Lore & Loadout: Venom in Marvel Rivals

Eddie Brock’s symbiote makes him the premier brawl-starter in Marvel Rivals. Venom barrels into back-lines with a web-swing → dive-bomb combo, snares multiple targets with corruptive tendrils, then converts the damage he deals into Bonus Health that keeps him upright long after other tanks would crumble. Play him if you love hit-and-run bruisers who punish clumped enemies and scale off their own aggression.

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Who Is Venom?

Venom first appeared in The Amazing Spider-Man #300 (1988), created by David Michelinie and Todd McFarlane. The character was born from the union of the alien symbiote and disgraced journalist Eddie Brock, creating a monstrous being fueled by hatred for Spider-Man.

The symbiote was originally attached to Peter Parker, but after being rejected, it found a new host in Eddie Brock, who shared its hatred and thirst for revenge. Together, they became Venom, a dark reflection of Spider-Man with far greater strength, durability, and a vicious personality.

Despite his villainous beginnings, Venom has evolved into an anti-hero, sometimes protecting the innocent while still embracing his brutal methods.

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Venom Strengths & Weaknesses in Marvel Rivals

Strengths

• Unkillable brawler — Symbiotic Resilience + Ultimate grant huge Bonus HP
• Explosive engage — Venom Swing into Frenzied Arrival launches, slows & clumps foes
• Team-buffing passive — Touch of Klyntar empowers Spider-Man & Peni Parker for extra spike damage

Weaknesses

• Cooldown-locked sustain; caught with Swing and Resilience down, he melts
• Needs allies’ follow-up — solo dives rarely finish kills before CDs expire
• CC & knockback interrupt both Swing path and Ultimate channel

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Venom’s Powers and Abilities in Marvel Rivals

Ability	Input (PC)	CD / Energy	Key Effects & Pro Tips
Dark Predation	LMB	—	Quad-cast tendrils (20 dmg each, max 15 m). Maintain spacing to keep all four hits on target.
Cellular Corrosion	RMB	8 s	8 m AoE slow; deals 5 dmg +80 if enemy stays 1 s. Pair with a dive-bomb to guarantee detonation.
Venom Swing	Shift	8 s	30 m grapple swing. Cancel with space to control arc; follow immediately with Frenzied Arrival for burst.
Symbiotic Resilience	E	15 s	Instant 100 Bonus HP + 120 % of missing HP. Pop after taking damage to maximise shield.
Frenzied Arrival	F	8 s	Aerial dive (40 m max) deals 65 dmg, pulls foes inward & up. Use right after the Swing apex for a surprise engagement.
Touch of Klyntar	—	—	Grants Spider-Man / Peni Parker symbiote spikes & team-wide +150 HP when teamed.
Feast of the Abyss	Q	2500 energy	Burrow for 4 s (+80 % MS), then chomp: 50 % current HP + 50 dmg in 7 m, converting all damage to Bonus HP.

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Venom’s Combos & Tech

Combo	Sequence	PC	Xbox	PlayStation
Swing-Crash	Swing → mid-air F → RMB hold	Shift → F → RMB	LB → RB → RT	L1 → R1 → R2
Corrosion Clamp	RMB → LMB×4 → E finish	RMB → LMB×4 → E	RT → LT×4 → RB	R2 → L2×4 → R1
Devour Dive	Swing → F → Q cancel instantly	Shift → F → Q	LB → RB → LS+RS	L1 → R1 → L3+R3

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Venom’s Match-Ups & Counters

Strong Against

• Vloak & Dagger — Their limited mobility makes them an easy target for dives.
• Hawkeye — Venom can effectively give in the range where Hawkeye is least effective.

Synergizes With

• Spider-Man – Touch of Klyntar spikes add follow-up burst
• Luna Snow – Snowflake provides healing even when the line of sight is broken during dives.

Weak Against

• Mantis — Sleep can prevent Venom from popping his healing at the right time.
• Wolverine — his percentage-based attacks will melt Venom's huge life bar.

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Map Strategy for Venom in Marvel Rivals

Positioning & Routes

Set up swings from rooftops or payload covers; dive directly onto supports, drop Corrosion, pop Resilience, then retreat through vertical walls.

Team Strategy

Call engages: “Swinging in 3…2…1!” so DPS can pre-aim bursts. Save Ultimate to crack bunker comps or stall final capture in overtime.

Objective Play

Body-block choke points with Bonus HP; one well-timed Feast can delete an 800-HP Hulk off the cart.

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Venom’s Story in Marvel Rivals

Venom finds himself displaced in time and trapped in an occult war. While battling alongside Magik, he experiences a powerful vision through the Klyntar hivemind, revealing that Knull—the dark god of the symbiotes—is stirring from his imprisonment. To prevent Knull from consuming all reality, Venom realizes he must act: either kill Knull or take his throne.

Seeking a weapon powerful enough to challenge Knull, Venom learns of All-Black, the Necrosword, an ancient blade used to slay a Celestial. With Magik's help, he portals to a massive Celestial corpse adrift in space, where the sword remains embedded. As he struggles to pull the blade free, the Celestial releases a psychic scream, sending Venom hurtling through space.

He crash-lands on Klyntar, the planet of the symbiotes, where he discovers an unusual cosmic cocoon nearby. Before the ravenous symbiotes can consume it, Venom tears it open, revealing Adam Warlock. Mistaking Venom for Knull, Warlock attacks, but Venom convinces him they share a common goal: the destruction of the King in Black.

With the battle for the universe looming, Venom finds his purpose. He will stand against Knull’s darkness for as long as even a glimmer of light remains.

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Essential Venom Comics

• Amazing Spider-Man #300 (1988) – debut & origin of Venom.
• Venom: Lethal Protector #1-6 (1993) – Eddie’s first headlining mini-series.
• Venom (2018) by Donny Cates & Ryan Stegman – modern symbiote mythology.
• King in Black (2020) – Venom vs. Knull cosmic showdown.
• Venom: Space Knight (2015) – Flash Thompson era, inspiration for Space-Knight skin.

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Venom in Marvel Rivals TL;DR

• Vanguard bruiser with burst sustain—pop Symbiotic Resilience pre-dive.
• Swing-Slam-Snare combo deletes supports; Feast nukes tanks.
• Pair with Spider-Man/Peni for free HP & spike damage; fear hard CC and long-range poke.

TAGGED: Marvel Comics, Marvel Rivals