Symbiotes have become more prominent in the last few years, especially after King in Black and Summer of Symbiotes, which kicked off in May. The latter introduces new hosts that fans have truly liked, such as Liz "Misery" Allan. The symbiote fever has fans remembering those Marvel characters who were possessed by symbiotes before, but some readers don't know about the most obscure hosts.
Since symbiotes exist throughout the whole multiverse, many iconic Marvel heroes have ended up as their hosts. Characters like Black Widow, Thor, and Doctor Strange were under the control of these monsters and that gave them extra abilities until they managed to fight them off.
10 Black Widow
An incredibly underrated Avenger, Black Widow was Venomized during Mighty Avengers #7, by Brian Michael Bendis and Mark Bagley. Included in the Secret Invasion storyline, Black Widow was one of the many victims of the virus that was cured by Iron Man.
While Black Widow became truly popular after the MCU made her mainstream, true fans know she's incredibly powerful. Given this, it's a shame that Mighty Avengers barely delved into her symbiote abilities before her teammates saved her.
9 The Thing
Recently, it was announced that Ben Grimm, aka the Thing, will likely be infected by Venom during What If? Dark: Venom #1 — set to be published in August and created by Stephanie Phillips and Jethro Morales. Fans are excited. However, this isn't the first time the Thing gets Venomized.
During Peter Parker: The Spectacular Spider-Man #304, by Chip Zdarsky and Adam Kubert, Ben bonded with Venom and became a central ally of Harry Osborn's fascist regime. This powerful version of the Thing fought Earth-51838 Resistance and almost avoided them freeing Doctor Doom from his prison.
8 Abigail Brand
Originally an X-Men villain, Abigail Brand/Thanriaguiaxus has slowly and steadily turned into one of their best allies, which has put her in weird situations. While helping Spider-Man and the X-Men fight a symbiote during Spider-Man and the X-Men #5 (by Elliott Kalan, Marco Failla, Ian Herring, and Clayton Cowles), she becomes the unwilling host of this creature.
By the end of the storyline, the heroes manage to free her and S.W.O.R.D. takes the responsibility of disposing of the symbiotes. However, before this, Abigail and other trained S.W.O.R.D. agents wreak havoc during their time as hosts. Her pyrokinetic powers are incredibly dangerous in the wrong hands.
7 The Guardians Of The Galaxy
Set on Earth-22249, Edge of Venomerse #1 follows a world where most heroes and villains have been possessed by a Venom or a Poison — two races at war. In this reality, the Guardians of the Galaxy have all been Venomized. Unfortunately, they become victims of the Poisons that consume them.
Among these heroes, Rocket Raccoon is definitely the most powerful one. He stands out from the rest because his symbiote allows him to store all his weapons within himself. This gives him access to his vast arsenal almost immediately, making him unbeatable.
6 Hercules
During Venomized #1 (by Cullen Bunn, Iban Coello, Matt Yackey, and Joe Caramagna) Hercules was ambushed by Poison versions of Taskmaster and Hawkeye, who forced him to bond with a symbiote. Instead of fighting it, the Greek god revels in his new powers.
By the end of the storyline, Alchemax separates Hercules from his symbiote. However, during the short time of their bond, the hero learns to combine his own super strength with the parasite's abilities. The fact that a symbiote managed to bond with a god is also a testament to how powerful these creatures are.
5 Erik Killmonger
After his death during Reginald Hudlin's Black Panther run, Erik Killmonger returned to life thanks to a symbiote. During Black Panther #19 — by Ta-Nehisi Coates, Ryan Bodenheim, Michael Garland, and Joe Sabino — Zenzu and Tetu recovered his body and had Emperor N'Jadaka's symbiote bond with him, which brought him back to life.
The bond with N'Jadaka's symbiote brought both the Emperor and Killmonger's souls into the latter's body. This prompted a power struggle between the two characters which eventually led them to align. N'Jadaka's symbiote was powerful enough to hurt even the Goddess Bast. Now, in Erik Killmonger's body, it has made him even more powerful by granting him shapeshifting powers and the ability to siphon divine powers.
4 Gorr
Those who read the God Butcher saga in Thor: God of Thunder know that Gorr used a black sword to slay deities: All-Black the Necrosword. This weapon, which he took from a fallen god in his own planet, turned him completely evil, preying on his resentment towards the divine.
However, only those who also read King in Black know that All-Black is, in fact, a symbiote. The fourth issue of this series revealed that the god Gorr didn't help was Knull, the father of symbiotes. This explains why a regular family man became a serial killer, since the bond corrupted him.
3 Donald Blake
Casual fans may remember that Thor Odinson used to live as Dr. Donald Blake on Earth, but only comic readers know that, once the God of Thunder shed his secret identity, Blake remained behind and had a hard time coping with his "fake life." He eventually went villainous out of resentment towards the Asgardian and attacked him, only to be defeated by Thor and Loki.
During Thor #28, Blake bonded with the Serpent Symbiote and became the Serpent. Fully transformed, he swore revenge on the two brothers and on Asgard itself. So far, Serpent hasn't return to antagonize Thor, but fans know it's just a matter of time.
2 Ms. Marvel
Before taking the mantle of Captain Marvel in 2012, Carol Danvers was known as Ms. Marvel for decades. One of her last adventures under this moniker was Siege, the 2010 event by Brian Michael Bendis, in which she bonded with a symbiote for the first time ever.
During Siege: Spider-Man #1, by Brian Reed, Marco Santucci, Chris Sotomayor, and Joe Caramagna, Ms. Marvel teamed up with Spider-Man against Venom and manage to break their bond. However, the symbiote caught her instead. By the end of the arc, she was free. However, while bonded with her, Venom could feel Ms. Marvel's love for Spider-Man, which he then told to Peter about.
1 Thor
After learning that Galactus had plans to eat Earth — now a barren but beloved planet — King Thor realizes he won't be able to defeat him. In order to help himself, he retrieves All-Black the symbiote from deep space, and bonds with it, allowing it to corrupt him.
Old King Thor in all his might going against the Devourer of Worlds already makes for an incredibly epic fight, but adding a symbiote makes it the more hardcore. This battle, which takes place during the last arc of Thor: God of Thunder, is one of the most epic moments of Jason Aaron's run.