All Venom Symbiotes (2025): The origins, Powers & Hosts

Knull — The God of the Abyss

Before the universe existed, there was only the void. Knull was its master. When the Celestials began forging creation, their light awakened him. In an act of retaliatory rage, he shaped the darkness into a living weapon, giving birth to the first symbiote. He is their creator and their dark god, but not a symbiote himself.

All-Black the Necrosword — The First Symbiote

• Host: Gorr the God Butcher
• Origin: Forged from Knull's own shadow, All-Black is the prototype for the entire Klyntar race. It is a living, sentient weapon whose only purpose is to slay gods. It took the form of a sword for Gorr, allowing him to wage a millennia-long war against all divinity.
• Abilities: God-like power, weapon manifestation, regeneration.
• Status: Fragmented, its consciousness lingering within the symbiote hive-mind.

Venom — The Original

• Hosts: Peter Parker, Eddie Brock, Dylan Brock, Flash Thompson
• Origin & Legacy: The Venom symbiote was the first to rebel against Knull's control, seeking a noble host. After being spurned by Peter Parker, it found its perfect match in a disgraced Eddie Brock. Together, they became the anti-hero Venom. Over decades, Eddie’s bond has evolved the symbiote, culminating in him defeating Knull and ascending to become the new King in Black, the benevolent ruler of the entire Klyntar hive. His son, Dylan Brock, now carries the mantle of Venom on Earth.
• Abilities: Super-strength, camouflage, organic webbing, accelerated healing, and control over the symbiote hive.

Carnage — The Spawn of Chaos

• Host: Cletus Kasady
• Origin & Legacy: Carnage was born when a spawning Venom symbiote left its offspring to bond with Eddie Brock's psychotic cellmate, Cletus Kasady. The result was a perfect fusion of alien power and human nihilism. Carnage is pure chaos, a creature that lives only to create mayhem and death. Deeply connected to Knull's dark power, he is often more powerful and far more unpredictable than his "father."
• Abilities: Superior strength and speed, morphs limbs into blades and axes, bonds directly to the host's bloodstream, making it nearly impossible to separate.

Toxin — The Heroic Heir

• Host: Patrick Mulligan, Bren Waters
• Origin & Legacy: As the 1,000th symbiote in the lineage, Toxin was prophesied to be either the noblest hero or the most dangerous villain. The spawn of Carnage, he was feared by his own parent. He bonded with police officer Patrick Mulligan, who tried to steer the young, impressionable symbiote toward good. Toxin is a constant struggle between his violent heritage and his desire to be a hero.
• Abilities: A potent hybrid of Venom and Carnage's powers, with enhanced resistance to fire and sonics.

Sleeper — The Tactical Spawn

• Host: Operates without a permanent host.
• Origin & Legacy: The seventh spawn of Venom, Sleeper was "raised" in a laboratory, allowing it to develop a stable and non-violent personality. It is highly intelligent and operates with tactical precision rather than brute force. It can function independently without a host, often taking the form of a cat.
• Abilities: Master of chemokinesis (secreting complex chemicals like neurotoxins and tranquilizers), superior camouflage through pheromones.

Mania / Silence — The Evolved Clone

• Host: Andi Benton
• Origin & Legacy: Initially a clone of the Venom symbiote, Mania was bonded to high school student Andi Benton. Their bond was complicated by a demonic Hell-Mark. After losing the Mania symbiote, Andi eventually bonded with a new, purified version of her other half, becoming the hero Silence.
• Abilities: As Mania, had all of Venom's powers plus demonic abilities. As Silence, she is immune to sonics and can absorb energy.

Phage

• Host: Carl Mach
• Detailed Backstory: A professional soldier, Carl Mach was a focused and disciplined combatant, and his symbiote reflected that. Phage operated with a cold, predatory grace — a stark contrast to the chaotic Scream. After Mach was murdered by Scream, the Phage symbiote was captured and experimented on by various organizations before later being revived and bonded to new hosts.
• Abilities: Phage specializes in bladed weapon creation, often manifesting arm-blades, spears, and cutting tendrils. His combat style is efficient, tactical, and lethal.

