History Characters / Venom2018

* [[Characters/SonysSpiderManUniverse Others]]: Miles Morales / Spider-Man II, Aaron Davis / Prowler and Peter B. Parker / Spider-Man

* [[Characters/SonysSpiderManUniverse Others]]: Miles Morales, Prowler and Peter B. Parker

* [[Characters/SSUEddieBrockVenom Eddie Brock / Venom]]
* [[Characters/SSUSanFrancisco San Francisco]]: Anne Weying, Dan Lewis, Mrs. Chen, Dora Skirth, Jack, Maria, John Jameson, Patrick Mulligan
* [[Characters/SSUVenomsEnemies Venom's Enemies]]: Cletus Kasady, Carlton Drake, Roland Treece, Riot, Symbiote-A 02, Symbiote-A 03, Carnage, Shriek

* '''[[Characters/SSUEddieBrockVenom Eddie Brock / Venom]]'''
* [[Characters/SSUSanFrancisco San Francisco]]: '''Anne Weying''', Mrs. Chen, Jack, '''Dan Lewis''', Maria, '''Dora Skirth''', John Jameson
* [[Characters/SSUVenomsEnemies Venom's Enemies]]: '''Carlton Drake''', '''Roland Treece''', '''Riot Symbiote''', Symbiote-A 02, Symbiote-A 03, Cletus Kasady

* [[Characters/SSUSanFrancisco San Francisco]]: '''Anne Weying''', Maria, Mrs. Chen, Jack, '''Dan Lewis''', '''Dora Skirth''', John Jameson

Character page for the 2018 film ''Film/{{Venom|2018}}'', which is set in Film/SonysUniverseOfMarvelCharacters.

* '''[[Characters/SUMCEddieBrockVenom Eddie Brock / Venom]]'''
* [[Characters/SUMCSanFrancisco San Francisco]]: '''Anne Weying''', Maria, Mrs. Chen, Jack, '''Dan Lewis''', '''Dora Skirth''', John Jameson
* [[Characters/SUMCVenomsEnemies Venom's Enemies]]: '''Carlton Drake''', '''Roland Treece''', '''Riot Symbiote''', Symbiote-A 02, Symbiote-A 03, Cletus Kasady

* [[Characters/SUMCEddieBrockVenom Eddie Brock / Venom]]: '''Eddie Brock''', '''Venom Symbiote'''.
* [[Characters/SUMCSanFrancisco San Francisco]]: '''Anne Weying''', Maria, Mrs. Chen, Jack, '''Dan Lewis''', '''Dora Skirth''', John Jameson.
* [[Characters/SUMCVenomsEnemies Venom's Enemies]]: '''Carlton Drake''', '''Roland Treece''', '''Riot Symbiote''', Symbiote-A 02, Symbiote-A 03, Cletus Kasady.

* [[Characters/SUMCEddieBrockVenom Eddie Brock / Venom]]: Eddie Brock, Venom Symbiote.
* [[Characters/SUMCSanFrancisco San Francisco]]: Anne Weying, Maria, Mrs. Chen, Jack, Dan Lewis, Dora Skirth, John Jameson.
* [[Characters/SUMCVenomsEnemies Venom's Enemies]]: Carlton Drake, Roland Treece, Riot Symbiote, Symbiote-A 02, Symbiote-A 03, Cletus Kasady.

[[foldercontrol]]


!!Symbiote Invasion
[[folder:Riot Symbiote]]
!!The Riot Symbiote
[[quoteright:300:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/riot.png]]
!!!'''Voiced By:''' Creator/RizAhmed
->''"You are nothing."''

An evil symbiote who jumps from host to host, ultimately bonding to Dr. Carlton Drake.

* TheAce: Stated to be this by the Venom symbiote describiy it as a "team leader" that has "shit you've never seen". Given that it can jump hosts without burning them out; is bigger and stronger than the other symbiotes, can create more complex weapons from its biomass, can forcibly remove a symbiote from its host, and even contain another symbiote within itself definitely shows that Riot is on a whole other level.
-->'''Drake:''' Your friends... the others, I apologize, I tried to keep them alive.\\
'''Riot:''' There are more of us. Millions more. They will follow wherever I lead.\\
'''Drake:''' ...Wherever ''[[RoyalWe we]]'' lead.\\
'''Riot:''' Yes, [[BigBadDuumvirate we]]. But first, we must retrieve him.
* AbsurdlySharpClaws: Riot can use its shapeshifting abilities to lengthen its claws into blades.
* AdaptationalBadass: Its comic counterpart serves as TheBrute of a QuirkyMinibossSquad and never really battles Venom individually. This version is more analogous to Carnage in terms of abilities, with Venom being something of a "runt" in comparison. He is stated to be a "team leader" among his people, is shown to also be completely capable of working entirely on his own (going as far as to [[WeHaveReserves dismiss the deaths of his kind]]), is bonded to Carlton Drake, the Life Foundation's ''leader'', and even Venom admits that his chances of beating Riot in combat [[CurbStompBattle is a dead zero]].
* AdaptationalBackstoryChange: Rather than being the Venom symbiote's spawn, Riot is an unrelated individual of the same species.
* AdultFear: At one point, Riot made its host follow a little girl into a public bathroom. The next time Riot appears, it has taken the girl as its new host.
* AlwaysSomeoneBetter: Riot is more physically powerful than Venom and has superior fighting abilities like creating weapons out of his body. Though Venom is quite powerful in his own right and manages to keep up with Riot, he is manhandled for most of the fight against him. [[spoiler:In the end, he isn't even beaten by force but gets incinerated when Venom explodes his ship's fuel tanks with Riot inside it]].
* TheAssimilator: In the final battle, [[spoiler:Riot assimilates the Venom symbiote -- host and all -- to be truly enormous, only for Anne Weying to intercede with a sonic attack that separates them.]]
* AxCrazy: Best shown in the scene where [[spoiler:he kills a bunch of Drake's staff because one tried to sabotage his rocket]].
* BigBadDuumvirate: It forms this with Carlton Drake, intending to bring more of its kind to Earth in order to conquer it.
* BishonenLine: Falls on the far end despite being physically stronger than Venom, who draws closer to the line. Compare Venom's basically humanoid form with a weird mouth and eye structure to Riot's oddly bumpy skin, hunched and loping posture, and somewhat crocodilian head structure.
* BladeBelowTheShoulder: Riot can transform its arms into enormous bladed weapons in constract to shapeshifting to smashing hammers used by its comic counterpart.
* BodySurf: Riot is a "body hopper" who jumps from host to host -- jumping from John Jameson to a Malaysian paramedic to an old woman to a little girl and finally to Drake.
* BrightIsNotGood: Riot is primarily silver in coloration, helping distinguish him from Venom and the other symbiotes. It's also the film's symbiote BigBad.
* CompositeCharacter: This version can be seen using smashing weapons like hammers and maces like its comic counterpart, however, prefers blades and claws like Carnage as well as growing spikes on his back like Phage.
* CreepyChild: When he possesses the little girl in the Sarawak airport just before he meets Drake.
* DualWielding: He transforms his arms into two giant blades to slaughter the scientists at the rocket launch.
* EvilCounterpart: Riot is an evil symbiote who stands in contrast to the marginally more heroic Venom. While Venom grew to appreciate Earth, Riot just sees it as another feeding ground.
* EvilIsBigger: Riot towers over the already massive Venom, and is also far stronger.
* EvilIsPetty: Riot, while possessing a Malaysian EMT, steals and eats a live eel; the eel vendor yells at him, only for Riot to slash his throat with an arm blade.
* EvilSoundsDeep: Has a deep''er'' voice than Venom's, although not by very much.
* FamousLastWords: [[spoiler:"Traitor!"]]
* FantasticRacism: Its ultimate goal is to enslave and kill all of humanity, and for the alien symbiotes to rule Earth.
* FlechetteStorm: While bonded to the Malaysian paramedic, Riot kills a group of thugs with a barrage of spikes fired from her back.
* {{Foil}}: To Venom. Where Riot is a "team leader" and capable of extraordinary physical feats such as turning his arms into weapons and fully overriding a host's body, Venom is a self-described "loser" who is a strong combatant but mostly relies on an UnskilledButStrong fighting style and either allows Eddie autonomy for a majority of the time or is incapable of taking it from him entirely. Venom begins to change for the better thanks to Eddie's influence while Riot cares nothing for Drake.
* HoistByHisOwnPetard: [[spoiler:After stabbing Eddie in the back with a blade, Venom uses said blade to destroy the rocket Riot is using to leave Earth, destroying both Riot and Drake]].
* JoinOrDie: Riot orders Venom to get in the rocket that will bring back more of their alien kind to Earth. Venom refuses, so Riot decides to execute him.
* MonstrousCannibalism: During the final battle, Riot [[spoiler:rips the Venom symbiote off Eddie and prepares to eat it, only for Eddie to rebond to it at the last second]].
* MovieSuperheroesWearBlack: Inverted. Riot's a bit brighter than its comic counterpart, given that its black sections are gone and red veins are visible beneath its silver surface.
* OurZombiesAreDifferent: While he doesn't start a Zombie Apocalypse, his first few hosts before getting to Drake are disturbingly Zombie-like in behavior.
* OhCrap: While not immediately apparent due to symbiotes being {{Perpetual Smiler}}s, he clearly has one when [[spoiler:seeing Venom rupture the rocket's fuel tanks - at that point Riot clearly seems to realize that he's a dead man and symbiote]].
* PossessionBurnout: The Malaysian paramedic collapses after the Riot symbiote leaves her, though it's not shown what happened to the old woman or the little girl it bonded to.
* ReptilesAreAbhorrent: Unlike Venom, Riot's head resembles a crocodile or alligator.
* ShapeshifterWeapon: Riot transforms its arms into massive blades and [[EpicFlail a giant mace]].
* SpikesOfVillainy: During its battle with Venom, Riot sprouts several spikes and tendrils from its back.
* SuperheroMovieVillainsDie: [[spoiler:Played entirely straight. His rocket which he wanted to board to leave Earth and start a symbiote invasion ended up being destroyed by Venom, [[HoistByHisOwnPetard using his discarded blade no less]], and immediately doing away with Riot and Drake.]]
* TaintedVeins: The Riot symbiote has prominent red veins on its arms, chest, and back.
* UnrelatedInTheAdaptation: Its comic counterpart was one of many that spawned from Venom. The relationship is barely explored but they seemingly have no "relation" in this film.
* VillainRespect: Riot does seem a bit impressed by how compatible Eddie is with Venom.
--> '''Riot:''' ''(after receiving a few attacks)'' You have a strong host! [[AlwaysSomeoneBetter But not strong enough]]...
* WeCanRuleTogether: While Riot only gives Venom this opportunity once, it is still his offer nonetheless.
--> '''Riot:''' Venom... ''get in the [[spoiler:rocket!]]''\\
'''Venom:''' No! We won't let you destroy this world!\\
'''Riot:''' Then, ''die''!
* WeHaveReserves: When Drake apologizes for letting the other symbiotes of Riot's infiltration team die, Riot remarks there are millions more of its kind.
* WouldHurtAChild: It isn't picky when selecting a temporary host to feed and travel by, such as a little girl. And that's not going to the fact its plan is having legions of symbiotes feast on humanity, adults and children alike.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:SYM-A02]]
!!Blue Symbiote

One of the four symbiotes collected by the Life Foundation. It is bonded to a man named Isaac, whom it immediately kills.
----
* BodyHorror: After bonding to Isaac, it causes Issac to spasm and twitch horrifically as it consumes Issac from the inside out.
* CodeName: Codenamed SYM-A02 by the Life Foundation.
* PossessionBurnout: Inflicted this on its hosts. After it does this to Dr. Skirth, the Life Foundation's scientists kill it by not returning it to its containment unit.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:SYM-A03]]
!!Yellow Symbiote

One of the four symbiotes collected by the Life Foundation.
----
* CodeName: Codenamed SYM-A03 by the Life Foundation.
* HairRaisingHare: Its first successful host is a white lab rabbit, though it isn't shown assuming a monstrous form and presumably consumed it from the inside-out.
* MythologyGag: Its yellow and black appearance is one to the Scream symbiote from the comics.
* PossessionBurnout: Inflicted this on its hosts, which ultimately led to its death when the Life Foundation failed to return it to its containment unit quickly enough by the time Eddie Brock entered the lab.
[[/folder]]

