Coaching the life and death struggle in terms straight out of the glory day playbook... It's all a bunch of smoke and mirrors... A cover up for the fear. Because when it comes to being a hero... When it comes to helping people... I'm terrified by what happens when I fail. 
- —Flash Thompson[src]
Quick Answers
What was Flash Thompson's relationship with Peter Parker in high school?
How did Flash Thompson's attitude towards Peter Parker change in college?
What was Flash Thompson's role in the Army?
What is the significance of the title 'Agent Anti-Venom' in relation to Flash Thompson?
How did Flash Thompson combat his depression and alcoholism?
History
Early Life
Eugene "Flash" Thompson was a classmate of Peter Parker. Flash grew up in Forest Hills, Queens, New York. He lived only a few blocks from Peter's house. He lived with his father Harrison Thompson, a police officer in the New York Police Department, his mother Rosie Thompson and his little sister Jesse. Flash was physically abused by his alcoholic father, leading to Flash's own violent, bullying nature.[13]
Midtown High School
Like Peter Parker, Flash attended Midtown High School, where he bullied Peter daily.[14] The bullying continued for a long time even after Peter gained his Spider powers who never used them against Flash, even when tempted to do so.[15] The only exception was a boxing match between the two in the school gym, where Peter evaded Flash's punches with his reflexes and knocked him out with a single punch. However, this was passed off as an accident and any suspicion of Parker actually being Spider-Man was moved onto Flash himself due to events involving the Living Brain. [16] After this, Flash stopped his physical abuse, although he continued to taunt Peter.[17]
Flash's wide circle of friends included Brian "Tiny" McKeever, Jason Ionello, Seymour O'Reilly, Charlie and numerous female admirers such as Sally Avril and Liz Allan; the latter was Flash's steady girlfriend for some time.[18] Flash was Midtown High's star quarterback, where his speed on the football field earned him the lifelong nickname "Flash". This gained him popularity and respect, but he still remained jealous of Peter's book smarts.[19] Ironically, Flash became an ardent supporter of Spider-Man, despite popular opinion against him.[20] He even formed a Spider-Man Fan Club while still in high school and invited everyone except Peter Parker to join[21] and scared away Daily Bugle staffers when they tried to interview people about their reasons for hating Spider-Man.[22]
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Flash in high school.
Flash once tried to play a trick on Peter by dressing in a Spider-Man costume and attempting to frighten him. Before Flash could surprise Peter, he was abducted by Doctor Doom, who mistakenly believed he was the real Spider-Man. Peter was forced to save his own worst rival.[23]
Flash dressed up as Spider-Man again to redeem his hero who was seen as a coward after having run from a confrontation with the Green Goblin. Flash confronted three car thieves, hoping to draw out the real Spider-Man, but was beaten up by the three thugs.[24]
When Flash's girlfriend Liz Allen became attracted to Parker and started snubbing Flash, calling him a "muscle-bound goop", this only made him hate Parker all the more.[25] He threatened Parker not to hang around Liz too much[26], but when Parker got into trouble with the school principal, Mr. Davis, over their fight, Flash took responsibility for the incident.[27] He still continued to pursue Liz, even though she made it clear that she wanted nothing to do with him.[28]
Empire State University
Flash graduated from high school and enrolled at Empire State University on an athletic scholarship, becoming once more a classmate to Peter Parker.[29] Even though at first he continued his rivalry with Peter, turning his new classmates Harry Osborn and Gwen Stacy against him[30][31], eventually, they became close friends, also because Gwen befriended Peter and made the two bury the hatchet[32][33]
United States Army
By the time Flash left college to join the army, he and Peter parted as friends. During his tour of duty, Flash was stationed in Southeast Asia, where he stumbled across a hidden temple whose residents - notably the beautiful Sha Shan nursed a wounded Flash back to health; however, after American forces mistakenly shelled the temple despite Flash's efforts to protect it, Flash left the army to return to America, where temple survivors who mistakenly blamed him for the tragedy made attempts on his life. With the aid of Spider-Man, Flash lived to convince the temple survivors of his innocence, and was briefly reunited with Sha Shan.[34]
Return to Civilian Life
Flash returned to civilian life and college and was amongst the many friends who paid their respects with Peter at Gwen Stacy's funeral.[35] He was injured in a car crash when a new Vulture kidnapped his and Peter's friend Mary Jane Watson. He befriended Liz Allen once more and they went on a cruise together with Peter and Mary Jane. However, the cruise ship was kidnapped by the Tarantula.[36] They were rescued by Spider-Man, which caused Flash to become suspicious of Parker's double life.[37]
When Harry Osborn became the Green Goblin and found out about his secret identity, he blew up Peter's apartment and kidnapped Flash, Mary Jane and Peter's Aunt May before being defeated by Spider-Man.[38] His apartment in ruins, Flash took Peter in[39] and helped him move when Peter had found a new apartment.[40] When Harry Osborn was released, apparently cured from the insanity that had caused him to become the Green Goblin, Flash took him in as his new roommate.[41]
Later, Sha Shan returned to the United States as Sister Sun, the reluctant bride of cult leader Brother Power, himself a pawn of the evil Man-Beast. Sha Shan ultimately turned on Korba, and the Man-Beast was thwarted through the combined efforts of Spider-Man, Razorback and Flash. Korba having died in the battle, Sha Shan became Flash's lover and lived with him for some time.[42]
The Hobgoblin
As time passed, Flash struggled to find his place in his adult life, missing the feeling of importance he'd had as a high school football star, while his relationship with Sha Shan began to sour as she settled into the US and became more independent.[43] When Sha Shan turned to Peter for help, Flash misconstrued it as an affair, deepening the rift. He began seeing Betty Brant who was similarly estranged from her husband, Ned Leeds, rationalizing themselves as just two lonely people supporting each other.[44] In retaliation, Ned framed Flash as the Hobgoblin,[45] and later attacked Flash while he was hiding out in Betty's apartment.[46] Exhausted and despondent, Flash tried to turn himself in, and was nearly killed saving Spider-Man from one of the new Hobgoblin's (Mackendale's) bombs.[46] However, Spider-Man convinced him not to give up, and Flash's name was cleared.
