Starting from a simple black-suited Spider-Man and branching out into Venom and a dozen other creatures, Marvel's symbiotes have been kicking around for nearly 40 years. With the Summer of Symbiotes starting, fans are wondering just how many Symbiotes, and hosts, are walking around the Marvel 616 Universe. There are currently 13 hosts who wield 1 to 5 symbiotes, each with hosts on both sides of the hero and villain dichotomy.
While characters like the Poison host Jimmy Hudson and Plague host Courtland Kasady may still exist in the Marvel Universe, they haven’t been seen or referenced in years, so their current status is unknown. Neither have they appeared in promotional material for the Summer of Symbiotes. Instead, the event teases familiar faces like Venom and Carnage along with pairings like Misery host Liz Allen.
13 Warbird
Zzxz Symbiote Host
Born Ava'Dara Naganandini, Warbird is a Shi’ar soldier who participated in several battles alongside the X-Men. Warbird fell for Bobby Drake, aka Iceman, even asking him to mate during several battles, though her advances were rebuffed.
After a battle where Cassandra Nova used the powerful symbiote Zzxz, the symbiote was gifted to Warbird. The Zzxz symbiote is a mutated symbiote, making it unique. Warbird has only had the symbiote for half a panel, so her abilities as a host have not been tested. Given her combat prowess, it wouldn’t be surprising for Warbird to become one of Marvel’s powerhouses.
12 Corwin Jones
Madness Symbiote Host
Combining the various Life Foundation, Corwin Jones hasn’t actually appeared as a host yet, but has been announced in the Cult of Carnage: Misery solicits. Corwin will combine the Symbiote strains of Toxin, Lasher, Scream, and Phage into one suit.
A former Alchemax Guardsman, Corwin Jones has already proven himself a capable fighter without his symbiotes, clearing through over a dozen former co-workers with ease. Fans will have to wait for the Summer of Symbiotes event to see just what Corwin and his new Madness symbiote can do.
11 Deadpool
Princess Symbiote Host
Mostly disconnected from the other symbiotes, Princess was a strain of the Carnage Symbiote given life thanks to Deadpool’s healing factor. Currently taking the form of a giant wolf, the Princess Symbiote is inherently connected to Deadpool, though there is some debate about whether to consider him a full host.
Deadpool is no stranger to hosting symbiotes, having had Venom, Carnage, and the Life Foundation siblings all bonded to him. While it is unlikely that Deadpool and Princess will crossover with the other symbiotes soon, he does still have a Carnage strain hanging around somewhere.
10 Normie Osborn
Rascal Symbiote Host
Normie Osborn is the son of Harry Osborn, the former Green Goblin, and of Liz Allan, currently hosting the Misery Symbiote. Normie has followed in his parents’ footsteps as the new Red Goblin. Hosting the Rascal Symbiote, Normie received his symbiote after Dylan Brock stole it.
Outside the Symbiote suit, Normie is a slightly above-average ten-year-old, but once he bonds with the suit, he becomes a solid fighter. So far, he has only won fights with other symbiotes, though Normie has also battled with Phil Urich, better known as the Goblin King.
9 Gemma Shin
Agony Symbiote Host
One of the few current Symbiote hosts who accidentally became a host, Gemma Shin was present when Knull attacked New York and found herself in contact with Agony. The Agony symbiote was one of the original Life Foundation symbiotes. Gemma and Agony joined forces with Carnage during the Extreme Carnage event, even continuing to work with him after the event.
Gemma and Agony also joined Wilson Fisk’s Thunderbolts, taking out vigilantes before Luke Cage took over as Mayor. Luke later sent Agony to the Raft. Agony’s service in the Thunderbolts deepened her connection to Arthur Krane and the Friends of Humanity, who directly supported Kingpin. Agony had watched over Krane at Carnage’s request.
8 Liz Allan
Misery Symbiote Host
Also introduced in Cult of Carnage: Misery by Sabir Pirzada and Francesco Mortarino, Misery is another symbiote sample housed by the Life Foundation, this time being a fusion of a Carnage strain and an Anti-Venom strain.
When her home is attacked, Liz Allan takes on both strains which fuse around her to become the Misery symbiote. Liz Allan has had a long, storied history in Marvel Comics, but often gets relegated to a damsel in distress. Liz's partnership with the Misery symbiote is a significant evolution of her character.
