Welcome back to Venom Unleashed, where your questions go directly to Venom editor Jordan D. White!
Today’s a big day for the Queen in Black event, with issue #3 out, as well as tie-in Queen in Black: Defenders of Light and Dark #2.
For #25, we’re looking ahead as one era of Venom nears its end and another begins. White digs into what fans can expect from Charles Soule’s upcoming run, Eddie Brock’s reunion with the Venom symbiote, the escalating chaos of Queen in Black, Knull’s true power, and a few lingering corners of symbiote lore.
We’ve also got exclusive art to share, the results of our very close Knull vs. Hela fan poll, and plenty more. Oh, and don’t forget to fill out the form at the bottom to get your questions in for White’s next round of answers!
Let’s get into your questions!
AIPT: Kicking things off, we’re back to asking poll questions, and it was a nail-biter as AIPT asked fans who they side with: Knull or Hela!
Knull eked out Hela with nearly the same margin of error you see in presidential polls!
Jordan, care to comment or pick a side?
Jordan D. White: I couldn’t possibly choose a favorite… There are things to recommend about them both. On Hela’s side, I think we get to live? Or if not, we at least die and go to the other place she reigns, so it doesn’t change much? On the other hand, if Knull wins, everything ends, and I guess that sounds relaxing.
AIPT: Onto fan questions!
Charles Soule’s Run Questions:
Venom King asks: Yo Jordon…What Can We Expect From The Charles Soule Run? Like, I can see what to expect, but can you give us some ideas without spoiling it? What Is Waiting For Us?
AND ALSO, Logjam asks: Now that we know that Eddie will be bonded to the symbiote again when the series gets relaunched in October, what can we expect the new series to be like compared to the previous runs by Cates and Ewing?
JDW: In many ways, this is going to be a return to form for Venom–it’s Eddie with the symbiote being an anti-hero for the first time in quite some time. So, we’re talking back at the start of the Cates/Stegman run, really. Of course, there is going to be some twists in there, so it’s not just what you’ve seen before…what Eddie’s intentions are, who he’s allied with… There are some surprises. But at its core, it’s going to be a return to the classic Venom.
<img src="https://comicvibe.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/VENOM01-MAIN.jpg" alt="Marvel announces new Venom ongoing, Friendly Neighborhood Mary Jane, and Infernal Hulk one-shots”>
Venom #1 launches on October 14th from writer Charles Soule
and artist Tommaso Bianchi.
Credit: Marvel
Anonymongoose asks: Eddie in the Venom Unchained preview *and* MJ in QiB have hinted at symbiotes being both a burden and a help (Eddie talking to himself – or was he? and MJ saying “it’s hard to tell where one of us begins and the other ends.”). Is this common among symbiote hosts or unique to Venom? And what does this mean? (Or am I reading too much into it?)
JDW: I think it’s a question of how the host interacts with the symbiote. If you treat it like a tool purely, then I doubt you’d have these sorts of thoughts about identity and self. But Eddie and MJ both have a richer relationship with their symbiotes, so they are more self-aware about how it interacts with them. But I think it is something that can happen with any symbiote. Look at Carnage–was it always a killer? Did it become one because of Cletus? Where did one end and the other begin? It’s a complicated relationship for anyone who examines it.
Queen in Black questions:
Roboticon asks: Who would you say are the five most important players/characters in this event besides the obvious Knull, Hela, Venom, MJ, and Dylan?
JDW: Haha, well, you’ve taken the clear five most important ones! Beyond them, I would say Spider-Man, Eddie, Mister Fantastic, Cloak & Dagger…and there is one other very important character, but I don’t want to reveal how important they are as it’s part of the ending of the whole thing.
Mr. Fantastic from Queen in Black #3.
Credit: Marvel
Jay wants to know: Will we get an explanation on how Hela assembled her army outside of Venom #250? Especially with Skrulls going rogue and Inhumans trying to take over Hala in Imperial, how much are these affected? Are the Kree and Skrulls present here only a faction? Why did she spare Shi’ar too?