!!Supporting Characters

[[folder:Anne Weying]]
!!Anne Weying
[[quoteright:300:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/venomanne.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:300:''"I don't work for him. My firm works for him. Are you gonna behave yourself tomorrow?"'']]
[[caption-width-right:300:[[labelnote:Click here to see her as]]https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/shevenom.png She-Venom[[/labelnote]]]]
!!!'''Portrayed By:''' Creator/MichelleWilliams

A lawyer employed by the Life Foundation.
----
* ActionGirl: In the final act of the film, [[spoiler:Anne bonds to the Venom symbiote as She-Venom to reunite the organism with Eddie Brock and save from Carlton Drake's thugs, even eating TheDragon in the process, and is angered when Venom refuses to let her help against Eddie's wishes in the fight against Riot. Following that, she finds a way to blast out high-pitched sound from the speakers surrounding the Life Foundation's rocket, stopping Riot from getting inside.]]
-->'''Anne:''' Told you I could fight ugly.
* AmicableExes: ZigZagged. While she still resents Eddie over what happened six months ago, Eddie's erratic behavior after bonding to the Venom symbiote makes her worried, even getting her new boyfriend to help.
* BigDamnHeroes:
** [[spoiler:When she briefly bonds with the Venom symbiote, she saves Eddie moments before being executed by Drake's goons]].
** During the battle between Riot and Venom, [[spoiler:the former absorbs both Venom and Eddie and is about to escape on the rocket until Anne turns on the speaker to stun separate Riot from Venom.]]
* BigDamnKiss: She lays a big wet one on Eddie [[spoiler:as She-Venom to transfer the Venom Symbiote back to Eddie]].
* TheCavalry: [[spoiler:Using the Venom symbiote, she rescues Eddie from being executed by Roland Treece.]]
* ComicBookMoviesDontUseCodenames: [[spoiler:When Venom briefly takes over her body, she does not go by the She-Venom codename.]]
* TheConfidant: After she witnesses Venom fighting a bunch of cops, Eddie ends up confiding in her about the Venom symbiote, [[EvilMeScaresMe Eddie's concerns regarding its influence]], and [[EvilFeelsGood starting to enjoy its power]].
* CuteMonsterGirl: [[spoiler: When she briefly bonds with Venom, the end result has a very shapely figure in sharp contrast to Venom's bulky build when Eddie is enveloped.]]
* EvilFeelsGood: Despite being disgusted by the Venom symbiote's bloodlust, [[spoiler:Anne tells Eddie that part of her reveled in the power that it gave her.]]
* HelloAttorney: Anne is a lawyer whose firm is employed by Dr. Carlton Drake, which Eddie teasingly chides her over during a date.
* HeroicHost: She briefly bonds to the Venom symbiote in order to rescue Eddie, eating Treece's head in the process.
* InformedAttribute: Anne works as a lawyer on the Life Foundation's behalf but is never seen practicing law at any point in the film even after the TimeSkip.
* IAteWhat: [[spoiler:She-Venom eats Treece's head while rescuing Eddie. She's not thrilled about it.]]
* KissingUnderTheInfluence: [[spoiler: When infected with the Venom symbiote, she kisses Eddie, transferring Venom. When Eddie brings up the kiss at the end of the movie, she claims to have been the Venom symbiote's idea, but there is noticeable insecurity in her words. Not helping is the fact that she doesn't want to tell her current boyfriend about that.]]
* MsFanservice: [[spoiler:As She-Venom, since she appears in a very curvaceous form just like her comic counterpart, monstrous head notwithstanding]].
* SuspiciouslySpecificDenial: Later on at the end of the movie when questioned on why she kissed Eddie as [[spoiler:She-Venom]], she gets very flustered and defensive stating that it was all [[spoiler: Venom]] not her. Given that [[spoiler:Venom doesn't take full control of his hosts even when he's fully manifested and at the very least doesn't influence or control their minds, this was most likely a case of MoreThanMindControl as Venom (who stated that he likes her and by the end is an active ShipperOnDeck for Eddie and Anne)]] may have influenced her and taken down her inhibitions somewhat while also making her more aggressive, it's heavily implied that the decision to kiss was all Anne and she still very much cares about Eddie.
* WhatTheHellHero: Eddie breaking into her laptop and using a confidential e-mail to accuse Carlton Drake of murder gets her fired, whereupon she furiously berates Eddie for the flaws she's previously put up with because she loved Eddie.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Maria]]
!!Maria
[[quoteright:300:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/maria_9.jpg]]
!!!'''Portrayed By:''' Creator/MeloraWalters

A homeless woman who sits outside Mrs. Chen's convenience store. She is abducted by the Life Foundation and becomes the Venom symbiote's first human host, but proves incompatible and dies after it transfers to Eddie.
----
* ChekhovsGunman: She is established as being friends with Eddie, who gives her some money despite being down-on-his-luck himself. The next time he passes by the convenience store, Maria is gone, but her possessions are still on the ground. The next time Eddie sees her, she's within the Life Foundation's secure labs, having already been infected with the Venom symbiote.
* DisposableVagrant: Maria is one of several homeless people kidnapped by Drake and his men to serve as hosts for the symbiotes (it's implied she was bribed with money). Eddie's attempt to rescue Maria from the secure lab results in her death and the symbiote transferring itself to him.
* NiceGirl: What we do know of her is that she and Eddie have a friendly relationship, and she's got a sense of humour despite her situation with the two of the them quipping back and forth about her "five dollar delivery service" of free newspapers taken from a stand not five feet away from her.
* TaintedVeins: Being infected by the Venom symbiote leaves her with pronounced black veins around her eyes.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Mrs. Chen]]
!!Mrs. Chen
[[quoteright:300:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/mrschen.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:300:''"You look like shit."'']]
!!!'''Portrayed By:''' Creator/PeggyLu

A Chinese woman who runs a convenience store that Eddie Brock frequents.
----
* AsianStoreOwner: She's a middle-aged Chinese woman who tries to peddle her cousin's meditation videos to her customers, though she's frequently robbed by a thug who runs an extortion racket.
* BrutalHonesty: She bluntly tells Eddie he "looks like shit" the second she sees his face after he's been fired from his job and dumped by Anne.
* ForeignLanguageTirade: She rants in Mandarin when frustrated.
* InnocentBystander: Is on the receiving end of a protection racket by a thug that regularly collects money from her at gunpoint.
* IntergenerationalFriendship: She appears old enough to be Eddie's mother.
* RunningGag: Every time Eddie enters her store, she notes he looks like crap and asks if he's been meditating.
* UnusuallyUninterestingSight: [[SubvertedTrope Subverted]]. When Venom takes care of the thug extorting her, she seems more concerned about the fact that ''Eddie'' was that big black thing than the fact that a man just got eaten in front of her.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Jack]]
!!Jack
[[quoteright:300:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/venomjack.jpg]]
!!!'''Portrayed By:''' Creator/RonCephasJones

Eddie Brock's boss at the MNBN broadcasting network.
----
* BenevolentBoss: He kept Eddie in for quite some time despite the latter pushing his investigation journalism shtick far enough to spell trouble for the network. Until Eddie's interview of Carlton Drake went awry, that is. [[spoiler:When Eddie backs his claims up with photographic evidence of the Life Foundation's illicit experiments, he offers Eddie his job back, though Eddie turns him down.]]
* DaEditor: He manages the news network in which Eddie works, and tries to keep the latter on a leash, because CuriosityIsACrapshoot. He ends up firing Eddie after his "interview" of Carlton Drake, since the billionaire surely doesn't like being investigated upon and is powerful enough to have the network shut down.
* GoodIsDumb: Even if he does seem to be a NiceGuy all in all, it never occurs to him that maybe his reporters might discover very important information needed to protect the public by investigating a company more thoroughly. He admonishes Eddie for going too deep in interrogating Drake for allegations against Life Foundation that most of its test subjects have perished in the experiments and that their deaths are being covered up. Rather than simply give Eddie a warning, he outright fires him to appease Drake, who's rich enough to buy the MNBN and put it out of business.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Dan Lewis]]
!!Dr. Daniel "Dan" Lewis
[[quoteright:300:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/danlewis.jpg]]
!!!'''Portrayed By:''' Creator/ReidScott

Anne's new boyfriend following her break up with Eddie.
----
* HeKnowsTooMuch: Venom at one point tried killing him for explaining to Eddie that Venom out of desperate hunger tried eating his heart out literally.
* LoveTriangle: He replaces Eddie as Anne's boyfriend, making Eddie jealous. Unusually for this trope however, he and Eddie's relationship improves with time.
* NiceGuy: When Eddie makes a scene in a restaurant as a result of his symbiote-induced hunger, Dan insists that Eddie is his patient and tells the waitress not to call the cops. Overall, he is rather nice to Eddie and doesn't treat him as a love rival. That being said, Eddie still doesn't like him much.
* OnlySaneMan: When Eddie has a Venom-instigated public freak-out in a fancy restaurant, Dr. Dan responds with professional concern that Eddie must be very ill. When Anne tries to reassure him she is not going back with Eddie he is more concerned about the alien lifeform that is apparently killing Eddie to really care about that.
* RichSuitorPoorSuitor: The rich to Eddie's poor when it comes to dating Anne. Having been fired, Anne appears to look to Dan who is a medical doctor as her new breadwinner once she dumps Eddie, who was also fired. Venom offers to help Eddie get Anne back from Dan, but Eddie decides to stay single for now.
* RightForTheWrongReasons: Correctly assumes that Eddie pleading to Anne for help before diving into a lobster tank and eating one raw is a sign of extreme mental distress rather than malice, and even gets the idea that Eddie might be suffering from a parasite, though he doesn't have any idea the symbiotes exist.
* WhateverHappenedToTheMouse: He disappears from the third act of the film.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Cletus Kasady]]
!![[ComicBook/{{Carnage}} Cletus Kasady]]
[[quoteright:300:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/kletuscasady.png]]
[[caption-width-right:300:''"When I get out of here, and I will... there's gonna be carnage!"'']][[caption-width-right:300:[[labelnote:Click here to see Carnage]]https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/screen_shot_2021_05_10_at_63000_am.jpg[softreturn][[/labelnote]]]]
!!!'''Portrayed By:''' Creator/WoodyHarrelson

A notorious serial killer who has been locked away for good. Eddie Brock interviews him after dealing with Carlton Drake.
----
* AxCrazy: The man is so deranged that he has to be kept in a straitjacket within a smaller cell within his cell. When Eddie enters his cell, Cletus is writing "Welcome Eddie" with his blood. He ''claims'' he can turn the creepy-serial-killer act on and off, though, and mocks the idea of waxing lyrical about the beauty of arterial spray.
* ConsultingAConvictedKiller: Eddie goes to interview him to see if he will help the FBI identify some more bodies.
* DeepSouth: He's a convicted murderer with a thick Texas drawl.
* EvilRedhead: Cletus Kasady's red hair is maintained courtesy of Woody Harrelson rocking a curly-haired red wig. And as for the evil part, ''it's Cletus Kasady''.
* GenreSavvy: He seems to be aware that he's the stereotypical "AxCrazy SoftSpokenSadist" usually seen in media, and both he and Eddie snarkily put a {{lampshade|hanging}} on how played out the archetype is getting:
-->'''Cletus Kasady:''' Do you mind if we forgo the whole "creepy SerialKiller" thing here?\\
'''Eddie Brock:''' Sure, it's good with me.\\
'''Cletus:''' I mean, I can turn it on if you want. I can talk about ''Dadaist patterns of arterial spray''.\\
'''Eddie:''' [''smirking despite himself''] I bet you can.
* IAmAHumanitarian: In the extended edition, Cletus quips that he enjoyed eating his victims' eyeballs.
* MythologyGag:
** He tells Eddie to expect "ComicBook/{{Carnage}}" when he breaks out of prison. Given that he doesn't gain powers in this movie, that's the extent of the character's presence in this film.
** Eddie's prop notes, [[https://heroichollywood.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/Venom-Cletus-Kasady-Carnage-Sony.jpeg which were put up on display at New York Comic Con 2018]], also reveal that his history is more or less identical to his comic counterpart's outside of the bit about him digging up his mother's grave, which occurred after he became Carnage in the comics.
** He's also introduced writing "Welcome Eddie" on the bars of his cell [[CouldntFindAPen with his own blood]], calling back to his first comics appearance after bonding with the Carnage symbiote, where he made doing the same with "Carnage Rules!" in his victim's as a CallingCard.
* OedipusComplex: Eddie's journal notes speculate Cletus might have one based on him digging up his mother's grave.
* PsychoticSmirk: After promising to cause carnage when he escapes, Kasady distorts his facial features into a creepy cross between a KubrickStare and a grin.
* SequelAdaptationIconicVillain: Riot is a very minor character in the comics, while Carnage is far more famous and iconic as enemy to both Spider-Man and Venom.
* SequelHook: Exists in TheStinger to be one.
* SerialKiller: He's responsible for murdering countless people, starting with his own grandmother.
* TheSociopath: Gives off this creepy vibe as a first impression.
* SoftSpokenSadist: He never raises his voice above a casual tone, even when he's talking about murdering people.
* WalkingSpoiler: His very presence is the surprise of the stinger.
[[/folder]]

!!ComicBook/{{Venom}}

[[folder:Eddie Brock]]
!!Edward "Eddie" Charles Allan Brock
[[quoteright:300:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/eddiebrock_7.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:300:''"We all have our own problems, our own issues, our own demons."'']]
!!!'''Portrayed By:''' Creator/TomHardy

->''"I'm a reporter. I follow people that do not want to be followed. You have to learn how to hide in plain sight. I'm pretty good at it... but you? You suck."''

