Symbiote,
in Marvel Comics' fictional universe, is a living
alien organism that bonds with another living organism
(usually a human, although it may bond with animals)
in order to survive. Since it has no classifying name,
it is referred to as a symbiote because of its symbiotic
relationships. Often symbiotes are called "living
costume" because of the way the amorphous creatures
envelope their hosts.
According
to the mini-series Planet of the Symbiotes, symbiotes
were originally an unfeeling, conquering race, taking
over any species they come in contact with to feed
off of emotions, mainly adrenaline rushes from death-defying
feats. As a consequence, the hosts are short-lived.
The Venom symbiote was different because it desired
a strong bond with a single host, and desired to belong
rather than to dominate, leading to imprisonment by
its own race. At which point it was brought to Battleworld
during the first Secret Wars. The Venom symbiote describes
itself as a mutation though it may just as likely
be an atavism among its species. While the number
of symbiotes in existence at present is unknown, Venom
tells Carnage that the he is the nine hundred and
ninety ninth in his line, and making Carnage's offspring
Toxin the thousandth.
It
is unclear from where the symbiotes actually originated
but it is known that their species existed for millions
of years prior to the arrival of the Venom symbiote
on Earth. It is implied that Galactus, devourer of
worlds, consumed a world in which they had taken over
and thrived upon based on Carnage's reaction to the
Silver Surfer, herald of Galactus. It was mistakenly
believed that this was their homeworld. It is shown
through the Carnage symbiote that this was a world
whose dominant life form had been overrun by the marauding
symbiotes.
While
most symbiotes seen in the Marvel Universe have been
shown to be capable of great feats of violence, deception
and various criminal acts against humanity, it is
notable that their hosts were generally unstable before
bonding. However, Patrick Mulligan, host to the Toxin
symbiote was a stable and virtuous human who was able
to use his symbiote to perform genuinely heroic actions;
according to Venom, this is also because the thousandth
symbiote of the line is subject to mental breakdown.
Though the Toxin symbiote has occasionally tried to
make Patrick utilise more violent methods in the pursuit
of crime, this could be attributed to the genetic
memories passed on from Carnage, his father, who is
indifferent about his use of violence. In the MC2
universe, the Venom symbiote bonds with the grandson
of Norman Osborn, Normie Osborn but his good-hearted
nature influences the suit and causes it to sacrifice
itself against a sonic attack to defend Spider-Girl.
It is therefore possible that while the symbiote possesses
a complex sentience, it obtains its opinions on morality
from the host and as such, amplifies the hatred and
evil in hosts like Cassidy while someone devoid of
hatred was capable of influencing the suit to be good.
More confused hosts, like Brock, seem to result in
different personalities: Venom claimed 'innocence
should be cherished' and rescued victims he deemed
innocent, including human infants. However, Brock's
poor judgement has lead to him performing many criminal
acts, including the murder of some apparently innocent
people.
