The life of Daily Globe reporter Eddie Brock will one day collide with the alien Symbiote costume worn by the ever-amazing Spider-Man! Below, you’ll find a mix of original ALIEN COSTUME SAGA (1984) stories and ‘untold tales’ featuring the Symbiote’s time with Spider-Man as well as the moments that led to both Eddie and the alien seeking revenge against the Web-Slinger!
Plus, find out who else the Symbiote took as a host in this time, including Master Blood, Leonard Elkhart and Deadpool!
Return to our CHARACTER READING ORDER INDEX for more chronological guides!
I’d like to thank the Unofficial Handbook of Marvel Comics Creators and the Marvel Chronology Project, the Marvel Database for their invaluable assistance.
Chronology: All appearances of Eddie Brock and the Symbiote from this period are included in chronological order, laying out their timeline rather than just the order the issues were released.
Must Reads: Story arcs in bold in the Core List or marked with a ✔ in the Full Reading Order are must-read stories from this time period, along with any key related stories and often-forgotten tales that are worth a look.
Anthology Issues: When an issue contains multiple stories, the relevant story is denoted with square brackets. For example, [2/5] refers to the second story of the five stories in that issue, so you don’t need to read the other four.
Spoilers: The issue/story overviews may include spoilers, so be warned!
Did we miss something? Let us know!
Want to keep it simple? Here’s the core reading order without story descriptions, page-by-page breakdowns – just the stories:
- Venom: Dark Origin #1
- Untold Tales of Spider-Man #15
- Venom: Seed of Darkness #-1
- Spider-Man: Black Suit and Blood #3 [2/3]
- Secret Wars (1984) #8-12
- Deadpool’s Secret Secret Wars #1, 3
- Secret Wars: Battleworld (2024) #1-4
- Amazing Spider-Man #252
- Marvel Team-Up #141
- Peter Parker, the Spectacular Spider-Man #90-91
- Spider-Man: Black Suit & Blood #2 [1/3]
- Amazing Spider-Man #253
- 1985 #5-6
- Incredible Hulk #300
- Amazing Spider-Man #254
- Peter Parker, the Spectacular Spider-Man #92
- Marvel Team-Up #142-143
- Spider-Man: Black Suit & Blood #3 [2/3]
- Amazing Spider-Man #255
- Spider-Man Family (2007) #1 [1/5]
- Spider-Man: Black Suit & Blood #3 [3/3]
- Symbiote Spider-Man #1-5
- Symbiote Spider-Man: Alien Reality #1-5
- Peter Parker, the Spectacular Spider-Man #93
- Marvel Team-Up #144
- Peter Parker, the Spectacular Spider-Man #94
- Marvel Team-Up #145
- Symbiote Spider-Man: King in Black #1-5
- Knights of Pendragon (1992) #6
- Symbiote Spider-Man: Crossroads #1-5
- Spider-Man: Black Suit & Blood #3 [3/3]
- Amazing Spider-Man #256-257
- Amazing Spider-Man Annual (2018) #1
- Spider-Man/Human Torch #4
- Spider-Man: Black Suit & Blood #1 [3/4]
- Marvel Team-Up #146
- Peter Parker, the Spectacular Spider-Man Annual #4
- Spider-Man: Black Suit & Blood #2 [3/3]
- Peter Parker, the Spectacular Spider-Man #94-95
- Amazing Spider-Man #258
- Peter Parker, the Spectacular Spider-Man #97
- Marvel Team-Up #148
- Amazing Spider-Man #259-261
- Fantastic Four #274
- Spider-Man and the Fantastic Four #2
- Peter Parker, the Spectacular Spider-Man #98-100
- Web of Spider-Man (1985) #1
- Fall of the Hulks: Alpha #1
- Venom: Dark Origin #2
- Deadpool: Back in Black #1-5