An investigative reporter who lost both his job and fiancée for being too curious about the Life Foundation's unethical experiments. Through an accident in the foundation's labs, he becomes the host of the Venom symbiote.

* AbledInTheAdaptation: He does not have cancer like his comic counterpart, though he wonders if the symbiote is a brain tumor-induced hallucination, though [[spoiler:it should be noted to be "at the time" as ''ComicBook/DonnyCatesVenom'' later retconned that Eddie never had cancer when he first bonded to the Venom symbiote, the cancer he did get was Venom screwing with his body chemistry, and his belief that he did at first was Venom gaslighting Eddie into staying with it.]]
* AdaptationalAngstUpgrade: {{Inverted}}. Eddie isn't shown to have an abusive father, dead mother and sister, cancer, and he takes his firing with [[SelfDeprecation sad humor]] instead of suicidal despair and rage.
* AdaptationalCurves: Inverted: his comics counterpart is very buff and has a broad build (where Venom was originally depicted getting his large, monstrous appearance from) but this version has a more average build (if on the large side of average).
* AdaptationDyeJob: Eddie Brock is blond in the comics but has brown hair in the film.
* AdaptationalBadass: Zig-zagged. While Eddie seems to be a fit, exercising man who can hold his own in a physical fight he does not seem to be the herculean BadassNormal he was in the comics, where he was canonically almost as strong as Captain America and actually a little stronger than guys like Wilson Fisk/Kingpin. He does seem to be a more competent and famous reporter though; even having his own primetime show.
* AdaptationalHeroism: Prior to obtaining the Venom symbiote, Eddie lightly chides his girlfriend for working for an evil person and tries to bring up the allegations about Carlton Drake performing life-threatening experiments on vulnerable people during an interview. After obtaining the symbiote, he explicitly forbids the symbiote from hurting innocents. While his comics depiction does share his movie counterpart's desire to protect innocent people, he indulged in a few unethical practices, was by his own admission not a particularly nice person, and -- DependingOnTheWriter -- Venom's villainy was all Eddie's fault as his rage corrupted the organism. Here, Eddie manages to be a positive influence on Venom.
* AdaptationalWimp: A mild example, Eddie is still quite physically fit in this movie but not excessively so and his personality is less aggressive when contrasted with the vengeful, bodybuilding BadassNormal from the comics.
* AdaptationPersonalityChange: Owing to the movie [[PragmaticAdaptation omitting his toxically obsessive hatred of Spider-Man]], which is not needed here since Spidey is AdaptedOut, Eddie reacts radically differently to his fall from grace compared to the comics. In the source material, Eddie by his own admission wasn't all that kind even before his life went to crap (even keeping a serial killer's identity hidden for a while to write sensationalist articles as opposed to this movie's IntrepidReporter) and afterwards became first suicidal, then borderline psychotic as he gleefully embraced the Venom Symbiote. This version instead looks at the whole ordeal with a sardonic, self-depreciating sense of humor, coming off more as EndearinglyDorky and even a NiceGuy at times, and spends a solid chunk of the movie being weirded out by the Venom Symbiote. The movie also doesn't make any overt references to his Catholic beliefs, which was a major aspect of his comic character.
** His eagerness to build a repute as a reporter and help those who can't help themselves, however, remain, and by the end of the movie his relationship with the Venom Symbiote more closely reflects that of the comics.
* AmbiguousDisorder: Tom Hardy's [[WhatTheHellIsThatAccent attempt at an American accent]] means Eddie has a tendency to slur, mumble, and drag out his words. He comes off sounding a little slow. He does spend most of the film's early half drunk and later struggling to adapt to the Venom symbiote's effect on his biology, though.
* AntiHero: If he is to remain bonded to the Venom Symbiote, it will only hurt bad people. The term is even used in the second trailer.
* ApologeticAttacker: He constantly apologizes to Roland Treece while Venom beats the thugs up.
* BadassBiker: He's an avid biker, and his first fight scene with Life Foundation's agents leads to a violent chase scene with him riding a motorcycle.
* BadassInDistress: Due to the [[spoiler: Venom symbiote being much weaker than Riot, Venom and Eddie get absorbed by Riot easily]].
* BettyAndVeronica: Since Venom is a ShipperOnDeck for Eddie and Anne, Anne is the Archie and him as the Veronica: a now anti-hero fused with a violent symbiote, against the mentally sound and honorable surgeon Dan (Betty). Though Eddie is happy for Anne and seemingly doesn't want to win her back.
* BewareTheNiceOnes: When Eddie sees that his favourite shopkeeper is being forced into a "protection" racket, he lets Venom loose on the thug.
* BigEater: After acquiring Venom, Eddie develops an increasingly absurd hunger, eating every food he comes across, even rotten ones.
* BigNo: [[spoiler:When Venom seemingly sacrifices himself.]]
* BrutalHonesty: The first trailer establishes him as someone who doesn't hold his opinions back, which according to Anne got him fired from his job at New York's ''Daily Globe''. In an interesting way, it's used to establish him as a good person, as he bluntly challenges the BigBad Carlton Drake, making it clear that he knows Drake is performing life threatening experiments. More humorously, he outright says to Dora Skirth -- the Life Foundation employee who's following him -- that she sucks at being discreet.
* CareerResurrection: InUniverse, Eddie gets back his prestigious reporter job at the end of the movie. [[spoiler:He gets then to interview Cletus Kasady at the stinger.]]
* CompositeCharacter: He's basically 616!Eddie Brock's origin, personality and character flaws mixed with 616!Peter Parker's snark, repressed anger, and overall good nature.
* DeadpanSnarker: Has his moments, most notably after killing the thug with Ms. Chen watching, where he just bluntly apologizes and says he has a parasite, while acting like it isn't a big deal.
* DidNotGetTheGirl: [[spoiler:As a result of his actions at the beginning of the movie, Eddie and Anne broke up but they parted ways at peaceful terms. While Eddie still has feelings for Anne, he seems to be happy for Anne's new relationship. Venom, however, is convinced it won't remain this way for long.]]
* DistressedDude: Is constantly being saved by Venom or Anne [[spoiler: or both at the same time]], but it is [[JustifiedTrope justified]] as it cleanly establishes just how majorly out of his depth Eddie is. By the final act, Eddie grows out of it as he and Venom are more in tune with each other and learn how to work together.
* DontMakeMeDestroyYou: When cornered by a squad of SWAT police, Eddie advises them to back off. They don't listen, so Venom happily [[CurbStompBattle crushes]] them.
* DrivenToSuicide: Lightly implied; after getting shut down by Anne again, the scene immediately following has him looking over the waterfront of the Golden Gate Bridge. The Bridge is infamous for attracting suicide attempts, but it also provides a prime view of Drake's Life Foundation headquarters. The scene ends with him asking Dora about the truth of Drake's experiments.
* DrowningMySorrows: After his disastrous interview with Drake and subsequent fall from grace, he's seen drinking both at a pub and at home.
* {{Foil}}: To Carlton Drake. Drake is a billionaire who is fully invested in the big picture of humanity's future, Eddie is upper-middle class and then moves to lower class after he and Anne break up, is very much in the moment and uses his fame in reporting to bring the plights of everyday people (ie. the homeless, or political protestors) to light. Eddie's reputation and relations all go down the toilet when he tries to expose Drake's inhumane practices where Drake's fame only grows as he continues. Even their relationships with their symbiotes are opposite. Venom at first uses Eddie as a ride and keeps him around because they match perfectly, however, Venom still takes care of him and grows to genuinely care for his host to the point that he [[spoiler: preforms a HeroicSacrifice to save Eddie from an explosion]]. On the other hand, Riot is implied to be using Drake in order to get access to Drake's [[spoiler: rocket ship]].
* GameFace: When Eddie is trying to persuade his rocker neighbour to turn the music down, [[BlackEyesOfEvil his eyes briefly turn jet-black]] and [[ScaryTeeth his teeth turn into fangs]].
* GirlyScream: Eddie's voice jumps several octaves, alongside his testicles, when the Venom Symbiote [[JumpScare startles]] him for the first time as he's staring at his own reflection.
* HearingVoices: Eddie hears the Venom symbiote's voice in his head when it speaks to him.
-->'''Eddie:''' I'm feeling really sick. I'm hearing a voice...\\
'''Venom Symbiote:''' Eddie!\\
'''Eddie:''' Y-you're not real! You're just in my head!
* HeroWithBadPublicity: Although he does have a few friends such as Mrs. Chen and Maria, Eddie's being hunted down by the police and Drake's mercenaries because he's Venom symbiote's host.
* IAteWhat: Immediately after bonding with Venom and running home, it compels him to wolf down a frozen bag of tater tots and, still starving, tears through his garbage and devours half-rotten leftover chicken. [[VomitDiscretionShot He promptly heaves it back up once he returns to his senses]].
* ImpaledWithExtremePrejudice: [[spoiler:Riot stabs Eddie with a blade, leaving him to die. However, Venom re-bonds with him, saving his life.]]
* IntrepidReporter: Eddie Brock is an investigative journalist whose desire to "do [his] job" saw him disgraced and run out of New York. In an interview with Dr. Carlton Drake, he goes off-script to interrogate about allegations that the Life Foundation is conducting illicit human experiments -- putting him at odds with his fiancee Anne Weying, whose law firm represents Drake and the Life Foundation; and resulting in him being blacklisted from journalistic work. Eddie being contacted by a disgruntled employee, digging into the Life Foundation's dark secrets, and accidentally acquiring one of their symbiotes puts him in their sights as a threat.
* IWantMyBelovedToBeHappy: [[spoiler:Despite his issues, he is never jealous of Anne's new boyfriend Dan. At the end, Eddie is on better terms with Anne, though they're not together.]]
* KnightInSourArmor: Despite ruining his career after the interview with Drake and subsequent cynicism, he is still dedicated to do the right thing. After getting on better terms with Venom, he agrees to do things its way, but on the condition that it will only hurt "bad people".
* KnightTemplar: Eddie demands that if the Venom symbiote is going to hurt anyone, it should at least only hurt bad people.
-->'''Eddie:''' I have no problem with you sticking around, but we will only hurt the ''bad'' people.
* MonstrousHumanoid: As Venom, Eddie is a towering, bulky humanoid monster with viscous inky-black skin, white vein-like markings, large white eyespots, claws, a gaping maw full of fangs, and a long prehensile tongue.
* MoustacheDePlume: After being fired, Eddie is so desperate to find a new job that he even considers writing under a female pseudonym. He still gets rejected.
* NeverMyFault: To a degree. [[spoiler:Though he rightly assumed Drake was a bad guy from the start, Eddie's life spiraling downhill was of his own doing. He made the conscious decision to break Anne's trust and view confidential information, then derailed his interview with Drake by bringing up the illegal allegations, which cost him his and Anne's job, as well as their relationship. He blamed Drake for all of this. Anne flat out tells him that it's his fault and he eventually comes to realize this.]]
* NiceGuy: For all of his faults, Eddie is motivated to do what he feels is the right thing.
** The "Eddie Brock Report" montage near the beginning of the film establishes that he focuses on stories that involve the plight against the homeless in San Francisco. He's on good terms with the homeless woman Maria and gives $20 despite struggling to find work, then tries to rescue her when he finds out Maria's being experimented on.
** When Eddie finds out Anne is seeing someone else, he doesn't show any bitterness.
** His kindness is strong enough that it manages to convince the Venom symbiote, [[spoiler: who came to Earth for the express purpose of invading and killing all humans,]] to turn against [[spoiler: Riot]] and live semi-peacefully on Earth, only harming bad people who deserve it.
* NoodleIncident: Eddie lost his job at the prestigious Daily Globe newsroom and was effectively run out of New York due to an unspecified incident -- a reference to his comic counterpart's Sin-Eater case.
* OohMeAccentsSlipping: You can hear Creator/TomHardy's English accent break through his narration at times, specifically on "own" and "issues". It slips even further in the full trailer, with lines "the guy you work for is an evil person" just coming out as a weird mishmash... [[WhatTheHellIsThatAccent thing]].
* PermaStubble: Contrasting his comic counterpart who was almost always clean-shaven.
* ScreamsLikeALittleGirl: When Venom suddenly shouts his name while he brushed his teeth.
* ThrowingOutTheScript: The incident that cost Eddie his job as a reporter was that he was supposed to interview Drake about the Life Foundation's new space probe... but instead threw the script out the window and started grilling him about allegations that the Life Foundations was conducting unethical experiments. Going by Anne's mention of the "''Daily Globe'' incident", Eddie has a history of doing such things and getting into trouble for them.
* WhatTheHellIsThatAccent: Tom Hardy gives Eddie Brock an accent that's... a little hard to pin down. It's equal parts Brooklyn-American and Cockney English, with just a tiny bit of Australian thrown in at times. His tendency to slur and mumble his words certainly doesn't help, and his delivery sounds almost [[Creator/AdamSandler Sandlerish]] at times.
* WhyDidItHaveToBeSnakes: He is afraid of heights, which comes into play when Venom jumps at the highest point of the [=MNBN=] building. He even uses an elevator to go down, which gets Venom to call him a pussy.

