Venom’s Complete Marvel Timeline Explained: Origin, Fighting Carnage & The Symbiote Invasion

Venom with an open mouth in Sony's Spider-Man Universe

Warning: Contains spoilers for Venom: The Last Dance!With Venom: The Last Dance capping off the Venom trilogy, the story of Eddie Brock and Venom appears to have come to a close. The iconic Marvel villain turned anti-hero found surprising success in 2018’s Venom, becoming a box-office sensation and kicking off a brand new cinematic universe for Sony. Though the movies of Sony’s Spider-Man Universe have seen their fair share of ups and downs, it was the Venom films that remained a constant.

Tom Hardy brought the characters of Eddie Brock and Venom to life. His complete dedication to the films is one of the main reasons the Venom trilogy has been so successful. With Hardy’s time as both Eddie Brock and Venom seemingly coming to a conclusion following the Venom: The Last Dance ending, it’s worth it to look back on the journey the characters took through the three films. Here is the complete timeline of Venom’s story.

Venom’s Origin Explained

Venom

Venom picking someone up in the street in 2018's Venom

Eddie Brock is an investigative reporter working on a piece about the Life Foundation and the human trials they are doing. He confronts CEO Carlton Drake about it, which ends up getting Eddie Brock fired from his job. Newly single and down on his luck, Eddie Brock breaks into the Life Foundation’s research facility and discovers that humans are being tested on with symbiotes, something he doesn’t understand at the time.

When trying to help one of the test subjects, a symbiote latches onto him, and Eddie Brock begins to display strange symptoms and behaviors. He learns that a symbiote has infected him, and they achieve symbiosis, eluding Carlton Drake’s mercenaries in the process. This symbiote is known as Venom, and the two are now inseparable for the time being.

Venom & Eddie Brock Learn To Live Together

Venom

Tom Hardy's Eddie Brock bonds with Venom in Venom (2018)

Co-existing as a symbiote and host is hard, and is something both Eddie Brock and Venom have to learn to do. Initially, Venom explains to Eddie that the symbiotes are here to invade and conquer Earth and offers to spare him if he helps them to achieve their goals. After that, the two need to learn to live together.

For Eddie, he has to figure out how to come to terms with having what is essentially a parasite living in his body that wants to devour human beings. For Venom, he needs to learn to control his desire to kill and eat humans. This leads to some funny moments and banter throughout Venom.

Venom and Eddie Try To Stop Carlton Drake and Riot

Venom

Riz Ahmed as Carlton Drake with the Riot symbiote in Venom

The main symbiote antagonist of Venom is Riot, who eventually makes his way to San Francisco and attempts to bond with Carlton Drake, and actually succeeds in doing so. With their new bond, Carlton Drake agrees to help Riot bring all the symbiotes to Earth via a Life Foundation space probe. Essentially, Carlton Drake is okay with letting Earth be overtaken by symbiotes.

Riot is a better fighter than Venom, and possesses far greater powers, including the ability to make various weapons.

It is up to Eddie Brock and Venom to stop them, no matter what the cost is. Riot is a better fighter than Venom, and possesses far greater powers, including the ability to make various weapons. Eddie Brock and Venom go on to fight Carlton Drake and Riot, which eventually leads to Venom blowing up the space probe, which kills both of the villains.

Venom Saves Eddie’s Life

Venom

Riot standing over Eddie Brock after stabbing him in Venom

During the fight with Carlton Drake and Riot, Eddie Brock is mortally wounded after taking one of Riot’s blades right through the chest because he was temporarily not bonded with Venom. Soon after, though, Venom bonds with Eddie once more, which heals Eddie in the process and saves his life. This moment will become a much bigger deal in the grand scheme of things as it relates directly to a plot point in Venom: The Last Dance.

After saving his life, Venom essentially sacrifices himself to destroy Carlton Drake, Riot and the space probe. Of course, Venom ends up surviving and continues to be bonded with Eddie Brock. This is where their journey in Venom ends, but something even more terrifying is just on the horizon.

Eddie Brock Interviews Cletus Kasady And Discovers A Secret

Venom: Let There Be Carnage

Woody Harrelson as Cletus Kasady in a cell in Venom Let There Be Carnage

Venom: Let There Be Carnage kicks off with Eddie Brock, once more a reporter, asked to interview serial killer Cletus Kasady, which is where everything is changed forever. Brock is the only person Kasady will talk to, and promises to share his life story and confess his crimes. Venom is able to deduce where Cletus Kasady hid all of his victim’s bodies, which leads to a career boost for Eddie, and sees Cletus Kasady get sentenced to death.

Cletus Kasady invites Eddie Brock to his execution. They talk once again, and this time Cletus Kasady insults Eddie to the point where Venom decides to attack. Because of this, Kasady is able to get hold of Brock’s hand and proceeds to bite it, ingesting a small piece of symbiote.

Carnage is Born From Venom

Venom: Let There Be Carnage

Carnage opening his mouth in Venom Let There Be Carnage

Following Cletus Kasady biting Eddie Brock’s hand and ingesting a small piece of the symbiote, it bonds with him and becomes Carnage by protecting him from the lethal injection. Carnage is one of the most terrifying Spider-Man villains of all time and a massive problem for Eddie Brock and Venom moving forward. Becoming Carnage allows Cletus Kasady to escape prison, and Carnage agrees to help him rescue Frances Barrison – also known as Shriek – the woman Kasady loves, in exchange for his help in destroying Eddie Brock and Venom.

