Face it, Tiger – You didn’t see this one coming!
Since the start of Al Ewing and Carlos Gómez’s ALL-NEW VENOM, the secret identity of Venom’s all-new host has been driving fans wild! Following the clues alongside Dylan Brock, readers have ruled out various suspects over the months, including LUKE CAGE, MADAME MASQUE, RICK JONES and ROBBIE ROBERTSON, before becoming nearly certain the new symbiote hero was PAUL RABIN. But no, this week’s ALL-NEW VENOM #5 reveals the shocking truth that no one guessed—ALL-NEW VENOM is none other than MARY JANE “MJ” WATSON!
From strutting down runways as a high fashion model to fighting supervillains as the super hero Jackpot, Mary Jane’s life has taken some unpredictable turns—but never like this! Now that she’s been unmasked, the REAL mystery begins—how and why did she become ALL-NEW VENOM?! Stay tuned for answers in next month’s ALL-NEW VENOM #6 where symbiote and host have a tense confrontation as MJ’s adventures as a symbiote hero continues!
On his decision to take Spider-Man’s greatest love in this bold new direction, Ewing explained, “We hooked readers in with the big mystery – albeit with a little misdirection thrown in – but now the cat’s out of the bag, we can really get into the unlikely interaction of MJ and Venom. Unlike previous hosts, these two aren’t together by choice, but their odd-couple energy makes for a bubbling pot of old-school soap opera thrills. If you’ve enjoyed this lighter take on Venom, there’s a lot more on the way — as well as some darker directions to come.”