7 Bren Waters
Toxin Symbiote Host
Toxin is the spawn of Carnage, but unlike its parent symbiote, Toxin goes out of its way to be a hero. Though the origins of its partnership with Bren Waters are unknown, the duo have proven themselves capable of fighting alongside heroes like Flash Thompson.
Bren Waters, the son of an Alchemax’s Guardsmen, participated in the battle against both Knull’s Invasion and Carnage's attack on the Friends of Humanity rally. Toxin and Bren beat fellow symbiote Lasher and helped to collect the Life Foundation Symbiotes. The pair also moved in with Andi Benton and Flash Thompson, awaiting the future.
6 Andi Benton
Silence Symbiote Host
Originally using the Mania symbiote, then becoming close with the Scream symbiote, Andi Benton mixed Scream with some Anti-Venom symbiote to make the new Symbiote named Silence. Andi has been involved with Flash Thompson since she discovered his connection to the Venom Symbiote in school.
Empowered with Hell Magic, Andi helped the Scream Symbiote break from Knull’s influence over the Hive and fought against a twisted version of Carnage before retreating. Andi Benton is one of the most skilled Marvel hosts, having earned the trust of several symbiotes.
5 Jonathan Shayde
Carnage Symbiote Host
After being ejected from Cletus Kasady, the Carnage symbiote has set off on a quest to become the next God Butcher, wielding the new Necrosword known as the All Blood. While Kenneth Neely wanted to take the host position, Carnage chose Jonathan Shayde to be his new host body, even if it is against his will.
While Jonathan Shayde is the host, he doesn’t have as much control as the rest of the Symbiote hosts do, acting as a prisoner within Carnage. With Carnage powered up thanks to stealing abilities from Hydro Man and Spot, he is on track to becoming more powerful than even a Celestial.
4 Dylan Brock
Venom Symbiote Host
The son of long-time Venom host Eddie Brock and seeded within Anne Weying during her time as Venom, Dylan Brock took up the symbiote after the "death" of his father, donning the hero name Codex thanks to his unique connection to the symbiotes. During Knull’s siege, Dylan was the one to stop the King In Black from exerting full control over the symbiotes, allowing Eddie to kill Knull.
After losing his father, and his abilities, Dylan tried to become a vigilante but got shot, requiring Venom to bond with him to save his life. Dylan also has his own version of the Necrosword, the All-Black, which can kill gods, putting him in direct opposition to the God Butcher Carnage.
3 Flash Thompson
Anti-Venom Symbiote Host
Eugene “Flash” Thompson started out as a typical bully to Peter Parker at Midtown High before eventually losing his legs in the war in Iraq. The US Government bonded the Venom symbiote to Flash, turning him into Agent Venom.
After many battles and several space missions with the Guardians of the Galaxy, Flash eventually took on the Anti-Venom suit, losing his connection to Venom, and making him Agent Anti-Venom. The Anti-Venom suit doesn’t have a personality like the Venom suit does, instead relying completely on Flash Thompson’s brain to work as it does, rather than having its own hand on the wheel like other symbiotes.
2 Cletus Kasady
Extrembiote Symbiote Host
The most infamous Carnage host ditched the Carnage symbiote after the events of Extreme Carnage in favor of a corrupted version of the Extrembiote, a combination of a symbiote dragon and Iron Man’s Extremis armor. Cletus Kasady was reborn again and took to the new symbiote as a manner of control.
Cletus was a serial killer before becoming the Carnage host, one of the biggest reasons the Carnage symbiote is as hellish as it has become. Cletus Kasady’s unwillingness to die and stay dead, as well as his persistence to kill, have made him a force to be reckoned with for decades. Now his powers have been boosted, thanks to the Extrembiote.
1 Eddie Brock
King In Black
The most well-known and beloved Venom host, Eddie Brock is technically a host thanks to his duties as the King In Black in the current Venom comics. Having died after taking on the role of King In Black from Knull, Eddie was trapped in the Garden of Time with other versions of himself, namely Meridius, Bedlam, and Finnegan.
Thanks to his role as the new King In Black, Eddie Brock has seen every version of himself, including one known as the Eventuality, a God-like being at the end of Eddie's path. As Eddie returns to the world of the living with Al Ewing, Rogê Antônio, and Frank D'Armata’s Venom #19, only time will tell just how powerful the King In Black can be.