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The Toxin Symbiote

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/607f70734ca5535cb48778feef71277c.JPG

Hosts: Patrick Mulligan, Eddie Brock, Jubulile van Scotter, Bren Waters

First Appearance: Venom Vs. Carnage #2

The first offspring of the Carnage symbiote. Cletus, disgusted at the notion of giving birth, forcibly bonded the infant symbiote, later named "Toxin" by Venom, to police officer Patrick Mulligan, who attempted to use it as a force of good, inspired by Spider-Man.

Despite initial success, Patrick was murdered by the demon Blackheart, who cloned the symbiote and bonded them to clones of X-23. Agent Venom was blackmailed by the Crime Master into stealing the Toxin symbiote from Blackheart, although the Venom symbiote took control of Flash and tried to kill its progeny. Jack O'Lantern extracted the symbiote and took it to the Crime Master, who later forcibly bonded it to Eddie Brock. The symbiote initially took total control of Eddie's body and tried to kill Venom, but was ignited by Flash. It survived, still bonded to Eddie, and they agreed to work together until they could kill Venom before trying to kill each other. However, the Toxin symbiote would then later apparently be killed during a fight with Chthon.

This would not be the end of the Toxin symbiote though, as unbeknownst to all, it barely survived it's battle with Chthon. Severely weakened to the point that even Knull didn't deem it worth the effort the restore, it would eventually bond itself to teenager Bren Waters in order to survive. The symbiote and Bren would later join forces with Andi and Flash Thompson and Andi Benton to face off against Carnage, and later with the current host of the Venom symbiote, Dylan Brock, against the Noname organization.


