Spider-Tracer: “Venom: The Last Dance” Easter Eggs and References *SPOILERS!*

Greetings, Spidey fans! It’s good to have you back for another “Spider-Tracer” article! I recently saw “Venom: The Last Dance”, and, as I normally do after watching a comic book film, I’ll look up the plot and characters on Wikipedia, so as to see if I missed anything in regards to Easter Eggs and references. As it turned out, there were a lot more characters and references from the comics in the film than I originally realized! Although, I admit, some of these might be a little questionable, given that the film doesn’t really go into details on several of these. With that in mind, I knew I couldn’t be the only one who missed some of those aforementioned Easter Eggs and references. Keep in mind that there are tons of spoilers that follow! But, if you don’t mind spoilers, or you already saw the film, let’s take a look then, shall we?

 

Toxin and Patrick Mulligan?

 

 

So this is a bit of an odd one. At the end of “Venom: Let There Be Carnage”, Patrick Mulligan wakes up after seemingly dying with his eyes looking a bit funky, suggesting he was bonded to a symbiote. Many fans, myself included, figured that this symbiote had to be Toxin. Makes sense, right? However, this film reveals that whatever symbiote possessed Mulligan at the end of the second film, abandoned him and never shows or names that symbiote. After finding him, the shadowy organization, the Imperium, bonds Mulligan to another unnamed symbiote. This symbiote is green with a snake-like torso. I originally thought that this might be Lasher, however, this theory was disproven later in the film. With that said, I’m not sure if the filmmakers consider this to be Toxin or not, but either way, Mulligan does show up… only to be pointlessly killed by another character on this list. What a waste! Mulligan originally first appeared in the “Venom/Carnage” mini series’ first issue, while Toxin first appeared in the second issue.

 

Xenophages

 

 

In the comics, the Xenophages are a race of aliens that consume symbiotes. In the film, these creatures are subservient to another character on this list, hunting down Venom over the course of the movie in order to retrieve his codex, which appears to be some sort of key. These symbiote hunters appear to be living woodchippers, as they swallow their symbiote target, with the remains spraying out of the back of their heads; several symbiotes and hosts meet this grisly fate, including Mulligan and whichever symbiote the Imperium gave him. These hungry horrors first appeared in “Venom: The Hunted” #1.

 

Knull

 

 

Yep, Knull is the big bad pulling the Xenophage’s strings. Trapped by his symbiote children in a most unique prison, Knull needs Venom’s codex (formed when the symbiote revived Eddie in the first film) so that he can escape. Sony has admitted to having plans for Knull in future films. Andy Serkis, director of the previous Venom movie, is playing this galactic horror, in case you were curious. Knull first fully appeared in “Venom” Volume 4, #3

 

Sadie and Lasher

 

One of the Imperium’s scientists, Sadie Christmas, bonds with the green, tentacled symbiote known as Lasher, though her symbiote doesn’t survive the film. A little girl host for Lasher, named Sadie, first appeared in “Absolute Carnage: Separation Anxiety” #1, while the Lasher symbiote first appeared in the original “Venom: Lethal Protector” mini-series’ fourth issue.

 

Teddy Payne

 

 

A genderbent version of Dr. Thaddeus Paine is introduced in the film (with a differently spelled last name, to boot), as played by Juno Temple. She, much like Lasher’s host, works as a scientist for the Imperium. In the comics, Paine was a Morbius foe (introduced in “Morbius: The Living Vampire” #4), before later moving on to becoming a Venom foe in the “Venom: The Hunger” mini-series.

 

Agony

 

 

Dr. Payne is bonded to the purple Agony symbiote in this film, and given electrical powers as a result of Payne’s being struck by lightning as a child (yeah, they did that). Agony is one of the few symbiotes to survive the film’s events, so it’ll be interesting to see if they have actual plans for her, or if she’ll be wasted, much like Toxin was. Agony first appeared in the fourth issue of the original “Venom: Lethal Protector” comic.

 

Rex Strickland

 

 

In the film, Chiwetel Ejiofor’s character is not a symbiote super soldier, as depicted in the comics, but rather as merely a soldier working for the Imperium. Rex’s character, also referred to as Tyrannosaurus, first appeared throughout the first two issues of “Venom”, Volume 4, #s 1-2. It’s worth noting that, in the comics, Rex’s symbiote became him after Rex was killed in Vietnam.

 

Phage

 

 

Not to be confused with the Xenophage, Phage is portrayed in the film as a pudgy orangish-yellow symbiote after bonding to a security guard working for the Imperium by the name of Jim. He does not survive the film’s final battle. Phage also first appeared in that (you guessed it) fourth issue of the original “Venom: Lethal Protector” mini-series.

 

Hybrid?

 

 

The film appears to do its own take on the Hybrid character from the comics, though they look nothing alike. How do I know it’s meant to be Hybrid? Two symbiotes merge to form a double-headed creature during the film’s final battle, and I can’t think of anyone else they would be trying to reference, can you? Hybrid first appeared in “Venom: Along Came a Spider” #1.

 

Red Goblin?

 

 

In the film, we see a symbiote that possesses fiery powers. I can’t outright think of a symbiote that could do this in the comics, but when Norman Osborn bonded to the Carnage symbiote, the symbiote was able to heal Osborn’s face, while Osborn’s Goblin Serum-enhanced body was able to eliminate the symbiote’s usual weaknesses, including fire. As a result, Osborn, as the Red Goblin, was able to ride a fiery glider with flames also coming from his mouth. If you can think of who or what else this might be a reference to, let me know down in the comments section! Red Goblin first appeared in “The Amazing Spider-Man” #798.

 

Anti-Venom?

 

 

This film obviously took some creative liberties with the symbiotes. While Flash Thompson doesn’t appear in the film, a silvery white symbiote does, and, outside of a few Stealth Venom figures over the years, I can’t think of who else this could be a reference to. But if you can, however, you know what to do! The Anti-Venom symbiote suit first appeared in “The Amazing Spider-Man” #569.

 

And, in case you wondering, no, the Lizard does not show up, despite Rhys Ifans being in the movie.

 

Did I miss any characters? Were some of these not references at all? What’d you think of the latest in the series of Venom movies? Let me know, you guessed it again, down in the comments section below!