It Took Marvel 60 Years To Turn This Beloved Hero Into Spider-Man

Published Jun 13, 2026, 5:00 PM EDT

It’s been 13 years since Doctor Octopus first assumed the Spider-Man mantle and dubbed himself the superior version. Now, 34 years after the black alien symbiote bonded with Eddie Brock to become Venom and more than 60 years after Peter was originally bitten by the radioactive spider that granted him his fantastic abilities, Al Ewing’s ongoing Venom run features a much different host and has finally given Venom his proper debut as the web-head, altering the course of Venom and Spider-Man’s lore and history forever.

Together, MJ And Venom Became Their Own Kind Of Spider-Man

Venom #251 sees MJ filming a commercial for Kleen-O carpet cleaner solution before she and the symbiote hear sirens and tend to the matter. But, in an effort to keep their identity as Venom a secret, Venom takes inspiration from an idea Dylan Brock had and assumes the appearance of Iron Man—or “Iron Venom”—with a black-and-gold suit of armor.

Things quickly go from weird to weirder, with a handful of characters suddenly appearing out of nowhere, including Blue Streak, Toxin (as the Spider-Man-inspired Captain Spider, with Rick Jones as the symbiote’s host), and Doctor Octopus’ S.C.A.R. (“Simulated-Cephalopod-Armed-Response”), all while MJ and the symbiote take a moment to do some reconnaissance.

Unconvincing as it may be, MJ and Venom choose to assume the appearance of “the goodest guy” they know, Spider-Man, for the cliffhanger splash page of Venom #251. This look is somewhat reminiscent of Ben Reilly’s Spider-Man costume, featuring a large black spider symbol on the red-and-blue suit, only with Venom still having a hulking presence, as well as a large mouth full of teeth and a long tongue spilling out of it, which is later concealed before anyone’s the wiser.

Venom May Not Be A Villain Anymore, But He’s Not Your Typical ‘Hero’

The red-and-blue was already abandoned for the black-and-gold symbiote look by Venom #253, making MJ and Venom’s Spider-Man exploits incredibly short-lived. Regardless, it was a highly impactful moment for both parties as they continued to grow closer and examine what their roles are as do-gooders—thanks, in no small part, to the altruistic inspiration of a superhero as good-natured and positively influential as Spider-Man. Plus, Venom hasn’t been a legitimate villain since the early 1990s.

What’s intriguing is witnessing how far MJ and Venom have strayed since Venom #251, drifting further away from Spider-Man’s influence. Indeed, the conclusion of the Amazing Spider-Man/Venom: Death Spiral crossover event saw MJ and Venom being complacent in their active contributions to the murder of the serial killer Torment, which a frustrated and morally strict Peter then confronted them about.

It’s safe to say that the All-New Venom won’t be a hero or antihero that Spider-Man himself would be proud of. And, if solicitations for Marvel’s upcoming Queen in Black crossover event are anything to go by, MJ and Venom may not even be together for all that much longer, anyway.

Venom #259 is scheduled to be released on June 24, 2026.