Flash attempted to continue his relationship with Betty, but found her distraught and in denial about her husband's death. When a cult leader took advantage of Betty in her vulnerable state, Flash helped Spider-Man find and rescue her.[47] As Betty had given away all her possessions to the cult, Flash gave her a place to stay, and together, they were able to repel an attack by demons during Inferno.[48] However, their romantic relationship didn't last, and Flash would later admit that he hadn't known what to do or say around Betty after Ned's death [49].
Though Flash was still recovering from his encounter with the Hobgoblin, Peter asked Flash to be the best man at his wedding. Flash agreed, and organized an impromptu bachelor's party at the Coffee Bean, where he and Harry Osborn helped talk Peter through some of his doubts.[50]
To get back at Peter for choosing Mary Jane over her, Felicia Hardy began dating Flash Thompson, with the intent of breaking his heart,[51] but over time, she found herself developing genuine feelings for him. While working as an ambulance driver, Flash refused to let Tombstone steal his vehicle and as badly beaten as a result.[52] Shaken by the thought of losing Flash, Felicia asked him to marry her. However, Flash turned her down, admitting that he'd only approached her because she'd previously dated Spider-Man. He'd known she was the Black Cat all along, but was sure she'd eventually leave him to return to her old glamorous lifestyle.[53]
When Mysterio attempted to divulge Spider-Man's identity by trapping everyone connected with him in an illusory world, Flash's mind proved the strongest, turning the illusion into a his own 'perfect world' where Flash was a celebrity superhero and Spider-Man's partner.[54] However, Peter managed to figure out the world wasn't real and convinced Flash to break free of it, despite the lure of the illusion.[55]
After a bout of severe depression, Flash went drunk-driving and was badly injured in a car crash.[56] Soon afterward Norman Osborn offered him a job at Oscorp as his personal aide in order to annoy Peter, and Flash became loyal to Norman for giving him a second chance and turning his life around.[57] Later, as part of a plan of driving Spider-Man to murderous violence by attacking his family and friends, Osborn kidnapped Flash (under the pretense of picking him up from an Alcoholics Anonymous meeting), force-fed him whiskey and had him crash a truck into Midtown High School, where Peter worked.[58] Flash survived but he suffered severe brain damage that left him in a coma. Flash awakened from the coma shortly thereafter, but remained in a largely catatonic state. Liz Allen became his caretaker, but was at a loss as to how she could give him the attention he needed as she was both running a company and raising her son, Normie. Peter's aunt, May hit on the idea to have Flash moved in to Peter's apartment building, in the belief that being surrounded by friends would aid in his recovery. Peter was eager to help and began spending his free time with his best friend and slowly, Flash started to show signs of improvement.
Post Civil-War
When Flash came out of his coma he had forgotten much of what had happened between him and Peter after high school.[59] He was given the position as coach by the new Principal Roger Harrington at Midtown High School where Peter was working as a teacher. Due to his memory loss, he was confused over how to think about Peter, and was initially reluctant to believe that 'Puny Parker' could really be Spider-Man when Peter made his identity public.[60] However, after an attack by Mysterio, he realized that he and Peter were on good terms and they became friends again.[61]
While "Miss Arrow" was posing as a nurse at Peter's high school [62], she identified Flash as an ideal victim in which to incubate her eggs, due to his time spent in a coma. When he turned down her advances she kidnapped him and webbed him to the roof of a de-consecrated church in preparation, but he was rescued by Spider-Man and Betty Brant before it was too late. [63] During the same events, he and Betty Brant began seeing each other again.
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Flash after the Iraq war
Iraq War
Flash returned to the battlefield in the war in Iraq, and lost his legs after saving his partner from enemy forces. Flash's sacrifice is enough to earn him a recommendation for the Medal of Honor.[13] He returned to the United States and started dating Betty Brant.
Flash went through the so-called "stages of grief" backwards, even so far as to use dangerous experimental procedures to regain his legs, but seemed to come to terms with his condition, thanks to the support of his friends, family, and his new rehabilitation trainer Sha Shan.[64]
The New Venom
Flash became the new Venom when he was enlisted as a part of Project: Rebirth 2.0.[8] Flash was bonded with the symbiote, recently acquired by the U.S. government after Mac Gargan's arrest after the Siege of Asgard. While bonded, Flash was able to reproduce his legs and had powers comparable to Spider-Man.
Flash tests his new abilities.
