Hello people, long-time lurker, first-time poster. I think (hope) I’ve cracked the Venom duo’s alter egos.
1st one is thanks to you guys, and not a brand new theory, but I’m fully behind Dylan being Codex, and feel most readers are overlooking the obvious - that he is a Symbiote codex incarnated as a human. Someone mentioned the similarities between the unmasked Jonboy variant of #27 and the secret tongue variant cover of #7 (Dylan’s first cameo), and if Codex has control over other symbiotes, I think we’ll have our answer. The cover of #29 suggests the two will interact, so I’m interested to see how it plays out.
2nd one is a personal theory I haven’t seen elsewhere - Virus is the as-yet unnamed Jack O’Lantern from Venom #1 (possibly also Donny & Ryan’s secret secret). Venom absolutely batters him - and scars him, pulling out an eye - and he later shows up in the War of the Realms tie-ins looking for revenge, indicating he feels his fight with Venom is personal. He gets a magical upgrade, just to hunt Venom down, but still sticks to his glider (clearly has a personal preference for it) and gets destroyed once again by Eddie.
He repeatedly whines that he’s a nobody, not even a Jack O’Lantern, and is a serial taker-upper of others’ gear, be it magical artefacts, goblin gliders, and seemingly mech suits, with no unique identity of his own (yet) - but is significant enough to be a recurring thorn in Eddie’s side over the course of Cates’ run, and even stars in Venom’s first ever annual, as he recounts how terrifying his encounter with Venom is.
If Virus is indeed this Hack O’Lantern:tm:, then I figure his first cover appearance is Venom #1 2nd Printing, where he lies in sewer water behind Venom, doing his best Nick Fury impression.
Please let me know what you think (and sorry for the essay!)
I think its as fine of a theory as any. I’m still on the Lee Price is virus theory. Dylan has been floated as possibly Codex for a bit now and it’s an intriguing theory. I think due to the resemblance of Codex with Knull, and the Knull is coming stuff, I think we may see him as a herald of Knull of sorts and be a new character. But Dylan would be interesting.
I wouldn’t put too much stock into the tongue thing though. There are many Venom covers with a tongue out. Additionally the cover of 7 is Eddie not Dylan. Jonboy doing (one of many) store exclusives wouldn’t have any insight to where Cates is going with the story.
Good stuff! Interesting. I do like that Jack O’ Lantern was specifically in the run versus drawing from other source.s
I still think Phil Urich/Hobgoblin could be in play as well. (although there isn’t really a source of any significant hate from Eddie specifically in their history that I know of).
I think the name Codex hints he is made from the combined Codex samples of the symbiotes the Maker was collecting, could also be Knull and Winter Soldiers love child. Dylan makes the most sense, but I really have trouble following what Earth and what timeline the story is now taking place in since the last page of #26.
I totally just got Virus and Codex mixed up. The lack of sleep and spec overload the last few weeks is getting to me lol. So what I was trying to say is: I wonder if Codex is Dylan, possessed by the symbiote of Osborn. That’s how you’d get an evil Dylan and that’s how you get Web of Venom: The Good Son to go bonkers.
Is they’ve been doing such a long build up with Dylan, I don’t think they’d introduce his final form in a splash page in 25, then ignore him in 26. I just think they are building to something bigger with him and when it’s finally revealed there will be a big tado about him. I don’t think he just becomes almost like a mini knull (that Codex looks like).
I think they are building him up to be the one to stop Knull in King in Black and during that he takes his final form.
I do like the theory that Codex is something The Maker built/created with various codex he’s obtained.
If it’s true Agent Venom is in it as that Economics goofy ass claims from the video and its what’s her face, she’s from Earth 616 unless it’s a new one.
