By
Kevin Erdmann
Published Feb 25, 2026, 9:46 PM EST
Since 2019, Kevin Erdmann has been one of Screen Rant's Senior Staff Writers, covering all kinds of Superhero and Star Wars media with Easter egg breakdowns, theory pieces, breaking news, and more. A huge Star Wars & MCU fan, Kevin also loves Batman (because he's Batman), but could talk for hours about why Nightwing is DC's greatest hero.
With 8 years of total experience covering entertainment and pop culture, Kevin has gotten the chance to interview top creatives and talent, and has also attended major media events like Disney's D23 convention.
Majoring in Cinema Studies with a minor in Comics and Cartoon Studies from the UofO, Kevin lives in Oregon with his wonderful wife, adorable dog, and sinister cat who is no doubt currently plotting his demise.
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Warning! This post contains SPOILERS for Amazing Spider-Man/Venom: Death Spiral #1Although Spider-Man has teamed up with Venom, and Venom has reluctantly teamed up with Carnage with very brief alliances, we've never seen all three team up together quite like we're about to see in Marvel's new Death Spiral event.
As seen in the first issue of Spider-Man/Venom: Death Spiral by Charles Soule, Al Ewing, Joe Kelly, and Jesús Saíz, Spider-Man, Venom, and Carnage are being set up to unite against an incredibly lethal common threat in the form of a brand-new Marvel villain. However, recent status quo changes for all three characters mean that this new alliance will be unlike any we've seen before.
Spider-Man Is Set To Join Forces With Venom & Carnage (But There's Some Major Twists)
Here's how it all breaks down: at the center of this new dark chaos lies a brand-new serial killing supervillain who will end up forcing Spider-Man, Venom, and—shockingly—Carnage to work together. However, Spider-Man has only just returned from a major space adventure and is still trying to get back into the swing of things (pun very much intended).
Case in point, something Peter is going to have to reconcile with real quick is that Mary Jane Watson is Venom's current host, having been bonded to the symbiote for close to a year now.
To make matters more complicated, we see Peter getting a call from Eddie Brock that the Carnage symbiote now knows that Peter is Spider-Man. Brock knows this because he's Carnage's current host in a bold bid to keep the homicidal symbiote in check, having cut a deal that they will only kill serial killers.
All things considered, it's clear that Death Spiral is going to be giving us an incredible and unique Spider-Man/Venom/Carnage team-up...though one final reveal really seals the deal for this opening issue.
Spider-Man & Venom's New Marvel Villain Torment Looks Incredibly Dangerous
New Marvel villain Torment gains Mary Jane Watson as a target
This new Marvel villain named Torment is revealed to be a calculating serial killer whose methodology is as disturbing as it is incredibly deliberate when it comes to choosing his victims.
Creating spirals of murders, the entire issue shows seemingly random deaths throughout. However, the victims all have the same last names: Parker or Brock. The spiral then appears to tighten, ending with Peter Parker and Eddie looking to be Torment's final targets.
However, the real surprise is that the Carnage symbiote has secretly been in contact with Torment when Eddie sleeps, giving him a third target connected to both Peter and Eddie: Mary Jane Watson. Describing Peter, Eddie, and MJ as "three spirals that make one big ugly twisted knot", it's now crystal clear why Spider-Man, Venom, and Carnage are on a collision course in this new Marvel series.
After just one single issue, Spider-Man/Venom: Death Spiral already feels dangerously dark and all kinds of exciting ahead of this epic new team-up on the way.
Spider-Man/Venom: Death Spiral #1 is available now from Marvel Comics.
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Spider-Man
Alias
Peter Parker, Ben Reilly, Otto Octavius, Yu Komori, Kaine Parker, Pavitr Prabhakar, William Braddock, Miles Morales, Kurt Wagner
Created By
Stan Lee, Steve Ditko
Franchise
Marvel, Spider-Man
Race
Human
First Appearance
Amazing Fantasy
Alliance
Avengers, Fantastic Four, X-Men, Secret Defenders, Future Foundation, Heroes for Hire, Mighty Avengers, New Avengers, Web-Warriors
Spider-Man is the name given to several individuals who have employed a spider-moniker throughout Marvel Comics. Typically gaining their powers through a bite from a radioactive spider, the different Spider-Man heroes employ super-strength, agility, and intellect while utilizing webbing to swing and tangle up their foes. The most notable of these Spider-Men is Peter Parker, who remains one of the most popular superheroes throughout the world.
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Venom
NAME
Venom (Symbiote), Eddie Brock (most prominent host)
Alias
Eddie Brock
Created By
David Michelinie, Todd McFarlane
POWERS
Superhuman strength, speed, agility, and endurance, Ability to cling to surfaces, Shape-shifting abilities (forming weapons, shields), Regeneration and healing factor, Immunity to Spider-Man's spider-sense, Enhanced senses, Able to produce webbing, Bonding with a host to share or amplify powers, Immunity to all Earthly diseases
RELATIONSHIPS
Eddie Brock (primary host and ally), Peter Parker/Spider-Man (initial enemy, later uneasy ally), Anne Weying (former wife of Eddie Brock and occasional host), Cletus Kasady/Carnage (offspring of the Venom symbiote and a deadly enemy)
HISTORY
The Venom symbiote is an alien organism that first bonded with Peter Parker (Spider-Man) during the "Secret Wars" storyline. After Parker rejected the symbiote, it found a new host in Eddie Brock, a disgraced journalist. The symbiote and Brock bonded over their mutual hatred for Spider-Man, becoming the anti-hero known as Venom. Over time, Venom has evolved from a villain to an anti-hero, often fighting alongside other heroes to protect innocents, though his methods remain brutal.
Venom is a symbiotic alien entity bonded with various human hosts, notably Eddie Brock and later Flash Thompson. It grants superhuman strength, agility, and a shape-shifting black costume. Initially a Spider-Man villain due to its origins, Venom evolved into an antihero, battling both villains and his own dark impulses. The character embodies themes of duality and redemption within the Marvel Universe.
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