As the dust settles from Civil War II, many fans may be wondering who or what is going to be bonded with the Venom symbiote. Marvel’s Venom answered this question November 23rd with their 22 page 1st issue. If you were wondering if we would see the return of Brock or Mac Gragan, don’t hold your breath, there’s a new kid on the block.

The torch has been passed to one Lee Price, with implications that Venom may be back on the path to the dark side. This completely new character, much like the symbiote’s previous host Flash Thompson, is a disabled veteran. The big difference here is that Price has a weak moral compass.

If you’ve been trapped in Battleworld, or maybe just frozen in carbonite, you may need to be brought up to speed. Venom was introduced to the the Marvel Universe in 1988 as a supervillain. The symbiote is like a parasite, a sentient alien made of black goop. Needing a host for survival it chose one Peter Parker. After discovering the true nature of the symbiote Parker separated himself from the symbiote “Venom” and after bonding with infamous Eddie Brock it has been mostly mayhem ever since.

Venom enjoyed a brief time with Flash Thompson as a “black ops” agent where the symbiote was able to play the hero. This would change the way the symbiote saw its role in the world. While it is never specified, Venom is eventually separated from Thompson, and that brings us to the present.

Happening upon a black market deal, the symbiote resorts to bonding with one of the men there. Enter Lee Price, ex Army Ranger turned mercenary. In a montage of memories, the symbiote tries to convince Price to be a hero like Flash Thompson. Price has different ideas and starts using the suit for personal gain, bringing the symbiote back to the world of villains.

“VENOM IS BACK AND BADDER THAN EVER! The symbiote you know and love has returned to New York City. No more “Agent of the Cosmos.” No more “Lethal Protector.” It’s time for a new Venom, and it’s great to be bad.”

All we can do now is wait and see where Lee Price will take the Venom. Will we see him square off with Spider-Man again? Only time will tell, but in the meantime, we can be sure to enjoy one of Marvels meanest monsters return to the panels as a villain once more! You can pick up the comic through marvel here, or at your favorite comic shop!

Have you read issue one of Venom? What do you think about the shift back to villainy? Sound off in the comments below!