Thompson was sent to the Eastern European country Nrosvekistan to recover Dr. Ekmecic, a specialist in developing weapons made from Antarctic Vibranium. During his mission, he encountered the new Jack O'Lantern, who was also trying to recover Dr. Ekmecic for his boss, the new Crime-Master. Neither was able to take Ekmecic alive but the encounter made Venom and Jack O'Lantern long-time enemies.[3]
He was later sent to the Savage Land to destroy Crime-Master's Antarctic Vibranium shipment. Venom was attacked by Kraven the Hunter, who believed that the Spider's Shadow would be able to end his curse. Upon learning his opponent was handicapped, Kraven was outraged and attempted to kill Flash outright to assuage his honor, but was carried away by a swarm of giant bats.[65] Flash was separated from the symbiote by the bats,[65] which lead Crime-Master to learn Venom's identity. However, the symbiote returned to Flash much to his surprise, assuring him that it won't abandon him and reminding him that they still have a mission to complete. Eventually, Venom took control of the helicopter containing the vibranium shipment, but he was forced to deliver it to Crime-Master when Crime-Master used his knowledge of Venom's identity to hold Betty Brant, his long-time girlfriend, hostage. In return, Crime-Master told Venom where Betty was being kept, but Spider-Man, who was also trying to save Betty, mistook him for the enemy and the old foes fought.[66] After their brief battle, they continued their search for Betty together, but as soon as Venom arrived at the warehouse where Betty was being kept, it blew up. Spidey left the destruction with Betty. Returning to Project Rebirth headquarters, he lied to his superior about Crime-Master discovering his identity to a moment when he lost control of the symbiote so that they wouldn't take it away from him.[67]
Back home, Flash learned that his father had cirrhosis of the liver and did not have much time to live.[68]
Spider-Island
All of Manhattan later succumbed to a virus that gave New Yorkers spider-powers. Project Rebirth dispatched Venom to stop Spider-King from breaching the quarantine and infecting others. After defeating him and bringing Spider-King to headquarters, Venom was sent to infiltrate their enemies' headquarters. There, he learned that Anti-Venom was capable of curing infected New Yorkers and took him to Horizon Labs to synthesize a cure. Later on, Flash was able to visit his father in the hospital right before he passed away.[69]
Back in action, Venom tried to kill the Queen, the one responsible for the spider-power infestation, with help from Steve Rogers.[70] Venom stabbed the Queen with Rogers' shield, but she mutated to a giant spider. Other heroes came to battle the Queen, but it was Kaine who struck the killing blow while Spider-Man distributed the cure around the city with the help of Doctor Octopus' Octobots.[71] In the aftermath of the infestation, Venom battled the Hijacker, who exploited the confusion to commit a series of bank robberies while murdering several innocent civilians; Thompson killed the villain in a rage.[72]
Rogue Venom
Jack O'Lantern showed up at Flash's father's funeral and was taken to Crime-Master's headquarters. Now that he knows who Flash is he forced him to go on a mission for him in Las Vegas, threatening to kill Betty and his family if he didn't comply. To make matters worse, Captain America shut down Project Rebirth and tried to confiscate the symbiote from Flash. He evaded him and left to complete his mission, with Jack O'Lantern tagging along. Meanwhile, Captain America sent Red Hulk to bring Venom in.[73]
Jack gave Flash instructions to enter a casino called The Devil's Den, where the Venom symbiote would do the rest. Totally controlled by his instincts, Venom broke into a secret lab in the casino, where the Toxin symbiote is contained. Venom tried to kill it, but Jack O'Lantern put it in a container and flew away with it.[74]
Venom, Red Hulk, X-23 and Ghost Rider.
Circle of Four
Flash broke up with Betty so that she could be safe and started drinking again. Eventually, Red Hulk tracked Flash all the way to Las Vegas so that he could take the symbiote and bring him in for court-martial.[75]
In the midst of their fight, Blackheart created a portal that brought Hell to Earth, but Johnny Blaze stopped it from spreading past Las Vegas. Venom and Red Hulk fought alongside X-23 and the new Ghost Rider to defeat Blackheart.[76] Along the way they fought their Antitheses, polar opposites of themselves created with a magic mirror, and died while trying to defeat them.[77]
Their dark pasts brought them to Hell, where Mephisto offered to return them to Earth if they agreed to help him at a later date.[78] The four agreed and challenged Blackheart again.[79] The symbiote briefly seized control of Flash in an attempt to seize the Spirit of Vengeance for itself, but was stopped by Blackheart. Venom and Ghost Rider surrendered their powers to Red Hulk, giving him the power to defeat Blackheart.[80]
Shortly after, Captain America and the Secret Avengers arrived to bring Venom in, but his heroic deeds convinced Cap to give him a chance and he welcomed him onto the team. Daimon meanwhile notices that Flash, Red Hulk, and X-23 are marked with Hell Marks, invisible pentagrams on their chests, indicating their pact with Mephisto.[81]
With the Secret Avengers
Joining the Secret Avengers
Still, Rogers wanted Thompson to be stationed at the Lighthouse Station and use the symbiote in short periods of time, joining the Secret Avengers along with the original Human Torch.[82] But Hawkeye's skepticism didn't allow Venom to take part in the team's new mission.[83] Venom participated in the mission regardless and played a pivotal role in a later mission, eventually earning Hawkeye's trust. Over time, a secret relationship developed between him and fellow teammate Valkyrie.
His tenure with the Secret Avengers brought him into conflict with the homicidal Carnage when he tried to take over the town of Doverton, Colorado.
Defeated by the Savage Six
The Gauntlet of the Savage Six
When Crime-Master was gathering other four villains to form a team called the Savage Six, Venom sneaked in to Crime-Master's HQ and tries to kill him. Eddie Brock interfered trying to kill Thompson, which ruined Flash's plan.[84] Before escaping from the five villains, Master stated that he will kill Flash's loved ones. Eddie Brock was knocked out during battle and was forced by Crime-Master to become the new Toxin and complete the Savage Six.[6]
Flash started searching for Betty, and found her talking with Jack O'Lantern, he protected her from him, Megatak and Toxin. Knowing that there could be any way for her to trust him, Venom revealed his identity to Betty.[85] The Savage Six then attacked Flash and Betty at the home of her parents.[86] Flash then engaged in his last fight with the Savage Six, resulting in the deaths of Death Adder and Toxin, who Venom attempted to save.[87] He then witnessed Crime Master reveal his identity to Betty and Venom as Betty's brother and became shocked when Betty shot and killed him.[88] Later fought Jack O' Lantern and brought him to the Raft.[89]
Hellish Encounter
While looking into the activities of the Department of Occult Armaments, Flash was knocked out by Daimon Hellstrom, who implanted a demon into him to transform the symbiote into one of his Monsters of Evil. Flash was able to subjugate the demon and the Monsters of Evil using the Hell Mark, arresting Hellstrom. He sought to get the demon, which begged to be removed from his body, exorcised, but was unable to remove it due to the Hell Mark's presence.[90]
Minimum Carnage
Flash followed the escaped serial killer Carnage to a NASA research center, where the villain used a interdimensional transport called Prometheus Pit with the help of beings from the Microverse to be transported there. The Scarlet Spider, who also was following Carnage's steps, joined Venom in the search for Casady, and they were transported to the Microverse by the Prometheus Pit.[91]
Venom and Scarlet Spider vs. Carnage
Both are separated once they passed through the Pit, Venom was found by the Enigma Force, who needed Venom's help to oppose Marquis Radu, the leader of Carnage's allies,[92] and get Carnage out of the Microverse, because his symbiote (as well as Venom's) was corrupting the environment.[93] They were attacked and subdued by Marquis Radu's forces.[94]
Venom was brought to Marquis Radu's base along Carnage, in order to replicate their symbiotes and create an army which could make him control the Microverse. But Carnage managed to take control over the symbiote army and used it to escape to the regular universe[95], where he was finally defeated by the combined efforts of Venom and Scarlet Spider, and a special weapon given to them by the Enigma Force. After being stung by the Scarlet Spider, Cletus cured his wounds, but was left in a catatonic state, meaning that the symbiote was now in full control of his body, although it put in custody once more and sedated.[96]
Philadelphia
After facing the U-Foes,[97] Flash bid farewell to New York and moved to Philadelphia,[7] not knowing that Eddie Brock had survived the flames and was tracking him down.[98]
Flash received a job as an assistant gym coach to West Philadelphia High School and also became "the Spider-Man of Philly".[99] When trying to capture a victim of one of Vector's experiments with alien-machine hybrids, Venom was confronted by Toxin, who killed the hybrid.[100] Using a sedative he was saving for his own symbiote, Flash managed to incapacitate Brock, who left the scene vowing a new encounter soon.[101] Toxin tracked down Flash to the high school, wanting to confront him, but the creature Toxin killed managed to spawn and infect new people, people who were now looking for both Toxin and Venom, their new natural enemies. In order to save innocent lives, Flash convinced Brock to temporarily team-up and defeat the monsters, who were ultimately killed. Realizing he was doing good with Venom, Brock offered Flash a deal, he would let him live as long as he had control over the symbiote.[102]
Mania
In order to save Andi Benton, one of his students, from being killed by Jack O'Lantern, Flash gave her a portion of the symbiote, which mysteriously bonded with Andi faster than it could have bonded to any other host and turned her into Mania.[103] Andi proceeded to brutally attack Jack O'Lantern, but after removing his mask, Venom realized it was actually an impostor brainwashed by the real Jack O'Lantern into replacing him while he was in prison. After a furious battle in which numerous supervillains looking for Venom stepped in, Mania started suffocating the fake Jack with the symbiote, but Venom convinced her not to cross that line.