JDW: Between the Hela one-shot and Venom #250, that’s all the on-page explanation you’re going to get. We know there was a lot of chaos out in the galaxy due to the events of Imperial, so Hela was able to capitalize on that by using her complete control over symbiotes, which she stole from Knull.
Miranda asks, “Is Knull using the full extent of his powers, or is he holding back?”
JDW: You know, that is an interesting question. There is probably an extent to which, moment to moment, Knull is not always going full power just because he is SO powerful. I mean, he’s in the process of relearning his power after trading the darkness for the light, so that probably affected him a bit…but even so, when he views humans so below him as like gnats, is it even possible to go full power on them? Could we use our FULL STRENGTH on a gnat? It would be tricky.
Knull from Queen in Black: Defenders of Light and Dark #2.
Credit: Marvel
Lu also asks: The way these big events work, there’s often so much coordination with other books. Were there any characters you guys wanted to use for Queen in Black but couldn’t because they were unavailable?
JDW: Hm, not that I recall. People were pretty game to let us use whoever we were interested in using.
Lu asks: I noticed a difference between the Comics Giveaway Day preview of Queen in Black and the actual issue, where there’s now a giant pod crashing to Earth in the background of the panel where the Kree’s giving his intro “–or die!” speech. In the CGD preview, it wasn’t there. I’d assume that’s the “All-purpose Power Tool,” except we later get a scene where it’s only landing then. So WHAT’S THE MYSTERIOUS POD, JORDAN?
JDW: Ah–sorry for the confusion! Those are the pods that the symbiote troopers are coming down in! Different legions in different areas of the world, but all touching down in pods.
The panel in question from Queen in Black #1. Credit: Marvel
The panel from the Comics Giveaway Day. Credit: Marvel
Knull question:
Bill asks: Why is Knull the apparent “default” King in Black of the Seventh & Eighth Cosmos? Is it because the Celestials hand-picked him and everyone else was simply his successor? Is it because he held the title the longest? Or is it because he’s naturally a void being, so even if, hypothetically, the Celestials had initially picked someone else, Knull would still be revived for being the best fit among them?
JDW: I think he alluded to it a little, but I think once he became the King in Black whenever the seat has been vacated, he, being the god of the void, has returned to “fill” that void. There must always be a King in Black, for if there is not, Knull shall return.
Venom Unleashed column question:
Roboticon asks: With this era of Venom having been confirmed to be reaching its end, will these Venom Unleashed columns continue into the next era of Venom? I’ve enjoyed them a lot and hope to see them continue.
JDW: Good question. Hm. I wouldn’t mind.
Fun question:
Venom King asks: Jordan, if there could’ve been any non-Spider-Man character as Venom, who would you have chosen as Venom? BTW, whom would you prefer bonding with?
JDW: I was really into Rick Jones being a suspect because I just love how he gets himself into everything. It was terrific having him as the Sleeper Agent, but it would have been a blast for him to have been Venom as well. As for who I would bond with, it’s hard to pick anyone other than the Venom symbiote since it’s the real OG deal, but if I had to pick someone else…Passenger seems up for anything and a good time to be around.
Rick Flag’s last chance as a symbiote-wearing hero. Credit: Marvel
Symbiote Lore questions:
Alexander asks: Will the King in Crimson storyline keep moving forward now that Ewing’s run is coming to an end? Or has this plot thread been scrapped entirely?
JDW: That story didn’t end up playing out the way we had hoped, but that’s how it goes sometimes. You plant a lot of seeds, and you’re not always sure which ones will yield a harvest. That said, it was a good idea, and it’s still out there. As we move forward, never say never! It may well be the next big thing you see.
Vovino asks: If Knull is the “father” of the symbiotes in that he created them from the Void between the Sixth and Seventh Cosmoses, would it be fair to consider the Chaos King / Amatsu-Mikaboshi (an offshoot of Oblivion embodying the Void between the 6th and 7th Cosmoses) their “mother” due to him being the personification of the Void from which they were created?
JDW: I love it. You know, Chaos War is a series I worked on as an assistant editor, so I have a fondness for that character.
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