TRIGGER WARNING: Content related to suicide is discussed below.
The character Wolverine has been a pivotal figure in numerous teams throughout Marvel Comics, yet one particular group, crafted by a malevolent version of Venom, stands out for its array of power. Despite the overwhelming capabilities of this team, subtle hints suggest that their strengths are counterbalanced by significant weaknesses, indicating limitations in their overall potential—even when every member operates at peak performance.
The storyline unfolds as Dylan Brock is transported to a dystopian realm dominated by a symbiote hivemind. In this twisted reality, familiar heroes such as Wolverine, The Thing, Juggernaut, Sabretooth, and Omega Red are transformed into grotesque caricatures of themselves. While some remnants of their original personalities linger, they ultimately become mindless killing machines, stripped of their former heroics.
Wolverine’s Evil Venomized Team: A Constellation of Marvel Heavy Hitters
Examining the Symbiote Hivemind and Its Constraints
The premise of this alternate universe revolves around a key twist in Dylan Brock’s backstory. Here, Eddie Brock tragically takes his own life before he can become Venom, setting off a chain of events that leads Dylan’s mother, Annie Weyling, down a darker, more villainous path as Venom herself. Although Annie eventually redeems herself as a hero, her son Dylan succumbs to corruption under Knull, assimilating many of the world’s heroes into his sinister symbiote hivemind. Annie, now serving as Agent Venom, leads the fight against Dylan’s oppressive rule, setting the stage for a tense reunion with her alternate-universe son.
It quickly becomes evident that Wolverine’s villainous iteration may not match the prowess of their regular Marvel Universe counterparts. Dylan himself draws attention to the fact that in this reality, Juggernaut has never harnessed the tremendous power of the Crimson Gem of Cyttorak. This assertion is validated when the heroically inclined Deadpool inadvertently detonates himself alongside Wolverine’s team, leading to an unexpected and humiliating defeat. The notion that even Logan could not endure this catastrophe raises questions about his healing abilities—suggesting they may either be non-existent or severely hampered by the symbiote’s inherent weakness to fire.
The Copy Conundrum: Limits of the Symbiote Codex
Understanding Why Venom Can’t Replicate Unique Abilities
This climactic confrontation reveals a significant aspect of this nefarious group. Venom refers to them as “copies,”indicating they are not the authentic versions of Wolverine, Juggernaut, and the others. The symbiote Codex—Venom’s genetic hivemind—can produce duplicates imbued with the abilities of their original hosts. However, as demonstrated in this storyline, it cannot replicate distinctive powers, such as those generated by the Gem of Cyttorak. This illustrates that even in a dimension where Venom holds the mantle of supremacy, limitations exist, restraining the replication of the unique advantages that characters like Wolverine intrinsically possess.
Venom (2018) #28 is currently available for purchase from Marvel Comics!