Venom Leaves Eddie Brock

Venom: Let There Be Carnage

Venom With Glowstick Necklaces In A Club In Venom Let There Be Carnage

After their confrontation with Cletus Kasady, Eddie Brock and Venom get into a massive fight about having the freedom to eat more criminals if Venom chooses to do so. This argument leads to Venom and Eddie “breaking up” and Venom goes out on his own. He has to body hop from person to person, since he can’t bond with most others in the same way. Eventually, Venom makes his way back to Eddie Brock by bonding once more with Anne Weying, Brock’s ex-fiance. They break Eddie Brock out of police custody and the two of them bond once more.

Venom and Eddie Must Stop Carnage

Venom: Let There Be Carnage

Carnage attacking Venom in Venom Let There Be Carnage

Following Eddie Brock and Venom bonding again, Cletus Kasady and Carnage capture both Anne Weying and Detective Mulligan, bringing them to Grace Cathedral, where Cletus intends to marry Francis. Eddie Brock and Venom arrive at the church, determined to take down Carnage and Cletus Kasady once and for all.

Like usual, Venom is overpowered by Carnage during their fight, and can’t find a way to overcome him. Instead, he provokes Frances into using her powers as Shriek, which separates Carnage and Cletus Kasady. This allows Venom to devour Carnage and kill Kasady.

Venom and Eddie Are Transported To The MCU (And Back)

Venom: Let There Be Carnage

Venom Sees MCU Spider-Man in Venom 2

The end credits of Venom: Let There Be Carnage promised to change Sony’s Spider-Man Universe forever. After going on the run at the end of the movie, Eddie Brock and Venom find themselves transported to another universe. In fact, it is the main MCU universe timeline, and Venom sees Tom Holland’s Spider-Man on the news, teasing a long-awaited confrontation between the two.

The trip to the MCU was short-lived for Eddie and Venom, though, as all they did was learn about what universe they were in from the bartender at the hotel they were staying at during the end credits of Spider-Man: No Way Home. They are transported back to their own universe as Peter Parker reverses the spell that caused multiversal breaches that allowed various Spider-Man villains to enter the MCU.

Eddie And Venom Are On The Run

Venom: The Last Dance

Eddie Brock (Tom Hardy) and Venom talking in the desert in Venom: The Last Dance

Venom: The Last Dance kicks off with Eddie Brock and Venom at that same hotel bar in the MCU where they have that conversation with the bartender. Once again, they are pulled through a portal back to their universe and continue to find themselves on the run because of the events of Venom: Let There Be Carnage, where the police think they killed Detective Mulligan.

This kicks off the plot of Venom: The Last Dance, which is essentially a buddy road trip movie. They start off in Mexico and want to make their way to New York as Eddie Brock has dirt on a judge that he hopes can clear his name if Eddie blackmails him.

Knull Sends Xenophages To Hunt Down Venom

Venom: The Last Dance

New look at Knull in Venom The Last Dance

Knull finally makes his live-action appearance, and is primed to become the big bad of Sony’s Spider-Man Universe. In Venom: The Last Dance, Knull is the creator of the symbiotes and has been imprisoned by them. To free himself, he must obtain a codex, and he sends the Xenophages to Earth to find one. This is where Venom saving Eddie’s life in the first film truly comes full circle.

When Venom saved Eddie, it created a codex.

A codex is created when a symbiote saves the life of its host. When Venom saved Eddie, it created a codex. Because of this, the Xenophages are trying to hunt down Venom and Eddie, but can only see the codex when Venom is in his full form, which forces Venom to stay hidden. Eventually, the Xenophages catch up with Eddie Brock and Venom in Area 55, where the rest of the symbiotes are being kept.

Venom Overcomes The Xenophages And Dies

Venom: The Last Dance

Xenophage on a cliff in Venom The Last Dance

After the Xenophages have destroyed all the other symbiotes, Venom absorbs them and crawls towards a vat of acid in an attempt to sacrifice himself to kill them. Venom throws Eddie from his body and when Eddie tries to reach out to him, Venom grabs a steel door and uses it to protect Eddie from the acid that is poured on them, saving Eddie’s life in the process.

Strickland then proceeds to destroy the facility, which seemingly kills Venom and the rest of the Xenophages. Venom dies a hero, sacrificing himself to save humanity and the universe. Venom: The Last Dance promised one last ride for the two characters, and certainly delivered on that front.

Eddie Brock Lives His Life Without Venom

Venom: The Last Dance

Eddie Brock in a car in Venom The Last Dance

Now that Venom is gone, Eddie Brock is left on his own. He is told that his record is expunged, but he cannot tell anyone about what happened. Despite being such a massive part of his life for a year, Eddie Brock must move on with his life. Now that he is no longer a wanted criminal, Eddie Brock makes his way to New York City after all, with one thing left to do.

Prior to his death, Venom tells Eddie that he would have really liked to see the Statue of Liberty. Once Eddie Brock is in New York, a montage plays of various moments through the three films, wonderfully accompanied by Maroon 5’s song “Memories.” Eddie Brock finds himself at the Statue of Liberty, looks up at it and says, “I won’t forget you, buddy.” With this, the ending of Venom: The Last Dance brings the story of Venom and Eddie Brock to a close – for now.

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