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Quote1 You only need to trust yourself. Is this who you really want to be? Some crime boss, pulling strings, benefitting from theft and murder? We just risked our lives stopping a man who was doing that. You've lost your empire... but weren't you always lucky? Now you can follow your own code. Punish the people who truly deserve it. Protect the innocent. After all, Cat... this city always need heroes. Quote2
Venom

Appearing in "Venom Inc. Part Six"

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Synopsis for "Venom Inc. Part Six"

Venom, Agent Anti-Venom, Black Cat, and Spider-Man follow the pieces of the Mania symbiote outside the manor, wondering where Lee Price disappeared to. From the manor's roof, Andi Benton alerts them to something happening on the manor's lawn as Maniac absorbs the rest of the symbiote and grows to a colossal height, mockingly stating that the fun's just beginning and that they all look like ants. Venom opens fire on Maniac while Spider-Man evacuates the unconscious gang members, leaving Agent Anti-Venom in charge. As Black Cat notes the Anti-Venom bullets are ineffective against Maniac's new size, Agent Anti-Venom leaps past them towards Maniac, who charges at him and effortlessly swats him away into the side of the manor, burying him under rubble. Presuming Flash to be dead, Venom leaps onto Maniac's head and snarls that he'll tear Price out of the symbiote to avenge him. Instead, Maniac snares Venom with tendrils and forms a mouth on the back of his head, attempting to eat Venom to absorb the symbiote. Black Cat scales Maniac's back to free Venom, but he fires a torrent of symbiote biomass in order to take over her again. Cat is initially horrified and refuses to fall under Maniac's control, but when the symbiote biomass peels off she realizes that those Price has taken over can't be affected twice.

Realizing there's nothing she can do from the roof of the manor, Andi jumps down as Spider-Man works to excavate Flash. Maniac slams Venom to the ground and prepares to stomp on him. but Andi blasts him in the face with a torrent of hellfire, shouting that he's a coward and a butcher who doesn't deserve her symbiote. Shielding himself from the flames, Maniac remembers her as the girl he attacked in Philly. Venom tells Andi to keep it up as with Thompson dead her firepower is the best chance they've got. Unearthing Flash, Spider-Man shouts that he's not dead, but Flash tells him that he can't move due to his organs and bones having been shattered. Flash tells Spider-Man to go on without him and that the others need him, but Spider-Man launches into a rousing speech about how he needs Flash, the man who saved his whole unit at the cost of his legs. Flash interrupts to tell Spider-Man that the Anti-Venom symbiote is healing him, and Spider-Man grumbles that Flash ruined the moment before swinging off to rejoin the fight. Agent Anti-Venom calls out that he could still use the rousing speech, but Spider-Man tells him to hurry up.

As Maniac reaches out to grab and crush Andi, Black Cat leaps onto his back and wraps her Anti-Venom-coated whip around his neck, trying to choke him. Maniac is surprised that she's not under his control, but laughs off her attack and uses his bulk to dislodge her. Maniac tries to eat her, but she evades and he bites down on her whip instead, destroying it. Black Cat lands, grumbling to her luck powers to kick in, but Maniac tells her that her luck has run out as he leaps into the air. Before he can crush her, Spider-Man grabs her and pulls her to safety, asking her if their feud is over. A jeep rams into Maniac's foot, and when he picks it up to see who thought ramming him would work Venom leaps through the windshield and sinks his claws into Maniac's eyes, temporarily blinding him. Ripping Venom off, Maniac roars that he's going to bite Venom in half and bathe in Eddie's blood, but Anti-Venom pops out of the ground - having taken Spider-Man's advice to "dig deep" literally - and impales Maniac from behind on a pair of blade-tipped tentacles. Spider-Man congratulates him and suggests they use more teamwork to defeat Maniac, who promptly throws Venom into him. With Venom out cold and Spider-Man winded, Black Cat tells Spider-Man that those who were freed from Price's control can't be taken over again, positing they've developed an antibody to the symbiote.

