Ah, yes, just what we needed, more symbiotes. Didn’t this one already show up in a later comic around here? Yeah, Spider-Man 52, Web 119, Spider-Man 53. So here’s where she came from. Apparently Mark Bagley is human like the rest of us, as this issue features breakdowns by Ron Lim and finishes by the standard inking duo. One wonders why this series has 2 inkers. Usually seems like a sign something was pushed out the door pretty fast, but it’s been consistent the whole time. At any rate, Venom has been imprisoned in some kinda sonic bubble by The Life Foundation, and they have a probe that can go in there and jab him, which is happening right now.
Sounds bad! Meanwhile, some guys in a car have just robbed a convenience store and are fleeing through the streets from a cop car when someone lands on their hood.
I have mentioned elsewhere being a fan of Ron Lim, and while this is only breakdowns, in this issue, he’s in the hands of 2 great inkers instead of whatever was happening in the issues of Spider-Man Unlimited we’ve seen, so it’s much better looking. Spidey stops the car, and is greeted with unusual warmth by the San Francisco cops, who thank him for his help. In response, he asks if he can borrow a quarter.
Nothing will reassure MJ like telling here there’s more symbiotes out there, good job, Peter. Back at The Life Foundation, Venom discusses is plight with himself, and Eddie randomly brings up his dad for no reason other than the fact that he’ll obviously come back into play later, and then the alien points out that the sonics only really hurt it, and he should try his normal human strength against the bubble. Then we’re off to Spider-Man reaching that mall in time to see a women flung out of it, catching her just in time. Then he sees the culprit.
Dat’s a lotta hair. Back at Life, Eddie is once again being observed by dudes, and is able to jam his regular human arm through the bubble, grabbing a guard by the neck and hurling him into the controls, freeing himself. He launches into the usual threats to eat people, but he’s immediately subdued by sonic cannons. Despite all the dialogue, Venom never actually ate anybody under Michelinie. To the point that it just seemed like a really weird affectation. But, of course, later writers took it to the obvious extreme. Why have a guy whose signature thing is threatening to eat people who never eats people? Anyway, we cut from there to that lady who was nice to him in the underground city being harassed by the guys who voted Venom out, just to keep them in mind, and then back to Spider-Man.
Ah, yes, the famous punch of a foot! The new symbiote keeps dodging Spidey’s attacks, so be pretends to run away, goading the still green baddie into lunging after him, which he rewards with a shoulder tackle in the gut, sending her flying across the room. She realizes she’s in trouble and calls for an evac, while tossing a bystander through a window to make Spider-Man dive after him. This gives her time to get into a weird spaceship and begin to escape. But Spidey’s able to web onto the bottom and get towed along to her destination. Quick cut to Roland Treece and his goons interrogating a guy from the underground city, because, Treece thinks to himself, he knows there’s a fortune in gold down there, but he doesn’t want them or the city to find out about it. Then, back to our hero.
Spidey tries to sneak around in the place, but not having a clue where he is, doesn’t know where to go, and soon finds himself in battle with goons.
Earlier, Drake called the symbiote he was extracting “the fifth and final spawn of Venom.” But now we see he’s got 5 symbiotes, and plus Carnage, that makes 6. I guess you don’t have to be good at math to run an evil corporation. And boy, do these guys look generic! Turns out making 5 knock-offs of Venom is really, really diminishing returns. But Spidey and Venom will have plenty of time to see that next issue.