In the realm of Marvel comics, few characters can match the formidable might of Bruce Banner’s Hulk and the alien symbiote known as Venom. Their union is nothing short of explosive, particularly the moment they first bonded in a way that defied all expectations, enhancing Hulk’s already staggering strength.
Hulk’s encounters with Venom have primarily centered around intense physical confrontations. However, Bruce Banner was present during the pivotal moment that marked the symbiote’s origin in the 1984 series Secret Wars, where Spider-Man unknowingly introduced the alien to the world, mistaking it for merely an advanced costume. Over time, Hulk has battled Venom but has also shared a unique connection with the symbiote on select occasions, allowing their powers to merge.
When Hulk and Venom first merged, the symbiote displayed a remarkable degree of creativity, pushing the boundaries of Hulk’s already immense abilities.
Venom Combined the Powers of Spider-Man, Hulk, and Thor
The Symbiote United Marvel’s Strongest Powerhouses in One Body
The story takes a dramatic turn in the 1989 issue of What If…? #4 (by Danny Fingeroth, Mark Bagley, Keith Williams, Tom Vincent, and Ken Lopez), where fans are posed with a tantalizing question: “What if the alien costume had possessed Spider-Man?”In this alternate reality, Peter Parker, seeking answers, visits the Fantastic Four, but without Reed Richards’ guidance, he keeps the suit despite its sinister nature. Ultimately, the symbiote drains Peter’s life force, leaving him on the brink of death.
When the Avengers confront this new, powerful version of Venom, it quickly subjugates Hulk, taking control of his immense strength. As Venom escapes, Peter tragically succumbs to the symbiote’s influence. In a chilling revelation, Venom tells Thor that it fully bonded with Bruce Banner to “cure”him, siphoning away his gamma radiation to prevent Hulk’s monstrous transformations. The symbiote feigns remorse over Peter’s death, a ruse that Thor is wise enough to distrust.
The newly transformed Venom Hulk confronts Thor and, stunningly, claims the power of the Thunder God. This harrowing development leads Venom to disclose a chilling truth: it has not only consumed its previous hosts, but has permanently acquired their powers. With Hulk’s, Thor’s, and Spider-Man’s abilities, this hybrid becomes a nearly invincible force, raising the stakes for any who dare to confront it.
The manifestation of Venom’s ultimate form incorporates virtually every superpower known in Marvel’s expansive universe, making it an unparalleled embodiment of biological life.
Venom Can Co-Exist With His Hosts but is Capable of Draining Their Powers
The Symbiote Easily Became the Strongest One of All
As Marvel heroes such as Captain Marvel and Human Torch attempt to take down the amalgamation of Venom and Thor, they find themselves easily overpowered. The only way to defeat this formidable foe comes when Black Bolt pools his abilities with Reed Richards’ technology, while Black Cat avenges Peter by using stolen weapons to vanquish the alien once separated from Thor. Initially, Venom acted as a parasites, manipulating its hosts into a high-adrenaline state to drain their powers. The events of What If…? illustrated that Venom could retain the immense abilities of its superhuman hosts, thus combining the strengths of Hulk, Thor, and Spider-Man—three of the mightiest Avengers. But what greater potential lies beyond?
The Ultimate Venom Shows How Far He Can Push His Powers
Codex Venom Has the Powers of Every Marvel Superhuman
In the storyline titled Venom: The End by Adam Warren and Chamba, the symbiote reaches new heights of power. Set in a distant future where Venom stands as the last representative of biological life, it battles an advanced AI created from Tony Stark’s technology. This version of Venom can tap into the abilities of all its previous hosts, leveraging time travel capabilities from various X-Men mutants to reach out to every superhuman throughout history, effectively granting the symbiote every single superpower documented in Marvel lore.
Despite Codex Venom’s staggering abilities overshadowing even the gods, it faces formidable AI beings that can manipulate reality by deciphering the fundamental cosmic equations. Codex Venom commands the powers of Multiple Man, Storm, Elixir, Deadpool, and Magik, enabling it to generate an unending legion of time-manipulating, weather-wielding, nearly indestructible Venom clones, engaging in an epic battle that spans over a trillion years.
Ultimately, even Codex Venom finds itself unable to conquer the AI adversaries. In a poignant twist, the symbiote employs its astounding powers to birth an entirely new universe, home to all entities within its codex. This newfound pocket universe eventually becomes a relic preserved by the AI deities, transforming Venom into the last sentinel of biological life, with a solitary reality remaining amidst a multiverse dominated by artificial intelligence.
As it stands, Venom has only scratched the surface of its immense potential. The symbiote possesses an intrinsic ability to harness and replicate the powers of its hosts, albeit often at the steep price of their lives. The original incarnation of Venom Hulk provided a glimpse into the symbiote’s capabilities, amalgamating the strengths of Hulk, Thor, and Spider-Man. However, even these staggering feats hint at a future where Venom could evolve into something even greater.