Agony

• Host: Leslie Gesneria (original), later Gemma Shin
• Detailed Backstory: Agony was the Life Foundation’s chemical warfare specialist. Her corrosive power made her the most dangerous in terms of biochemical attacks. After the Life Foundation's collapse, Agony was separated from her host and eventually rebonded with others during later symbiote resurgence events, including Extreme Carnage (2021).
• Abilities: Agony secretes a powerful acidic enzyme that can dissolve metal and even damage other symbiotes. Like her siblings, she possesses enhanced strength, shapeshifting, and camouflage abilities.
• Status/Notes: Considered one of the more "emotionally balanced" symbiotes in later appearances, though still violent by nature.

Lasher

• Host: Ramon Hernandez
• Detailed Backstory: Lasher functioned as the team’s tactical support symbiote, favoring stealth and precision over brute force. Hernandez’s military training gave Lasher a calm, calculating edge that balanced out the group’s chaotic tendencies. In later appearances, the Lasher symbiote split into multiple smaller symbiotes that bonded with stray dogs — a unique mutation in the Klyntar lineage.
• Abilities: Lasher wields vine-like appendages that can extend great distances, allowing him to grapple, ensnare, and attack multiple enemies simultaneously. He’s also skilled at climbing, stealth operations, and environmental manipulation.
• Status/Notes: Often underestimated but extremely dangerous when coordinating with others.

Scorn — The Technomorph

• Host: Dr. Tanis Nieves
• Origin & Legacy: An accidental creation, Scorn was born from a piece of Carnage bonded to a psychiatrist's technologically advanced prosthetic arm. This unique origin gave her the ability to merge with and control any form of technology, making her a digital-age symbiote. She was tragically killed by the Carnage hive.
• Abilities: Technopathy, cybernetic control, weapon fusion.

Raze — The Vengeful Offspring

• Host: Claire Dixon (FBI)
• Origin & Legacy: Spawned by a magic-infused Carnage, Raze bonded with an FBI agent whose sole purpose became revenge against her creator. Fueled by pure rage, her existence was short and brutal before she was reabsorbed by Carnage.
• Abilities: Rage amplification, weapon morphing.

Anti-Venom

• Hosts: Eddie Brock, Flash Thompson
• Origin: Not a spawn, but a mutation. When the remnants of the Venom symbiote in Eddie Brock’s body were super-charged by the Lightforce energy of Martin Li, a new, white symbiote was created. Anti-Venom is a living antidote.
• Abilities: Its touch is a potent cure for diseases and toxins but a corrosive poison to other symbiotes. It is immune to fire and sonics. The original was sacrificed to save New York, but it was later replicated for Flash Thompson, who became Agent Anti-Venom.

A. Agent Venom

• Host: Flash Thompson
• Detailed Origin: Following the Siege of Asgard, the U.S. government captured the Venom symbiote. In a top-secret program called Project Rebirth 2.0, they sought a host who was both physically capable and mentally malleable. They found their perfect candidate in Eugene "Flash" Thompson, a high school bully turned decorated war hero who had lost both his legs in combat. The program offered Flash the chance to walk again and serve his country by bonding him with the symbiote.
• Abilities and Function: As Agent Venom, Flash was a tactical soldier unlike any other. He combined his military training and expertise in firearms with the symbiote's incredible power. The suit provided him with prosthetic legs, enhanced strength, speed, and durability, and a healing factor. Unlike previous hosts, Flash didn't rely on claws and teeth; he used military-grade weaponry, and the symbiote would often form holsters, ammo pouches, and even augment his guns. The bond was strictly controlled; Flash could only wear the suit for a maximum of 48 hours at a time before the risk of permanent bonding and psychological breakdown became too great.
• Legacy: Agent Venom completely redefined both Flash Thompson and the Venom symbiote. Flash evolved from a supporting character into a genuine A-list hero, serving with the Secret Avengers, Thunderbolts, and even the Guardians of the Galaxy. His journey proved that, with the right host, the Venom symbiote could be a powerful force for good. The program was eventually decommissioned, but Flash's heroic path continued, ultimately leading him to become the host of the Anti-Venom symbiote.

