Marvel Just Rebuilt All Venom Lore Around The Best Possible Character

Published Oct 8, 2026, 6:00 PM EDT Adam has been writing in the entertainment news space for over a decade. Beginning his career of covering film and TV at CinemaBlend, he has also appeared on The Flash Podcast and done several radio spots. Warning: SPOILERS for Queen in Black #5 are ahead!Though Venom started out as one of Spider-Man’s most dangerous villains, he’s since evolved into an anti-hero/sometime superhero with a compelling mythology of his own. While multiple individuals have bonded with the Venom symbiote over the decades, including Mac Gargan, Flash Thompson, and Mary Jane Watson, Eddie Brock remains its well-known host. It’s through their partnership that a large chunk of the symbiotes’ origins have been explored. Initially depicted as a sentient extraterrestrial costume that tried to take over Spider-Man’s body, it was later revealed that the Venom symbiote was one of the Klyntar, a species of alien parasites that conquered multiple worlds. Then in Donny Cates’ Venom run, it was revealed that Knull created the symbiotes, using the first of them, the All-Black, to kill a Celestial. However, the banished Knull later lost control of the symbiotes, and they imprisoned him within the artificial planet called Klyntar, from which they took their name. Knull was known as the King in Black until Eddie killed him and became his successor. After he lost the mantle and its power, resulting in Knull being resurrected to fill that vacuum, Hela, the Asgardian goddess of death, stole them for herself from the weakened supervillain. Now, with the conclusion of the Queen in Black event, there’s a new King in Black, and they’re an excellent choice to revolve the Venom lore around going forward. Sleeper Is The New King In Black Queen In Black #5, Written By Al Ewing, Art By Iban Coello Despite Hela starting out as Queen in Black’s primary antagonist, Knull quickly became a threat again when he was empowered by the Lightforce Dimension. As Hela attacked Earth with her symbiote army, Knull retaliated against her, with the crossover’s featured superheroes caught in the middle. Eventually, Knull killed Hela and reclaimed his original powers to become the King in All, only to be destroyed by Earth’s population bonded together as Venomworld. Yet, once again, Knull came back to life, awakening in the Un-Beyond, the home of the Kings in Black and the Symbiote-Hive Mind. Unfortunately for him, his throne still wasn’t up for grabs, as Sleeper, one of Venom’s many offspring, was already seated on it in his cat form. In Queen in Black: Venom Unchained #3, Eddie told Sleeper within the Venomworld mindscape that he was welcome to the King in Black mantle if he could take it. Sleeper pulled this off using Chainbreaker ability he learned when he bonded with Dylan Brock. So, in the final moments of Queen in Black #5, Knull vanished once more, and Sleeper declared it was time for his nap while surrounded by many symbiotes. Sleeper Has Quickly Become One Of The Best Venom Characters Marvel Comics Debuting in April 2018’s Venom #165, and officially named five months later in Venom: First Host #4, Sleeper has become one of Marvel’s best symbiotes thanks to its upbringing. While Sleeper isn’t the first of Venom’s offspring to become a force for good, what distinguishes him from the rest of his siblings is that he was raised from the start to be good. After Sleeper was born, Venom and Eddie left the symbiote in the care of Liz Allan and Doctor Steven at Alchemax, but they regularly visited the infant symbiote to nurture it and ensure he didn’t become evil like Carnage. Upon reaching a mature age, Sleeper possessed the brain-dead of the Kree warrior Tel-Kar, Venom’s first host, and traveled across the galaxy. He eventually returned to Earth and became arguably Venom’s most reliable symbiote ally. Sleeper also formed a close relationship with Dylan, and they bonded back together prior to Queen in Black. In addition to having the standard symbiote abilities, Sleeper doesn't suffer from a weakness to fire, and he also has the power of chemokinesis, allowing him to generate a variety of liquid and gaseous chemicals. Along with its physical capabilities, Venom’s seventh spawn stands out for his smug personality, frequently dropping cutting remarks, sharp comments, and sarcastic one-liners. These hit even harder when Sleeper is walking around as a cat, as the attitude pairs nicely with the feline form. Sleeper Will Be The Best (And Cutest) King In Black Yet Marvel Comics All this isn’t to say that Sleeper is perfect. The symbiote is quick to anger, and he’s also made several ethically questionable decisions, including using a portion of himself to repeatedly take control of Rick Jones as Sleeper Agent and wipe his memory afterward. However, Sleeper’s positive traits far outweigh his negative ones, and making him the new King in Black is a way to further enhance the character and increase his prominence in the Marvel universe. Sleeper will make a more capable King in Black than Eddie Brock was. While Eddie had good intentions, his reign was interrupted by the conflict with Meridius and his other antagonistic future selves, and then cut short when a Carnage-controlled Dylan severed his connection with the Symbiote Hivemind. Even setting that aside, Eddie came with a lot of baggage for the role of King in Black, and that would have negatively impacted his cosmic duties eventually. Additionally, Venom and Eddie have operated efficiently for a long time as partners, and they’ll soon do so again in the relaunched Venom title. It’s better to keep that status quo maintained rather than have Eddie become a godlike figure again, whereas Sleeper doesn’t come with those kinds of built-in expectations. He’s still relatively young compared to most other Marvel characters, and while he’s been important to the Venom lore for nearly a decade, becoming King in Black lets him carve out his own corner of the Marvel universe. Sleeper will also likely be the most benevolent King in Black yet. Eddie and Venom raised the symbiote with a good moral compass. Unless he ends up being corrupted or controlled in some form or fashion, then it’s doubtful he would follow in Knull and Hela’s dark footsteps. Sleeper is worthy of sitting on the throne in the Un-Beyond, and the cherry on top of this proverbial sundae is how amusing it will be seeing the new King in Black leading the other symbiotes while in the shape of a cat. Queen in Black #5 is now available from Marvel Comics. Created By David Michelinie, Todd McFarlane Cast Tom Hardy, Topher Grace First Appearance The Amazing Spider-Man Alias Eddie Brock RELATIONSHIPS Eddie Brock (primary host and ally), Peter Parker/Spider-Man (initial enemy, later uneasy ally), Anne Weying (former wife of Eddie Brock and occasional host), Cletus Kasady/Carnage (offspring of the Venom symbiote and a deadly enemy) Alliance Vigilante