Venom's Most Unique Design Belongs to an Unexpected Avenger

Over the course of Marvel’s entire history, it feels like almost every character has had a Venomsymbiote at one time or another, but the redesign of one underrated Avenger proves that there’s still ways to surprise readers. With a brightly-colored costume that’s far from his usual attire, this mythic hero’s design is something no-one could have expected.

In Venomized #1 by Cullen Bunn and Iban Coello, the classic Avenger Hercules gets an unexpected symbiote form that’s way different from any costume he’s had before.

Keeping Hercules' traditional colors of green and gold, there’s little else that resembles the Greek God of Strength. His new symbiote mask, or mouth, certainly resembles a classic Corinthian helmet favored by that subset of the Greeks, but even covering Hercules’ face is an unusual step for an Avenger who’s not afraid to bare some skin.

Hercules' Venom Design Is a Radical Reinvention for the Classic Avenger

Venomized #1 by Cullen Bunn, Iban Coello, Matt Yackey, and Joe Caramagna

The 2018 Vemonized event concludes the story that writer Bunn had been telling since Venomverse the previous year. This series of events features the invasion of the interdimensional "Poisons," aliens that can take over traditional Marvel symbiotes, which is exactly what happens to the symbiote on Hercules and other heroes. The big problem with Herc being bonded to this new Symbiote is that eventually, the Poison’s host turns violent and begins to lose any humanity they had, giving Venomized an excuse to redesign all these heroes - and have them fight each other in classic Marvel style.

Even beyond the in-story ticking clock of being subsumed by the Poison, this transformation was never going to last for Hercules. Marvel's comics always revert to some version of the status quo, and a symbiote version of Hercules is far from his regular status quo. One of the big appeals of these types of events is the chance for artists to go wild trying out new ideas and costumes in a setting where those designs don’t have to stick around in case fan reception is poor. A symbiote Hercules is cool but perhaps better in small doses.

Hercules as Venom Looks More Like Another Godly Character...

Is He Too "God of War"?

If Hercules' new design is reminiscent of any Marvel character, it’s his fellow Greek God, Ares, the God of War. Ares’ most famous design sees him wearing an actual Corinthian helmet, so it’s interesting that Hercules now gets one. It’s a reminder that, for all his heroism, Hercules isn’t so different from Ares when it comes down to it. Both of them are Greek gods known for their martial strength who’ve fought in wars, and both Hercules and Ares (and Venom, for that matter) have spent time on various versions of the Avengers.

Venomized #1 is available now from Marvel Comics.