The Marvel Universe is full of “what ifs,” but few are as haunting as the tale of what happens when Venom takes over Spider-Man’s dead body.
This storyline, featured in What If? Spider-Man The Other Issue #1, gets into a dark alternate reality where the Venom symbiote exploits Peter Parker’s death, leading to a series of tragic and terrifying events.
Contents
The End of Peter Parker, The Begin of a Nightmare
In this alternate reality, Peter Parker meets his end in a brutal confrontation with Morlun, one of his deadliest foes.
Instead of a heroic resurgence, Peter’s body is encased in a cocoon, a place where he’s meant to undergo a metamorphosis and possibly be reborn as a stronger version of himself.
However, Peter doesn’t accept the Great Weaver‘s offer to fully embrace his arachnid nature, leaving him in a state of incomplete transformation.
This refusal to be reborn is the first domino to fall in this tragic tale.
Peter’s indecision leaves him vulnerable, and that’s where the Venom symbiote comes into play.
At the time of Peter’s death, the Venom symbiote is bonded to Mac Gargan, better known as the Scorpion.
However, the symbiote, driven by its obsession with Peter, abandons Gargan, slaughtering guards and taking over one of their bodies to escape imprisonment.
This sequence of events is where the story begins to take a dark turn.
Venom, with its predatory instincts, infiltrates Peter’s cocoon, merging with his lifeless body.
The symbiote fills the void left by Peter’s incomplete metamorphosis, overtaking his body and fighting against his mind.
Over the course of several months, the remnants of Peter’s consciousness are gradually destroyed, leaving the symbiote in full control.
The Rise of Poison
With Peter’s body now fully under its control, the symbiote renames itself “Poison.”
This new entity is a horrifying fusion of Spider-Man’s abilities and Venom’s malevolent nature, creating a villain far more dangerous than either could be alone.
Poison’s first act is to seek out those Peter once loved, turning his body into a weapon against the people he cared about the most.
At Avengers Tower, Poison confronts Mary Jane Watson and Aunt May, shattering their peace with the sight of what has become of Peter.
The horror is not just in what they see but in what Poison proposes, to transform Mary Jane into a similar creature, an obedient puppet to serve his twisted desires.
As Poison wreaks havoc, the commotion at Avengers Tower doesn’t go unnoticed.
Wolverine and Luke Cage, two of the most formidable members of the Avengers, are alerted by the disturbance and rush to Mary Jane’s aid.
These two heroes, known for their resilience and strength, quickly find themselves in a nightmarish battle against a foe they never expected.
Wolverine, with his heightened senses and unbreakable adamantium claws, and Luke Cage, with his superhuman strength and unbreakable skin, are usually more than a match for any opponent.
But against Poison, they face a terrifying combination of Peter Parker’s agility and Venom’s raw, monstrous power.
Poison, fully in control of Spider-Man’s body, easily overpowers both heroes, showcasing just how deadly this new entity has become.
Mary Jane’s Desperate Decision and the Aftermath
The encounter with Poison leaves Mary Jane devastated but not defeated.
She contemplates surrendering to the overwhelming darkness but ultimately vows to make Poison’s existence a living hell.
After being rejected by Mary Jane, Poison turns his attention to Gwen Stacy’s grave.
In a macabre act of necromancy, he exhumes Gwen’s corpse and uses the symbiote’s abilities to resurrect her as a Carnage-like creature.
This act marks the beginning of Gwen’s dark rebirth, adding another layer of tragedy to the story.