  • Adaptive Armor: After Eddie joins the FBI's anti-Carnage task force, the symbiote emulates Agent Venom by taking on the appearance of body armor.
  • Bio-Armor: During Toxin's stint with the Anti-Symbiote Task Force, the symbiote assumed the appearance of black-and-red body armor similar to Agent Venom.
  • Black Eyes of Crazy: When bonded to Eddie Brock, the symbiote's eye-patches are initially black with small white inner eyes.
  • Combat Tentacles: When enraged the symbiote sprouts a mass of tentacles from its host's back.
  • Deadpan Snarker: The symbiote tended to be this when it was bonded to Mulligan but lost it with Eddie. It seems to have come back in full force after its resurrection.
    Bren: My opinion is people are terrified and we might be able to help. Don't you care?
    Toxin: Wait, WAIT! There it is, my conscience! Hard to hear it over all the gunfire...
  • Enemy Mine: Eddie told Flash that he and the symbiote had agreed to work together to kill Venom (and presumably Carnage as well), but after that they'd try to kill each other. They later come to an understanding and emulate Flash's appearance as Agent Venom.
  • Good Counterpart: To Carnage, its "father".
  • Good Colors, Evil Colors: When bonded to Patrick the symbiote was orange-red and blue, but when bonded to Eddie its red and black.
  • Heel–Face Revolving Door: While bonded to Patrick it was on the side of good, however this changed when Patrick was murdered by Blackheart and the Venom symbiote (while bonded to Flash) attempted to murder it, driving it to become bloodthirsty and vengeful. After its capture by the Crime Master, it would use Eddie Brock as a puppet and willingly joined the Savage Six in a effort to kill Agent Venom resulting in it and Eddie almost burning to death. This resulted in Eddie gaining enough control to work out a deal with it, if the Toxin symbiote allowed Eddie to have control and serve as a lethal protector once again, they would work together until they successfully kill Agent Venom where they would then try to kill each other, which it accepted. This rematch with Agent Venom ultimately ended with it landing as a face after forming a truce with Agent Venom and it would later sacrifice its life to save the world from Chthon.
  • Hulking Out: When it took over Eddie - and when Eddie later lost control while fighting Flash - it bulks up enough that Venom almost fits inside its mouth.
  • Legacy Character: After Blackheart beat Patrick to death and took the symbiote, it was stolen again by the Crime Master and forcibly bonded to Eddie Brock.
  • No Biological Sex: The symbiote has no gender identity.
    Symbiote: What are you writing?
    Patrick: None of your business.
    Symbiote: "I'm a boy"—you think? Maybe its time I sat you down and talked about the birds and bees, symbiote-style.
  • Nothing Is Scarier: This concept is lost on the symbiote, despite Patrick's attempts at explaining it while the two were reading The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.
  • Not Quite Dead: The Toxin symbiote was lit on fire by Flash, but survived and recuperated alongside its host.
  • Overly-Long Tongue: Like its "grandfather" (and occasionally "father"), Toxin manifests a serpentine prehensile tongue. The main difference, though, is that Toxin's tongue is green.
  • Patricide: The symbiote wants to kill Carnage and Venom.
  • Puppeteer Parasite: The Toxin symbiote seized total control of Eddie's body when it first bonded to him, but they later work out an arrangement similar to the one he had with the Venom symbiote.
  • Psychopathic Manchild: Was supposed to be even more Ax-Crazy than Carnage and initially had the mentality of a child.
  • "The Reason You Suck" Speech: The Toxin symbiote delivers one to the Venom symbiote for letting Flash and the Avengers lobotomize it.
  • Red and Black and Evil All Over: Toxin goes from being red-and-blue when bonded to Patrick to red-and-black when bonded to Eddie. As a result, after Eddie helps Flash take down the Symbiote Slayers, he's mistaken for Carnage by the media.
  • Super-Senses: The symbiote enhances its host's sense of smell.
  • To Serve Man: While Toxin hasn't voiced its grandparent's monstrous appetite, while bonded to it Pat came close to munching on a few bad guys, while with Eddie they possibly ate a group of SWAT officers who found Toxin after killing a bunch of criminals (while one panel has a closeup with Toxin's jaws the comic ends when the SWAT officers start shooting) and two of the Symbiote Slayers' hosts.
  • Uncertain Doom: The Toxin symbiote seemingly perishes when it is assimilated by Jubulile van Scotter's symbiote, which evaporates into wisps of pink and gold smoke after she fries Chthon with a massive beam of light. However, the writer's statement on Twitter made it clear that they left a way to bring it back. Indeed, it returns with a new host in King In Black.
  • Unexplained Recovery: Prior to its return in King in Black: Planet of the Symbiotes #3, the Toxin symbiote was last seen dissolving into pink smoke. No explanation is given as to how it recovered and got off the Chthonic Island, though it mentioned it was so weak that not even Knull thought it was worthwhile to revive it and hints the Cult of Knull may have had something to do with it.
  • The Voiceless: Like Venom and Carnage were originally, the symbiote cannot speak unless bonded to a host.
  • Voice of the Legion: When bonded to Pat or Bren, the symbiote speaks using slightly distorted blue speech bubbles with white text. When bonded to Eddie it speaks using red speech bubbles with jagged white text.
  • Whole Costume Reference: On the alternate cover for Venom Vol. 2 #33, Toxin is shown looking identical to Eddie's Venom form as a Mythology Gag to the cover of The Amazing Spider-Man #316.
  • You Monster!: The symbiote reads Pat's journal, throws a tantrum after being referred to as a monster in it, breaks the laptop, loots a store to get a replacement (thinking Pat wouldn't notice the difference) and gets into a skirmish with Spider-Man.

Toxin Hosts

    Pat Mulligan 

Patrick "Pat" Mulligan

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/toxin_7016.png

Alter Ego: Toxin

Host to: Toxin

First Appearance: Venom Vs. Carnage #1 (July, 2004) note ; Venom Vs. Carnage #2 (August, 2004) note 

Patrick "Pat" Mulligan was an NYPD police officer who had the misfortune of running across the supervillain Carnage, who had just spawned a baby symbiote. Too weak to kill them, Carnage bonded the infant symbiote to Patrick and left, intending to kill them once he regained his strength. When the symbiote matured, Venom named it Toxin, but when he realized that not only was it more powerful than both himself and Carnage combined but that it was unlikely to aid him in his crusade against Spider-Man, he joined with Carnage in trying to kill it. Pat accepted his bond with the symbiote and joined forces with Spider-Man and Black Cat in defeating them, and on a number of other occasions, leaving his family behind in order to tame the symbiote, eventually succeeding after stopping himself from killing Razorfist, who had killed Pat's father. Pat made a deal with the infantile symbiote: in exchange for complete control of its powers, it could take over his body for two hours a day, provided it didn't commit crimes. Pat was listed as one of the Civil War Initiative's potential recruits, but was ultimately beaten to death in a gutter by Blackheart, who stole the symbiote.


