Venom (Raimi)

“	Never wound... what you can't kill.	„
	― Eddie to Peter

“	I like being bad. It makes me happy.	„
	― Eddie

Venom, also known as Edward "Eddie" Brock Jr., serves as the primary antagonist in Spider-Man 3, the final installment of Sam Raimi's Spider-Man Trilogy. Portrayed by Topher Grace, Eddie is an adaptation of the iconic comic book villain Venom, an evil counterpart to Spider-Man and one of his most dangerous adversaries.

Names	Edward Brock Jr. Eddie, Symbiote, Venom
Gender	Male
Race	Human, Symbiote
Occupation	Photographer (formally), Supervillain
Origin	Spider-Man 3 (May 4, 2007)
Alignment	Evil
Age	20s
Created By	Sam Raimi, Ivan Raimi, Alvin Sargent
Height	180 cm (5ft 11in)
Weight	72 kg (159 lbs)

Appearance

Eddie Brock's appearance in Spider-Man 3 differs from his comic book counterpart:

• Hair: In the comics, Eddie has reddish-blonde hair, while in the film, his hair is light brown.
• Eyes: Comic Eddie has blue eyes, but film Eddie has green eyes.
• Physique: Comic Eddie is notably muscular and broad-shouldered, emphasizing his imposing physicality. Film Eddie has a leaner, scrawnier build.
• Clothing: Eddie is often seen in casual yet professional attire, including button-up shirts, jackets, and slacks, reflecting his role as a photographer at the Daily Bugle.
• Venom Transformation: As Venom, Eddie's appearance becomes monstrous, with a black, glossy, web-like suit, a large, gaping mouth filled with jagged teeth, and a long, snake-like tongue. Venom’s physique is bulkier and more menacing than Eddie’s human form, though not as exaggeratedly muscular as in the comics.

Personality

Eddie Brock initially appeared as a charming and easy-going photographer. When first introduced, he was well-dressed, confident, and seemingly problem-free, albeit with a touch of arrogance. Beneath this polished exterior, however, Eddie's personality revealed a darker side. He was fiercely competitive and willing to cross moral boundaries to achieve his goals, such as falsifying photographs of Spider-Man to gain J. Jonah Jameson's approval and secure a coveted staff position at the Daily Bugle. Eddie showed no remorse for his actions, brushing off Peter Parker’s confrontation and refusing to admit any wrongdoing. His lack of accountability suggested he might have felt entirely justified in his deception, showing regret only because he was caught—a trait that could point to psychopathic tendencies.

After Peter exposed Eddie's forgery, leading to the loss of his job, career, and girlfriend, Eddie turned to religion. However, his approach to faith was far from redemptive. Rather than seeking forgiveness or reflecting on his actions, Eddie prayed for Peter’s death, directing his anger outward instead of taking responsibility. It remains unclear whether Eddie’s religious inclination was genuine or simply a desperate attempt to cope with his downfall.

When Eddie bonded with the symbiote, his darker traits were amplified. The symbiote fed on his anger, arrogance, and hatred for Peter Parker, creating a powerful and vengeful entity. The transformation intensified Eddie’s sadistic tendencies, driving him to kidnap Mary Jane Watson as part of a cruel plan to torment Peter by killing her in front of him before taking Peter’s life. This act highlighted Eddie’s complete lack of empathy and willingness to inflict suffering to satisfy his need for revenge.

Unlike most villains in Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man trilogy, Eddie displayed no redeeming qualities. His ruthless pursuit of personal gain, combined with his enjoyment of cruelty, set him apart. After bonding with the symbiote, Eddie killed indiscriminately and without remorse. His chilling declaration to Peter—"I like being bad, it makes me happy"—underscored his descent into psychopathy and solidified his role as one of Spider-Man’s most morally bankrupt adversaries.

