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Hey Comic Attack readers, welcome to another week in Marvel Snapshot! This week, we’ll be wrapping up the Spider-Man villains with three more of his greatest enemies of all time. We will see the Sandman, Venom, and Carnage! All of these villains are dangerous, but I think this group is the most homicidal of the bunch. Let’s start out with….

Flint Marko (William Baker), or the Sandman as most people have come to know him, was a small time hood before he was one of Spidey’s deadliest foes. He went to prison for some small crimes, and met his father there. Once his father was released, he escaped and began a life of crime after he went to a nuclear testing site and had his molecules mixed with irradiated sand. He fought against Spider-Man several times, but each time Spidey used his wits to outsmart the Sandman. For a while, Marko became a hero. After battling the Fantastic Four, he was approached by the Thing and told to fight for good, not evil. Marko gave it a run, but always found himself at odds with some of the other heroes he worked with. Eventually, he was recruited by Doc Ock (for a second time) to be part of the Sinister Six. However, when he realized that Doc Ock was going to blow up the city, he intervened and stopped him. Doc Ock subsequently turned him into glass. Later on, Spidey rescued him and changed him back to normal. Sandman was created in 1963 (ASM #4) by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko.

Next up is Venom. Venom is really disgraced news reporter Eddie Brock. Brock worked for a competing newspaper and thought he had a scoop on the story about the Sin Eater. In reality, his story was bogus, and Peter got the story right. Brock was then fired and his life began a downward spiral. It culminated when Peter rid himself of his Black Costume in the church tower. The Symbiote then bonded with Brock because he was full of negative emotions. This led to a lifelong pursuit of trying to kill and disgrace Peter Parker. The two clashed several times, and Venom nearly beat the life out of Spidey. Only his quick thinking and scientific mind usually got him out of trouble. Venom is one of the (if not the) most vicious enemies Spidey has ever faced. Venom was created by David Michelinie and Todd McFarlane in ASM #299.

Finally, we have someone that rivals Venom’s ferocious attitude, but is even more psychotic. Cletus Kasady was a terror even as a child. He killed his own grandmother, along with a host of others at an orphanage later on. He grew up with no morals to speak of and ended up in prison. He shared a cell with Eddie Brock. This is when he found out about the Symbiote, and when it came to rescue Brock, it also reproduced and then bonded with Kasady. From this moment on, Carnage would hate Spider-man, but hate Venom even more. Spidey and Venom would team up to stop Carnage, and he would be sent to the Vault for imprisonment. While there, his powers were reactivated by the doctor drawing blood (Carnage’s Symbiote lives in his bloodstream). He goes on a murderous rampage, and gathers up a few other villains to help his cause. Shriek, Doppleganger, Demogoblin, and Carrion all help Carnage kill and destroy everything in their sights. This is the great story called – Maximum Carnage! It crossed over every Spidey book at the time, and was actually pretty cool. Carnage dropped off the map for a while, but was seen on the Raft being held as a prisoner. He was subsequently torn in half by the Sentry. Carnage was created by David Michelinie and Mark Bagely in ASM #360, 1992.
Well, that’s it for this week, but stay tuned for another great week of Marvel greatness in Marvel Snapshot coming soon! As usual, take a look at my recommended reading list, and some of these villains’ best cover shots!
Recommended Reading
Spider-Man: Sinister Six – HC
Spider-Man vs. Silver Sable vol. 1 – Tpb
Spider-Man: Birth of Venom – Tpb
Spider-Man vs. Venom – Tpb
Spider-Man: Venom Returns – Tpb
Spider-Man: Maximum Carnage – Tpb

Billy Dunleavy
billy@comicattack.net