Andi moved with her aunt to Jenkintown although she remained in touch with Flash, who let her have the symbiote, which mysteriously bonded to Andi faster than it could've bonded to any other host.[104] After facing the D.O.A. once more when they, allied with Crossbones, tried to get the Venom symbiote's hell-mark it acquired during the fight against Blackheart in Las Vegas, Flash discovered the symbiote that was attached to Mania was the symbiote's clone that was spit back out by the original symbiote to remove the demon planted in him by Hellstrom. Flash promised he would help Andi remove the hell-mark at any cost.[105]
Thunderbolts
Following the events of the Phoenix War, Flash was recruited by General Thaddeus Ross to join his Thunderbolts team.[106] However, the group's violent methods, which allowed the symbiote to influence him into eating people,[107] caused him to become disenchanted. Flash decided to leave the team, but not before testing their ability to take him down should he lose control by willingly allowing the symbiote to take over. While the symbiote easily overwhelmed the Thunderbolts individually, they were able to work together to subdue it.[108]
Superior Venom
Venom returned temporarily to New York City in order to investigate the sighting of Crime-Master's henchmen. He had an encounter with Spider-Man, at the time Otto Octavius in Peter Parker's body, but managed to escape from him and his Spiderlings.[109] As Flash, he sought "Peter"'s help in giving him a place to stay. Octavius later convinced Flash to allow him to perform a procedure that would give him robotic leg implants, though during the procedure he forcefully removed the symbiote from Flash. The symbiote escaped and re-bonded to its "old" host, but communicated that Spider-Man "tasted" wrong. Flash attempted to recall the symbiote to him, but was thwarted even with Cardiac's assistance.[110]
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Flash recovers the symbiote
Sajani Jaffrey of Parker Industries found that the drugs they used to suppress the symbiote and keep Flash in control had made his body reliant on the symbiote to survive and he would die without it, inspiring him to get back into action and find Spider-Man.[111] When the Avengers decided to confront Spider-Man after he started showing a more violent behavior, Flash, clad in an Iron Man Armor, helped them defeat Spider-Man. Flash also convinced the symbiote to return to him, becoming Venom once more. Back at the Avengers Tower, Black Widow asked Flash if he could access the symbiote's memories when it was temporarily bonded with Spider Man, but when he tried, Flash told the Avengers that he was not getting a conclusive result. After being recommended by Captain America to stay far away from Spider Man, Flash left to settle matters in Philadelphia, satisfied that the Avengers were on the case. He also gained honorary membership on the team.[112]
Guardians of the Galaxy
Seeking to maintain a connection with the Guardians of the Galaxy, the Avengers placed Flash on said team as their new envoy.[113] Flash quickly befriended Drax the Destroyer, who advised him to swap his Multi-Gun for more powerful alien weaponry, though Wrapje the arms dealer initially refused to trade due to Flash possessing a symbiote.[114] Taking on a new appearance, Flash was later abducted by Skrulls, who separated him from the symbiote and tried to take it for themselves. Flash reclaimed the symbiote and escaped from their ship, but decided not to return to the team.[115] While in hiding at a bar, Flash overheard a drunk Kree ranting about having been to Earth and confronted him in an alley outside, demanding to be taken there. When the Kree tried to attack him, Flash transformed into a monstrous, winged version of Venom and killed the Kree when he admitted to have been bluffing about having been to Earth. Flash returned to Wrapje's dealership demanding to learn more about the symbiote. Gamora entered and the symbiote took over Flash, attacking her until being subdued by the other Guardians and put into containment. Flash apologized for his loss of control over the creature and asked to be returned to Earth. While Flash rested, the Guardians debated launching the symbiote into deep space, but it broke free of its container and took over Groot.[116] Flash remained comatose during the symbiote's subsequent rampage, with it passing up a chance to rebond to him in order to take over Rocket Raccoon and later Drax.[117]
With the Guardians of the Galaxy
After using Drax to defeat the rest of the Guardians, the symbiote used the ship to get to the Planet of Symbiotes. The Venom symbiote separated from Drax and joined with its kind, which appeared to be harmless. After deciding to attempt to communicate with the symbiotes, Flash and the Guardians learned of the true origin of these aliens. The symbiotes, or Klyntar (as they prefered to be called), are a race of peaceful creatures whose goal is to use symbiosis with other beings to create an order of noble warriors to maintain peace across the Cosmos. However, the host needs to be a perfect blend of moral and physical ideals; if not, the resulting symbiosis will corrupt both the Klyntar and the host. Events like this caused the spawning of the murderous symbiotes the Klyntar are known for, like Venom and Carnage. Once the Venom symbiote returned to space, the Klyntar managed to reconnect as a collective to it, causing it to act irrationally, but ultimately being able to reunite with their species. The reunion fixed the corruption in the Venom Symbiote, which rebonded to Flash, creating a more powerful Agent Venom who was inducted into the Agents of the Cosmos.[118]
Agents of the Cosmos
