Overlooked Gems: “The Last Temptation of Eddie Brock”

Today we will be taking a look at The Last Temptation of Eddie Brock by Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa, Lee Weeks, Stefano Gaudiano and Rick Hoberg in SENSATIONAL SPIDER-MAN vol. 1 #38-39 from 2007.

Have I really gone this long without covering Spider-Man’s most popular adversary? Well here is where I finally make amends!

First (fully) appearing at the tail end of AMAZING SPIDER-MAN vol. 1 #299 in 1988, it goes without saying that Eddie Brock a.k.a. Venom left quite the impression on the public at large.

With his instantly iconic design, intriguing backstory and brutally simple motivations (kill Spider-Man at any cost), this toothy terror was an instant hit with readers and quickly became the webhead’s most acclaimed and reoccurring foe at the time.

His popularity soon became so immense that he received his very own title…as an anti-hero.

For many, this only solidified the character’s appeal (even being his chosen depiction in his 2018 solo film), but for me personally, this was a massive misstep. This will undoubtedly be a controversial opinion, but I do not think that Eddie Brock works as an anti-hero at all.

Why? Well for me, it’s simple: he’s a psychotic killer who will cut down anyone who gets in his way, innocent or not, without hesitation. Think I’m exaggerating?

I’m not. And even when he doesn’t succeed at murdering, he still certainly tries.

And no, that time he saved a baby from an accident he himself caused doesn’t change this.

Why Marvel thought turning an insane, cold-blooded killer who is, beyond all reasonable doubt, a villain into a “protector of the innocent” is still something I find myself asking to this very day. But hey, this is the way the character has mostly been ever since 1993, so what do I know?

Regardless, it’s quite difficult to find good Spider-Man comics post 1993 that portray Eddie accurately (or at least the way I think he should be portrayed) because of this particular character shift. Thankfully, underrated wall-crawler writer Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa has us fans who long for the good old villainous Venom days covered.

Our tale begins with the topic of conversation himself narrating his life story.

Our dear Mr. Brock now spends his days in the terminal ward of his local hospital, waiting for the grim reaper’s cold embrace. But cancer isn’t his only problem…

Eddie may not possess his symbiote any longer, but some bonds go far deeper than mere physicality.

As Eddie’s mania continues to intensify, he spies some all-too familiar faces in his hospital.

That’s right, the loved ones of the man he despises more than any other in the world. How will Eddie process this…especially in his current mental state?

Not very well. Not very well at all. It gets even worse when “the symbiote” convinces him to open up a “special” package.

The contents of this particular package?

Well this is certainly encouraging. What exactly does Eddie intend to do with his “symbiote”? Can Mary Jane protect Aunt May all by herself? Will our sorely-missed Spidey arrive in time to even the odds? Will you read the story for yourself? You had better because I’m not telling.

I know the whole anti-hero interpretation is well-liked, but for me, these two issues portray Eddie Brock exactly as he should be: spiteful, unstable, delusional and above all, not somebody you can count on to protect the innocent. More than that, this arc is easily one of the best character studies we have ever seen for Eddie. He may be a bad person by definition, but Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa is able to able to instill the character with a surprising amount of sympathy while simultaneously offering a very complex look inside his disturbingly twisted mind.

Eddie’s hallucinations of his symbiote are akin to a former addict trying with all his might to remain sober and resist the dark temptations of his drug. He sees himself as both the hero and the victim of his story without accepting the fact that his miserable life is entirely his own doing.

You can track down the individual issues or purchase the Sensational Spider-Man: Back in Black collection.

Even if you prefer Venom as a lethal protector (see what I did there?), The Last Temptation of Eddie Brock offers such a thorough and fascinating examination of the character’s mind that no fan of the long-tounged titan should miss it.