Venom #31
Venom (Vol. 2) #31 is the debut issue of Andrea 'Andi' Benton, a character who has since become one of the most narratively durable figures introduced during the Flash Thompson era of Venom — cycling through the identities of Mania, Scream, and Silence across nearly a decade of Marvel symbiote storytelling. The issue marks the opening chapter of Cullen Bunn's Philadelphia-set creative agenda, planting the seed for what would become Agent Venom's symbiote-sidekick dynamic and expanding the cast of morally complex symbiote hosts beyond the traditional Eddie Brock template. Andi's survival and growth across Absolute Carnage, Venomverse, and beyond validate the creative decision to introduce her here as a sharp-witted teenager with an outsider's view of Flash Thompson's double life. Her character's longevity demonstrates that the Flash Thompson years — often seen as a risky reinvention — produced at least one genuinely lasting addition to the symbiote mythology.
In "Day One," Flash Thompson steps into his new role as Agent Venom, leaving behind his past to start fresh in Philadelphia with quiet intentions. But as he settles in, a shadow from his past—Eddie Brock—is already on his trail, unaware of the path Flash is trying to leave behind. Written by Cullen Bunn and illustrated by Declan Shalvey, with colors by Lee Loughridge and letters by VC's Joe Caramagna, this issue features a cover by Paulo Siqueira.
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Rick Remender left the series after issue #22 to work on Captain America and Uncanny Avengers, and Cullen Bunn — who had already been co-writing with Remender — took sole creative control beginning with issue #23. By issue #27.1, Bunn and editor Tom Brennan, who had personal familiarity with Philadelphia, relocated Flash Thompson from New York to the City of Brotherly Love, framing it as a fresh-start arc for a character weighed down by past mistakes. Issue #31, titled 'Day One,' was the first full chapter of that Philadelphia chapter, with Declan Shalvey as penciler and Lee Loughridge on colors — the same artistic team Bunn cited enthusiasm for when planning new plot threads. The character of Andi Benton was conceived by Bunn as an organic complication for Flash's secret identity: a perceptive student who lives in his building and attends the high school where he coaches, making her both a vulnerability and, eventually, a partner.
Trivia · 8 facts
- First appearance of Andrea 'Andi' Benton (unnamed in this issue), the character who later takes on the identities Mania, Scream, and Silence across Marvel's symbiote line.
- First appearance of Robert Fricks, Flash Thompson's Philadelphia neighbor.
- Story titled 'Day One' (Venom Vol. 2 #31); cover date April 2013, released February 2013; published by Marvel Comics under Editor-in-Chief Axel Alonso.
- Written by Cullen Bunn; penciled by Declan Shalvey; colored by Lee Loughridge; lettered by Joe Caramagna; edited by Tom Brennan; cover by Shane Davis.
- Andi Benton does not bond with a symbiote in this issue — her first appearance here is as a civilian neighbor who has begun to suspect Flash Thompson's secret; she takes on the Mania identity in Venom (Vol. 2) #38.
- The Mania symbiote itself is a clone of the Venom symbiote that originated in the 2003 Venom series by Daniel Way and Francisco Herrera; the name 'Mania' and Andi as its host were both introduced by Cullen Bunn.
- Reprinted in the trade paperback Venom by Cullen Bunn: The Complete Collection (collecting Venom #23–42 and #27.1), and the issue received a True Believers: Absolute Carnage — Mania reprint edition in 2019.
- Venom (Vol. 2) ran for 42 issues (2011–2013), making it at the time the longest-running Venom ongoing series in Marvel history.
Full credits
Reprints
Reprinted in Venom: Toxin with a Vengeance #[nn] (2013), Venom by Cullen Bunn: The Complete Collection #[nn] (2018), Venom Modern Era Epic Collection #5 (2023), Agent Venom Omnibus #[nn] (2025)
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