B. Mercury Team

• Hosts: Various U.S. Army soldiers (e.g., Rico Axelson, James Murphy, etc.)
• Detailed Origin: After the death of Scott Washington (Hybrid), the U.S. government successfully separated the four Life Foundation symbiotes (Riot, Phage, Agony, and Lasher). Seeing the potential demonstrated by the Agent Venom program, they created a full special-ops unit, Mercury Team. Each member of the elite squad was bonded with one of the symbiotes, creating a team of super-soldiers with a diverse array of powers.
• Abilities and Function: The team was designed for black-ops missions against superhuman threats. Each member brought a unique power to the battlefield: one for brute force (Riot), one for bladed combat (Phage), one for chemical warfare (Agony), and one for crowd control (Lasher). Their primary mission became the containment and elimination of Carnage.
• Legacy: Mercury Team serves as a dark cautionary tale. While highly trained and effective against conventional targets, they were ultimately no match for the raw power and insanity of Carnage. The original hosts were brutally killed in action by their target, proving that while symbiotes can be weaponized, there are forces of nature that no amount of training can overcome. The symbiotes themselves survived and were later recovered.

Payback

• Host: Mavis Trent (Earth-616)
• Origin: A “variant” symbiote (not a standard Klyntar) sustained by its host’s state of bliss rather than aggression. It bonded with Mavis after being previously linked to her father.
• Abilities: Transforms to an energy form (broadband electromagnetic spectrum). Grants its host enhanced strength, speed, durability, flight and electrokinesis (in-comic depictions vary). Unique feeding/maintenance: thrives when the host is in a state of bliss/happiness.
• Status/Notes: Appears in the True Believers mini-series (#1, mid-2008) where she is team leader of a group investigating conspiracy and symbiote phenomena.

A. Grendel

• Host: None (operates as a pure symbiote construct)
• Detailed Origin: The Grendel is not a single symbiote but a massive, ancient "symbiote-dragon," a living instrument of war created by Knull himself during his ancient crusades against the light. Centuries ago, one of these creatures came to Earth and was defeated by Thor, its dormant body eventually being buried deep beneath the ice. It was later discovered by S.H.I.E.L.D. and brought to a secret facility for study.
• Abilities and Uniqueness: The Grendel is a weapon of mass destruction. As a colossal, flying dragon made of living abyss, it possesses immense strength and durability. It acts as a "hive relay," capable of connecting to Knull's consciousness across galaxies and infecting other living beings, transforming them into monstrous symbiote creatures under its control. It doesn't require a single host to function; it is a self-contained legion, a walking, flying army.
• Legacy: The awakening of the Grendel in the modern era was the event that kickstarted Knull's return. Its battle with Eddie Brock and Miles Morales was a pivotal moment, establishing the cosmic, Lovecraftian horror of the symbiotes' true origins. Even after its destruction, fragments of its biomass (known as the Grendel's Void) have been used to create new, lesser symbiote threats, showing how Knull's corruption can linger.

B. Zzzxx — The Brain-Eating Predator

• Host: Raza Longknife (of the Starjammers)
• Detailed Origin: While the Klyntar on Earth often struggle with morality, Zzzxx is a reminder that some symbiotes are just pure monsters. Discovered as a prisoner of the Shi'ar Empire, Zzzxx is a sadistic and completely parasitic member of the species. It was used as a weapon by the rogue Shi'ar Vulcan during his war with the X-Men, where it was forcibly bonded to the cyborg Starjammer, Raza Longknife.
• Abilities and Uniqueness: Zzzxx's method of "bonding" is its most terrifying trait. Unlike Venom, who forms a partnership, Zzzxx consumes its host from the inside out, starting with the brain. It hollows out its victim, wearing their body like a suit while feeding on their adrenaline and thoughts. This makes it a true parasite, representing the darkest, most predatory instincts of the species.
• Legacy: Zzzxx is a stark example of a Klyntar that never joined the noble rebellion against Knull. It embodies the original, horrifying purpose of the species: to consume and dominate. Its brutal nature and unique feeding method make it one of the most feared symbiotes in the cosmos. Its current status is unknown.

