Venom (1st series) #9

Issue Date: 
February 2004
Story Title: 
“Run” - part 4
Staff: 

Daniel Way (writer), Paco Medina (pencils), Juan Velasco (inks), Guru eFX (colors), Cory Petit (letters), Sam Keith (cover), John Miesegaes (supervising editor), Joe Quesada (editor in cief), Dan Buckley (publisher)

Brief Description: 

Frankie and Vic continue their efforts to contain and possess the Venom creature in the obliterated town of Voici in Northern Canada. Venom kills Frankie by ambushing her, and as Vic runs away, the Suit disables her. The Suit finds Lt. Robertson is still alive, making it difficult to contain the situation. Wolverine is enveloped by the symbiote and controlled. In order to apparently solve the problem, the Suit implants cybernetic devices into Lt. Robertson to allow her to control Venom, should it envelop her. The issue ends just as #7 began – with Frankie and Vic arriving and explaining that the creature is their destiny.

Full Summary: 

Wolverine is lying unconscious in the crater caused by the nuclear bomb, when he awakes to the humming sound of the twins’ hovercarrier.

Frankie and Vic, now bald, are trying desperately to track the symbiote. After the bomb was dropped, seemingly killing everyone for miles, the twins believe that it will be impossible for the symbiote to do anything but possess one of them – which they desire. They each strap on some heavy weaponry and armor, and leave Patricia on the ship as they search for the creature. While they talk, they are oblivious to Robertson, who is conscious the whole time and clutching a wrench. Vic explains that they have been waiting their entire lives to meet this creature. Frankie worries that the big moment in question will be disappointing, but Vic doubts it. They leave the ship.
Meanwhile, Wolverine stands up, finding a gaping hole in his chest after the blast. He begins tracking the twins, with the cry of “This time… you better have a bigger bomb!”
The twins continue tracking the creature with their gadgets through the ruins of Voici. They find a storm cellar and attempt to descend into it to find the creature, but Vic shouts a warning too late – the creature has possessed a number of cockroaches in order to survive, and it reforms itself, crushing Frankie’s body with it’s strength. Vic shoots, but the symbiote disappears. After the symbiote leaves, Vic radios her base, asking for instructions. However, before she gets any answers, The Suit sneaks up behind and knocks her out, stealing her handprint to gain acces to the ship. Immediately, the Suit is ambushed by Robertson with the wrench. The Suit describes her presence as “problematic.” The Suit thinks for a moment, then proceeds back to the corpse of Vic, where he removes her cybernetic equipment. He returns to the ship, and Lt. Robertson screams.
Wolverine tracks the scent through the nearby woods, seeing a brilliant flash of light on the horizon. He finds a pile of dead roaches, which perplexes him, as roaches should have survived the blast. Wolverine is ambushed by Venom and absorbed.
Lt. Robertson awakes, and asks the Suit what is going on. The Suit responds that he is attempting to reconstruct his cell-phone weapon, and did not want to kill Robertson though she is a potential host and escape vehicle for Venom. Robertson removes her hood to see that she is now bald, and with cybernetic implants. She screams as Suit explains that it was to allow her to control the creature. Before the argument can continue, The Suit is pierced through the hull by a set of claws, and divided in half before he can reach his new phone. The creature has arrived, and asks Robertson if she “likes his new look.” The Venom / Wolverine creature has arrived, complete with claws and Wolverine hair. Venom continually prevents Robertson from reaching the cell-phone, but a blast of fire stops him for a moment.
Another ship arrives, with Frankie and Vic aboard…

Characters Involved: 

Venom (symbiote only)
Wolverine
The Suit
Lt. Patricia Robertson
Frankie and Vic – the twins
Clones of Frankie and Vic

Story Notes: 

Symbiotes are weak against fire and sonic power: this is why Venom shrieks at the fire blast.
The cockroaches that Wolverine encounters are the ones that Venom possessed.
Cockroaches would survive a nuclear blast, or any radiation. The reason for this is that radiation inhibits cellular mitosis. All Earth creatures experience mitosis (the division and replacement of cells) continually, except cockroaches – their cells divide and replace only once a week.
Venom is absorbing new hosts for an unknown reason. The reason he wanted Wolverine as a host so badly is that Wolverine’s healing factor will constantly replenish him so that he doesn’t need to continue looking for hosts.

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