Concurrently with his adventures with the Guardians of the Galaxy, Flash and the Venom symbiote began travelling to planets they sensed were in trouble, such as saving a family of aliens from smugglers,[119] and disabling devices that were destroying the ecosystems of various planets. In doing so he acquired a suicidal robot, 803; and won the affections of the queen of the Wugin, Iqa; but earned the animosity of Gramosian space-pirate and warlord Mercurio, who was behind the ecosystem-destroying machines. He was contacted by Tarna and Myntril, representatives of the Agents of the Cosmos, who explained what his new duties were: responding the voice of the Cosmos and defending those who needed help, and discovered the Venom symbiote had developed the ability to manifest in humanoid form without a host.[120]
Venom: Agent of the Cosmos
Mercurio, angered by Venom for interfering with his plans and coveting the Venom symbiote, sent Ruu'lto warrior Pik Rollo after him, but Venom persuaded her to turn against Mercurio to rescue her child, Hilla.[121] Venom and Pik Rollo attacked Mercurio's base and were easily defeated, with Mercurio taking the Venom symbiote.[122] This proved to be a ploy on Flash's and the symbiote's part, buying time for 803 to gather their allies and attack Mercurio's base. Pik reunited with her daughter and Flash reclaimed the symbiote, but its brief period bonded to Mercurio undid the Klyntar hive-mind's cleanse, eventually causing it to relapse into its old rage-filled state and go on a rampage across the planets it had helped in order to antagonize Flash.[123] Fortunately, Flash managed to subdue the symbiote and brought it to the homeworld of the Klyntar, believing there was still a chance for its redemption.[124]
During the symbiote's trial, it was discovered it had succumbed to rage again because the original cleanse was incomplete as a consequence of having deattached Mania, which had been further corrupted by the hell-mark. While Flash's crew volunteered to find a purifying elixir in the planet Wenb, he and the Venom symbiote set out to return to Earth and save Mania.[125]
Civil War II
,_Pik_Rollo_(Earth-616),_Hilla_(Earth-616)_and_Iqa_(Earth-616)_from_Venom_Space_Knight_Vol_1_10_001.jpg){kind=link}
Flash and some of his intergalactic allies: Pik Rollo, Hilla and Iqa.
Flash's return to Earth coincided with Captain Marvel's request for the Guardians of the Galaxy to aid her against Iron Man during the second superhuman Civil War.[126] During the conflict, Flash came to blows with Miles Morales over whether the latter was a true inheritor of the original Spider-Man, but was incapacitated by Miles' Venom-Blast.[127] Briefly visiting his mother at the Rose Manor Wellness Center, Flash travelled to Philadelphia and investigated Mania's activities. While searching for her he was ambushed by Spider-Man, who was unaware that the Venom symbiote was no longer evil and wanted to save his friend from it.[128] After the misunderstanding was cleared by the symbiote, Venom and Spider-Man teamed up to confront Mania. Her symbiote was contained, but it turned out the hell-mark had transfered to Andi herself.[129] Andi attempted to kill Flash and take both the Mania and Venom symbiotes for herself, but Flash's allies arrived just in time with a portion of the elixir to temporarily neutralize her malady and bring her back to her senses. Now reunited with Mania, Venom decided to bid farewell to his allies and remain on Earth until Andi could be properly cured.[130]
Losing the Symbiote
Taking Mania to New York, Flash resumed his Agent Venom form and took to fighting crime alongside his protégé. However, Agent Venom was attacked by the FBI using a specialized anti-symbiote suit of armor. Agent Venom was struck by a beam that separated him from the symbiote, which relapsed into its murderous state and abandoned him.[131] Falling into depression with the loss of his friend and what had made him a superhero, Flash was able to renew his determination to rescue the symbiote from whoever had taken it.[132]
Agent Anti-Venom
After learning that Mania had had her symbiote stolen, Flash assumed the culprit was the one responsible for separating him from the Venom symbiote. Using the traces of the Venom symbiote inside his body as a compass, Flash tracked it to Alchemax Tower, where he discovered it had re-bonded to Eddie Brock. Flash confronted Brock and attempted to have the symbiote return to him. While the symbiote was struggling to decide which host to go to, and latched to both men at the same time, Spider-Man appeared on the scene. He overturned a vat of artificial Anti-Venom serum developed by Alchemax on Flash and Eddie in an attempt to kill the symbiote. Instead of killing the symbiote, the serum turned the portion of it bonded with Flash into a new Anti-Venom, which transformed Flash into a color-inverted version of his Agent Venom form.[4] Flash was able to use the Anti-Venom symbiote to completely remove the Venom symbiote from Eddie, but couldn't bond with it himself. Leaving the symbiote at Bobbi Morse's apartment for safekeeping, Anti-Venom and Spider-Man set out to track down the Mania symbiote and traced it to Black Cat's hideout, where they discovered Felicia's gang had been infected with the symbiote by its new host, Maniac.[133]
Spider-Man and Anti-Venom were defeated,[9] and Maniac tried to burn Flash and his symbiote alive. They were rescued by Andi, who was using the powers derived from the Hell-Mark to keep fighting without her symbiote. Anti-Venom and Andi then tracked down Spider-Man, who had fallen under Maniac's control, and tried to free him. They were assited by Black Cat and Eddie Brock, who had merged back with the Venom symbiote after it escaped Morse's apartment.[134] The heroes then followed Maniac to a gathering of the five biggest crime families in the world, where he had used his symbiote to take control of all attendees. Using weaponry coated in Alchemax's Anti-Venom serum and Flash's own symbiote, the heroes freed those under Maniac's control, prompting him to have the remains of the symbiote return to him to make him stronger.[135] Maniac initially overpowered the heroes until Black Cat noticed those freed from his control by Anti-Venom developed an immunity to him. Spider-Man had Flash's symbiote absorb a sample of his blood to absorb its "Anti-Maniac" properties, giving Flash the boost necessary to strike Maniac down and neutralize him. With Maniac defeated, Flash called his contacts from the goverment to take him away. Before they disbanded their alliance, Anti-Venom gave Brock his blessing to keep the symbiote, arguing he displayed his heroism when fighting Maniac.[136]