[[folder:Venom Symbiote]]
!!The Venom Symbiote
[[quoteright:300:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/venomsymbiote.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:300:''"We... are Venom!"'']]
!!!'''Voiced By:''' Creator/TomHardy, Creator/BradVenable

->''"On my planet, I am kind of [[NotSoDifferent a loser, like you]]. But here, [[DareToBeBadass we could be more]]. And I'm getting to [[HumanityIsInfectious like it here]]."''

An amorphous sentient alien entity found by the Life Foundation. Eddie Brock accidentally bonds with it.

* AchillesHeel: Like in the comics, the Venom symbiote is specifically vulnerable to fire and sound (specifically, frequencies in the 4-6 kilohertz range).
* AdaptationalIntelligence: Compared to its last appearance on the silver screen at least. The Film/SpiderManTrilogy incarnation is portrayed as a mindless instinct-driven creature, [[TruerToTheText but this version is quite clearly an intelligent being like in the comics]].
* AdaptationalVillainy: TruerToTheText aspects aside, this version is far more malicious and controlling than it originally was in the comics. In Venom's original appearance, it was heavily implied ([[FlipFlopOfGod and occasionally confirmed]] DependingOnTheWriter) that the symbiote was turned into an insane monster in part due to Eddie's intense hatred for Spider-Man, something that would bite Eddie in the ass when it tries to turn him into a KnightTemplar when he's genuinely trying to protect innocent people. Current comics also portray the Venom symbiote as having a pet-like loyalty towards Eddie, while the film begins with Venom merely using Eddie as a way to escape the Life Foundation and proceed with Riot's plan. The trailers even making it out like Venom is the corrupting influence on Eddie, [[EnemyWithin rather than the other way around]]. However, in the film proper, it's eventually [[SubvertedTrope subverted]] as Venom undergoes CharacterDevelopment and comes to truly care for Eddie and its more noble nature is uncovered.
* AdaptationalWimp: ZigZagged. Venom considers himself a loser on his home planet and unlike his comic book counterpart, he is not the "father" of Riot but actually ranks much lower than he does in terms of abilities. It's mostly a case of Riot getting ''significantly'' AdaptationalBadass treatment.
* AdaptationNameChange: Its comic counterpart actually doesn't have a name and is only referred to as the Venom symbiote due to its bond with Eddie, with "Venom" being the name of their shared form. This version is actually ''named'' Venom.
* AdaptedOut: Venom's giant white spider-symbol that serves as a twisted counterpart to ComicBook/SpiderMan's is nowhere to be seen here, which makes sense considering that this version of the character has no vendetta with -- or relation to -- Peter Parker. Venom also lacks Spidey's web powers, using his arms and tendril instead to get from place to place.
* AffablyEvil: It is still legitimately friendly to whomever it befriends… in regards to the questionable acts it regularly pulls.
* AxCrazy: Has a voracious appetite and won't hesitate to eat humans either -- though Eddie manages to persuade it to just eat bad people.
* BadassBaritone: The Venom symbiote's deep voice is a stark contrast with the weaselly voice of the [[Film/SpiderMan3 previous version]].
* BadassInDistress: Very briefly, after [[spoiler:Riot tears Venom from Eddie it's about to be consumed but Eddie reforms with it just in time]].
* BerserkButton: Being called a parasite by pretty much anybody. Given that he actually takes care of his host while Riot disposes of several once they're drained, it's fairly understandable.
* BigDamnHeroes: Venom saves Eddie from being apprehended by Roland Treece at the conclusion of the motorcycle chase, pulls out Riot's blade from Eddie's abdomen and then uses it to tear down the rocket Riot and Drake boarded to prevent more symbiotes from arriving to Earth, and [[ArsonMurderAndJaywalking stops an armed robber from looting Eddie's favorite convenience store]].
* BigEater: Due to his crazy-fast metabolism, Venom is constantly begging Eddie to feed it. It reaches the point that Eddie has Venom's complete obedience simply by feeding it.
* BigGood: Of the film, though it is definitely [[GoodIsNotNice not this trope's nicest example]].
* BioArmor: When fully manifested, Venom covers Eddie's body in its biomass and manifests a fanged maw, huge white eyes, and a long prehensile tongue.
* BishounenLine: Played with. It starts off as an amoeba-like creature, and then assumes a bulky, humanoid shape when it bonds with Eddie. [[spoiler:It takes on a more shapely, streamlined form when it briefly bonds with Anne, but returns to its familiar large body when it returns to Eddie.]]
* BloodKnight: The Venom symbiote greatly enjoys combat and bloodshed, and has a sadistic sense of humor to boot.
* BlueAndOrangeMorality: He has to be taught the concepts of 'good' and 'evil' from Eddie, and even then he isn't particularly good at discerning the difference without Eddie telling him which way to go.
* BoisterousBruiser: Has a very cheerful and exuberant personality, and at its full height stands head and shoulders over normal people. This is tinged with BlackComedy, as shown after it beats up the initial wave of Life Foundation goons at Eddie's apartment.
-->'''Venom Symbiote:''' Outstanding! ''[cheerfully]'' Now, let's bite all their heads off and pile them up in the corner!\\
'''Eddie:''' ''[meekly]'' Why would we do that?\\
'''Venom Symbiote:''' [[ComicallyMissingThePoint Pile of bodies, pile of heads.]]
* CatchPhrase: "We are Venom."
* CodeName: Codenamed SYM-A01 by the Life Foundation.
* CombatPragmatist: When it is unable to overpower or defeat Riot in a straight-up fight, Venom opts for using one of Riot's own blades to destroy the ship Riot is on, incinerating Riot in the process.
* CombatTentacles: The Venom symbiote sprouts tentacles from Eddie's body to attack the [=PMCs=] that the Life Foundation sends to capture Eddie, and also uses them to return him to his motorcycle when Eddie falls off during a jump.
* CompositeCharacter: The symbiote's at times childlike ignorance and speaking and arguing directly with Eddie are features the Venom symbiote in comics barely ever displayed, and are much more in line with the ComicBook/{{Toxin}} symbiote and its relationship with its first host Pat Mulligan.
* CreepyMonotone: His demonic voice seldom rises beyond a guttural whisper.
* DeadpanSnarker: The Venom symbiote is equally as chatty and sarcastic as Spider-Man and Deadpool.
* DarkIsNotEvil: While still a monstrous AxCrazy entity, Venom ultimately has its host’s best interests at heart. Indeed, compare its treatment of Eddie to Riot's hosts. While coarse and violent, Venom protects Eddie from the beginning and allows him autonomy even though he could take over Eddie's body at any point. Riot, on the other hand, jumps from host to host, taking full control and using them until they're drained and die before moving on to the next. It also genuinely cares about Eddie and loves him as well. This is a nod to the comics, where the Venom symbiote was an outcast among its kind because it wanted to form a bond with its hosts that benefited both parties when their species is usually purely parasitic.
* DisneyDeath: At the end of the movie, the Venom symbiote [[spoiler:seemingly sacrifices itself to save Eddie from the fires of Carlton's exploding rocket, but ends up surviving with no repercussions]].
%%* EvenEvilHasStandards:
%%** The Venom symbiote though violent and aggressive prefers to let the host be in control instead of taking them over unlike Riot.
%%** It also does not kill anyone senseless and tends not to try cause property damage.
%%** It is also horrified as Eddie when Dan tells him that it is killing him clearly did not realised what it was doing to him and does not make the same mistake with Anne when it bonds with her.
* EvenEvilHasLovedOnes: The Venom symbiote, despite its violent nature and initially only using Eddie to bring its kind to Earth, starts to genuinely care about Eddie and Anne as well; admitting that it came to consider their planet to be beautiful and that the humans have things that its kind doesn't -- such as love and compassion. [[spoiler:Therefore, it decides to live on and protect the Earth; and one of the reasons it decides to stop Riot from bringing more of their kind to their planet is because Eddie and Anne will die along with most of the humans, and it cannot live in a world without the two people that it cares about and loves as well.]]
* EatingTheEnemy: The Venom symbiote's go-to solution for dealing with enemies is eating them, quipping that it's "fuel in the tank".
-->'''Eddie:''' Are you... are you gonna eat anybody else?\\
'''Venom:''' ''[grins]'' [[BluntYes Most likely]].
* EnemyWithin: The Venom symbiote serves as one for Eddie in the film's second act, influencing him into lashing out at several restaurant patrons who try to keep him from stealing their food, and growling at Dr. Lewis. It uses its tendrils to slam Eddie around and pin him to a wall when Eddie insults it by calling it a parasite, threatens him unless he helps it accomplish its mission, and is revealed to have been consuming from the inside-out.
* GoodIsNotNice: While the Venom symbiote may serve as the closest thing to an AntiHero, expect it to be vulgar, rude, and violent towards those [[TooDumbToLive stupid enough to get on its bad side]]. It also has a voracious appetite for flesh.
* GrewASpine: It's implied that if it weren't for Eddie's memories, Venom would never dream of [[spoiler:defying his much more powerful superior Riot]].
* GutturalGrowler: The Venom symbiote has a deep, gravelly voice that is further distorted by a low growl.
* HamToHamCombat: Venom's fight with Riot becomes this. Two deep-voiced symbiotes who always speak in a bombastic tone of voice shouting and roaring at each other when they fight.
* HealingFactor: Not solely for itself: it can also heal Eddie's injuries. At one point, Venom repairs Eddie's broken legs, much to Eddie's surprise. [[spoiler:When Eddie is impaled by Riot and left to die, Venom bonds with Eddie again, saving his life.]]
* TheHedonist: Venom shows shades of being this, as he keeps encouraging Eddie that they have some fun rampaging stating "The way I see it, we can do whatever we want!" Not to mention that because of his pariah status back on his homeworld among his own kind, Venom wants Earth to be the first world he can call home.
* HeelFaceTurn: Venom is initially one of a group of symbiotes led by Riot, with the intention of infiltrating Earth and preparing it for an all-out invasion. As a result of it identifying with Eddie, it turns against Riot and fights against it in the film's final act.
* HomoeroticSubtext: While it's unclear if Symbiotes even have genders, Venom's interests in Eddie come across as sort of intimate. [[spoiler:It's especially worth noting that the kiss that put Venom back in Eddie's body was Venom's idea, and not Anne's.]]
* HorrorHunger: It's always hungry, with a preference for meat -- especially [[BrainFood heads]]... though it develops a taste for chocolate as a MythologyGag to the comics.
* HorrifyingHero: A giant, festering parasite that eats people and generally does a host of nasty stuff. This is our ''hero'', ladies and gentlemen!
* HumanityIsInfectious: {{Downplayed}}. While it doesn't come to overly like humanity, Venom does grow to appreciate them and Earth [[spoiler:enough to not let Riot destroy it. Also, it comes to genuinely like Eddie and Anne]].
* HunterOfHisOwnKind: It chooses to fight Riot to protect Earth from other hostile symbiotes. The villain even calls Venom a "traitor" for not aiding with their mission.
* IAmLegion: Makes use of this while possessing Eddie, and even when it's just speaking about itself.
* ImmuneToBullets: Bullets are little more than an annoyance to it. If anything, Venom is much more irritated by the sounds of guns popping off rather than guns firing bullets at him.
* IToldYouSo: Tells Eddie when he sees for himself what kind of shit Riot packs.
* JerkWithAHeartOfGold: It's very demanding and violent, but even from the beginning Venom works to keep its hosts alive while most of its kind use up their hosts and leave them for dead. By the end of the film, its care for Eddie and Anne, as well as Eddie's PositiveFriendInfluence, make it decide to save Earth from Riot and remain on the planet in relative peace.