Biography

Eddie Brock starts as a freelance photographer newly hired by J. Jonah Jameson at the Daily Bugle. He quickly becomes Peter Parker's rival, not just professionally but personally. While Peter is humble and reserved, Eddie is the opposite—flamboyant, arrogant, and eager to flaunt his superficial charm. Sporting designer clothes, a polished appearance, and a flashy motorcycle, Eddie appears confident and social, yet he lacks meaningful connections, having no close friends or family.

Eddie's charm is surface-deep. He claims to be a ladies' man, but his confidence rarely translates into success. He briefly dates Gwen Stacy, though their relationship fizzles after a single coffee outing. Despite his persistence, Gwen shows no interest in continuing. Eddie even falsely boasts to Captain Stacy about his relationship with Gwen. He flirts with Betty Brant, Jameson's secretary, but she brushes him off, amused yet uninterested. His overpowering cologne, much like his personality, repels more than it attracts.

Eddie's life unravels after Peter Parker exposes his forgery of a photograph implicating Spider-Man in a bank robbery. Fired from the Daily Bugle and humiliated, Eddie spirals into despair and blames Peter for his downfall. His bitterness culminates in a desperate prayer at a church, asking for Peter's death.

By what seems like dark providence, Eddie's plea coincides with Peter’s struggle to remove the alien symbiote in the church bell tower. As Peter uses the thunderous chimes to free himself from the parasitic suit, the symbiote, shrieking in pain, senses Eddie's rage and vulnerability. It bonds with him, transforming Eddie into Venom, a psychopathic villain with Spider-Man’s powers and an insatiable desire for revenge.

As Venom, Eddie becomes a formidable adversary, wielding the abilities of Spider-Man while embodying his darkest qualities—arrogance, aggression, and a thirst for destruction. This makes him not only an arch-rival but a twisted reflection of the hero he seeks to destroy.

After Peter Parker removed the symbiote at the church bell tower, the alien creature descended and landed directly on Eddie Brock, engulfing him completely. The transformation was violent—Eddie struggled desperately as though trapped in a straightjacket and sinking into quicksand. Ultimately, the symbiote overpowered him, finding a new and willing host.

Initially, Eddie was driven mad by the symbiote's attempts to communicate with him. In his frenzy, he attacked several teenagers, drawing the attention of local police. After fighting them off, Eddie finally yielded to the symbiote's influence, allowing it to share its memories. Through the symbiote, Eddie learned Peter Parker’s identity as Spider-Man. This revelation fueled Eddie's hatred for Peter, whom he already blamed for his personal downfall. The symbiote, still seething with resentment over Peter's rejection, formed a vengeful bond with Eddie. Together, they became Venom—a terrifying hybrid with all of Spider-Man's abilities, including web-slinging, wall-crawling, and super strength.

Seeking an ally to defeat Spider-Man, Venom broke into the Stacy apartment. After observing Gwen Stacy through the window, he waited for her to leave the room before searching Captain Stacy's files. There, Eddie discovered Flint Marko's file, recognizing him as the Sandman. This inspired Eddie to approach Marko with a proposal.

While swinging through the city in Spider-Man’s signature style, Venom encountered Sandman. Mistaking Venom for Spider-Man, Sandman attacked him. Venom retaliated with a menacing roar but was temporarily overpowered. Before Sandman could leave, Venom struck a deal. Playing on Sandman’s desperation to provide for his ailing daughter, Venom painted Spider-Man as the true villain, accusing him of selfishly interfering. Sandman, swayed by Eddie's manipulative words, agreed to join forces to kill Spider-Man.

Venom then set his sights on Peter's greatest vulnerability: Mary Jane Watson. He captured her by hijacking a taxi and took her to a construction site, suspending her high above the ground. News of her abduction reached Peter, who donned his traditional red-and-blue Spider-Man suit and sought help from Harry Osborn. However, Harry, still embittered by their earlier conflicts and sporting a disfigured face, refused Peter’s plea for assistance.

