Venom 18 "The Savage Six, Pt. 1" *Spoilers*

**David Walton** · 05-16-2012, 08:06 AM

The setup: Last issue, Flash tried to snipe Crime Master and failed miserably. Eddie Brock intervened at the worst possible moment, and Flash webbed him up so he could deal with the problem at hand. Jack O' Lantern said the truce is off and Flash's family and friends will pay. As Flash took off to save them, Crime Master bonded the Toxin symbiote with Eddie Brock and completed the Savage Six.

spoilers:

Pete gives Betty some friendly relationship advice before taking off.

Jack offers to pay for Betty's coffee and the conversation takes a turn for the worse when he squeezes her wrist and says they need to talk privately.

Flash busts on the scene, pummels Jack half to death, but Betty hits him with sonic pepper spray designed by Peter.

Betty runs. Flash fights Jack and Megatak. Kidnaps Betty and tries to get her to higher ground but...

Toxin shows up!

Flash saves Betty from falling to her death and she takes off.

He realizes Toxin has bonded with Eddie Brock. Uses the last of the pepper spray to take him out. Almost kills him, but decides Eddie didn't want this. It's his own fault that Eddie ended up this way.

Flash runs off to find Betty, and reveals his secret ID to her!

Loved this issue. Lots of tension, action and character moments galore. You can see Flash moving away from the soldier mentality and toward a superhero mindset, as he's grown increasingly hesitant to kill. Well, he would have killed Jack, but not Eddie.

Love Betty's characterization, a strong woman who can handle herself in even the worst situations.

And glad Flash took their relationship to the next leve. Kind of funny that Pete never revealed his secret ID to her, but Flash did...

end of spoilers

5 of 5. Highly recommended!

**BrotherUnitNo_4** · 05-16-2012, 08:45 AM

How would you say Bunn handles the dialogue?

**kitonok** · 05-16-2012, 08:52 AM

Originally Posted by BrotherUnitNo_4

How would you say Bunn handles the dialogue?

I didn't notice any change in the dialogue. As good as ever.

**David Walton** · 05-16-2012, 08:57 AM

Originally Posted by BrotherUnitNo_4

How would you say Bunn handles the dialogue?

Originally Posted by kitonok

I didn't notice any change in the dialogue. As good as ever.

Yeah, dialogue and narration are pitch perfect.

**Genesis X** · 05-16-2012, 09:16 AM

gotta say if it was an awesome issue, and no one else paid attention to the crazy toxin talk

**Mr. Nox** · 05-16-2012, 11:26 AM

Originally Posted by Genesis X

gotta say if it was an awesome issue, and no one else paid attention to the crazy toxin talk

Yeah, they seem to still be dropping hints that were way back when Toxin first showed up here about some symbiote hijinks incoming. "The Spawning" is what it's called I guess. An invasion of symbiotes then? Didn't that already happen before?

I'm wondering when the symbiote is going to start coming out again as Toxin is correct that it has been neutered, though it does let Flash stay in control. He definitely looked close to losing it on his own with Betty, though he kept under control.

**David Walton** · 05-16-2012, 11:41 AM

Originally Posted by Mr. Nox

Yeah, they seem to still be dropping hints that were way back when Toxin first showed up here about some symbiote hijinks incoming. "The Spawning" is what it's called I guess. An invasion of symbiotes then? Didn't that already happen before?

I'm wondering when the symbiote is going to start coming out again as Toxin is correct that it has been neutered, though it does let Flash stay in control. He definitely looked close to losing it on his own with Betty, though he kept under control.

I imagine Flash will have to decide whether he'll need the full force of the symbiote on his side to win this.

**Mr. Nox** · 05-16-2012, 12:01 PM

Originally Posted by David Walton

I imagine Flash will have to decide whether he'll need the full force of the symbiote on his side to win this.

And the answer will likely be yes.

Anyone want to bet Betty slaps Flash at some point next issue?

**Harbinger of Apocalypse** · 05-16-2012, 02:26 PM

Originally Posted by Mr. Nox

Anyone want to bet Betty slaps Flash at some point next issue?

Indeed, I think a huge slap is going to be on the way.... the spawning sounds interesting though and perhaps a good symbiote event on the way?

**Mutant God** · 05-16-2012, 03:06 PM

Aw I was really hoping Betty and Flash would have stayed broken up

**ddub65** · 05-16-2012, 03:36 PM

This was the first Venom issue I've read and I gotta say I loved it! Very happy I decided to pick it up. "The Spawning" sounds pretty interesting I'll be excited to see a nice symbiote event.

**Sighphi** · 05-16-2012, 04:30 PM

All the Symbiotes were killed to create a bunch of new ones i guess.
And sweet baby jesus can anyone get their hands on some sonic device strong enough to knock out symbiotes now?
There shouldnt be a problem with any of them any longer then.

**E. Wilson** · 05-16-2012, 04:57 PM

Although I was initially hesitant on the idea, I've thus far liked the new Toxin, particularly the way his dialogue flows seamlessly between being something the Toxin symbiote would say, (Calling Venom "grandfather") and being something Brock would say (Calling Venom "Betrayer") in the same breath. Still want to know what happened to Pat Mulligan, though...

Betty's anti-symbiote pepper spray is rather clever, and a nice wink-and-nodd to Peter building new villain-specific weaponry in his own title. The reveal at the end was also appreciated, if only because to maintain the old status quo after this issue would really strain credibility.

Has Megatak appeared before?

**riotgear** · 05-16-2012, 05:02 PM

The green, grey, lavender and orange symbiotes were absorbed and created Hybrid. Toxin is a spawn of Carnage's second symbiote, which is from the Negative Zone, and is in no way related to Venom. Carnage's original symbiote was re-ingested by the Venom symbiote.