* KillItWithFire: It mentions to Eddie and Anne that it has a weakness to fire and [[spoiler:is nearly killed in an explosion near the end, though recovers with time]].
* KnightTemplar: This is what Eddie is trying to make it, arguing that it should only hurt bad people. The symbiote couldn't care less who or what it hurts as long as it survives.
* LargeHam: The deep voice makes it sound rather bombastic, which is also helped by its extreme glee at the violence it commits. When fighting Riot, it becomes full-blown HamToHamCombat.
* LargeRunt: Despite - when fully manifested - standing nine feet tall or more, the Venom symbiote is described as a runt compared to Riot, and lacks the awesome shapeshifting powers that makes Riot stand out.
* LaughablyEvil: Some of its immoral acts can give the audience quite a bit of chuckles.
* LovecraftianSuperpower: The Venom symbiote allows Eddie to contort in ways that aren't humanly possible and freakishly alters his appearance, sprouting CombatTentacles and covering his arms so that he can perform an EnhancedPunch, and can rapidly heal Eddie from injuries.
* LuckilyMyShieldWillProtectMe: The Venom symbiote tentacles form into a shield to protect an untransformed Eddie from bullets, and then forms one during its fight with riot to protect it from the [[EpicFlail giant flail]] Riot had generated.
* AMindIsATerribleThingToRead: In one of the deleted scenes, Venom sneers that Eddie's mind is a cesspit of neuroses.
* MoreTeethThanTheOsmondFamily: When its head is manifested, the symbiote has multiple rows of needle-sharp fangs.
* MovieSuperheroesWearBlack: The Venom symbiote is jet-black and covered in white vein-like markings in the movie, eschewing its comic counterpart's occasional [[PurpleIsTheNewBlack blue highlights]] and large white spider symbols.
* MythologyGag: His appearance, mostly in the face and build, evokes his ''VideoGame/SpiderManWebOfShadows'' appearance. The lack of the spider symbol also evokes the ''ComicBook/UltimateSpiderMan'' designs. In addition, its TaintedVeins make it resemble Poison from ''What If? Spider-Man The Other'' to an extent.
* NeckLift: Seems to have a preference to this, all the better to get at a victim's brains.
* NeverHurtAnInnocent: At the end of the movie, Eddie agrees to remain the symbiote's host if it agrees to limit its menu options to bad people. Despite being confused as to how one tells the difference, the symbiote agrees to this and later eats the thug who had been running a protection racket on Mrs. Chen. Even prior to its HeelFaceTurn, the symbiote went out of its way to avoid collateral damage -- such as not attempting to eat any of the patrons at the restaurant and shielding civilians from the Life Foundation security force's gunfire during their raid on Eddie's apartment -- and only attempted to eat people who were attacking it, like the Life Foundation security team and SWAT troopers.
* NoBiologicalSex: Being a symbiote, it has no defined gender or sex, choosing to assume the form of its host. It never refers to itself by any pronouns but "we". [[spoiler:This is better shown when it briefly possesses Anne, morphing then into a female form.]] Eddie refers to Venom with male pronouns however which Venom never objects to so while there might not be a biological sex, he seems to identify as male.
* NominalHero: It helps Eddie fight the antagonists, but it's mostly protecting its host to ensure its own survival, as he's a good match for it and if he dies with the Venom symbiote inside him, it dies too. It does eventually realize that Earth does not deserve to [[spoiler:be invaded and destroyed by Riot and the rest of its kind]] but even then, it's more swayed by Eddie's kindness and morals then by an innate sense of right and wrong. That said, Eddie does make progress in teaching it the difference between good people and bad people by the end of the movie.
* NormalFishInATinyPond: While Venom does not at all seem to be a particularly ''weak'' symbiote, as it adapts to Earth's environment when two other Symbiotes are killed and stands up to Riot (even if Riot has a less compatible host), it admits to Eddie that amongst its own kind it was something of a "loser". That's one of the reasons it wants to stay on Earth alone without the presence of other symbiotes.
* NotSoDifferent: Venom tells Eddie that he's a loser, but later on admits that on its home planet it is also a loser. This might be why it develops an emotional attachment to him. Even further, both Venom and Eddie display a bit of a selfish streak, Venom in regards to food and keeping Eddie as his host and Eddie when he used Anne's emails as a source against Drake without her knowledge or consent. Yet despite this, they are both ultimately noble souls and are both persuaded to do the right thing for the sake of innocent people (Eddie being convinced by Dora Skirth and Venom by Eddie).
* OffWithHisHead: The Venom Symbiote's preferred method of eating people, if it doesn't just stop at the neck that is.
* OverlyLongTongue: Venom's tongue is long and prehensile, looking more like a pink tentacle.
* PetTheDog: Venom tells Eddie to make peace with Anne, showing that it has a sense of empathy. It also refuses to let Anne come with them to fight Riot, given the danger involved.
* PowersDoTheFighting: When the Life Foundation's thugs attack Eddie in his apartment, the symbiote is the one who does all the fighting - lashing out with tendrils and pulling Eddie out of the way of gunfire.
* PossessionBurnout:
** Both [[PlayedStraight played straight]] and [[AvertedTrope averted]]. The Venom symbiote kills its initial host Maria before jumping to Eddie. While Eddie finds out that Venom has started to eat his organs, it claims that it can fix the damage. At the end of the movie, the two are bonded without issue but it mentions to Eddie that it's hungry and they need to eat or Eddie's liver will start to look tasty -- though it's unclear whether it was joking or not. The implication is that a symbiote will only feed on the host it matches if there is no other food source available. It may also be that Venom needs to eat raw living food as Venom seemed to prefer living creatures and that a symbiote that seemed to bond perfectly with another host was still eating him from the inside despite the host being fed intravenously, although given that the guy wasn't talking and didn't seem to be communicating with his symbiote implied that is was a close but not perfect match.
* RantInducingSlight: In the tie-in comic, the Venom symbiote furiously berates Eddie for calling it a parasite and for wondering if it's a brain tumor-induced hallucination; snarling that on its homeworld he'd be eaten alive for such remarks. In the film itself, it takes a great deal of offence whenever anyone calls it a parasite.
* {{Sadist}}: Gleefully talks about biting off heads and piling them as if it were a children's game.
* SatanicArchetype: A heroic example that focuses on the SatanIsGood aspects: Venom emerged on Earth after falling from space, is a "fallen" creature from a race of godlike beings, and serves as a tempter to Eddie Brock while promising Eddie individuality and freedom as a symbiote bound monstrosity. It also warps Eddie into a [[HorrifyingHero demonic creature who punishes the guilty]].
* ShapeshifterBaggage: The Venom symbiote on its own has about a gallon's worth of total volume, so it disappearing inside a human body is already unreasonable. However, the fully manifested Venom is a towering brute about twice the size of its host, heavy enough to crush cars, capable of devouring another grown man whole in a matter of seconds before retreating back into its host without a trace. It's never brought up where all that biomass comes from or goes during the transformations.
* ShipperOnDeck:
** He's one for Eddie and Anne, [[spoiler:declaring its intention to help Eddie win Anne's heart again at the end of the film]].
---> '''Venom:''' [[spoiler:Look at her. She has no idea that we are going to win her back. You belong with us, Annie...]]
** Anne says that [[spoiler:the symbiote was invoking this trope when it chose (though seemingly, not entirely without her consent) to use an entirely unnecessary TheBigDamnKiss (any form of physical contact would've worked) to transfer itself from her back to Eddie]].
* SlasherSmile: Its default expression when fully possessing Eddie. At one point, he actually frowns, but he has so many teeth, that he barely brings his whole mouth down.
* SuperPoweredEvilSide: The symbiote often takes over Eddie when he transforms into Venom, such as when it devours the would-be bodega robber. However, it's up in the air how "evil" the symbiote was when he first came to Earth, while at first he was motivated by his purpose of [[spoiler:invasion]] that quickly flies out the window thanks to Eddie's influence. By the end of the film, it drops the 'evil' part entirely.
* SuperReflexes: It moves fast, hits hard and is also quick to dodge and counter most attacks. When attacked by SWAT officers, it even catches one of their grenades in mid-air.
* SuperSenses: It's able to sense the Life Foundation security coming to assault Eddie's apartment to steal it back, and warns him before they arrive.
* SuperSpeed: It is extremely quick on its feet, making it hard for groups of enemies to attack him. When running away from the police, it is shown to even swim fast, diving into the sea and quickly making it to the other side. It can also climb to the top of trees and skyscrapers ''in a matter of seconds''!
--> '''Eddie:''' Can this parasite make me climb trees really, really fast?\\
'''Venom:''' '''Yes. We just did.'''
* SuperStrength: It tears through structures and lifts people like they were nothing. Venom even makes Eddie tear through a tree while running.
* TheSymbiote: Venom was one of four amorphous extraterrestrial entities discovered by the Life Foundation that bond to and augment their hosts, transforming them into monsters.
* TaintedVeins: While it lacks the spider chest and back symbols of its comic book counterpart, the symbiote has prominent white veins on its chest, back, and arms that (as stated above) resemble the character Poison from a ''What If?'' one-shot.
* TimeAbyss: If one of the deleted scenes is to be believed, Venom implies that it is 600 million years old.
* ToServeMan: The Venom symbiote frequently threatens to eat criminals and anyone else who annoys it, and actually does so.
--> '''Venom:''' Eyes, lungs, pancreas... So many snacks, so little time!
* ToThePain: In a direct ShoutOut [[Film/ThePrincessBride to the]] TropeNamer.
--> '''Venom:''' (to a robber) We will eat both your arms and then both of your legs and then we will eat your face right off your head, [[FauxAffablyEvil do you understand?]] You will be this armless, legless, faceless ''thing'', won’t you? Rolling down the street like a turd in the wind.
* TrademarkFavoriteFood: [[BrainFood Brains]], though it can also consume its hosts' other organs. Despite them not living, he seems to enjoy tater tots, and later, chocolate.
* TruerToTheText: Zigzagged; The backstory and design references to Spider-Man are omitted, but everything else is played straight, such as the look of Venom here compared to the ''Film/SpiderMan3'' version. The symbiote also acts more like a viscous liquid as opposed to a sticky, string-like creature and the head forms by first forming teeth around Eddie's head and going over it like it's eating him; he has a larger, more monstrous appearance, as well as the long tongue and tons of sharp teeth; and Venom uses plural terms to refer to himself. The tie-in comic also establishes it as being an alien from the planet Klyntar.
* UnexplainedRecovery: [[spoiler: Despite saying that it is weak to fire and being caught in the explosion of Drake's rocket, Venom survives it all and is still bonded with Eddie. The assumption is that in was only injured by the explosion, and rested and recovered within Eddie]].
* UnrelatedInTheAdaptation: Unlike the comics, the Riot symbiote isn't the spawn of Venom.
* WeaksauceWeakness: The tie-in comic reveals that the symbiote is vulnerable to and afraid of fire. The flashbang grenades the SWAT team throws at it also cause it severe discomfort.
* WhatTheHellIsThatAccent: Venom keeps slipping into a deep British accent but at times you'd swear he was speaking in an American one.
* TheWorfEffect: Despite being a brutal and nigh-unstoppable creature, it is no match for Riot, who dominates Venom during their fight. [[spoiler:So much so that Venom doesn't defeat it in a straight-up battle, choosing to blow up the rocket instead.]]

