Venom is a central figure in Marvel’s Spider-Man 2, but his story and the spiral logo that follows him tease one of Marvel’s most powerful villains.
Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 has expanded the world of the web-slinger to include space aliens, thanks to the inclusion of Venom. The game incorporates the traditional origin of the villain rather than the more science-based origins of Ultimate Comics.
With that comes some of the body horror aspects of the Marvel Universe. This includes the mechanics behind symbiote possession and the weirder world the Klyntar species bring to storytelling.
The game also brought in the red spiral logo for Venom and the associated symbiotes. While the logo may seem fairly innocuous, it carries some weighty significance in the grander Marvel universe.
Note: spoilers for Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 to follow.
What the Symbiote spiral logo means in Marvel Comics
In Marvel, it’s established that the red spiral is the brand of Knull. As the King in Black of the symbiotes, Knull is essentially their god.
The red spiral appears on symbiotes who have been enthralled by Knull. Under his control, the symbiotes become some of the most dangerous entities in the whole of the Marvel Universe.
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When Knull is bested and Venom becomes the new King in Black, he gives the symbiotes a degree of autonomy back. Without Knull and under Venom’s leadership, the red spiral disappears and is no longer in use.
What the Symbiote spiral logo means in Marvel’s Spider-Man 2
The red spiral symbol in Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 appears on the meteorite Venom rode to Earth, but it doesn’t necessarily represent Knull himself. The game’s back half, a retelling of sorts of King in Black, puts Venom in this role.
However, the spiral does appear on humans possessed by symbiotes controlled by Venom. In this instance, the spiral represents a symbiote that is not bonded with a full symbiote but rather controlled by the enhanced powers of Venom and the meteorite.
These symbiotes break free when beaten, which speaks to how weak Venom’s control of them is. Some degree of control seems to remain beyond Venom and the meteorite, as these enemies are still on the world map after the main story’s end, but that could also just be a conceit of video games.
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