Marvel’s New Symbiote Anti-Hero Has Surprising Spider-Man Connection

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Marvel created a lot of buzz around its new Web of Venom series, especially about the identity of the main character. While it was confirmed the character was a symbiote – like Venom – early announcements hinted this one had a connection to Peter Parker and Spider-Man. Now, the story behind both the host and the symbiote has been revealed.

The first issue of Web of Venom, written by Jordan Morris and illustrated by Luke Ross and Ramon Rosanas, starts with the unlikely team attempting to break someone out of prison. It quickly becomes apparent that the connection between the host and the symbiote is still developing. Despite this, they come up with a plan to disguise themselves as Spider-Man and trick the guards into freeing their intended target.

If their plan falls apart, the two characters begin battling the guards. The symbiote explains it can transform into almost any weapon, and the host starts throwing boomerangs made of its substance. This ability is the key to figuring out who the host is, and a flashback then shows how he first bonded with the symbiote. The flashback also explains why his costume was based on Spider-Man, even before he started trying to copy the hero.

Who is the new Spider-Man symbiote anti-hero?

The new anti-hero’s human side is Fred Myers, better known as Boomerang. First appearing in 1966, Myers was a former baseball pitcher whose career fell apart, leading him to join the terrorist group, the Secret Empire. Initially created as an enemy of the Hulk, Boomerang later became part of several villain teams like the Masters of Evil and the Sinister Six. He’s mostly known as a foe of Spider-Man, and at one point, he even lived with Peter Parker as a roommate.

Boomerang was contacted by another villain, Overdrive, with a potential job. Overdrive explained that the crime boss Tombstone was funding low-level villains to gain or improve their superpowers. Boomerang wasn’t thrilled, but agreed to help. However, they walked into a police raid on the lab where this was happening. During the fight, a container holding a strange alien creature broke, and the substance spilled all over Boomerang.

The symbiote called Passenger had been on Earth for more than two centuries without ever connecting with another being like itself. But through the collective knowledge of other symbiotes, it learned everything about Spider-Man, Venom, and the world’s other heroes. Inspired, Passenger created a new appearance, combining Venom’s muscular build with Spider-Man’s colors. Boomerang wasn’t eager to become permanently bonded with Passenger, but he agreed to try it long enough to help rescue Overdrive from the police.

It was during this rescue mission that the pair earned their new moniker. Boomerang, signaling his return to a life of crime, reintroduced himself to the villains he’d freed as ‘Comeback.’ Passenger liked the name, noting it had a clever double meaning.

Web of Venom #1 is now available at comic shops everywhere.

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2026-04-08 16:07