We are Venom: the Queer Relationship between Eddie Brock and the Venom Symbiote in MARVEL Comics
Session Title
Additional Projects
College
College of Arts and Sciences
Department
English
Abstract
The characters of Eddie Brock and the Venom Symbiote from Marvel Comics are shown through the lens of queer theory to be in a queer relationship that remains hidden due to literature’s history of hiding queer characters in the subtext of comic books. This claim can be supported by many aspects of the comic books Venom appears in. The first piece of evidence lending credence to the possible romantic relationship is that Eddie and the Venom Symbiote first bonded in a church. There are many examples of instances where Eddie Brock talks about the Venom Symbiote that lend evidence to the existence of a queer relationship between the two of them. The comic art has a tendency to project the relationship between the characters as romantic. The final evidence of the two characters who embody Venom being in a queer relationship is them having “children” together and being “parents” in a sense. Despite the queer aspect of the characters existing in “Venom” over the course of their long history, why would it be hidden? This can all be tied back to the time period that the Venom character was introduced. Additionally, the popularity of the character of Venom can be seen as a reason Marvel leaves the relationship in the subtext. The nature of their relationship will likely remain hidden due to the time the character was created and public reactions to LGBTQ characters, but those who peel back the layers of the comics and view the characters through the lens of queer theory will find one of Marvel’s most tumultuous and passionate relationships
Start Date
15-4-2022 12:00 PM
We are Venom: the Queer Relationship between Eddie Brock and the Venom Symbiote in MARVEL Comics
The characters of Eddie Brock and the Venom Symbiote from Marvel Comics are shown through the lens of queer theory to be in a queer relationship that remains hidden due to literature’s history of hiding queer characters in the subtext of comic books. This claim can be supported by many aspects of the comic books Venom appears in. The first piece of evidence lending credence to the possible romantic relationship is that Eddie and the Venom Symbiote first bonded in a church. There are many examples of instances where Eddie Brock talks about the Venom Symbiote that lend evidence to the existence of a queer relationship between the two of them. The comic art has a tendency to project the relationship between the characters as romantic. The final evidence of the two characters who embody Venom being in a queer relationship is them having “children” together and being “parents” in a sense. Despite the queer aspect of the characters existing in “Venom” over the course of their long history, why would it be hidden? This can all be tied back to the time period that the Venom character was introduced. Additionally, the popularity of the character of Venom can be seen as a reason Marvel leaves the relationship in the subtext. The nature of their relationship will likely remain hidden due to the time the character was created and public reactions to LGBTQ characters, but those who peel back the layers of the comics and view the characters through the lens of queer theory will find one of Marvel’s most tumultuous and passionate relationships
