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Marvel is in the midst of the Queen in Black crossover, which sees the world caught in the middle of a destructive conflict between Asgardian death goddess Hela and the symbiote god Knull. It’s a watershed moment for Venom, Carnage, and every other character connected to the symbiote family. And it goes without saying that the landscape of the Spider-Man franchise will look much different when all is said and done.
Part of that involves the launch of a new monthly Venom series that sees Eddie Brock reunite with his beloved symbiote at long last. But there’s also a new spinoff miniseries in the works called The Amazing Venom. Who or what is the Amazing Venom? To answer that question, we turned to writer Jordan Morris. In an email interview with IGN, Morris explains how this series takes a cult-favorite Spider-Man villain and elevates him to new, ridiculous heights. Check out our exclusive preview of the first issue below, and keep reading to learn more:
Who Is the Amazing Venom?
So who is the Amazing Venom? None other than Fred Myers, formerly the costumed supervillain known as Boomerang, and a character who makes a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it cameo in Spider-Man: Brand New Day. Fred has really come up in the world in 2026, as he’s now bonded to a symbiote named Passenger and sporting a costume inspired by Spider-Man himself. As Morris explains, this new series serves as an exciting opportunity to fundamentally revamp a character who’s suddenly been thrust into the forefront of the Marvel Universe.
“I love that Fred is a villain with simple ambitions,” Morris tells IGN. “He doesn’t want to rule the world, he just wants to throw boomerangs at people and steal a bunch of money. I’d like to think that if I had access to exploding boomerangs and jet boots I’d be a hero, but if I ended up going villain, I’d probably go the Fred Myers route. It’s so funny that this two-bit scumbag keeps getting caught up in world-ending sci-fi madness. I mean, he got killed by a vampire and came back from the dead! That’s stuff that should be happening to Avengers or X-Men, not guys with boomerangs on their head.”
Morris continues, “Beyond being funny, Fred has some really relatable baggage. I think he wants to be better but self-doubt keeps him repeating destructive patterns, which is pretty relatable. I think everyone has been in a situation where the fear of messing up keeps them from doing the right thing. I think our story is the wildest mess he’s ever gotten caught up in but hopefully he’s still the same ol’ Boomerang that’s become such a beloved fan-favorite.”
This new status quo represents a major power upgrade for a guy whose shtick used to be throwing trick boomerangs at his enemies. So how does Fred handle rising from D-List villain to bona fide Venom?
“Fred has to make a choice. Does he return to the comfortable life he knows or try and be something bigger, better and more ambitious?”
“Fred is (appropriately) of two minds about the whole thing,” Morris says. “On the one hand, he’s fed up with aliens, vampires, etc. and longs to return to the common street crime he’s comfortable with. On the other hand, he likes the power. He’s always been a grunt in the wars between heroes and villains, and now he’s on the same level as some of the more powerful characters on the playing field. So, Fred has to make a choice. Does he return to the comfortable life he knows or try and be something bigger, better and more ambitious?”
A big part of any Venom comic involves the dynamic between the symbiote and its host. We were curious about Morris’ approach with Fred, and whether there were any classic Venom comics that inspired his take.
“I love the original Lethal Protector series from 1993,” Morris says. “That cemented Venom as an anti-hero with his own weirdo morality. And it’s funny too! It really leans into the absurd comedy of a character who gets his power from another being he wears like clothes. I think it’s fun when the symbiote and host have different agendas. It turns the whole thing into a sci-fi body horror buddy comedy. In our book, Fred is trying to live a quiet life but his symbiote, Passenger, keeps flinging them towards adventure. I think it’s a fun (and slightly disgusting) metaphor for the different impulses in all of our brains that pull us in different directions.”
The Legacy of Superior Foes of Spider-Man
It’s hard to look at The Amazing Venom and not be reminded of Nick Spencer and Steve Lieber’s The Superior Foes of Spider-Man. That series struck a chord with readers thanks to its irreverant sense of humor and its focus on D-List villains like Beetle, Speed Demon, and, of course, Boomerang. Morris confirms that anyone who enjoyed Superior Foes will find something to like in The Amazing Venom, right down to a specific callback to that older series.
“Superior Foes is one of my favorite Marvel titles of all time,” Morris says. “Spencer and Lieber are gosh darn geniuses and that book is a classic. It’s funny (obviously) but it also has a sneaky big heart. It’s very curious about its wacko characters and what makes them tick. If anyone compares our book to Foes, I consider it a giant compliment. Fun fact! When a character swears in TAV, I requested it be bleeped with skulls and crossbones like they did in Foes. I definitely want TAV to have its own tone and identity, but I think fans of Superior Foes will dig the humor and our love for deeper cut Marvel characters.”
As mentioned, The Amazing Venom is launching alongside the more traditional, Eddie Brock-focused Venom series. How closely connected are the two books? Does Morris feel like there’s ample room for both to coexist?
“I’ll admit I don’t know much about the new Venom title but I’m positive Charles and Tomasso are going to knock it out of the park!” Morris says. “Having no insider information at all, it seems like that title is going to be focused on more street level adventures and ours is literally going to space. So, Fred and Passenger probably won’t be crossing paths with Eddie and Venom but never say never! I love how Marvel comics encompass a variety of different tones. You have big, world-ending stakes in an Avengers book that’s on the shelf next to a fun and funny Jeff the Land Shark adventure (cold take: I love Jeff!). Hopefully symbiote fans will pick up both books and dig the fact that they’re getting different flavors of their favorite dish.”
Finally, Morris has plenty of praise for the work of artist Luke Ross, who is tackling his next major Marvel project after wrapping Star Wars: Legacy of Vader. Ross’ previous sci-fi experience makes him a natural fit for a book that drags the new Venom through the Marvel cosmos.
“The first time I saw Luke’s work was in a Star Wars book so I knew he was the best in the biz when it comes to exotic sci-fi locales, creatures and vehicles,” Morris says. “A big part of the inspiration to take our story to space was the fact that Luke was going to be drawing it! But Luke isn’t just killing it on the intergalactic stuff. Part of our book is Fred living in this suburban townhouse and like, hosting book clubs. It’s like there’s this little network sitcom going on in the middle of our superhero story. Luke is doing such a great job with that stuff too! He really excels at comedy. His characters have such big, clear expressions and their acting really juices the jokes.”
The Amazing Venom #1 will be released on September 30. You can preorder a copy at your local comic shop.
For more, learn all about the very first Star Wars/Marvel crossover and see <a href="https://www.ign.com/articles/dc-hardcover-comics-sale-amazon” rel=”nofollow noopener” target=”_blank”>which DC hardcovers are on sale on Amazon.
Jesse is a mild-mannered staff writer for IGN. Allow him to lend a machete to your intellectual thicket byfollowing @jschedeen on BlueSky.
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