C. Meridius — The King at the End of Time

• Host: A far-future version of Eddie Brock
• Detailed Origin: In the current Venom comics, Eddie Brock's consciousness has become unstuck in time, allowing him to travel through the past, present, and future of the symbiote hive. In the far future, at the center of this temporal chaos, sits Meridius. He is the final, all-knowing iteration in a cycle of future Kings in Black. He is Eddie Brock, but an Eddie who has experienced eons and now orchestrates events across the timeline from his "Garden of Time."
• Abilities and Uniqueness: Meridius is less a symbiote and more a temporal god. He possesses near-omniscience, understanding the flow of time and the intricate web of the symbiote hive. He commands a legion of other future Kings in Black (including Bedlam) and can manipulate events to ensure his own existence and the hive's ultimate form. He is calm, calculating, and terrifyingly patient.
• Legacy: Meridius represents the ultimate evolution and potential damnation of the King in Black role. He introduces a complex, time-bending mythology to the symbiotes, suggesting their story is a never-ending loop of power, loss, and rebirth. He is currently one of the most powerful and mysterious figures in the Marvel Universe.

D. Bedlam — The Engine of Rage

• Host: A future aspect of Venom/Eddie Brock
• Detailed Origin: Bedlam is another of the future Kings in Black that serves Meridius. He is what happens when the immense power of the hive is fueled by nothing but raw, undiluted rage and grief. Bedlam is a monstrous, hulking brute who rampaged through time, even confronting Eddie's son, Dylan.
• Abilities and Uniqueness: Bedlam is pure, physical power. He is massive, far larger than a typical Venom, and possesses almost limitless strength and durability. He is the hive's anger given form, a living engine of destruction. Unlike the calculating Meridius, Bedlam is almost mindless in his aggression, driven by a singular, destructive purpose.
• Legacy: Bedlam is a cautionary figure, representing the dark path the King in Black could take if a host loses their humanity. He is the physical manifestation of the pain and loss Eddie Brock has endured over his lifetime, amplified to a cosmic scale. He is a terrifying reminder of the monster that always lurks beneath the surface of the symbiote bond.

E. The Rex Strickland Symbiote

• Host: Rex Strickland
• Detailed Origin: This symbiote was part of the Sym-Soldier Program, a S.H.I.E.L.D. precursor project during the Vietnam War that predated Agent Venom by decades. Soldiers were bonded to fragments of the captured Grendel symbiote. The host, Rex Strickland, was part of this unit. The great twist of the story is that the human Rex Strickland actually died in combat years ago. The symbiote, out of loyalty or a developing sense of self, completely subsumed his identity, memories, and personality, and had been living as him ever since.
• Abilities and Uniqueness: Derived from the Grendel, this symbiote was inherently tied to Knull's darkness. However, its most unique trait was its capacity for loyalty and identity. It didn't just bond with Rex; it became Rex. It maintained his personality and mission for years, even fooling Wolverine.
• Legacy: The Rex symbiote is one of the most profound examples of a symbiote's potential for complex evolution. It demonstrates that even a creature born from Knull's darkness can develop a sense of honor, duty, and identity independent of its host, making its eventual heroic sacrifice deeply meaningful. It adds a layer of tragedy and nobility to the early history of symbiotes on Earth.

A. Codex — The Conquering Son

• Host: An alternate, adult version of Dylan Brock.
• Universe of Origin: An alternate future timeline first seen in the "Venom Beyond" storyline.
• Detailed Origin: Codex is a tragic figure, representing a dark potential future for the main universe's Dylan Brock. In his reality, Eddie Brock and the heroes of Earth failed to stop Knull's invasion. In the aftermath, this version of Dylan, embracing his god-tier symbiote powers, became the ruler of his broken world. Naming himself Codex, he created a hive-mind that forcibly bonded every human on his planet to a symbiote, believing this enforced unity was the only way to ensure peace and survival.
• Powers and Significance: As a fully realized version of Dylan, Codex wields immense power, capable of controlling a planet-wide hive and manifesting powerful energy constructs. He serves as a cautionary tale for Eddie and Dylan—a dark mirror showing what could happen if Dylan's immense power is guided by fear and a desire for absolute control rather than compassion.

