Marvel has its fair share of cool superheroes and villains, but one blurs the lines between right and wrong while still being awesome. Venom has been an enemy to Spider-Man as well as an ally. He's caused chaos and destruction across the Marvel Comics Universe, but it doesn't stop us from loving him.
When it comes to cosplaying the alien symbiote, there're plenty of costumes that get the look right, but some are just plain scary. We're looking at 10 cosplays that embody the darkness within the character and strike fear into the hearts of everyone who lay their eyes on them.
10 The Bonding Process
Adam Jay at Superhero Photography is a great photographer, and his work with cosplayer Freddie Nova manages to capture the bonding process excellently. In his set, Nova slowly begins to transform into Venom, and with the use of liquid latex to get the look right, it makes for a well-shot, detailed set of photos.
Freddie Nova has since gone on to cosplay as other famous symbiotes, but this one is by far her best. It's the way she looks so terrified and scared that makes this particular venom cosplay work. From the moment she sees it on her bathroom floor until the full transformation, this is a perfect cosplay.
9 Anti-Venom
In 2008's New Ways To Die story arc, Anti-Venom made his first appearance after fusing with Eddie Brock, reacting with the remaining traces of symbiote already in Brock's body. Eventually, Brock managed to use Anti-Venom to help cure people with the Spider Virus during the Spider-Island event.
Alex Brenot AKA Symbiote-X is a leading Venom cosplayer, creating a wide range of symbiote suits such as Carnage, Superior Carnage, and Venom. His Anti-Venom is excellent, creating a horrifying mask and spindly tendrils that once again highlight just what a gifted cosplayer Brenot is.
8 Paint It Black
Cosplay isn't just about crafting intricately detailed suits and mechanisms. West Palm Beach in Florida is home to Devious Body Art, a professional face and body-painting business ran by the talented Georgette Pressler. Spending a few minutes looking through her gallery will show you some of her stunning pieces of work.
With her take on Venom, you can see the level of detail in his teeth, and the way that the symbiote's tongue wraps around the model's neck. Every detail is immaculately painted, from the spider emblazoned on his chest to the shaping of his wide white eyes.
7 Monstrous And Meticulous
Mongrelman's DeviantArt page is filled with so many exceptional pieces of work, including Shredder from the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and The Incredible Hulk. What's even better is that he posts photos from the entire process of each cosplay so you can see exactly how his stunning creations are made.
His take on Venom is super realistic. He's crafted every muscle to perfection, making Venom into the scary and monstrous beast we know him as. From the paint job done on the costume to the way his horrible tongue sticks out his mouth, Mongrelman is one of the finest costume designers out there.
6 Punk Rock Nightmare
With webbing that wouldn't look out of place in a Meat Loaf video and some cool visual effects acting as a backdrop, Comicbookgirl19 stands out as a great Venom. The deranged look on her face and her punk rock hair sell her take on the symbiote, all while managing to bring the scariness to the character.
Her website is full of her amazing cosplay sets, such as her take on Dr. Manhattan and Dark Phoenix. It's clear that she's got a gift for cosplay, and this Venom is terrifying. The liquid latex and artificial tongue, along with her torn mask, make this a delightful, albeit freaky, cosplay.
5 A Piercing Stare
Imagine wandering around a comic convention minding your own business, when all of a sudden you bump into this. Xsuits is a professional cosplay creator and this venom costume is nothing short of remarkable. That piercing stare is enough to give anyone nightmares.
The 'skin' of the symbiote is repulsive, with bursting veins and humongous muscles that have all been crafted with precision. His yellow fangs and blood-red tongue give the overall costume a horror-like aesthetic. If it wasn't for the backpack, you'd be forgiven for thinking this was the real-life Venom.
4 Female Of The Species
Unfortunately, little is known about the model of this impressive cosplay. Photographer Yassir Ketchum captured it during a comic book convention, and it's obvious as to why she caught his eye. This once again proves why body paint can provide an excellent cosplay when done right.
The obvious stand-out feature of the cosplay is Venom's mouth. Painted all the way down her neck, the level of detail in the tongue, the palate, and the teeth is incredible. The shading inside the mouth also gives it insane amounts of realism, and the symbiote goo over her body has been painted with great distinction.
3 A Galaxy Far, Far Away
What do you get when you cross the most popular science fiction franchise of all time and one of the most iconic Spider-Man villains ever to feature within the pages of a Marvel comic? Why, this amazing cosplay, of course! This Stormtrooper/Venom crossover cosplay was spotted at Dragon Con 2017, and it's brilliant.
With a bit of creativity and a lot of time, cosplays like this push the boundaries of what's possible. Disney owns Marvel, so you never know if something like this may happen in the future, but for now, take a moment to scare yourself to death and appreciate this amazing effort.
2 Web Of Evil
At MCM London Comic Con 2018, one cosplayer showed off this petrifying take on Venom. Creating any costume takes hours of patience, but there is just so much detail in this that it must've taken weeks to make. The way the white webbing and symbiote goo cover his entire body, wrapping itself tightly to his skin, is great.
The two tendrils that hang over his shoulders give us chills, and his dangling tongue is another glorious feature of the cosplay. Ollie Millington captured the moment in all its glory, and I doubt there's been a more realistic cosplay ever to roam the halls of an MCM Comic Con before, and maybe never again.
1 Silver Screen, Silver Veins
You're unlikely to get Miles Morales' Spider-Man and Tom Hardy's Venom chilling out in the comics or on the silver screen, but thanks to this snap of the two, it happened during a comic convention. What's so good about this cosplay is that it's almost identical to the Venom seen in Ruben Fleischer's film.
The silver veins pop right out of his skin, and the hulking muscles are incredibly screen-accurate. The scariest thing about this version of Venom are its teeth. Each tooth is razor-sharp, and the way he's looking at the camera gives the impression that he's ready to bite the next person who looks at him funny.