| Must Reads | Title, Synopsis & First Appearances | Event / Crossover |
| ✔ | Venom: Dark Origin #1 (2008) Young Eddie Brock shows early signs of a violent sense of justice; Eddie takes the credit for taking down thugs to impress Anne Weying, despite Spider-Man doing the deed. | |
| Untold Tales of Spider-Man #15 (1996) Young up-and-coming reporter Eddie Brock quizzes J Jonah Jameson at a press conference on behalf of the Daily Globe. | ||
| ✔ | Venom: Seed of Darkness #-1 (1997) Eddie Brock investigates the appearance of a symbiotic alien creature called Krobaa. 1st appearance: Krobaa | FLASHBACK |
| ✔ | Spider-Man: Black Suit and Blood #3 [2/3] (2024) The alien Symbiote‘s first human host, Master Blood, is erased from existence by Kang the Conqueror. 1st appearance: Master Blood/Master Venom/Neville Cholmondley | |
| ✔ | Secret Wars #8-11 (1984-1985) Secret Wars #12 (pp.1-2) (1985) Spider-Man is among the heroes who have been transported to Battleworld by the Beyonder to fight a selection of Earth’s most dangerous villains in exchange for the prize they most desire; Spider-Man discovers a machine that gives him a new black costume that does whatever he commands it to do… 1st appearance: Omnivore (unnamed) | SECRET WARS |
| Deadpool’s Secret Secret Wars #1, 3 (2015) Spider-Man cameo; Deadpool is retroactively added to the ranks of the heroes present on Battleworld; flashbacks reveal how Deadpool found the black costume before Spider-Man did. | ||
| ✔ | Secret Wars #12 (pp.3-36) (1985) The heroes on Battleworld face Doctor Doom in a climactic battle… | SECRET WARS |
| Must Reads | Title, Synopsis & First Appearances | Event / Crossover |
| Secret Wars: Battleworld #1-4 (2024) Spider-Man and the Human Torch‘s final exploration of Battleworld leads to an unexpected clash with the Hobgoblin, Absorbing Man, Baron Zemo, Electro and Hobgoblin. | ||
| ✔ | Secret Wars #12 (pp.36-39) (1985) The heroes recover from their battle with Doctor Doom… | SECRET WARS |
| Deadpool’s Secret Secret Wars #4 (2015) Spider-Man cameo; Spider-Man offers his theories on the true nature of Battleworld. | ||
| ✔ | Secret Wars #12 (pp.39-43) (1985) Spider-Man and the other heroes leave Battleworld. | SECRET WARS |
| ✔ | Amazing Spider-Man #252 (pp.1-7) (1984) Amazing Spider-Man #252 (p.8) (1984) / Marvel Team-Up #141 (pp.13-14) (1984) Amazing Spider-Man #252 (pp.9-22) (1984) Spider-Man returns to Earth still wearing his new black costume; tries out his new costume by swinging around New York and reunites with the Black Cat. 1st appearance: ‘Black Suit’/’Alien Costume’/Symbiote | SECRET WARS THE ALIEN COSTUME SAGA |
| Peter Parker, the Spectacular Spider-Man #90 (pp.22) (1984) Spider-Man reunites with the Black Cat. | SECRET WARS THE ALIEN COSTUME SAGA | |
| Peter Parker, the Spectacular Spider-Man #91 (pp.1-7) (1984) Spider-Man reveals his new costume and his recent whereabouts to the Black Cat. | THE ALIEN COSTUME SAGA | |
| ✔ | Amazing Spider-Man Annual #1 (pp.1-4) (2018) Spider-Man explains to the Black Cat where he’s been. | |
| ✔ | Spider-Man: Black Suit & Blood #2 [1/3] (2024) While still getting accustomed to his new suit, Spider-Man battles Morbius and has a run-in with Flash Thompson. | |
| ✔ | Amazing Spider-Man #253 (1984) Spider-Man pursues a new criminal mastermind calling himself the Rose. 1st appearance: Wendy Thorton, Mr Johnston, Mr Varley New identity: Richard Fisk as the Rose | THE ALIEN COSTUME SAGA |
