The Amazing Spider-Man #300
The Amazing Spider-Man #300 (May 1988) delivers the first full appearance and complete origin of Venom — the symbiote-bonded Eddie Brock — making it one of the most consequential single issues of Marvel's Copper Age and the launch point for what would become Spider-Man's defining modern rivalry. Writer David Michelinie's script gave Venom a uniquely personal menace: because the alien symbiote had previously bonded with Peter Parker, Brock inherited full knowledge of Parker's secret identity and could approach him without triggering his spider-sense, a narrative device that made Venom feel genuinely unstoppable in a way few villains had before. The issue also closed the book on the black costume era that began in Secret Wars #8 (1984), with Peter Parker reclaiming his classic red-and-blue suit on the final splash page at Mary Jane's request — a full-circle moment that simultaneously ended one multi-year story arc and seeded everything that followed. Venom's popularity in the years after this issue sparked an entire symbiote sub-franchise, multiple solo series, and eventually a billion-dollar Sony film franchise, cementing #300 as the source document for one of Marvel's most durable characters.
In the landmark issue *The Amazing Spider-Man #300*, writer David Michelinie and artist Todd McFarlane introduce the unforgettable Venom in a story that redefines Spider-Man’s rogues’ gallery. When Spider-Man’s alien costume fuses with disgraced reporter Eddie Brock, a vengeful new enemy emerges—only to be challenged by a returning hero in his classic red and blue suit, at Mary Jane’s request. The cover by Todd McFarlane captures the chilling fusion in bold, dynamic detail.
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Editor Jim Salicrup needed a villain for the title's milestone 300th issue, and writer David Michelinie — who had been developing the concept across several books — pitched the alien symbiote bonded to a human host consumed by hatred for Spider-Man; Michelinie's original concept called for a female host, but Salicrup required a male character instead, leading to the creation of Eddie Brock. Michelinie has stated that the character's plots for issues #298–299 and the villain's written visual description predated Todd McFarlane's assignment to the book, while McFarlane — who joined the series with #298 specifically because he wanted to get Spider-Man out of the black costume and back into the red and blue — has credited himself with designing Venom's monstrous visual appearance; this creative-credit dispute was publicly aired in Wizard Magazine in 1993 and has continued in various forms ever since. Issue #300 was also the first issue on which McFarlane inked his own pencils on the series, and it marked his introduction of his signature hidden Felix the Cat easter egg into the Spider-Man run, with the cat embroidered on the Thing's bathrobe during the Fantastic Four visit. Stan Lee contributed a full-page "Stan's Soapbox" editorial in place of the letters page to mark the series' 25th anniversary.
Trivia · 7 facts
- First full appearance and complete origin of Venom (Eddie Brock bonded with the alien symbiote), cover-dated May 1988; Venom had appeared only partially or in shadow in the two preceding issues (#298 cameo, #299 first cameo/brief appearance).
- Written by David Michelinie; pencils, inks, and cover art by Todd McFarlane; colors by Bob Sharen; lettering by Rick Parker.
- Spider-Man's last appearance in the black alien symbiote costume (as a regular-use suit) for the decade; Peter Parker permanently returns to his classic red-and-blue costume on the final splash page at Mary Jane's request.
- Venom's origin is told in full here: disgraced Daily Globe reporter Eddie Brock — whose career was destroyed when Spider-Man unmasked Stan Carter as the real Sin-Eater, exposing Brock's published 'confession' from fake confessor Emil Gregg as fraudulent — encountered the rejected symbiote at Our Lady of Saints Church, bonding with it out of mutual hatred for Spider-Man.
- Key storytelling mechanic established: because the symbiote had previously inhabited Peter Parker, it does not trigger his spider-sense, making Venom a uniquely dangerous adversary who can approach undetected.
- The Thing (Ben Grimm) and Mister Fantastic (Reed Richards, in flashback recap) appear; Spider-Man borrows the Fantastic Four's sonic blaster as a weapon against the symbiote.
- The issue was reprinted as a facsimile edition by Marvel in October 2023 (with a foil variant), and exists in both a direct-edition variant and a newsstand-edition variant from the original print run. A 1998 Mexican chromium-cover reprint also exists.
Cast · 24 characters
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Full plot ⚠ may contain spoilers
▸ Reveal full plot — may contain spoilers
Spider-Man’s old alien costume has merged with reporter Eddie Brock who thinks his career was ruined by Spider-Man and the symbiote of the two, Venom, takes on the web slinger. At Mary Jane’s request, Spider-Man returns to the blue and red costume as she now finds his black duds way too creepy.
Plot details indexed by the Grand Comics Database (CC BY-SA).
