Warning: Spoilers for Venom: Original Sin #1!An alternate reality version ofVenomreaches an ultimate form that solidifies his hero status. When Venom was first introduced, it was as an antagonist to Spider-Man when Eddie Brock adorned the symbiote in 1988 forThe Amazing Spider-Man#300. In the time since,Marvel has recontextualized Venom’s alignmentand morphed him into a hero, with this new form making that clear.
InVenom: Original Sin#1, Eddie Brock becomes The Illuminated, a future version of himself draped in glowing, godly armor. While every version of Eddie in the Multiverse has gone dark or evil at some point, this is the only version of Eddie who ever sticks with The Light.
This version of Eddie Brock’s mere existence exemplifies that of Venom in his purest form, and even through mistakes made in time travel, his intentions are always good. It’s the ultimate version of Venom that Eddie could ever possibly achieve in any universe.
The Illuminated is Eddie Brock’s Purest Form as Venom
Venom: Original Sin #1 by Steve Orlando, Scott Koblish, Matt Horak, Yen Nitro, and VC’s Travis Lanham
This Venom’s life mirrors that of Eddie on Earth-616 canon, exceptafter becoming the King in Black, he successfully defeats Knull and abdicates the Kingdom of Black, maintaining his bond to The Light. This new Eddie takes advantage of his powers over space and time as the King in Black to correct his past mistakes. He sets his younger self on a lavish new path filled with happiness, but it directly causes the death of Spider-Man. A world without the two Spiders results in the end of countless lives, including supporting characters like Aunt May, Betty Brandt, and Flash Thompson.
The dark opposite of The Illuminated in this reality is The Eventuality, the version of Venom that represents the darkness that every version of Eddie Brock from every alternate universe eventually succumbs to - except The Illuminated.
Saddled in gold and light blue armor with a horse, this Venom hails from Lumina, the Lightforce Dimension. This dimension is mistaken for Heaven, but instead is the Time Garden of Time’s counterpart, serving as more of a doorstep to Heaven. For Eddie to walk past, he must be selfless. Initially, his original sin is letting two security guards die, but upon correcting that wrong, he sees the younger version of himself and can’t help but try to save himself from a life of grief as Venom.
The Illuminated’s Sin Shows What Makes This Version of Venom the Ultimate Hero
Venom’s Greatest Sin Comes With Pure Intentions
In this alt reality, Venom creates a greater sin while trying to correct his first, butthe whole time, Venom’s intentions are pure. He wants to give a version of Eddie Brock the life he could never have, and the repercussions of his actions leave him marked with guilt. As guilty as he is, not even the darkest version of Venom, The Eventuality, can blame Eddie Brock.Venom’s hero-to-villain path is complicated, but in his purest form, he’s undeniably the ultimate hero.Venomwears his mistakes on his sleeve, and his accomplishments have the best intentions for the multiverse in mind.