Poison Invasion
When word got out that the Poisons were using Klyntar to attack superheroes, Alchemax called in a favor from Flash to use his anti-symbiote properties to help out. Flash agreed initially, despite Venom's angry protests and concern for the victimized Klyntar, but no alternative could be found. Agent Anti-Venom then accompanied Venom and Spider-Man to aid several superheroes in fighting off the Poisons, and attempted to capture one of the bound Poisons to strip them of their symbiote and interrogate them. However, when Agent Anti-Venom tried to rid Poison Punisher of his symbiote, he was horrified when his Anti-Venom powers caused the Poison to shriek in pain and collapse into a puddle, with no sign of the human host inside.[137]
Despite his new concerns about using his powers against the Poisons and harming any innocent humans within, Agent Anti-Venom was assigned to one of two teams to attack Thanos' Ship in Earth Orbit. After fighting off an assault on Alchemax by a group of Poisons, Agent Anti-Venom boarded a Quinjet with his team and set off to the Poisons' ship, only for the Quinjet to be destroyed mid-air by Poison Thanos. Agent Anti-Venom, having survived the crash and having no qualms about using his powers on one such as Thanos, leapt into battle against the Poison, shrugging off attempts by Poisons to assimilate him, but was quickly struck down by Poison Thanos' power. As Flash's companions were also laid low by the former Mad Titan, Kid Kaiju summoned his monsters to attack.[138]
Unfortunately one of Kid Kaiju's monsters, Scragg, was forcibly bonded to a symbiote during the battle and consumed by a Poison, creating Poison Scragg. Recognizing the threat such a beast posed to New York, Agent Anti-Venom reluctantly used his powers to destabilize Poison Scragg and allowing him to be mercy-killed by Slizzik. Agent Anti-Venom then set about healing his injured companions, and witnessed the systematic self-destruction of the Poisons after the death of their Queen.[139]
Rise of the Red Goblin and Death
As Agent Anti-Venom, Flash experienced unprecedented popularity surpassing that of Spider-Man. However, he was blackmailed by Liz Allan - who had seen and destroyed footage of Flash bonding to the altered symbiote - into providing extra security at her company's new off-site testing facility, where she was going to do a demonstration on the potency of tritium. Flash reluctantly agreed, worried she would expose him if he refused; and when the Goblin King and several of his thugs attacked to steal the tritium Agent Anti-Venom teamed up with Spider-Man to try to stop them - though as a result of Flash leaving to heal one of the guards the Goblin King was able to make off with a small amount.[140] Liz blackmailed Flash once more into helping her track it down,[141] and he arrived at an old nightclub once used as a hideout by the Green Goblin. Inside, he discovered Urich's mutilated corpse and a tied-up J. Jonah Jameson, who informed him that Osborn had not only become the Green Goblin again but had bonded to the Carnage symbiote.[142]
Contacted by Spider-Man, Agent Anti-Venom was asked to watch over Jameson - who used the distraction to sneak away.[143] When the Red Goblin mortally wounded the Human Torch, Clash, Silk, and Ultimate Spider-Man; Flash chose to sacrifice his opportunity to defeat Osborn using the Anti-Venom symbiote's cleansing properties to heal Spider-Man's friends, and was badly mauled as a result of overusing its healing powers. Using the last of his energy to heal Spider-Man's leg,[143] Flash was taken to the hospital, where he learned that Spider-Man was Peter Parker from a delirious Cindy Moon, and used the last of his power to save Spider-Man's friends and loved ones from Carnage. Arriving to confront the Red Goblin alongside Spider-Man - who had bonded to the Venom symbiote - Flash tried to use the last of the Anti-Venom symbiote to purge Osborn of the Carnage symbiote. In retaliation to Flash ruining his plans, Osborn mortally wounded Flash with his Sparkle Blast gauntlets before being punched across the city by a berserk Venomized Spider-Man. Flash managed to calm Venom down and asked Peter to not give into rage lest he corrupt the symbiote, refusing to rebond to it out of concern that the remaining Anti-Venom in his body would kill it or he would die before it could heal him, killing it and depriving Spider-Man of the advantage it conferred. Flash died of his injuries, and was later given a military funeral with full honors.[12]
Legacy
Despite having met his demise at the hands of the Red Goblin, Flash left much behind. Both Spider-Man and the Venom symbiote wished to live up to Flash's ideals and legacy;[12][144] After being confronted with the news of Flash's death - the effectively brain-dead symbiote having erased his memories of it - Eddie Brock expressed the belief that it had preferred Flash as a host, which he found depressing.[145]
The Maker had acquired a sample of Flash's blood taken during his time as Agent Venom and extracted a sample of the Venom symbiote's biomass he referred to as a codex. When the Maker told Eddie that he planned to exhume and vivisect Flash's body for additional samples and data, the symbiote attacked him to retrieve the codex. When confronted by soldiers wielding sonic weapons, the symbiote absorbed the codex and the echo of Flash's consciousness it contained, transforming Eddie into Agent Venom. While the codex eventually burnt out, Eddie was left with an increased respect for Flash, calling him "brother" while paying respects at his grave.[145]Personality
I've taken beatings in my life. Had body and mind put to the test. Football. Dad. Boot camp. Mosul. Both legs amputated above the knee. An entire lifetime of getting my ass kicked to the ground can't begin to measure up to these past twelve hours.
