimensional portal that the Maker had built.
The use of the Goblin Glider and pumpkin bombs provide additional clues to the identity of Virus. It could very well be one of the Osborns, either Norman or his son Harry, as they have both been Goblins in the past. It could potentially even be Normie, Harry's son. However, Norman currently seems to be doing well directing the rebuilt Ravencroft Institute, and it seems Harry and Eddie are currently on good terms, with Dylan even staying in Harry's home with his family when Eddie was on Venom Island. Futhermore, Normie seems to young and lacking motivation to be Virus. Alternatively, the age and battered nature of the tech in total could be someone whose been able to recover and rebuild discarded weapons, and is using them in a bid to get revenge against Venom, perhaps for reasons that have yet to be disclosed.
Could it be a former host of the Venom symbiote, whose life went south after the symbiote left them, like Mac Gargan? Time will tell, but one thing's for sure: Virus didn't get sucked into the portal, so much as willingly dived into the unknown to go after Eddie. He's not going to stop until he gets his revenge (whoever he is) no matter the cost.