Venom Modern Era Epic Collection: Sting Of The Scorpion

The Venom symbiote claims a new host, who just happens to be one of Spider-Man’s greatest enemies!

Venom’s murderous offspring, Carnage, is about to reproduce himself — and Venom won’t stand for it! Only a now Eddie Brock-less Venom can save the life of its symbiotic grand-child. But is the new arrival named Toxin destined to be an even greater monster than those that came before it — or something else entirely? Then Venom forms a new bond — but is Angelo Fortunato, son of a mob boss, man enough to host a symbiote? Maybe Mac Gargan, A.K.A. the sinister Scorpion, is more Venom’s speed — but then can Spider-Man triumph against two of his most bitter foes combined?! In a world where Norman Osborn is in charge, Spidey villains enjoy fresh opportunities — and for the new Venom, that means a place on Osborn’s Thunderbolts! But is he ready to play hero? Plus: Look back at the dark origin of Eddie Brock that led him to join with Venom!

COLLECTING: Venom vs. Carnage (2004) #1-4; Marvel Knights Spider-Man (2004) #7-8, 11; Sensational Spider-Man (2006) #38-39; Thunderbolts: Reason in Madness (2008) One-Shot; Venom: Dark Origin (2008) #1-5; material from Civil War: Choosing Sides (2006), Spider-Man Family (2007) #3

Written by Peter Milligan, Mark Millar, Robert Aguirre-Sacasa, Christos Gage, Zeb Wells & More
Penciled by Clayton Crain, Terry Dodson, Frank Cho, Lee Weeks, Ben Oliver, Angel Medina & More

Peter Milligan was at the forefront of the 1990s “British Invasion,” introducing a revolutionary new breed of comic books for an adult audience. His Eisner Award-nominated DC/Vertigo series Shade the Changing Man offered a satirical look at American culture from the point of view of an alien visitor from another dimension. Enigma cemented Milligan’s reputation for unparalleled weirdness, and Human Target’s sharp deconstruction of the action-movie paradigm demonstrated his versatility. But the critically acclaimed Marvel series X-Force (later X-Statix), with its unique interpretation of the mutant condition, stands as perhaps his most popular work. His other Marvel credits include X-Men, Sub-Mariner: The Depths and 5 Ronin.

Mark Millar is the New York Times best-selling writer of Wanted, the Kick-Ass series, The Secret Service, Jupiter’s Legacy, Nemesis, Superior, Supercrooks, American Jesus, MPH and Starlight. Wanted, Kick-Ass, Kick-Ass 2 and The Secret Service (as Kingsman: The Secret Service) have been adapted into feature films. His DC Comics work includes the seminal Superman: Red Son. At Marvel Comics, he has written The Ultimates, selected by Time magazine as the comic book of the decade; the acclaimed Wolverine saga “Old Man Logan;” and Civil War, the industry’s biggest-selling series in almost two decades. Millar has served as producer and executive producer on previous adaptations of his works and, following the purchase of his Millarworld comic line by Netflix in 2017, remains the company’s president. For his services to film and literature, he received the prestigious honor of being made a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) by the Queen in 2013.

Working in a unique style, Clayton Crain notably came into the public eye with the release of the Garth Ennis-written limited series Ghost Rider: Road to Damnation, followed by Ghost Rider: Trail of Tears. Following a well-received stint on Sensational Spider-Man, Crain helped relaunch X-Force with writers Craig Kyle and Chris Yost, redesigning the team for a new millennium. He has inimitably rendered the sinister, symbiotic foes of Spider-Man to great acclaim in Venom vs. Carnage and Carnage.

Artist Terry Dodson broke into Marvel Comics with Storm, a four-issue series with writer Warren Ellis focusing on the longtime X-Man. After a stint on the X-Men teen spinoff series Generation X, Dodson helped writer Karl Kesel launch Harley Quinn for DC Comics, starring the Joker’s deadly female sidekick. Following the completion of writer Mark Millar’s Marvel Knights Spider-Man, Dodson again collaborated with Millar on the EA video game Marvel Nemesis: Rise of the Imperfects. Following runs on Uncanny X-Men and Defenders with writer Matt Fraction, Dodson remains one of the most popular artists in the field, a status he attributes in large part to the contributions of his wife, Rachel, who adds her talented inking to much of Terry’s work.