| Must Reads | Title, Synopsis & First Appearances | Event / Crossover |
| Peter Parker, the Spectacular Spider-Man #91 (pp.8-22) (1984) Spider-Man and the Black Cat battle the Blob. 1st appearance: Answer/Aaron Nicholson (cameo) | THE ALIEN COSTUME SAGA | |
| Marvel Team-Up #141 (pp.14-22) (1984) Spider-Man helps Daredevil and the Black Widow apprehend a criminal pawnbroker. | SECRET WARS THE ALIEN COSTUME SAGA | |
| 1985 #5-6 (2008) Spider-Man is among the heroes stopping a flood of super-villains from escaping to Earth-1219, a world with only one superhuman. | ||
| Incredible Hulk #300 (1984) Spider-Man assists Doctor Strange and the Avengers in ending the Hulk’s most violent rampage, yet. 1st appearance: Crossroads | ||
| ✔ | Amazing Spider-Man #254 (1984) Spider-Man clashes with the Jack O’Lantern while looking for clues to the Hobgoblin’s true identity. 1st appearance: Black Fox | THE ALIEN COSTUME SAGA |
| Peter Parker, the Spectacular Spider-Man #92 (1984) Marvel Team-Up #142-143 (1984) Spider-Man and the Black Cat face the Kingpin’s newest enforcer, the Answer. 1st appearance: Answer (full) | THE ALIEN COSTUME SAGA | |
| Spider-Man: Black Suit & Blood #3 [2/3] (2025) Spider-Man tries to convince a college professor not to turn to crime. | ||
| ✔ | Amazing Spider-Man #255 (1984) The Red Ghost strong-arms the Black Fox into stealing computer components for him, only to be intercepted by Spider-Man; the first hint that Spider-Man’s costume may be sentient is dropped when he teams up with Alpha Flight to stop the Collector from kidnapping Marrina. | THE ALIEN COSTUME SAGA |
| Spider-Man Family #1 [1/5] (2007) The Black Costume takes greater control of Spider-Man when he’s knocked unconscious in a battle with the Sandman. | BACK IN BLACK | |
| Spider-Man: Black Suit & Blood #3 [3/3] (2025) Spider-Man discovers a plot by the Master Planner‘s old gang. | ||
| ✔ | Symbiote Spider-Man #1-5 (2019) With assistance from his former MIT roommate, radiation expert Johnny Ohnn, Mysterio blackmails the Black Cat and faces off with Spider-Man. | |
| ✔ | Symbiote Spider-Man: Alien Reality #1-5 (2020) Spider-Man’s ongoing enmity with the Hobgoblin continues just as the alien costume takes control of Peter Parker; Doctor Strange and Morbius are drawn into their feud when reality itself is threatened. |
| Must Reads | Title, Synopsis & First Appearances | Event / Crossover |
| Peter Parker, the Spectacular Spider-Man #93 (1984) Marvel Team-Up #144 (1984) Peter Parker, the Spectacular Spider-Man #94 (pp.1-13)(1984) Marvel Team-Up #145 (1984) Spider-Man and the Black Cat have a rematch with the Answer when he steals a corpse for the Kingpin; Moon Knight and Spider-Man join forces against the White Dragon; Kingpin arranges for Silvermane‘s corpse to be reanimated with cyborg parts and act as his new assassin, clashing with Spider-Man, the Black Cat and Cloak & Dagger; Spider-Man and Iron Man (James Rhodes) team up against Blacklash. 1st appearance: Jonathon Ohnn | THE ALIEN COSTUME SAGA | |
| ✔ | Symbiote Spider-Man: King in Black #1-5 (2021) Knull actives the prototype Symbiote called Mister E and forms an alliance with Kang the Conqueror in a bid to bring the cosmos into the Abyss; Spider-Man, Captain Marvel, the Black Knight and Rocket Raccoon rise up against them. | KING IN BLACK |