- —Venom (Flash Thompson)[src]
As a result of chronic abuse by his violent, alcoholic father, Flash Thompson became a bully during his high-school years, picking on students weaker than himself — namely Peter Parker — in order to vent his anger and frustration.[68] Nevertheless desiring his father's approval above all else, Flash pushed himself to excel in sports, embodying the stereotype of a dumb jock.[99]
Inspired by Spider-Man's selfless heroism, Flash eventually straightened himself out and joined the military in order to prove himself a hero,[122] but was ashamed and haunted by his past as a bully.[124] Remaining hot-tempered and lapsing into alcoholism, Flash despaired at the parallels he saw between himself and his father.[68] Upon becoming Agent Venom, Flash's aspirations to be a superhero clashed with both his military superiors' orders — eventually leading to him going AWOL to protect his family;[73] and with the predatory urges of the symbiote, which was kept suppressed by a suppressant chemical but would resurface if Flash became too angry.[146][67]
After joining the Secret Avengers and the Thunderbolts, Flash came to realize just how heavy the burden of being a hero was when his new rogues galley and the feral symbiote attacked his family; eventually leaving to Philadelphia to protect them and try to leave his past behind. Upon the Venom symbiote being cleansed, Flash's relationship with it began anew and he came to consider it his comrade and partner, to the point that even when it was re-corrupted he endeavoured to save it from itself.[147]
Flash blamed himself for the death of Andrea Benton's father, and despite having never wanted children out of fear he'd turn out like his own dad he became a surrogate father and mentor to her.[105]
Thompson sank into a deep depression when he was separated from Venom. Not only was he worried sick about his friend and partner, he also missed being a superhero. He was eventually brought out of his depression by his determination to reunite with his former symbiote. Flash initially rejected the notion of the symbiote having returned to Eddie Brock,[4] but learned to respect Brock and accept him as the symbiote's host after he showed his heroic side while fighting Maniac.[4]Attributes
 |
Powers
White Symbiotic Costume: The Anti-Venom symbiote grants Flash the following powers;
- Superhuman Strength
- Superhuman Speed
- Superhuman Stamina
- Superhuman Durability
- Superhuman Agility
- Superhuman Reflexes
- Webbing Generation:
- Accelerated Healing Factor
- Wall-Crawling
- ESP (Spider-Sense)
- Spider-Sense Immunity
- Adaptive Camouflage
- Constituent-Matter Generation
- Constituent-Matter Manipulation
- Shapeshifting
- Genetic Memory
- Night Vision
- External Symbiote Rejection: As with the original, the artificial Anti-Venom symbiote is caustic to the Venom symbiote, to the extent that prolonged physical contact will kill it. His touch also kills Poisons, as they are a predator species who thrive on assimilated symbiote biomass.[137]
- Healing Touch: The suit allows Flash to purge a person's body of impurities such as drugs, toxins, and diseases. However, unlike with the original Anti-Venom symbiote, Flash can also heal physical injuries and doesn't have the random power negation effect.[136]
Abilities
Skilled Marksman: Flash has been trained in sharpshooting and marksmanship from the U.S. Army.
Skilled Combatant: Due to formal training as a boxer and a soldier, Flash is an exceptional combatant and easily combines his abilities with the use of symbiote powers.Weaknesses
Alcoholism: Flash had been known to have a drinking problem.
Paraphernalia
Equipment
Prosthetic legs: A pair of prosthesis gifted to him by 803 to walk on his own while not bonded to the Venom symbiote.[150]
Weapons
Transportation
Notes
- When Flash loses control of the suit, his appearance frequently changes to that of the "classic" Venom, Eddie Brock, occasionally retaining the spikes on his shoulders, arms, and legs and white-rimmed black eyes. Other times the white spider emblems have remained the same, or reverted to their appearance of Mac Gargan's Venom form. He can generate two mouths from the side of his neck, although he has only done so once.
- As a member of the Red Hulk's Thunderbolts, Flash recolored the white areas of the symbiote red, making it resemble Randy Schueller's original concept art for the black suit.
Trivia
- Flash is the nephew of actress Lea Thompson.[153]
See Also
- 602 appearance(s) of Eugene Thompson (Earth-616)
- 14 appearance(s) in handbook(s) of Eugene Thompson (Earth-616)
- 108 minor appearance(s) of Eugene Thompson (Earth-616)
- 115 mention(s) of Eugene Thompson (Earth-616)
- 10 mention(s) in handbook(s) of Eugene Thompson (Earth-616)
- 513 image(s) of Eugene Thompson (Earth-616)
- 57 quotation(s) by or about Eugene Thompson (Earth-616)
- 6 victim(s) killed by Eugene Thompson (Earth-616)
- 5 item(s) used/owned by Eugene Thompson (Earth-616)
Links and References
