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Welcome back superhero enthusiasts, 1990s arts and culture enthusiasts, Marvel Comics fans and comic book collectors! Today we go back to the year 1993 to explore a part of Marvel Comics’ universe through the first-ever limited comic book series featuring one of Marvel’s most iconic supervillains – Venom.
Issue #4 had an eye-catching cover drawn by Mark Bagley as it had a female Venom-like character on it. Indeed, that new character (later called Scream) appeared and went on to physically challenge Spider-Man while Venom got imprisoned by the Life Foundation. The organization’s leader Carlton Drake revealed that his team extracted so-called seeds from Venom’s symbiote. Even with those plot threads, Venom: Lethal Protector #4 felt more like an Amazing Spider-Man tale.
With those details laid down, here is a look back at Venom: Lethal Protector #5 published in 1993 by Marvel Comics with a story written by David Michelinie and drawn by Ron Lim.
Early story
The story begins inside a laboratory beneath a desert in California. The Life Foundation’s Drake communicates directly with Spider-Man, showing a live video of Eddie Brock whom they declared to be dead. Brock was recently separated from his symbiote and the organization extracted seeds from the same symbiote.
Spider-Man fights the Life Foundation’s armed personnel while communicating with Drake. Over at Drake’s side, one of the staffers told him that he detected a pulse from Brock and speculated that he must have passed out due to the trauma of getting separated from the alien costume. Drake orders the others to take Brock to the dissection lab, have the symbiote studied, and eliminate Spider-Man.
As Spider-Man explores the facility, five people each wearing symbiotes confront him suddenly. Spider-Man refers to them as “five Venoms”…
Quality
Following the events of issue #4, this comic book has the predictable shift of the spotlight gradually moving from Spider-Man towards the murderous Venom who happens to be vulnerable as the Life Foundation became a bigger threat. To be clear, this one still feels more like a Spider-Man tale than a Venom tale but with the scales almost even.
At this point of the limited series, Venom is at his most vulnerable here. Eddie Brock is in a weakened state and has been humiliated a lot as he remained naked as the Life Foundation’s captive. Just as the organization has the symbiote (the one Spider-Man brought back home from the Secret Wars planet) all to itself for research and exploitation, they developed their own team of symbiote-wearing individuals (including Scream who fought Spidey in issue #4).
Why did the Life Foundation create its own symbiote warriors? It was an additional part of their sinister plan to establish their very own elite corporate security force with a future post-apocalyptic utopia in mind. Apart from preparing for such a future, the organization led by Carlton Drake has vested interest in accommodating the super-rich people – the powerful 1% minority – who paid a lot of fees to guarantee their survival. As such, the symbiote warriors (who are security guards of theirs) they came up with are essential for the foundation’s plans. This is the huge, looming threat that goes beyond Spider-Man and Venom’s interference.
Back to the story, Venom fans will be delighted to see Eddie Brock back in action starting with being apart from the symbiote as he fights to free himself. Even without the symbiote, Brock is capable of seriously injuring others. Spider-Man, meanwhile, gets involved fighting with the Life Foundation’s symbiote warriors.
As with issue #4, the decline of visual quality remains evident here as this is the 2nd straight issue of the limited series drawn by Ron Lim. Lim’s work is not terrible but it pales in comparison to the style and dynamic artistry of Mark Bagley (who drew the first three issues) who is very experienced drawing the webslinger and Venom (plus Carnage) and spectacle. When it comes to the five symbiote warriors of the Life Foundation, they mostly have a generic look as Scream and Agony are the only ones who stood out differently due to their female physique and long hair. Also, Ron Lim’s take on Venom is not very good as there is a lack of visual details and obvious signs of rush.
Conclusion
Venom: Lethal Protector #5 (1993) can be best described as a return to form for Venom although the overall tone of the story leans a bit more towards Spider-Man. Quite obviously this one sets up the events for the sixth and final issue, and it further emphasized the growing threat of not only the Life Foundation but also the group of Roland Treece (who is the primary antagonist of this limited series). Venom fans have more to enjoy in this comic book compared to the previous one.
Overall, Venom: Lethal Protector #5 (1993) is serviceable.
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