| Knights of Pendragon #6 (pp.1-5) (1992) Spider-Man briefly battles Arrakhyl before he teleports away. 1st appearance: Arrakhyl | ||
| ✔ | Amazing Spider-Man #256 (pp.1-14) (1984) The Rose hires the Puma to kill Spider-Man. 1st appearance: Puma/Thomas Fireheart, Jenna Taylor, Fireheart Enterprises | THE ALIEN COSTUME SAGA |
| ✔ | Symbiote Spider-Man: Crossroads #1-5 (2021-2022) Moondark’s mysterious benefactor gives him the means to transport Spider-Man to the interdimensional Crossroads; the Black Cat, Doctor Strange and the Eternals confront Karnilla to bring Spidey home. | |
| ✔ | Spider-Man: Black Suit & Blood #3 [3/3] (2024) Spider-Man ups the brutality in a vicious showdown with Mysterio when he tries to steal Mister Fantastic‘s technology. | |
| ✔ | Amazing Spider-Man #256 (pp.15-22) (1984) Amazing Spider-Man #257 (1984) The Puma battles Spider-Man on Manhattan’s rooftops; Hobgoblin forms a new partnership; Mary Jane Watson comes back into Peter Parker’s life. 1st appearance: Fireheart Enterprises | THE ALIEN COSTUME SAGA |
| ✔ | Amazing Spider-Man #258 (pp.1-10) (1984) Peter Parker realises Mary Jane Watson knows he’s Spider-Man; Black Cat meets Mary Jane; the Black Costume takes Spidey for a spin while he sleeps. | THE ALIEN COSTUME SAGA THE SURTUR SAGA |
| ✔ | Amazing Spider-Man Annual #1 (pp.5-28) (2018) The Symbiote breaks away from Spider-Man and pretends to be him while intervening in Hammerhead‘s latest Maggia scheme. | |
| Spider-Man/Human Torch #4 (2005) The Black Cat uses her charms to manipulate the Human Torch. | ||
| ✔ | Spider-Man: Black Suit & Blood #1 [3/4] (2024) Peter Parker dreams his costume is trying to take control of him. | |
| Marvel Team-Up #146 (1984) Spider-Man and Nomad investigate the mysterious Black Abbot and his connection to the Taskmaster. 1st appearance: Black Abbot | THE ALIEN COSTUME SAGA |
| Must Reads | Title, Synopsis & First Appearances | Event / Crossover |
| Peter Parker, the Spectacular Spider-Man Annual #4 (1984) Peter Parker deals with the return of May Parker’s shady ex-boyfriend. | ||
| ✔ | Spider-Man: Black Suit & Blood #2 [3/3] (2024) Spider-Man’s costume tries to convince him to kill the Shocker! | |
| Peter Parker, the Spectacular Spider-Man #94 (pp.14-22)(1984) Peter Parker, the Spectacular Spider-Man #95 (1984) Spider-Man, Black Cat and Cloak & Dagger clash with the cyborg Silvermane. | THE ALIEN COSTUME SAGA | |
| ✔ | Amazing Spider-Man #258 (pp.11-23) (1984) Mister Fantastic studies the black costume and learns it’s an alien Symbiote; the costume is forcibly removed from Peter Parker and put into a containment unit. New identity: Peter Parker/Spider-Man as the Bombastic Bag-Man | THE ALIEN COSTUME SAGA THE SURTUR SAGA |
| ✔ | Amazing Spider-Man Annual #1 (pp.29-30) (2018) The Symbiote wallows in containment in the Baxter Building. | |
| ✔ | Peter Parker, the Spectacular Spider-Man #97 (1984) Symbiote cameo; the Symbiote tries to escape from the Baxter Building. | TIL DEATH DO US PART |
| Marvel Team-Up #148 (1984) Symbiote cameo; the Human Torch shows Alicia Masters the Symbiote, making assumptions about its intelligence levels. | ||