  • Angel Face, Demon Face: When Pat is calm he has No Mouth, but when angry he manifests More Teeth than the Osmond Family.
  • Arch-Enemy: Razor Fist, despite the hilarious power difference.note  He killed Pat's father, and tortured one of his friends nearly to death.
  • By-the-Book Cop: Pat's strict law-abiding nature has led to some friction with Black Cat and his symbiote.
  • Chain Pain: His "web lines" look like chains.
  • Costume Copycat: When the symbiote was calm, Pat looked a lot like Spider-Man sans the webbing motif.
  • Consulting a Convicted Killer: When Patrick decides to help bring in the villains that Electro broke out of the Raft, he visits the imprisoned Mr. Hyde to get information on Hyde's ex-partner King Cobra.
  • Curbstomp Battle: Dished these out regularly, victims including a Venom and Carnage tag team, and half of the Wrecking Crew. He was later on the receiving end of one from Blackheart, who killed him and took the symbiote.
  • Cursed with Awesome: Patrick really didn't want to become host to what was the most powerful symbiote ever at the time.
  • Disappeared Dad: Patrick abandoned his family to take care of the infant symbiote.
  • Driven to Suicide: Pat tried to kill himself by jumping in front of a subway train, but the symbiote saved him.
  • Dropped a Bridge on Him: Pat was beaten to death in an alley by Blackheart, who took his symbiote and ate his family - all off-panel to boot.
  • Expy: Patrick is comparable to Hybrid.
  • Fast Tunnelling: Stopped a bank robbery by burrowing into the building.
  • Heroic Build: As Toxin, Patrick was given an athletically muscular figure somewhere between Spider-Man's and Venom's.
    Meadows: S-so this is your infamous symbiote. N-nice six-pack, pal. Not that six-packs turn me on or anything.
  • I Have a Family: Patrick tried this on Carnage after first meeting him. It didn't work.
    Pat: If you can understand me... please, please don't kill me! I-I've got a young wife—with a baby on the way.
    Carnage: Correction. Ya got a young widow—with an orphan on the way!
  • It's Not You, It's My Enemies: Pat left his wife and newborn to protect them from Venom, Carnage, and himself.
  • "Just Joking" Justification: Patrick would go with this whenever he or the symbiote came close to eating someone.
  • Killed Offscreen: Patrick disappeared for some time, and the symbiote resurfaced sans host in 2012. It was eventually revealed Blackheart had beaten him to death in a gutter to get his symbiote. And then there's what supposedly happened to his wife and baby.
  • Lightning Bruiser: Was faster and stronger than Venom and Carnage combined.
  • Lovecraftian Superpower: Can spawn Combat Tentacles and shapeshift his limbs into weapons.
  • Odd Friendship: Patrick's main confidante was Black Cat, a thief.
  • One-Steve Limit: Patrick's son's name? Edward.
  • Painful Transformation: Patrick turning into Toxin rarely looked comfortable, what with all the wincing and grimacing and him exclaiming, "Aaghh!"
  • Phlegmings: Patrick's drool was black.
  • Scarily Competent Tracker: As long as he had something to go off of, like an article of clothing, he can track it.
  • Split-Personality Takeover: Patrick arranged with the symbiote that they could alternate control of his body for two hours as long as it didn't kill anyone or commit any crimes.
  • Super-Reflexes: While still in human form, Patrick blocks all of Black Cat's attempts to knock him out, without even intending to.
  • Symbiotic Possession: Toxin had a unique relationship with Patrick where they alternated control over his body.
  • "The Reason You Suck" Speech: Patrick gave one to Razor Fist, claiming that he uses blades instead of prosthetic hands because it makes him feel disassociated from his crimes, and because he wants others to tend to his every menial need like a helpless child.
  • To the Pain: In his first superhero outing, he nearly loses it on a gang of bank robbers who have surrendered.
    Toxin: You are heartless killers. You killed a cop. Who no doubt had a family. Who'll be heartbroken. You deserve to die. In the most painful and heartless way imaginable. Your brains, maybe. Soft and eggy, no doubt. Evolved over thousands of years so you can waste them. I'll suck them out through your eye sockets.
  • You Killed My Father: Patrick's father was murdered by Razor Fist. When Toxin goes after him, he tells Spider-Man that if he were to cross the line and kill Razor Fist, Spidey should "put me in Ryker's along with the other bad guys".
  • Whole Costume Reference: When under control, Patrick as Toxin looks almost identical to Spider-Man, but without a webbing motif or spider emblems.

