Agent Venom

Flash Thompson — Peter Parker's former high-school bully turned Iraq War veteran who lost his legs in combat — bonds with the Venom symbiote as part of a government black-ops program, becoming Agent Venom: a soldier-spy wielding the symbiote's power in service of his country.

Born in the pages of Rick Remender and Tony Moore's Venom #2 in 2011, Agent Venom is a Modern Age Marvel creation who immediately signaled something fresh and compelling — a new host for one of comics' most iconic symbiotes, operating in a world of high-stakes espionage and superheroics. Over a run stretching across more than a decade and a half, the character has turned up in titles as varied as Thunderbolts and Free Comic Book Day 2014 (Guardians of the Galaxy), sharing pages with heavy hitters like Spider-Man, Captain America, and Reed Richards — serious company that speaks to the character's place in Marvel's broader universe. If you love the darker, more militarized corner of Marvel storytelling, Agent Venom is absolutely worth tracking down.