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Venom Vol 3 3

Quote1  Though we are a benevolent species, there is no literature on my home planet. And though it is our goal to make the universe better, we create no art, no music, no culture. At least, not as other civilizations would understand it. All we have are our hosts -- the beings we join with -- to forge through the cold and unforgiving cosmos with. The bond between a symbiote and its host is sacred. They give our lives context and our existence meaning. They give us history. All we have are our hosts to tell us who we are.  Quote2
—Venom Symbiote

Appearing in 1st story

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Synopsis for 1st story

Recalling its former hosts, the Venom symbiote thinks to itself how the bond between a Symbiote and its host is sacred, what gives the species its history and meaning. Many of its former hosts were filled with rage and corrupted it into a predatory monster, but two of them -- Spider-Man and Flash Thompson -- showed it there was a better way and taught it to be a hero. Its current host, Lee Price, is less than upstanding in that regard.

In the present, Price snaps at Agent Wambaugh to get out of his way or die. Wambaugh orders Venom to release the hostage or be shot with his bazooka, and his partner, Agent Bagman, recognizes the Venom symbiote and expresses shock that it is a villain. Taking advantage of the distraction, Firebug blasts Venom with a torrent of flames, causing the symbiote to reel in pain, tossing Firebug through the wall of one of the surrounding apartments. Price orders the symbiote to pull itself together or they'll both die, but it refuses to stay bonded with him. Deciding to bond with one of the FBI agents, it separates from Price, who struggles to keep it bonded to himself. The symbiote grabs Wambaugh and starts to bond with him, but Bagman shoots Price in the chest three times in retaliation. The symbiote tries to calm the panicking Wambaugh, who yells at Bagman to hit it with fire, then notices Price bleeding out nearby. Faced by the hypocrisy of telling Wambaugh it's duty is to save lives and letting even someone as despicable as Price die, the symbiote lets go of Wambaugh and plugs Price's injury, picking him up in its jaws and carrying him away.

At the Black Cat gang's headquarters, Mac Gargan asks Black Cat if she saved Lee Price's vomit. Disgusted, Black Cat asks him why he'd think she'd do that, and Gargan responds that Price was lying to them. Adams, Black Cat's lieutenant, looks up from reading the newspaper and asks Gargan what he expected to find in Price's vomit. Gargan pulls out photos from the botched arms deal, pointing out that the wounds sustained by the dead gang members aren't from gunshots and that Price lied to them. Black Cat sarcastically responds that if she refused to work with liars she wouldn't have any employees, and that all they know was that there was a superhuman ambush, suggesting that the Kingpin might be responsible. Gargan accuses Price of being responsible, but Black Cat remains skeptical, saying that at worst that would make Price guilty of trying too hard to work for her.

Price has a vision of Tony, who coldly states that there's not much to say these days since Price murdered him. Eyes glowing red, Tony states that there's something black inside Price, who retorts that it's been there all along and just needed something to set it free, Venom's shadow looming behind him. Waking up in Tony's apartment, Price inquires why the symbiote brought him there, and it states that it saw in his memories that this was the only place he considered to be safe. Price asks it why it saved him when it hates him, and it responds that while it does hate him, it wasn't going to let him die when it's its duty to protect life. Smirking, Price states it didn't seem too concerned with protecting Firebug when it tossed him into the apartments, and the symbiote ashamedly stammers that the fire caused it to lash out. Price tries to reassure it, stating that it's like a dog — smart when it's calm but acting on instinct when spooked — and that it thinks it wants to be a hero, but what it really wants is for someone to be in charge of it. Before the symbiote can respond, Agent Wambaugh kicks the door down and points an assault rifle at Price, who asks how they found him. Wambaugh retorts that it wasn't hard when he's a known associate of a member of Black Cat's gang.

Price tries to talk his way out of a fight, saying they must be mistaken, but Wambaugh retorts that they got a good look at his face in the alley. Dropping the act, Price coldly states that he could easily kill Wambaugh and that the rifle would be useless, ignoring the symbiote's manifestation saying that it won't let him kill Wambaugh and that in his weakened state it could probably stop him. Price mentally retorts that Wambaugh doesn't know that, just as Wambaugh states that if Price transforms into Venom his partner will open fire using the high-ordinance incendiary bazooka. Looking out the window, Price sees Agent Bagman standing on the roof of an apartment across the street aiming the bazooka at him, and calmly states that Wambaugh would definitely die if that happened, but that might not be enough to kill him. Wambaugh agrees that it might not, but notes that he knows that Price has the Venom symbiote and has taken steps to keep everyone — including his criminal allies — from finding out about it, saying the FBI isn't there to arrest him. Price responds that he's listening, and Wambaugh lays down an ultimatum: if Price were to attack, either he dies in the ensuing explosion or Black Cat realizes something is off and comes gunning for Price when she realizes he was playing her, leaving him exposed and hunted by every police agency and superhero on the planet. However, Wambaugh extends the offer of working for the FBI as an informant, appealing to Price's pragmatic nature and saying to meet him in front of Parker Industries at noon the next day. As Wambaugh leaves, the symbiote says it can understand that Price is angry at being forced into action, but expresses eagerness to be working on the side of good again. Price tells it to shut up, asking if it honestly thinks Wambaugh is any better a person than he is just because he carries a badge.

At Black Cat's headquarters, Adams approaches Gargan and shows him a picture of Price's destroyed apartment, asking if he did that. Gargan sarcastically retorts that it wasn't him, and is surprised when he learns who the apartment belonged to, asking if Price is dead. Adams states that no bodies were recovered, saying he just thought that given his earlier suspicions Gargan had taken matters into his own hands. Gargan rebukes him for thinking he'd go behind Black Cat's back, but Adams says that he understands that Gargan is concerned about something that Black Cat doesn't comprehend. He admits he was wrong about the fire, saying that Gargan is more the type to listen to his gut and do what needs to be done personally, saying that's why Black Cat hired him in the first place as he walks away. Admitting Adams is right about that, Gargan turns and regards the Scorpion armor.

Solicit Synopsis

• After working as a Guardian of the Galaxy and a Space Knight, all of the Venom symbiote’s good deeds have left it abandoned, starving and alone…

• Bonded to a new host — far crueler than Flash Thompson ever was — the symbiote finds itself returning to its old ways.

• Get ready to sink your teeth into the deadliest Venom story yet!

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