!!Life Foundation

[[folder:General Tropes]]
* CorporateConspiracy: The Life Corporation is a multibillion-dollar ResearchInc involved in everything from cancer treatments to space travel, and is headed by an EvilutionaryBiologist determined to save humanity from the next global crisis — no matter how much PlayingWithSyringes he has to do.
* ResearchInc: The Life Foundation is a multibillion-dollar corporation that's investigating everything from cancer treatments to space exploration. Unfortunately, its founder is mostly concerned with surviving any sort of global crisis the future might hold, and is willing to chew through any number of human test subjects to do so.

[[folder:Carlton Drake]]
!!Dr. Carlton Drake
[[quoteright:300:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/venom_07.jpg]]
!!!'''Portrayed By:''' Creator/RizAhmed

->''"Thank-you for bringing us collectively to this moment. It is a moment that so many have... dreamed of claiming. History... starts today."''

The Life Foundation's CEO who believes that the symbiotes are the key to human evolution.

* AdaptationalAttractiveness: Creator/RizAhmed's portrayal is younger and easier on the eyes compared to his comic counterpart who was generally a [[DependingOnTheArtist middle-aged to old]] man.
* AdaptedOut: He lacks his comic counterpart's Man-Spider transformation, but this does not make him a complete AdaptationalWimp with Riot's presence.
* AdmiringTheAbomination: He considers the symbiotes a better species than mankind and eventually sides with Riot to bring millions more to Earth.
* AssholeVictim: [[spoiler:Considering his BadBoss tendencies and his uncaring attitude towards humanity, nobody mourned when he and Riot were blown up.]]
* BadBoss: His dislike for mankind is also shown by how he treats his employees. He fires one of his security guards for failing to realize one of Drake's own doctors snuck Eddie into the lab, [[spoiler:executes Doctor Skirth for betraying him by feeding to the blue symbiote]] and later transforms into Riot to kill a scientist for attempting to sabotage him before killing the others for no reason.
* BigBadDuumvirate: With the Riot symbiote. Drake funded the discovery of the symbiotes and is using them unlawfully on test subjects that could die as a result of the exposure while the Riot symbiote intends on bringing more of its kind to Earth in order to conquer it.
* BigBadWannabe: His experiments with the symbiotes quickly crash and burn when they all die due to simply not being properly fed, and it's ''abundantly'' clear that Riot has no intention to share his rule over Earth with him.
-->'''Riot:''' There are more of us. Millions more. They will follow wherever I lead.\\
'''Drake:''' ...Wherever ''we'' lead.\\
'''Riot:''' [[SureLetsGoWithThat Yes, we]].
* CompositeCharacter: He’s the Life Foundation's CEO like his comic counterpart but he's also the human host of the Riot symbiote.
* CruelAndUnusualDeath: [[spoiler:He gets locked in a rocket spaceship which is blown up while he himself is being immolated.]]
* EstablishingCharacterMoment: When a class is touring the labs, Drake commends one girl for wanting to ask him something despite getting shushed by classmates, but doesn't actually let the girl get a word in. Right away the audience can see that he's a disingenuous person whose philanthropic nature is just for the sake of good publicity.
* EvilWearsBlack: Dresses in an entirely black outfit, though he wears a white shirt underneath his suit.
* EvilutionaryBiologist: He sees bonding to symbiotes as the next step in human evolution, though his experiments with them quickly go awry.
* FaceOfAnAngelMindOfADemon: A handsome, intelligent and charming young man who plans to help aliens conquer Earth.
* FantasticRacism: Almost every scene Drake appears in has him speak ill of humanity, to the point where one has to wonder if he was actually a MisanthropeSupreme.
* FauxAffablyEvil: Drake is soft-spoken, charismatic, and genuinely believes his work is a necessary evil in order to save humanity from certain extinction. Said work, however, involves abducting homeless people and subjecting them to unethical and more-often-than-not fatal experiments. This is best illustrated when he convinces a test subject that being locked up with the blue symbiote is the noble choice for him.
* {{Foil}}: To Eddie Brock. Carlton is well-respected and always presents himself immaculately with an air of class, which barely hides the fact that he's a glory-seeking sociopath. Eddie meanwhile looks like a thug, is socially awkward and has a sullied reputation, but is ultimately a good person.
* FriendToAllChildren: Subverted. He acts nice to a group of kids touring his labs and later appears to be concerned that a little girl is wandering his facilities when things go south, yet it is all fake: he only pretends to be civil and affable for the sake of good publicity.
* AGodAmI: Downplayed, but when he talks to the homeless "volunteer" Isaac about the blue symbiote experiment, he relates the story of Abraham being asked by God to sacrifice his son Isaac. Drake states that he considers Isaac to be the hero of that story, being willing to go through with being sacrificed. He then goes off on a tangent about how he would argue God has abandoned humanity "but I won't abandon us", casting himself as ''God'' in his personal modern remake of the Biblical story.
* {{Hypocrite}}:
** Says he wants to deal with issues like overpopulation and overconsumption, but works with Riot who devours his hosts over time and wants to let his entire species hunt Earth's population to extinction.
** He tells a group of kids that there will always be those who try to silence those who ask too many questions, clearly portraying himself as part of the second group. Yet, he is the one to end his interview with Eddie and send him away when he starts making too many questions. Even in that first exchange, he uses the speech about silencing in order to avoid actually taking the question himself.
** For all his talk on how flawed mankind is (calling them selfish, arrogant, and only know how to take from others), he displayed all these "flaws" himself.
* IdiotBall: It never occurs to Drake that the reason the symbiotes in his custody die with their hosts while Venom and Riot don't is because he neglects to feed them properly. To elaborate, the Life Foundation scientists only give the symbiote's liquid nutrition but Venom makes it clear to Eddie that they won't survive without living meat.
* ItIsDehumanizing: Responds to Maria's death by telling his henchmen to "get it out of here".
* KillThePoor: He takes homeless people from the city and uses them for his experiments. And that is before he acquires the Symbiotes.
* LackOfEmpathy: Best seen with his first test subject, a homeless man called Isaac. Drake shows no concern over the man's terror, insisting he's being part of a noble cause.
* MisanthropeSupreme: When Riot infests him, he is more or less instantly on board with Plan Let Alien Goo Monsters Eat Most Of Humanity.
* MonstrousHumanoid: As Riot, Dr. Drake is a towering, bulky humanoid monster with viscous silvery-grey skin, red vein-like markings, large white eyespots, claws, a gaping maw full of fangs, and a long prehensile tongue. He can also shapeshift his limbs into weapons.
* NeverMyFault: Blames the scientists for not watching over Dr. Skirth properly and causing the blue symbiote's death, when the situation wouldn't have occurred at all if he had just chose a mundane method of [[YouHaveFailedMe killing]] instead of choosing agonizing death via the blue symbiote.
* NoCelebritiesWereHarmed: His character draws obvious inspiration from Elon Musk. He's a relatively young billionaire whose business is focused on technology and science. Both like to talk a lot about using technology to solve global environmental issues. Like Musk's [=SpaceX=], Drake owns a company that works in the field of space exploration and seeks to bring that to the masses with long term goal of space colonization. Both also seek to symbiotically merge humanity with non-human intelligence. The goal of Musk's Neuralink is to do this with ArtificialIntelligence using {{Brain Computer Interface}}s in order to help create BenevolentAI. Lastly the Life Foundation is based in the Bay area, much like Musk's Tesla and is similarly named to the Future of Life Institute which has a scientific advisory board on which Musk sits. Fortunately, Drake's ethics and views on humanity are not inspired by Musk.
* NonActionBigBad: As Drake, he has no fighting skills, sending his men to do his job instead. As Riot, however, he's a match even for Venom. [[spoiler:As Drake, he gets in a brief scuffle with Eddie in the climax, but is quickly defeated.]]
* NotSoDifferent: It's not given much focus, but he shares quite a few similarities with the Riot symbiote. Mainly in their habit of using people [[YouHaveOutlivedYourUsefulness until they don't need them anymore]]. Just compare how fast Drake let the blue symbiote loose on Dora Skirth once spilling that snuck Eddie into the lab to Riot's immediate decision to kill Venom upon learning that Venom has performed a HeelFaceTurn and now opposes Riot's plan to lead a symbiote invasion of Earth.
* NotSoWellIntentionedExtremist: He aims to fight global issues such as poverty and war by basically eradicating and replacing humanity with a new predator species, by performing some extremely unethical experiments.
* OneWingedAngel: He bonds with the Riot symbiote as part of their shared goal to bring more symbiotes to Earth. [[spoiler:He consumes Venom at one point in their fight in the climax, getting even bigger and more powerful.]]
%%The scene where the Riot-possessed girl walks into his lab is not an example of PetTheDog, since it was discussed that the scene was just him being surprised and he shows no genuine signs of concern.
* RaceLift: His comic counterpart was an Anglo-American in the comics but here is played by British-Pakistani Riz Ahmed.
* ShameIfSomethingHappened: As he threatens Dr. Skirth to keep participating in his unethical experiments, he ominously brings up Skirth's children in the conversation.
* SocialDarwinist: He expresses the misanthropic belief that the human race has grown out of control and needs a new apex predator to cull it.
-->'''Carlton Drake:''' Look around at the world. What do you see? A planet on the brink of collapse. Human beings... are disposable! But man and symbiote, combined? This is a new race, a new species... a higher life form.
* TheSociopath: Willing to sell out his own species for the sake of his ego.
* TranshumanTreachery: While the Riot symbiote forcibly bonds to Drake, he willingly goes along with it in order to bring more symbiotes to Earth. In an unusual twist, Drake believes himself to be a ProHumanTranshuman, but he doesn't seem to realize the Riot symbiotes intend to enslave and wipe out humanity.
* VillainWithGoodPublicity: Though Eddie and his higher-ups are rightly suspicious of his true nature, to the world at large Drake is a respectable CEO and philanthropist. His [[ScrewTheRulesIHaveMoney wealth]] and influence also deter most people from going after him.

[[folder:Dora Skirth]]
!!Dr. Dora Skirth
[[quoteright:300:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/doraskirth.jpg]]
!!!'''Portrayed By:''' Creator/JennySlate

A disgruntled Life Foundation scientist who informs Eddie about the foundation's experimentations on humans with symbiotes.

* AdultFear: Drake threatening her children
* TheAtoner: Tries to stop the experiments and make things right, upon realizing Drake is going too far.
* BeingGoodSucks: Deciding to do the right thing ultimately gets her killed.
* BigNo: Her last words.
* CannotTellALie: Apparent when a security guard questions her at the Life Foundation. She bluffs but is terrible at it.
* CruelAndUnusualDeath: Drake feeds her to the dark blue symbiote after interrogating her.
* DefectorFromDecadence: After successfully bonding the yellow symbiote to a rabbit, she's horrified when Drake decides to immediately jump to human testing. Her growing discomfort causes her to sneak Eddie into the lab, though her role is ultimately exposed.
* EatenAlive: She gets eaten off-screen by the dark blue symbiote, which Drake sicced on her for helping Venom escape.
* EveryoneHasStandards: She reaches her breaking point when her boss's practice of feeding [[DisposableVagrant homeless innocents]] to the symbiotes in an attempt to find good hosts ends up with a lot of people dead. She specifically goes to Eddie about it because she knows he cares about the lives of innocents as well.
* IncrediblyObviousTail: Eddie accuses her of being one when confronting her in Mrs. Chen's convenience store.
* MamaBear: Has two children who she adores and desperately wants to protect.
* {{Meganekko}}: She wears thick and round glasses, which make her shy and concerned personality actually endearing and pitiful.
%%* NiceGirl
* NotWhatISignedUpFor: She claims that she happily worked for the Life Foundation back when they were working on making progress in medicine, but eventually tries to expose Drake's unlawful human testing practices when they start experimenting with the symbiotes.
* RewardedAsATraitorDeserves: Drake uses this as justification for having her killed after she sneaks Eddie into Life Foundation HQ.
%%* SmartPeopleWearGlasses
* YouHaveFailedMe: After Drake gets her to tell him who she let into the lab, he has her used as a test subject for the dark blue symbiote, which eats her from the inside-out.