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Amazing Spider-Man #796
- ↑ Venom: Space Knight #2
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Venom (Vol. 2) #1
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 Amazing Spider-Man: Venom Inc. Alpha #1
- ↑ Carnage, U.S.A. #3
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 Venom (Vol. 2) #17
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 Venom (Vol. 2) #31
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 Amazing Spider-Man #654
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 Venom #159
- ↑ Amazing Spider-Man #275
- ↑ Amazing Spider-Man #5
- ↑ 12.0 12.1 12.2 Amazing Spider-Man #800
- ↑ 13.0 13.1 Amazing Spider-Man #574
- ↑ Amazing Fantasy #15
- ↑ Amazing Spider-Man #4
- ↑ Amazing Spider-Man #8
- ↑ Amazing Spider-Man #9–10
- ↑ Amazing Spider-Man #1
- ↑ Amazing Spider-Man #2
- ↑ Amazing Spider-Man #3
- ↑ Amazing Spider-Man #17
- ↑ Amazing Spider-Man #24
- ↑ Amazing Spider-Man #5
- ↑ Amazing Spider-Man #18
- ↑ Amazing Spider-Man #12–15
- ↑ Amazing Spider-Man #25
- ↑ Amazing Spider-Man #26
- ↑ Amazing Spider-Man #30
- ↑ Amazing Spider-Man #28
- ↑ Amazing Spider-Man #31
- ↑ Amazing Spider-Man #36–38
- ↑ Amazing Spider-Man #39
- ↑ Amazing Spider-Man #41
- ↑ Amazing Spider-Man #108–109
- ↑ Amazing Spider-Man #123
- ↑ Amazing Spider-Man #134
- ↑ Amazing Spider-Man #135
- ↑ Amazing Spider-Man #136–137
- ↑ Amazing Spider-Man #138
- ↑ Amazing Spider-Man #140
- ↑ Amazing Spider-Man #152
- ↑ Peter Parker, The Spectacular Spider-Man #4
- ↑ Peter Parker, The Spectacular Spider-Man #91
- ↑ Peter Parker, The Spectacular Spider-Man #98
- ↑ Amazing Spider-Man #276
- ↑ 46.0 46.1 Amazing Spider-Man #288
- ↑ Web of Spider-Man #40–43
- ↑ The Spectacular Spider-Man #148
- ↑ Spider-Man 75
- ↑ Amazing Spider-Man Annual 21
- ↑ Amazing Spider-Man #329–331
- ↑ The Spectacular Spider-Man #204–205
- ↑ The Spectacular Spider-Man #209–210
- ↑ Amazing Spider-Man (Vol. 2) #7
- ↑ Amazing Spider-Man (Vol. 2) #8
- ↑ The Spectacular Spider-Man #249–250
- ↑ The Spectacular Spider-Man #255
- ↑ Peter Parker: Spider-Man (Vol. 2) #45
- ↑ Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man #4
- ↑ Amazing Spider-Man #533
- ↑ Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man #13
- ↑ Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man #11
- ↑ Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man #22
- ↑ Amazing Spider-Man #622
- ↑ 65.0 65.1 Venom (Vol. 2) #2
- ↑ Venom (Vol. 2) #3
- ↑ 67.0 67.1 Venom (Vol. 2) #4
- ↑ 68.0 68.1 68.2 Venom (Vol. 2) #5
- ↑ Venom (Vol. 2) #6
- ↑ Venom (Vol. 2) #7
- ↑ Venom (Vol. 2) #8
- ↑ Venom (Vol. 2) #9
- ↑ 73.0 73.1 Venom (Vol. 2) #10
- ↑ Venom (Vol. 2) #11
- ↑ Venom (Vol. 2) #12
- ↑ Venom (Vol. 2) #13
- ↑ Venom (Vol. 2) #13.1
- ↑ Venom (Vol. 2) #13.2
- ↑ Venom (Vol. 2) #13.3
- ↑ Venom (Vol. 2) #13.4
- ↑ Venom (Vol. 2) #14
- ↑ Venom (Vol. 2) #15
- ↑ Secret Avengers #23
- ↑ Venom (Vol. 2) #16
- ↑ Venom (Vol. 2) #18
- ↑ Venom (Vol. 2) #19
- ↑ Venom (Vol. 2) #20
- ↑ Venom (Vol. 2) #21
- ↑ Venom (Vol. 2) #22
- ↑ Venom (Vol. 2) #23–25
- ↑ Minimum Carnage: Alpha #1
- ↑ Scarlet Spider (Vol. 2) #10
- ↑ Venom (Vol. 2) #26
- ↑ Scarlet Spider (Vol. 2) #11
- ↑ Venom (Vol. 2) #27
- ↑ Minimum Carnage: Omega #1
- ↑ 97.0 97.1 Venom (Vol. 2) #29
- ↑ Venom (Vol. 2) #28
- ↑ 99.0 99.1 Venom (Vol. 2) #32
- ↑ Venom (Vol. 2) #33
- ↑ Venom (Vol. 2) #34
- ↑ Venom (Vol. 2) #35
- ↑ Venom (Vol. 2) #38
- ↑ Venom (Vol. 2) #39
- ↑ 105.0 105.1 Venom (Vol. 2) #42
- ↑ Thunderbolts (Vol. 2) #1
- ↑ Thunderbolts (Vol. 2) #17
- ↑ Thunderbolts (Vol. 2) #23
- ↑ Superior Spider-Man #22
- ↑ 110.0 110.1 110.2 Superior Spider-Man #23
- ↑ 111.0 111.1 Superior Spider-Man #24
- ↑ Superior Spider-Man #25
- ↑ Guardians of the Galaxy (Vol. 3) #14
- ↑ Guardians of the Galaxy (Vol. 3) #16
- ↑ Guardians of the Galaxy (Vol. 3) #17
- ↑ Guardians of the Galaxy (Vol. 3) #21
- ↑ Guardians of the Galaxy (Vol. 3) #22
- ↑ 118.0 118.1 Guardians of the Galaxy (Vol. 3) #23
- ↑ Venom: Space Knight #1
- ↑ Venom: Space Knight #2–3
- ↑ Venom: Space Knight #4
- ↑ 122.0 122.1 Venom: Space Knight #5
- ↑ Venom: Space Knight #6–8
- ↑ 124.0 124.1 Venom: Space Knight #9
- ↑ Venom: Space Knight #10
- ↑ Civil War II #4
- ↑ Civil War II #5
- ↑ Venom: Space Knight #11
- ↑ Venom: Space Knight #12
- ↑ Venom: Space Knight #13
- ↑ Venom #150
- ↑ Amazing Spider-Man #789
- ↑ Amazing Spider-Man #792
- ↑ Amazing Spider-Man #793
- ↑ Venom #160
- ↑ 136.0 136.1 Amazing Spider-Man: Venom Inc. Omega #1
- ↑ 137.0 137.1 Venomized #3
- ↑ Venomized #4
- ↑ Venomized #5
- ↑ Amazing Spider-Man #796
- ↑ Amazing Spider-Man #797
- ↑ Amazing Spider-Man #798
- ↑ 143.0 143.1 Amazing Spider-Man #799
- ↑ Venom #154
- ↑ 145.0 145.1 Venom (Vol. 4) #8
- ↑ Venom (Vol. 2) #1–2
- ↑ Venom: Space Knight #10–11
- ↑ 148.0 148.1 Venom (Vol. 2) #41
- ↑ Venom (Vol. 2) #25
- ↑ 150.0 150.1 Venom: Space Knight #3
- ↑ Venom: Space Knight #7
- ↑ Thunderbolts (Vol. 2) #20.NOW
- ↑ Howard the Duck (Vol. 6) #9
- ↑ Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe A-Z Vol 1 12
- ↑ King in Black Handbook Vol 1 1