‘What If…? Venom’ Unleashes the Symbiote on Wolverine, She-Hulk, Loki, and Other Marvel Icons

By Kyra Greene

When the Venom symbiote merged with Eddie Brock, it unleashed his volatile nature and deadly tendencies. But what if the symbiote chose different hosts? In the upcoming five-issue limited series, WHAT IF?… VENOM, writer Jeremy Holt (MARVEL’S VOICES: SPIDER-VERSE) and artists Jesús Hervás, Tadam Gyadu, Manuel Garcia, and Diogenes Neves explore this intriguing scenario.

Set to launch next month, the series takes a bold twist on the Venom symbiote’s origin, beginning with its rejection by Peter Parker. The symbiote embarks on a thrilling journey through the Marvel Universe, offering its unearthly power to characters like She-Hulk, Wolverine, Doctor Strange, Loki, and Moon Knight. Each character undergoes a radical transformation with insane new designs as the symbiote pushes the limits of rage, darkness, violence, hubris, and mischief within them.

The narrative delves into how these iconic characters grapple with their newfound gifts and poses the intriguing question of which one the symbiote will ultimately seek control over. Fans can catch a glimpse of all five new symbiote designs and an exclusive first look at the debut issue featuring She-Hulk in full unleashed mode.

The series rewinds to the symbiote’s early days, challenging the familiar tale of its bonding with a vengeful Eddie Brock in a church tower. The narrative offers an all-new perspective on the sinister symbiote’s origins, exploring its earliest connection to a host with a rage and temper distinct from Eddie Brock’s.

“Having the opportunity to play within the Venom sandbox is cool. Having the opportunity to bond five iconic heroes to the alien parasite is cooler,” expressed Holt. “In doing so within the WHAT IF…? concept, I’ve had an absolute blast crafting a linear revisionist history that’s provided me the latitude to introduce distinct versions of the anti-hero that we’ve all come to love.”