'Marvel's Spider-Man 2' Explained: What Is the Anti-Venom Suit (Peter Parker)?

Sometimes it takes a symbiote to defeat a symbiote and this is especially true for the acclaimed video game Marvel’s Spider-Man 2, which introduces the Anti-Venom Suit. As Marvel’s New York is nearly overwhelmed by a symbiote invasion, the Anti-Venom Suit is among the most pivotal elements to stop the city from being overrun, with a familiar face under the white symbiote. And within the creation of the Anti-Venom Suit lies the redemption of a major Spider-Man villain who is ready for a chance at a fresh start, free of their painful past.

Here is everything you need to know about the Anti-Venom Suit, including how the seeds of its big debut were established ahead of Marvel’s Spider-Man 2, his major role in the PlayStation 5 game, and how it compares to Anti-Venom’s history in the comics.

The Origins of the Anti-Venom Suit Before the Marvel’s Spider-Man 2

The two key components to the creation of the Anti-Venom Suit were introduced in the 2018 game Marvel’s Spider-Man: The Venom symbiote and Mister Negative. After enduring illegal genetic experiments by Oscorp, resulting in the accidental death of his parents, Martin Li swore to expose just how evil Mayor Norman Osborn really was. The experiments gave Martin the ability to transform into the photonegative Mister Negative, superhumanly powered and able to corrupt anyone he came into direct contact with through a mere touch.

Mister Negative led a gang of masked criminals, known as the Inner Demons, who plunged Marvel's New York into chaos as part of his explosive vendetta to take down Osborn. Attacking a mayoral event in Manhattan, Mister Negative and the Inner Demons killed Miles Morales’ father Jefferson Davis, who heroically sacrificed his life in the line of duty. Mister Negative was ultimately defeated by Spider-Man and imprisoned in the Raft for his crimes.

Meanwhile, Norman was revealed to secretly be keeping his son Harry Osborn in a medically induced stasis within Oscorp Tower until a cure for his terminal condition could be found. To stabilize his son, Norman had Harry bonded to an extraterrestrial symbiote recovered by Oscorp from a meteor crash. By the end of Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales, Harry began to emerge from stasis, with Norman ordering his son’s release despite being warned of the potential consequences.

The Anti-Venom Suit’s Role in Marvel’s Spider-Man 2

In Marvel’s Spider-Man 2, the Venom symbiote is transferred to Peter Parker to save his life after he is grievously wounded by Kraven the Hunter. Though successful, the symbiote begins to negatively affect Peter’s personality while he is bonded to it, growing more violent and erratic. Peter manages to free himself from the symbiote but after it re-bonds with Harry, the symbiote transforms him into the monstrous Venom and unleashes a wave of symbiotes across the city.

While the situation quickly grows more dire, Peter is trapped within a massive symbiote cocoon that Miles and a repentant Martin are unable to free him from with conventional methods. Martin decides to use the full extent of his photogenic powers, aided by Miles, who taps into his own formidable bioelectric abilities to free Peter, with Martin completely and seemingly permanently expending his powers in the process. The remnants of the Venom symbiote in Peter’s body react to the unique nature of Martin’s powers released in the effort, creating the Anti-Venom Suit around Peter.

Like with the Venom symbiote, Peter’s awesome abilities are enhanced significantly by the Anti-Venom Suit, albeit without any of the negative influence that the black symbiote fueled. The Anti-Venom Suit proves quite effective in dealing with Venom and the other symbiotes, while boasting some of its own unique abilities, including the power to generate energy like Mister Negative and Miles. Peter retains full control of himself while bonded to the Anti-Venom Suit and uses it to help save Marvel’s New York.

Anti-Venom in the Comics

Anti-Venom debuted in AMAZING SPIDER-MAN (1999) #569 and, like in the game, is created from the remnants of the Venom symbiote combining with the photogenic powers of Mister Negative. When a terminally ill Eddie Brock began working at Martin Li’s soup kitchen, Martin’s negative touch not only cured Eddie of his condition but reacted to the symbiote particles dormant in Eddie’s body. This created the Anti-Venom symbiote, which overtook Eddie as he became a different kind of hero, with some new tricks up his sleeve.

In addition to possessing the usual abilities of Venom, Anti-Venom can produce powerful antibodies that can cure a variety of ailments and purge other symbiotes from their host bodies. Eddie uses the Anti-Venom symbiote to save New York from transforming into giant spiders in the crossover event SPIDER-ISLAND (2015), seemingly at the cost of the symbiote itself. However, a new Anti-Venom has since been introduced, bonded to Flash Thompson, after he was experimented on by the Life Foundation. Dubbing himself Agent Anti-Venom, Flash uses his symbiote to protect others as he resumes his hero career.

Marvel's Spider-Man 2 is available now only on PlayStation 5. Order the title on PlayStation Store, PlayStation Direct or your friendly neighborhood retailer!

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