Venom is a character.
Venom , or the Venom Symbiote , is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics , commonly in association with Spider-Man . Venom made his first appearance in The Amazing Spider-Man # 300 ( May 1988 ) . Venom was originally conceived as a supervillain , but has since become more of an antihero . The Symbiote went on to merge with other hosts , most notably Eddie Brock , its second and most infamous host , with whom it first became Venom and one of Spider-Man 's archenemies . According to S.H.I.E.L.D. , it is considered one of the greatest threats to humanity , alongside Magneto , Doctor Doom , and Red Skull .