[[folder:Roland Treece]]
!!Roland Treece
[[quoteright:300:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/treece.jpg]]
!!!'''Portrayed By:''' Creator/ScottHaze

The leader of a band of mercenaries under Life Foundation's employment.

* AdaptationalBadass: His counterpart from the comics was just a CorruptCorporateExecutive, here he is a mercenary.
* BadassNormal: An evil example, since he can put up quite a fight with Eddie when his [[PowersDoTheFighting symbiote abilities do all the fighting]], and later a relentless car chase on him.
* BaldOfEvil: He's a PMC with a shaved head, and who has no problem causing large amounts of collateral damage in order to capture Eddie.
* CleanupCrew: After it's discovered Eddie doesn't have the Venom symbiote anymore, Treece takes him out into the woods to kill him and dump the body where he'll never be found.
* TheDragon: He's sent to retrieve Eddie once Drake discovers he has the symbiote, and acts as TheHeavy for the first act of the movie.
* EatenAlive: [[spoiler:Just as he's about to execute Eddie, She-Venom grabs him from behind and eats his head.]]
* OhCrap: When Eddie transforms into Venom for the first time, Treece cringes as the symbiote licks his face.
* OddlyOvertrainedSecurity: He's a PMC who's the head of the Life Foundation's security team and takes his job seriously. Even the threat of being eaten by an alien monster doesn't deter him.
* InNameOnly: His counterpart form the comics was the head of a company and a board member of the Life Foundation.
* TemptingFate: Tells Eddie "I don't believe in Karma" approximately 2 seconds before [[spoiler: She-Venom grabs him from behind and bites his head off]].

[[folder:John Jameson]]
!!John Jameson
[[quoteright:300:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/johnjameson.jpg]]
!!!'''Portrayed By:''' Creator/ChrisOHara

The sole surviving astronaut of the Life Foundation's space mission, after his ship crashes due to the symbiotes. He rapidly gets taken over by the Riot symbiote.

* DeathByAdaptation: He was the first host of Riot and the ambulance he is in crashed after Riot took over the nurse. Although his death isn't outright confirmed.
* MythologyGag: In the ''Franchise/SpiderMan'' comics, he is the son of J. Jonah Jameson, DaEditor for the ''Daily Bugle'' and Peter Parker's boss.
* PuppeteerParasite: He is the first host of the Riot symbiote, and he is used by it to make the ambulance crash and take over a Malaysian rescue worker.

!!Symbiote Invasion
[[folder:Riot Symbiote]]
!!The Riot Symbiote
[[quoteright:300:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/riot.png]]
!!!'''Voiced By:''' Creator/RizAhmed
->''"You are nothing."''

An evil symbiote who jumps from host to host, ultimately bonding to Dr. Carlton Drake.

* TheAce: Stated to be this by the Venom symbiote describiy it as a "team leader" that has "shit you've never seen". Given that it can jump hosts without burning them out; is bigger and stronger than the other symbiotes, can create more complex weapons from its biomass, can forcibly remove a symbiote from its host, and even contain another symbiote within itself definitely shows that Riot is on a whole other level.
-->'''Drake:''' Your friends... the others, I apologize, I tried to keep them alive.\\
'''Riot:''' There are more of us. Millions more. They will follow wherever I lead.\\
'''Drake:''' ...Wherever ''[[RoyalWe we]]'' lead.\\
'''Riot:''' Yes, [[BigBadDuumvirate we]]. But first, we must retrieve him.
* AbsurdlySharpClaws: Riot can use its shapeshifting abilities to lengthen its claws into blades.
* AdaptationalBadass: Its comic counterpart serves as TheBrute of a QuirkyMinibossSquad and never really battles Venom individually. This version is more analogous to Carnage in terms of abilities, with Venom being something of a "runt" in comparison. He is stated to be a "team leader" among his people, is shown to also be completely capable of working entirely on his own (going as far as to [[WeHaveReserves dismiss the deaths of his kind]]), is bonded to Carlton Drake, the Life Foundation's ''leader'', and even Venom admits that his chances of beating Riot in combat [[CurbStompBattle is a dead zero]].
* AdaptationalBackstoryChange: Rather than being the Venom symbiote's spawn, Riot is an unrelated individual of the same species.
* AdultFear: At one point, Riot made its host follow a little girl into a public bathroom. The next time Riot appears, it has taken the girl as its new host.
* AlwaysSomeoneBetter: Riot is more physically powerful than Venom and has superior fighting abilities like creating weapons out of his body. Though Venom is quite powerful in his own right and manages to keep up with Riot, he is manhandled for most of the fight against him. [[spoiler:In the end, he isn't even beaten by force but gets incinerated when Venom explodes his ship's fuel tanks with Riot inside it]].
* TheAssimilator: In the final battle, [[spoiler:Riot assimilates the Venom symbiote -- host and all -- to be truly enormous, only for Anne Weying to intercede with a sonic attack that separates them.]]
* AxCrazy: Best shown in the scene where [[spoiler:he kills a bunch of Drake's staff because one tried to sabotage his rocket]].
* BigBadDuumvirate: It forms this with Carlton Drake, intending to bring more of its kind to Earth in order to conquer it.
* BishonenLine: Falls on the far end despite being physically stronger than Venom, who draws closer to the line. Compare Venom's basically humanoid form with a weird mouth and eye structure to Riot's oddly bumpy skin, hunched and loping posture, and somewhat crocodilian head structure.
* BladeBelowTheShoulder: Riot can transform its arms into enormous bladed weapons in constract to shapeshifting to smashing hammers used by its comic counterpart.
* BodySurf: Riot is a "body hopper" who jumps from host to host -- jumping from John Jameson to a Malaysian paramedic to an old woman to a little girl and finally to Drake.
* BrightIsNotGood: Riot is primarily silver in coloration, helping distinguish him from Venom and the other symbiotes. It's also the film's symbiote BigBad.
* CompositeCharacter: This version can be seen using smashing weapons like hammers and maces like its comic counterpart, however, prefers blades and claws like Carnage as well as growing spikes on his back like Phage.
* CreepyChild: When he possesses the little girl in the Sarawak airport just before he meets Drake.
* DualWielding: He transforms his arms into two giant blades to slaughter the scientists at the rocket launch.
* EvilCounterpart: Riot is an evil symbiote who stands in contrast to the marginally more heroic Venom. While Venom grew to appreciate Earth, Riot just sees it as another feeding ground.
* EvilIsBigger: Riot towers over the already massive Venom, and is also far stronger.
* EvilIsPetty: Riot, while possessing a Malaysian EMT, steals and eats a live eel; the eel vendor yells at him, only for Riot to slash his throat with an arm blade.
* EvilSoundsDeep: Has a deep''er'' voice than Venom's, although not by very much.
* FamousLastWords: [[spoiler:"Traitor!"]]
* FantasticRacism: Its ultimate goal is to enslave and kill all of humanity, and for the alien symbiotes to rule Earth.
* FlechetteStorm: While bonded to the Malaysian paramedic, Riot kills a group of thugs with a barrage of spikes fired from her back.
* {{Foil}}: To Venom. Where Riot is a "team leader" and capable of extraordinary physical feats such as turning his arms into weapons and fully overriding a host's body, Venom is a self-described "loser" who is a strong combatant but mostly relies on an UnskilledButStrong fighting style and either allows Eddie autonomy for a majority of the time or is incapable of taking it from him entirely. Venom begins to change for the better thanks to Eddie's influence while Riot cares nothing for Drake.
* HoistByHisOwnPetard: [[spoiler:After stabbing Eddie in the back with a blade, Venom uses said blade to destroy the rocket Riot is using to leave Earth, destroying both Riot and Drake]].
* JoinOrDie: Riot orders Venom to get in the rocket that will bring back more of their alien kind to Earth. Venom refuses, so Riot decides to execute him.
* MonstrousCannibalism: During the final battle, Riot [[spoiler:rips the Venom symbiote off Eddie and prepares to eat it, only for Eddie to rebond to it at the last second]].
* MovieSuperheroesWearBlack: Inverted. Riot's a bit brighter than its comic counterpart, given that its black sections are gone and red veins are visible beneath its silver surface.
* OurZombiesAreDifferent: While he doesn't start a Zombie Apocalypse, his first few hosts before getting to Drake are disturbingly Zombie-like in behavior.
* OhCrap: While not immediately apparent due to symbiotes being {{Perpetual Smiler}}s, he clearly has one when [[spoiler:seeing Venom rupture the rocket's fuel tanks - at that point Riot clearly seems to realize that he's a dead man and symbiote]].
* PossessionBurnout: The Malaysian paramedic collapses after the Riot symbiote leaves her, though it's not shown what happened to the old woman or the little girl it bonded to.
* ReptilesAreAbhorrent: Unlike Venom, Riot's head resembles a crocodile or alligator.
* ShapeshifterWeapon: Riot transforms its arms into massive blades and [[EpicFlail a giant mace]].
* SpikesOfVillainy: During its battle with Venom, Riot sprouts several spikes and tendrils from its back.
* SuperheroMovieVillainsDie: [[spoiler:Played entirely straight. His rocket which he wanted to board to leave Earth and start a symbiote invasion ended up being destroyed by Venom, [[HoistByHisOwnPetard using his discarded blade no less]], and immediately doing away with Riot and Drake.]]
* TaintedVeins: The Riot symbiote has prominent red veins on its arms, chest, and back.
* UnrelatedInTheAdaptation: Its comic counterpart was one of many that spawned from Venom. The relationship is barely explored but they seemingly have no "relation" in this film.
* VillainRespect: Riot does seem a bit impressed by how compatible Eddie is with Venom.
--> '''Riot:''' ''(after receiving a few attacks)'' You have a strong host! [[AlwaysSomeoneBetter But not strong enough]]...
* WeCanRuleTogether: While Riot only gives Venom this opportunity once, it is still his offer nonetheless.
--> '''Riot:''' Venom... ''get in the [[spoiler:rocket!]]''\\
'''Venom:''' No! We won't let you destroy this world!\\
'''Riot:''' Then, ''die''!
* WeHaveReserves: When Drake apologizes for letting the other symbiotes of Riot's infiltration team die, Riot remarks there are millions more of its kind.
* WouldHurtAChild: It isn't picky when selecting a temporary host to feed and travel by, such as a little girl. And that's not going to the fact its plan is having legions of symbiotes feast on humanity, adults and children alike.

[[folder:SYM-A02]]
!!Blue Symbiote

One of the four symbiotes collected by the Life Foundation. It is bonded to a man named Isaac, whom it immediately kills.

* BodyHorror: After bonding to Isaac, it causes Issac to spasm and twitch horrifically as it consumes Issac from the inside out.
* CodeName: Codenamed SYM-A02 by the Life Foundation.
* PossessionBurnout: Inflicted this on its hosts. After it does this to Dr. Skirth, the Life Foundation's scientists kill it by not returning it to its containment unit.