B. Venompool — The Merc with a Mouth (and a Symbiote)

• Host: Wade Wilson (Deadpool)
• Universe of Origin: Various alternate realities, most notably in Deadpool: Back in Black and the Venomverse event.
• Detailed Origin: The concept of Deadpool bonding with the Venom symbiote is a fan-favorite scenario that has been explored multiple times. In one key story, it's revealed that Deadpool briefly hosted the symbiote after Spider-Man but before Eddie Brock, meaning he was one of its first human hosts. In other realities, he simply finds and bonds with the creature.
• Powers and Significance: Venompool is the ultimate agent of chaos. The fusion combines Venom's raw strength, shapeshifting, and aggression with Deadpool's meta-commentary, fourth-wall-breaking humor, and advanced healing factor. The result is a loud, unpredictable, and hilarious anti-hero who is just as likely to eat his enemies as he is to tell them a knock-knock joke. He is less a character of deep narrative importance and more a celebration of the sheer, unadulterated fun possible within the Marvel multiverse.

C. Mayhem — The Hybrid Clone of Spider-Girl

• Host: April Parker
• Universe of Origin: The MC2 Universe (Earth-982), a potential future timeline.
• Detailed Origin: Mayhem is one of the most unique figures in the symbiote pantheon. She is not merely a host bonded to a symbiote; she is a true bio-engineered hybrid. Created by Norman Osborn, she is a clone of May "Mayday" Parker (Spider-Girl), fused with symbiote DNA at a genetic level. This makes her the first stable human/symbiote hybrid being.
• Powers and Significance: Mayhem possesses the combined powers of both Spider-Girl and Venom without needing a separate entity to bond with. She can switch between a human form and her symbiotic state at will. Her story is deeply tragic, as she struggles with her identity, her programmed loyalties to the Osborn legacy, and her complex, often antagonistic relationship with her "sister," Mayday. She represents the next step in Klyntar evolution but is a lonely and tortured figure, forever caught between two worlds.

D. Various "Venomized" Heroes — The Ultimate Power-Up

• Hosts: Countless Marvel heroes and villains (Thor, Captain America, Doctor Strange, Hulk, Ghost Rider, etc.)
• Universe of Origin: Appears across multiple events, primarily Venomverse, Venomized, and King in Black.
• Concept: The "Venomization" of established characters is a popular trope used to create visually exciting new designs and explore fascinating power combinations. These events often see heroes from across the multiverse who have bonded with a symbiote, or see the main universe's heroes get forcibly bonded by a powerful entity like Knull.
• Powers and Significance: The results are always spectacular. “Venom Thor” can wield a symbiote-infused Mjolnir, “Venom Strange” casts spells using living darkness, and “Venom Hulk” is a being of near-limitless rage and physical power. These temporary transformations serve as high-stakes narrative devices, turning trusted allies into monstrous foes or creating powerful new assets in the fight against a greater evil. They are the ultimate "what if," showcasing the raw power and terrifying potential of the Klyntar when bonded with the mightiest beings in the universe.

1. Who are all the symbiotes in Venom 3?

2. What is the name of the green symbiote in Venom 3?

3. Which Life Foundation symbiotes appear in Venom 3?

4. Is Toxin confirmed in Venom 3?

5. Did all the symbiotes die in Venom 3?

6. What is the strongest symbiote in Venom 3?

7. Is Knull in Venom 3?

8. How many symbiotes does Imperium experiment on?

9. Are the Venom 3 symbiotes comic-accurate?

10. Does Carnage return in Venom 3?

11. Who is the Two-Headed symbiote?

12. What happens to Agony, Lasher, Phage & Scream?

13. Will Toxin return in future movies?

14. Why are there so many new symbiotes in Venom 3?

15. How is Venom connected to Knull in the movie timeline?