| ✔ | Amazing Spider-Man #259-260 (1984-1985) Symbiote cameo; Mister Fantastic explains to She-Hulk that the Symbiote could well be intelligent; the Symbiote sees the hidden power within Franklin Richards. | TIL DEATH DO US PART |
| ✔ | Spider-Man and the Fantastic Four #2 (pp.1-3) (2010) Spider-Man returns to the Baxter Building to observe the Symbiote. | |
| ✔ | Amazing Spider-Man #261 (1985) / Fantastic Four #274 (1985) / Spider-Man and the Fantastic Four #2 (p.4) (2010) A probe frees the Symbiote from its containment unit in the Baxter Building. | MONSTER MASH TIL DEATH DO US PART |
| ✔ | Spider-Man and the Fantastic Four #2 (2010) The escaped Symbiote tries to claim Franklin Richards as its host; the culprit behind the Symbiote’s escape is revealed. | |
| ✔ | Peter Parker, the Spectacular Spider-Man #98-100 (1985) Web of Spider-Man #1 (1985) The Symbiote stalks Spider-Man; the Black Cat makes a new, material version of Spider-Man’s black costume by way of an apology; the Symbiote bonds with Leonard Elkhart and uses him as a host in its search for Spider-Man; the Symbiote abandons Leonard Elkhart and tries to reclaim Peter Parker; after fighting the Vulturions, Peter uses the bells from a church tower to force the Symbiote to release him; the Symbiote Peter from the bells. 1st appearance: Vulturions (Gripes, Honcho, Pigeon, Sugar Face) New identity: Jonathan Ohnn as the Spot | TIL DEATH DO US PART |
| Fall of the Hulks: Alpha #1 (2010) Symbiote cameo; the Intelligencia resuscitate the dying Symbiote. | FALL OF THE HULKS | |
| ✔ | Venom: Dark Origin #2 (2008) Eddie Brock mishandles the coverage of the death of Jean DeWolff at the hands of the Sin-Eater; Eddie’s career is ruined. | |
| ✔ | Deadpool: Back in Black #1-5 (2016-2017) The alien costume departs and ends up in Club Venom where it’s drawn to the mercenary Deadpool and bonds with him; while wearing the Symbiote costume, Deadpool teams up with the Black Cat, Machine Man, Power Pack and Spider-Man (sort of) as he clashes with Coldwar, the Collector, Guzz, Killer Thrill, Kraven the Hunter, the Super-Snark and the White Rabbit; Deadpool rejects the Symbiote when it loses control; returning to the church, the Symbiote considers Eddie Brock as its next host. 1st appearance: Coldwar, Guzz |
The Alien Costume era of Spider-Man history is also covered in his own reading order:
- SPIDER-MAN, 1984-1985 – Saga of the Alien Costume
The Venom Reading Order will continue…
- VENOM, 1988-2004 – Eddie Brock
Notable version of the Symbiote from around the multiverse related to this time period:
| Title, Issue & Synopsis |
| What If #4 (1989) Earth-1089 – The Symbiote takes full possession of Spider-Man, turning him against the other heroes of Earth. |
| Deadpool: Seven Slaughters #1 (2023) Earth-1485 – Deadpool remains the host for the Symbiote, becoming Venom. |
| What If? #114 (1998) Earth-9811 – The heroes and villains remain on Battleworld; the Symbiote uses up Peter Parker‘s body until it’s the only thing holding his bones and psyche together. |
| What If…? Dark: Venom #1 (2023) Earth-10243 – The Symbiote bonds to the Thing when he returns to Earth from Battleworld; the Fantastic Four free the Thing, but the Symbiote escapes and bonds with the Lizard. |
| Title, Issue & Synopsis | Event / Crossover |
