Summary

• Eddie Brock solidifies his status as a hero by declaring he is done being a sinner, making a bold stand against Carnage in Venom #32.
• Dylan Brock plays a key role in grounding Venom and influencing his evolution into an anti-hero throughout his 36-year character arc.
• Carnage's actions continue to drive Venom's journey towards heroism, as Eddie refuses to wallow in misery and make the same mistakes.

Warning: contains spoilers for Venom #32!

For the past several years, Venom has had an amazing character arc, one that has redefined the symbiote for the modern era, and Eddie Brock cements this status with one unforgettable line. In Venom #32, Carnage’s long game against Venom and the other symbiotes comes to a head. During the confrontation, Venom makes a bold declaration about not only his relationship with Carnage, but his place in the Marvel Universe.

Venom #32, written by Al Ewing and drawn by Ken Lashley, is part three of Symbosis Necrosis. In a previous issue, Carnage seemingly slaughtered Meridius, a future King in Black. Carnage then begins attacking the other symbiotes in the Garden of Time. Carnage singles out Eddie Brock, taunting him with the knowledge that his son Dylan is dead. Eddie, angered that Carnage went down that path, asserts himself. He declares Carnage “our original sin,” and he is done “being a sinner.”

Invoking Dylan, Venom also says he will stop at nothing to fight for his son.

Venom's Son Changed Him In Profound Ways

Dylan Brock Helped Make Eddie Into the Hero He Has Become

Venom’s life has been a series of tragedies, many outside of his control, but his son Dylan may be the one bright spot. Dylan’s existence was revealed during Donny Cates and Ryan Stegman’s character-defining run, and was perhaps the biggest catalyst for Venom’s complete shift to anti-hero status. Venom’s morality has always been complex: he wanted nothing more than to kill Spider-Man, but would go out of his way not to harm innocents. This, coupled with his otherworldly appearance, made Venom popular with fans. Venom became so popular, in fact, Marvel created another murderous symbiote to take his place: Carnage.

In Venom #32, Eddie calls Carnage their ‘original sin.” Cletus Kassady was cellmates with Eddie Brock. After bonding with a sliver of the Venom symbiote, Cletus becomes Carnage, and embarks on a rampage across the Marvel Universe. Carnage continues to sow the seeds of chaos everywhere he goes and Venom bears some of the responsibility for it. While Venom has killed many in his day, his crimes pale compared to those of Carnage. Carnage’s arrival began Venom’s drift towards being an anti-hero, a thread future creators, including Cates, Stegman and Ewing, have run with.

Dylan Brock Grounds Venom In the Best Possible Way

Carnage Will Never Have Someone Like Dylan

And it is only fitting that another attack by Carnage would complete Venom’s 36-year character arc. Venom declares that he is done wallowing in misery. Doing so led him to a fractured relationship with Dylan, one he may never get to repair. Carnage will never have a person that tethers his humanity like Dylan does for Eddie, and thus he could not understand why this is a bad idea. Venom, on the other hand, has moved beyond the issues that drove him down a dark path, and he has become one of Marvel’s best heroes.

Venom #32 is on sale now from Marvel Comics!