With his tentacles not having any noticeable effect on Maniac, Agent Anti-Venom retracts them just as Spider-Man runs over, tripping as Maniac tries to stomp on him. Spider-Man explains Black Cat's antibody theory and offers Agent Anti-Venom some of his blood. They clasp arms, Flash telling Spider-Man to stop ruining the moment, and the Anti-Venom symbiote reacts by sprouting spikes. Maniac snidely remarks that he hopes that was a goodbye handshake, but Spider-Man tells Venom to help web Maniac up. Venom complies, stating that this has to be it since he's too weak to do anything more. As Price sneers at their pathetic attempt to bind him, Agent Anti-Venom leaps onto his chest and impales him with an arm-blade.

Lee Price is returned to human form, but Spider-Man notes he's still bonded to the symbiote and wonders how that's possible. Stating they can figure out that later, Agent Anti-Venom tells Price he's a disgrace to his uniform and vows to see him court-martialed. Price spits symbiote biomass into Agent Anti-Venom's face, but Flash retorts that it won't work since his Anti-Venom suit has stripped the Mania symbiote of its mind-control. Price sneers that he can still feel the symbiote's bonded to him, but Venom retorts that won't help him when he's in jail, adding to Black Cat that they'd better leave before the police arrive. Spider-Man tries to pick a fight with Venom, saying that Eddie should face justice for his crimes, but as Venom turns to confront him Agent Anti-Venom tells them to stop. Flash acknowledges that while Eddie might have a checkered past, he's proven himself a hero and a worthy host. Retracting the Anti-Venom symbiote from his hand and shaking Venom's, Flash tells Eddie to look after his old partner and listen to it, as it will make him a better man. Turning invisible, Venom replies that Flash isn't so bad himself. Black Cat leaves, telling Spider-Man she's calling off her vendetta against him, and Agent Anti-Venom leaves to check on Andi. When he asks if she'll be alright without her symbiote, Andi replies that she's proved she's badass with or without it. She asks if he's staying in New York, and he replies that he needs to keep the peace between Spider-Man and Venom, but that if she needs him he'll come down to Philly. Flash thanks Spider-Man for the pep-talk and for giving him the honor and privilege of fighting alongside his hero, and Spider-Man salutes him and says that if Flash wants to see a hero all he has to do is look in the mirror. Flash tells Spider-Man he should leave before his military contacts arrive to take Price into custody, and Spider-Man web-swings away as a platoon of soldiers arrive.

At Bobbi Morse's apartment, Spider-Man arrives to find her coming in from a day of rounding up Zodiac members. Peter laments he could have used some extra backup, but she teasingly replies that she's neither his backup or his sidekick. He replies that he's gotten used to teaming up with her, then amends his statement saying that if his latest misadventure has taught him anything it's that symbiotic relationships aren't healthy and that spending time apart can be a good thing. She agrees, noting that she left him alone and he didn't burn her apartment down, telling him she'll reward him after she freshens up. Realizing she's going to the bathroom, Peter quickly puts his mask on and climbs out the window. As Bobbi sees the ruined state the Venom symbiote left the room in, Spider-Man says he'll pop by Alchemax to pick up some Anti-Venom serum from Dr. Steve and clean up any symbiote residue left behind. As he leaves, Bobbi shouts at him that he's getting his own place.

As Black Cat bitterly surveys the burnt ruins of her lair, Venom approaches her and tells her to think of it as a fresh start. She retorts that it took her years to rebuild her credibility, to make alliances, and to be taken seriously after the Superior Spider-Man took everything away from her. When she asks who's going to trust her now, Venom replies that she only needs to trust herself, asking if being a crime boss who profits off theft and murder is really what she wants - especially when she risked her life helping stop a man who was doing exactly that. Telling Cat she may have lost her criminal empire but that she can now follow her own code, punishing those who truly deserve it and protecting the innocent, Venom departs into the night with the statement that the city always needs heroes.

Solicit Synopsis

VENOM INC. Part 6

• The symbiotic super villain called Maniac has seized control of all of New York’s major crime families, and he’s now got his sights set on the entire city!

• To make matters worse, he’s also got a cadre of super villains under his symbiotic spell, and Spider-Man, Venom and their allies are the only things standing in their way!

• The final chapter of VENOM INC!

Trivia

After Doc Ock ruined their friendship in Superior Spider-Man #20, Black Cat and Spider-Man are once again friends.

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