Marvel is promising that Kang the Conqueror’s presence in the next three issues of Venom will explosively redefine symbiote lore as fans have come to know it. Venom has come an incredibly long way ever since the symbiote’s introduction back in 1984’s Secret Wars. The character’s current ongoing series tells a tale spanning across the past, present, and future, and with that, Kang has taken an obvious interest in the symbiote story. The current run of Venom from writers Al Ewing and Ram V has so far been a coming-of-age story for Eddie Brock’s son, Dylan, who has bonded with the Venom symbiote following Eddie’s apparent “death” in the first issue. As Dylan struggles with being different from his father, Eddie has a brief encounter with Kang, and awakens in The Garden, a symbiote hivemind that exists outside of the time stream. It was created by Meridius, a mysterious, time-hopping being who set most of the series’ events in motion. And it’s very clear that he is the villain in this story.
Kang has only appeared once so far, but Bryan Hitch’s cover art for Venom #8 shows Kang and Eddie locked in a gruesome battle, with the time traveler slicing the symbiote in half. This makes it clear that that Kang will be making his reappearance this issue, but how he fits into the whole story remains to be seen. He did call Eddie his oldest friend in the first issue, so the two will probably have a quick skirmish against each other before joining forces. And given that Meridius is also a time-travelling entity like Kang, the setup for a rivalry between them is perfect. The solicit information for Venom #9 by Ewing and Hitch reveals that Venom’s “battle across the cosmos has only just begun” and that Kang will continue to be involved. Ewing and Hitch’s arc that takes Eddie across time and space concludes in Venom #10. Not only is Meridius a time-traveler, but he is also a King in Black. These two facts make it probable that Eddie and Kang will be at each other’s throats at first but will come together to take down Meridius and stop his plan, the intent of which still remains to be seen. It is safe to say that it will impact the symbiotes of the past, present, and future, and likely goes against Eddie’s current objective of finding peace for all of them.
Marvel is teasing the next issue of Venom with the line, “If you buy no other issue of VENOM in 2022, YOU MUST BUY THIS ONE! (And the next two, but START WITH THIS ONE!)” This promises that the world and understanding of symbiotes will be changed forever. With Kang the Conqueror coming to be buddy-buddy with Venom, fans have no choice but to believe it. Venom #8 hits comic book store shelves June 8, 2022 followed by Venom #9 and Venom #10 in July.