Determined, Peter confronted Venom alone but was quickly overwhelmed by Venom's raw power and Sandman’s support. As Peter faced near-certain defeat, Harry Osborn, now fully equipped as the New Goblin, had a change of heart. He arrived just in time, leaping into the fray to save his old friend and turn the tide of the battle.

As the battle raged on, Harry Osborn fought valiantly to keep Sandman occupied while Peter focused on defeating Venom. After managing to neutralize Sandman, Venom captured Peter, leaving Harry to make a desperate move. In a final act of heroism, Harry intervened to save Peter, sacrificing himself by being impaled on his own glider to prevent Venom from delivering a fatal blow to his friend.

Peter, recalling that sound waves had weakened the symbiote before, struck a nearby metal beam against others, creating loud, resonating chimes. The deafening noise caused the symbiote to writhe in agony, exposing Eddie Brock’s face beneath its struggling mass. Acting quickly, Peter shot a web to pull Eddie free from the parasitic creature, successfully separating the two.

Now without a host, the symbiote revealed its true nature—a malevolent, independent entity bent on destruction. It lashed out, rampaging with deadly intent toward Peter. Desperate to end the threat, Peter grabbed one of Harry's discarded pumpkin bombs and hurled it at the creature. Just as the bomb was about to explode, Eddie, overcome by his obsession with the symbiote, lunged toward it in an attempt to re-bond. The explosion consumed both Eddie and the symbiote, destroying them in a fiery blast.

With the danger finally over, Peter was left to mourn the loss of his friend Harry, whose sacrifice ensured his survival and ultimately saved the day.

Powers and Statistics

Tier: At least 8-C

Powers and Abilities: Superhuman Physical Characteristics, Bodily Weaponry, (Via his claws), Multiple Selves (Type 3; Eddie Brock and Venom coexist in a symbiotic relationship), Martial Arts, Surface Scaling, Web Creation, Acrobatics, Stealth Mastery, Regeneration (Mid-Low; Has an enhanced and far faster variant of regeneration compared to Spider-Man. Immediately healed back from the large claw marks he dug into his chest), Enhanced Awareness and Self-Perception Manipulation (Possesses the same senses as Spider-Man, but enhanced. His own Spider-Sense allowed him to locate Sandman), Telepathy (Eddie had Peter's memories shared with him shortly after bonding with the Symbiote), Empathic Manipulation (The Symbiote often amplifies its host's anger to emotionally reactive levels), Statistics Amplification (The Symbiote amplifies the abilities and physical attributes of it's hosts), Power Mimicry (Copied Spider-Man's abilities after bonding with him, allowing Eddie to utilize them), Instinctive Reactions (Just like when Peter used the Symbiote, Eddie can perform swings and jumps that would require quick calculations without conscious thought)

Attack Potency: At least Building level+ (Stronger than Spider-Man. Killed New Goblin)

Speed: Subsonic travel speed with Massively Hypersonic+ combat speed, short-burst speed and reactions (Superior to Spider-Man)

Lifting Strength: Class M (Superior to Spider-Man, having effortlessly restrained him)

Striking Strength: At least Building level+

Durability: At least Building level+ (Unharmed by Spider-Man's attacks, going as far as to state and taunt to Peter that he was incapable of killing him. Easily took an attack from Base Sandman. Endured New Goblin knocking him several feet away with his Glider)

Stamina: Superhuman

Standard Equipment: None notable

Range: Standard Melee Range; Extended Melee Range with claws; Tens of Meters with webbing

Intelligence: Above Average (While not nearly as intelligent as Peter Parker, he was granted with his personal memories as his journey as Spider-Man, likely explaining his advanced fighting style and proficient use of his abilities. Easily killed an entire SWAT team)

Weaknesses: Loud sounds are incredibly harmful to the Symbiote. The Symbiote by itself is much weaker without a host.

