*Marvel: There were few more significant debuts, in the latter days of the 20th Century, than everyone’s favourite brain-eating symbiote Venom, who graduated from being a genetically modified costume in a jar to the Alpha Dog of Spidey’s Rogue’s Gallery! We have a quartet of collectibles in the Black Costume/Venom saga, beginning with Amazing Spider-Man #252, which, like many Secret Wars ‘epilogue’ issues, featured a major ‘twist’ only explained retroactively. In Spidey’s case, it was a dramatic black & white costume with a deadly secret. This was the debut of the new costume in real time, but it wasn’t the only debut – simultaneously, the black costume also appeared in Marvel Team-Up #141, released the same month, and often overlooked by collectors. The first appearance in internal continuity, however, was in the ‘flashback’ Marvel Super-Heroes Secret Wars #8, in which the origin of the costume was disclosed. And rounding out this venomous variety pack, we have Amazing Spider-Man #300, the first full appearance of Venom as readers (and moviegoers, with the second Venom flick being imminent) know him today.
PICTURED:
MARVEL SUPER HEROES SECRET WARS #8 VF/NM p £70
AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #252 VF+ p £60
MARVEL TEAM-UP #141 VF/NM £45
AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #300 FN p £150