| Spider-Man: Life Story #3, 6 (2019) Earth-19529 – The aging Spider-Man accepts the alien costume as a symbiotic partner to counter his aging; Mary Jane Parker frees her husband from the Spider‘s control, so it bonds with Kraven the Hunter‘s remains instead. | |
| What If?: Iron Man – Demon in an Armor #1 [2/2] (2011) What If?: Wolverine – Father #1 [2/2] (2011) What If?: The Amazing Spider-Man – Grim Hunt #1 [2/2] (2011) What If?: Dark Reign #1 [2/2] (2011) Earth-90211/‘Earth-615.9’ – Galactus hires Deadpool to kill the Beyonder; instead, Deadpool becomes best buds with the Beyonder and also becomes host to the Symbiote. | WHAT IF VENOM POSSESSED DEADPOOL? |
| Transformers #3 (1985) Earth-91274 – Spider-Man (in his alien costume) intercedes when the Decepticons kidnap Sparkplug Witwicky; Spidey teams up with Gears of the Autobots and webs up Megatron to free Sparkplug. |
| Collected Edition Title | Collects… |
| Secret Wars Omnibus | Secret Wars #1-12 She-Hulk #10 Thor #383 What If? #4, 114 |
| Spider-Man: Black Suit and Blood Spider-Man: Black Suit and Blood – Treasury Edition | Spider-Man: Black Suit and Blood #1-4 |
| Spider-Man: The Complete Alien Costume Saga vol.1 | Amazing Spider-Man #252-258 Marvel Team-Up #141-145 Marvel Team-Up Annual #7 Peter Parker the Spectacular Spider-Man #90-95 |
| Spider-Man: The Complete Alien Costume Saga vol.2 | Amazing Spider-Man #259-263 Marvel Team-Up #146-150 Peter Parker the Spectacular Spider-Man #96-100 Peter Parker the Spectacular Spider-Man Annual #4 Web of Spider-Man #1 |
| Spider-Man: The Complete Black Costume Saga Omnibus | Amazing Spider-Man #252-263 Amazing Spider-Man Annual #18 Marvel Team-Up #141-150 Marvel Team-Up Annual #7 Peter Parker the Spectacular Spider-Man #90-100 Peter Parker the Spectacular Spider-Man Annual #4 Web of Spider-Man #1 |
| Spider-Man: The Road to Venom | Amazing Spider-Man #258 Peter Parker, the Spectacular Spider-Man #107-110 Spectacular Spider-Man #134-136 Venom: Dark Origin #1-5 Venom: Seed of Darkness #-1 Web of Spider-Man #1 |
| Symbiote Spider-Man by Peter David Omnibus | Symbiote Spider-Man #1-5 Symbiote Spider-Man: Alien Reality #1-5 Symbiote Spider-Man: King in Black #1-5 Symbiote Spider-Man: Crossroads #1-5 Symbiote Spider-Man 2099 #1-5 |
| Symbiote Spider-Man | Symbiote Spider-Man #1-5 |
| Symbiote Spider-Man: Alien Reality | Symbiote Spider-Man: Alien Reality #1-5 |
| Symbiote Spider-Man: King in Black | Symbiote Spider-Man: King in Black #1-5 |
| Symbiote Spider-Man: Crossroads | Symbiote Spider-Man: Crossroads #1-5 |
| Venom: Dark Origin | Venom: Dark Origin #1-5 |
| Collected Edition Title | Includes… |
| Amazing Spider-Man Epic Collection: Ghosts of the Past (vol.15) | Amazing Spider-Man #259-261 Web of Spider-Man #1 |
| Amazing Spider-Man: Worldwide | Amazing Spider-Man Annual (2018) #1 |
| Marvel Masterworks: Peter Parker, the Spectacular Spider-Man vol.8 | Peter Parker, the Spectacular Spider-Man #97 Web of Spider-Man #1 |
| Secret Wars Secret Wars Battleworld Box Set | Secret Wars #8-12 |
| Spider-Man and the Fantastic Four | Spider-Man and the Fantastic Four #2 |
| Spider-Man: Peter Parker – Back in Black | Spider-Man Family #1 |
| Venom Epic Collection: The Hunger (vol.7) Venomnibus vol.2 | Venom: Seed of Darkness #-1 |
| Web of Spider-Man Omnibus vol.1 | Web of Spider-Man #1 |
Reading Order © Omniverse Comics Guide, 2026
Leave a Reply