    Eddie Brock 

Edward "Eddie" Charles Allan Brock

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/eddie_brock_toxin.jpg

Alter Ego: Venon, Anti-Venom, Toxin

Host to: Venom, Anti-Venom, Toxin, Sleeper, Tyrannosaurus, Carnage

First Appearance: Web of Spider-Man #18

The first person to go by Venom, Eddie Brock has long been embroiled in all things symbiote. After sacrificing his Anti-Venom powers to cure the people of New York of their spider-powers, Eddie became a symbiote hunter. However, seeking a counter to Flash Thompson in his role as the heroic Venom, Crime-Master forcibly bonded Eddie with the Toxin symbiote. Eddie used these new powers to hunt Flash just as he had Peter Parker, before eventually sacrificing the symbiote to allow Jubulile van Scotter to defeat the eldrich god Chthon.


    Bren Waters 

Bren Waters

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/bren_waters_earth_616_from_king_in_black_planet_of_the_symbiotes_vol_1_3_001.jpg

Alter Ego: Toxin

Host to: Toxin

First Appearance: King in Black: Planet of the Symbiotes #3

A young teenager who is the Toxin symbiote's fourth host.


  • Ambiguously Brown: Bren has a more medium complexion and dark hair, which is something he doesn’t share with his father, implying he may be biracial.
  • Antagonistic Offspring: Unbeknownst to him, Bren's father is a Guardsman employed by the often-evil MegaCorp Alchemax. When Bren — as Toxin — gets into a fight with a human/Brood hybrid, Bren's father attacks him too seeking to claim his symbiote for the corporation.
  • Birds of a Feather: Both Bren and Toxin are snarky adolescents who have issues with their fathers, which is something they bond over.
  • Composite Character: The form he takes as Toxin combines elements from both Pat and Eddie’s designs, which is something that Toxin itself lampshades.
    Toxin: I gave you the Mulligan with a hint of the Brock.
  • Deadpan Snarker: While Bren lets Toxin do the talking in their transformed state, he trades witty barbs with the symbiote after they return home.
  • Heroic Host: Bren is unambiguously a hero, and leans heavily on the host part as he generally lets Toxin do all the fighting and talking in any battle.
  • Kid Hero: Bren is a scrawny teenager too young to get his learner's permit, but with Toxin he's a bulky superhero.
  • Missing Mom: His mom isn’t present in his life.
  • Older Alter Ego: With Bren being a scrawny teenager, he requested Toxin give him an adult appearance to fight crime.
  • Snark-to-Snark Combat: Frequently trades snarky comments with Toxin whenever they interact.
  • Tagalong Kid: His role in Extreme Carnage, he tagged along with Anti-Venom’s team to get revenge on Carnage for hurting his dad.
  • True Companions: Bren and the Toxin symbiote are very close, and see each other as their best friend. In Extreme Carnage when Carnage tried to convince Toxin to kill Bren, it refused and lashed out at Carnage for even suggesting it.
  • Willing Channeler: He found a weakened Toxin and willingly let it bond to him. As a duo Bren lets Toxin have full control while they’re fighting crime, or need to travel long distances.


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