[[folder:SYM-A03]]
!!Yellow Symbiote

One of the four symbiotes collected by the Life Foundation.
----
* CodeName: Codenamed SYM-A03 by the Life Foundation.
* HairRaisingHare: Its first successful host is a white lab rabbit, though it isn't shown assuming a monstrous form and presumably consumed it from the inside-out.
* MythologyGag: Its yellow and black appearance is one to the Scream symbiote from the comics.
* PossessionBurnout: Inflicted this on its hosts, which ultimately led to its death when the Life Foundation failed to return it to its containment unit quickly enough by the time Eddie Brock entered the lab.
[[/folder]]

!!Supporting Characters

[[folder:Anne Weying]]
!!Anne Weying
[[quoteright:300:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/venomanne.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:300:''"I don't work for him. My firm works for him. Are you gonna behave yourself tomorrow?"'']]
[[caption-width-right:300:[[labelnote:Click here to see her as]]https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/shevenom.png She-Venom[[/labelnote]]]]
!!!'''Portrayed By:''' Creator/MichelleWilliams

A lawyer employed by the Life Foundation.
----
* ActionGirl: In the final act of the film, [[spoiler:Anne bonds to the Venom symbiote as She-Venom to reunite the organism with Eddie Brock and save from Carlton Drake's thugs, even eating TheDragon in the process, and is angered when Venom refuses to let her help against Eddie's wishes in the fight against Riot. Following that, she finds a way to blast out high-pitched sound from the speakers surrounding the Life Foundation's rocket, stopping Riot from getting inside.]]
-->'''Anne:''' Told you I could fight ugly.
* AmicableExes: ZigZagged. While she still resents Eddie over what happened six months ago, Eddie's erratic behavior after bonding to the Venom symbiote makes her worried, even getting her new boyfriend to help.
* BigDamnHeroes:
** [[spoiler:When she briefly bonds with the Venom symbiote, she saves Eddie moments before being executed by Drake's goons]].
** During the battle between Riot and Venom, [[spoiler:the former absorbs both Venom and Eddie and is about to escape on the rocket until Anne turns on the speaker to stun separate Riot from Venom.]]
* BigDamnKiss: She lays a big wet one on Eddie [[spoiler:as She-Venom to transfer the Venom Symbiote back to Eddie]].
* TheCavalry: [[spoiler:Using the Venom symbiote, she rescues Eddie from being executed by Roland Treece.]]
* ComicBookMoviesDontUseCodenames: [[spoiler:When Venom briefly takes over her body, she does not go by the She-Venom codename.]]
* TheConfidant: After she witnesses Venom fighting a bunch of cops, Eddie ends up confiding in her about the Venom symbiote, [[EvilMeScaresMe Eddie's concerns regarding its influence]], and [[EvilFeelsGood starting to enjoy its power]].
* CuteMonsterGirl: [[spoiler: When she briefly bonds with Venom, the end result has a very shapely figure in sharp contrast to Venom's bulky build when Eddie is enveloped.]]
* EvilFeelsGood: Despite being disgusted by the Venom symbiote's bloodlust, [[spoiler:Anne tells Eddie that part of her reveled in the power that it gave her.]]
* HelloAttorney: Anne is a lawyer whose firm is employed by Dr. Carlton Drake, which Eddie teasingly chides her over during a date.
* HeroicHost: She briefly bonds to the Venom symbiote in order to rescue Eddie, eating Treece's head in the process.
* InformedAttribute: Anne works as a lawyer on the Life Foundation's behalf but is never seen practicing law at any point in the film even after the TimeSkip.
* IAteWhat: [[spoiler:She-Venom eats Treece's head while rescuing Eddie. She's not thrilled about it.]]
* KissingUnderTheInfluence: [[spoiler: When infected with the Venom symbiote, she kisses Eddie, transferring Venom. When Eddie brings up the kiss at the end of the movie, she claims to have been the Venom symbiote's idea, but there is noticeable insecurity in her words. Not helping is the fact that she doesn't want to tell her current boyfriend about that.]]
* MsFanservice: [[spoiler:As She-Venom, since she appears in a very curvaceous form just like her comic counterpart, monstrous head notwithstanding]].
* SuspiciouslySpecificDenial: Later on at the end of the movie when questioned on why she kissed Eddie as [[spoiler:She-Venom]], she gets very flustered and defensive stating that it was all [[spoiler: Venom]] not her. Given that [[spoiler:Venom doesn't take full control of his hosts even when he's fully manifested and at the very least doesn't influence or control their minds, this was most likely a case of MoreThanMindControl as Venom (who stated that he likes her and by the end is an active ShipperOnDeck for Eddie and Anne)]] may have influenced her and taken down her inhibitions somewhat while also making her more aggressive, it's heavily implied that the decision to kiss was all Anne and she still very much cares about Eddie.
* WhatTheHellHero: Eddie breaking into her laptop and using a confidential e-mail to accuse Carlton Drake of murder gets her fired, whereupon she furiously berates Eddie for the flaws she's previously put up with because she loved Eddie.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Maria]]
!!Maria
[[quoteright:300:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/maria_9.jpg]]
!!!'''Portrayed By:''' Creator/MeloraWalters

A homeless woman who sits outside Mrs. Chen's convenience store. She is abducted by the Life Foundation and becomes the Venom symbiote's first human host, but proves incompatible and dies after it transfers to Eddie.
----
* ChekhovsGunman: She is established as being friends with Eddie, who gives her some money despite being down-on-his-luck himself. The next time he passes by the convenience store, Maria is gone, but her possessions are still on the ground. The next time Eddie sees her, she's within the Life Foundation's secure labs, having already been infected with the Venom symbiote.
* DisposableVagrant: Maria is one of several homeless people kidnapped by Drake and his men to serve as hosts for the symbiotes (it's implied she was bribed with money). Eddie's attempt to rescue Maria from the secure lab results in her death and the symbiote transferring itself to him.
* NiceGirl: What we do know of her is that she and Eddie have a friendly relationship, and she's got a sense of humour despite her situation with the two of the them quipping back and forth about her "five dollar delivery service" of free newspapers taken from a stand not five feet away from her.
* TaintedVeins: Being infected by the Venom symbiote leaves her with pronounced black veins around her eyes.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Mrs. Chen]]
!!Mrs. Chen
[[quoteright:300:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/mrschen.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:300:''"You look like shit."'']]
!!!'''Portrayed By:''' Creator/PeggyLu

A Chinese woman who runs a convenience store that Eddie Brock frequents.
----
* AsianStoreOwner: She's a middle-aged Chinese woman who tries to peddle her cousin's meditation videos to her customers, though she's frequently robbed by a thug who runs an extortion racket.
* BrutalHonesty: She bluntly tells Eddie he "looks like shit" the second she sees his face after he's been fired from his job and dumped by Anne.
* ForeignLanguageTirade: She rants in Mandarin when frustrated.
* InnocentBystander: Is on the receiving end of a protection racket by a thug that regularly collects money from her at gunpoint.
* IntergenerationalFriendship: She appears old enough to be Eddie's mother.
* RunningGag: Every time Eddie enters her store, she notes he looks like crap and asks if he's been meditating.
* UnusuallyUninterestingSight: [[SubvertedTrope Subverted]]. When Venom takes care of the thug extorting her, she seems more concerned about the fact that ''Eddie'' was that big black thing than the fact that a man just got eaten in front of her.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Jack]]
!!Jack
[[quoteright:300:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/venomjack.jpg]]
!!!'''Portrayed By:''' Creator/RonCephasJones

Eddie Brock's boss at the MNBN broadcasting network.
----
* BenevolentBoss: He kept Eddie in for quite some time despite the latter pushing his investigation journalism shtick far enough to spell trouble for the network. Until Eddie's interview of Carlton Drake went awry, that is. [[spoiler:When Eddie backs his claims up with photographic evidence of the Life Foundation's illicit experiments, he offers Eddie his job back, though Eddie turns him down.]]
* DaEditor: He manages the news network in which Eddie works, and tries to keep the latter on a leash, because CuriosityIsACrapshoot. He ends up firing Eddie after his "interview" of Carlton Drake, since the billionaire surely doesn't like being investigated upon and is powerful enough to have the network shut down.
* GoodIsDumb: Even if he does seem to be a NiceGuy all in all, it never occurs to him that maybe his reporters might discover very important information needed to protect the public by investigating a company more thoroughly. He admonishes Eddie for going too deep in interrogating Drake for allegations against Life Foundation that most of its test subjects have perished in the experiments and that their deaths are being covered up. Rather than simply give Eddie a warning, he outright fires him to appease Drake, who's rich enough to buy the MNBN and put it out of business.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Dan Lewis]]
!!Dr. Daniel "Dan" Lewis
[[quoteright:300:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/danlewis.jpg]]
!!!'''Portrayed By:''' Creator/ReidScott

Anne's new boyfriend following her break up with Eddie.
----
* HeKnowsTooMuch: Venom at one point tried killing him for explaining to Eddie that Venom out of desperate hunger tried eating his heart out literally.
* LoveTriangle: He replaces Eddie as Anne's boyfriend, making Eddie jealous. Unusually for this trope however, he and Eddie's relationship improves with time.
* NiceGuy: When Eddie makes a scene in a restaurant as a result of his symbiote-induced hunger, Dan insists that Eddie is his patient and tells the waitress not to call the cops. Overall, he is rather nice to Eddie and doesn't treat him as a love rival. That being said, Eddie still doesn't like him much.
* OnlySaneMan: When Eddie has a Venom-instigated public freak-out in a fancy restaurant, Dr. Dan responds with professional concern that Eddie must be very ill. When Anne tries to reassure him she is not going back with Eddie he is more concerned about the alien lifeform that is apparently killing Eddie to really care about that.
* RichSuitorPoorSuitor: The rich to Eddie's poor when it comes to dating Anne. Having been fired, Anne appears to look to Dan who is a medical doctor as her new breadwinner once she dumps Eddie, who was also fired. Venom offers to help Eddie get Anne back from Dan, but Eddie decides to stay single for now.
* RightForTheWrongReasons: Correctly assumes that Eddie pleading to Anne for help before diving into a lobster tank and eating one raw is a sign of extreme mental distress rather than malice, and even gets the idea that Eddie might be suffering from a parasite, though he doesn't have any idea the symbiotes exist.
* WhateverHappenedToTheMouse: He disappears from the third act of the film.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Cletus Kasady]]
!![[ComicBook/{{Carnage}} Cletus Kasady]]
[[quoteright:300:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/kletuscasady.png]]
[[caption-width-right:300:''"When I get out of here, and I will... there's gonna be carnage!"'']][[caption-width-right:300:[[labelnote:Click here to see Carnage]]https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/screen_shot_2021_05_10_at_63000_am.jpg[softreturn][[/labelnote]]]]
!!!'''Portrayed By:''' Creator/WoodyHarrelson

A notorious serial killer who has been locked away for good. Eddie Brock interviews him after dealing with Carlton Drake.
----
* AxCrazy: The man is so deranged that he has to be kept in a straitjacket within a smaller cell within his cell. When Eddie enters his cell, Cletus is writing "Welcome Eddie" with his blood. He ''claims'' he can turn the creepy-serial-killer act on and off, though, and mocks the idea of waxing lyrical about the beauty of arterial spray.
* ConsultingAConvictedKiller: Eddie goes to interview him to see if he will help the FBI identify some more bodies.
* DeepSouth: He's a convicted murderer with a thick Texas drawl.
* EvilRedhead: Cletus Kasady's red hair is maintained courtesy of Woody Harrelson rocking a curly-haired red wig. And as for the evil part, ''it's Cletus Kasady''.
* GenreSavvy: He seems to be aware that he's the stereotypical "AxCrazy SoftSpokenSadist" usually seen in media, and both he and Eddie snarkily put a {{lampshade|hanging}} on how played out the archetype is getting:
-->'''Cletus Kasady:''' Do you mind if we forgo the whole "creepy SerialKiller" thing here?\\
'''Eddie Brock:''' Sure, it's good with me.\\
'''Cletus:''' I mean, I can turn it on if you want. I can talk about ''Dadaist patterns of arterial spray''.\\
'''Eddie:''' [''smirking despite himself''] I bet you can.
* IAmAHumanitarian: In the extended edition, Cletus quips that he enjoyed eating his victims' eyeballs.
* MythologyGag:
** He tells Eddie to expect "ComicBook/{{Carnage}}" when he breaks out of prison. Given that he doesn't gain powers in this movie, that's the extent of the character's presence in this film.
** Eddie's prop notes, [[https://heroichollywood.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/Venom-Cletus-Kasady-Carnage-Sony.jpeg which were put up on display at New York Comic Con 2018]], also reveal that his history is more or less identical to his comic counterpart's outside of the bit about him digging up his mother's grave, which occurred after he became Carnage in the comics.
** He's also introduced writing "Welcome Eddie" on the bars of his cell [[CouldntFindAPen with his own blood]], calling back to his first comics appearance after bonding with the Carnage symbiote, where he made doing the same with "Carnage Rules!" in his victim's as a CallingCard.
* OedipusComplex: Eddie's journal notes speculate Cletus might have one based on him digging up his mother's grave.
* PsychoticSmirk: After promising to cause carnage when he escapes, Kasady distorts his facial features into a creepy cross between a KubrickStare and a grin.
* SequelAdaptationIconicVillain: Riot is a very minor character in the comics, while Carnage is far more famous and iconic as enemy to both Spider-Man and Venom.
* SequelHook: Exists in TheStinger to be one.
* SerialKiller: He's responsible for murdering countless people, starting with his own grandmother.
* TheSociopath: Gives off this creepy vibe as a first impression.
* SoftSpokenSadist: He never raises his voice above a casual tone, even when he's talking about murdering people.
* WalkingSpoiler: His very presence is the surprise of the stinger.
[[/folder]]