Trivia

• In July 2007, Spider-Man 3 producer Avi Arad announced plans for a Venom spin-off film. Jacob Aaron Estes initially wrote a script, but it was rejected the following year. By September 2008, Paul Wernick and Rhett Reese were hired to write the script, completing two drafts before the studio decided to push the project forward. In 2009, Gary Ross was assigned to rewrite the script and direct the film, envisioning Venom as an anti-hero rather than a villain. However, the project was canceled in 2010 after Spider-Man 4 was scrapped. A new Venom movie was later considered in June 2012, tied to the Spider-Man reboot directed by Marc Webb.
• Eddie Brock's role at the Daily Bugle and his framing of Spider-Man are similar to his 1990s animated series counterpart. However, unlike that version, who redeems himself and becomes Spider-Man's ally, this incarnation remains irredeemably evil.
• Sam Raimi initially did not plan to include Venom in Spider-Man 3, as he felt the character "lacked humanity" compared to previous villains. Raimi's original plan featured the Vulture as the main antagonist, but producer Avi Arad convinced him to include Venom to appeal to fans. This decision was controversial, as many fans criticized the iteration of Venom, particularly since Eddie doesn't transform into Venom until late in the film.
• Early drafts of the film featured other villains, such as the Lizard and Electro, rather than Venom and Sandman. The Lizard eventually appeared in The Amazing Spider-Man, while Electro was featured in its sequel.
• Eddie Brock is never explicitly referred to as "Venom" in Spider-Man 3, though Curt Connors refers to the entity as "the symbiote." In the Spider-Man 3 game adaptation, Sandman does refer to him as Venom.
• This version of Venom differs significantly from his comic book counterpart:
  • In the comics, Eddie Brock has reddish-blonde hair, blue eyes, and a muscular physique. In the film, he has green eyes and a leaner build.
  • Comic Eddie sometimes acts as an anti-hero and has moments of redemption. In contrast, the film version is a wholly psychotic, sadistic villain who enjoys being evil, resembling Cletus Kasady/Carnage in both personality and appearance.
  • Comic Eddie begrudges Spider-Man due to a legitimate mistake that cost him his job and reputation. Film Eddie, however, forges fake photos, digging his own grave, making his grudge against Peter seem petty and unjustified.
• Venom's death is portrayed differently in the novelization and various game adaptations of Spider-Man 3:
  • In the movie, Eddie dies attempting to rebond with the symbiote, perishing in the explosion of a pumpkin bomb.
  • In the novelization, Eddie’s body is reduced to a blackened skeleton after the symbiote unbonds from him. Footage of this alternate ending exists.
  • In the PlayStation 2, PSP, and Wii versions of the game, Venom collapses and dies from brain damage caused by sonic waves. In the PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, and PC versions, Venom is impaled on iron bars after falling from a building.
• In the first Spider-Man film, Robbie Robertson mentions a photographer named Eddie who failed to capture a picture of Spider-Man. While initially assumed to reference Eddie Brock, Robbie later states in Spider-Man 3 that Eddie had only been hired a week prior, suggesting the Eddie mentioned in the first film was a different character.
• Peter Parker inadvertently facilitated Eddie's transformation into Venom. After exposing Eddie's forgery, Peter sarcastically suggested he "get religion," prompting Eddie to visit a church. There, he prayed for Peter's death while Peter coincidentally attempted to rid himself of the symbiote. The symbiote fell onto Eddie and bonded with him, creating Venom.
• Venom was the only Raimi trilogy villain absent from Spider-Man: No Way Home. However, a variant of Venom appeared in the post-credits scene.
• Eddie Brock was originally planned to appear in the first Spider-Man film, portrayed by R.C. Everbeck, but his scene was cut. A reference to Eddie remains in a Daily Bugle newspaper, and Robbie Robertson mentions him in dialogue. The first film’s novelization retained Eddie’s deleted appearance, even describing his disdain for Peter Parker as "filled with pure venom." However, the Spider-Man 3 novelization does not acknowledge this earlier appearance.