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I'm gonna talk about how Marvel Comics explores morality and personhood in the possession relationship, using the Venom symbiote and Eli Morrow as contrasting examples.
The Venom symbiote has a very long comics history, with many authors and even multiple host partners. Possession by the Venom symbiote is frequently portrayed as harmful to both parties simply because of the symbiote's alien nature.
The Venom symbiote has a biological need to bond, physically and mentally, with a host.
This draws the host into a toxic echo chamber, for example when Eddie and the symbiote's resentment of Spider-Man drew them both into attempted murder when they joined as Venom.
This draws the host into a toxic echo chamber, for example when Eddie and the symbiote's resentment of Spider-Man drew them both into attempted murder when they joined as Venom.
The symbiote doesn't necessarily like murder. In the hands of malicious hosts, like Lee Price, the symbiote may even act as a check or a conscience. But it doesn't have the strength of will to resist its host's demands, and usually amplifies its host's impulses.
Possession by the Venom symbiote is largely helpful, from a physical standpoint, and harmful from a mental standpoint.
The host benefits from the symbiote's strength, senses, and healing abilities, but can become impulsive and detached from reality because of the echo chamber.
The host benefits from the symbiote's strength, senses, and healing abilities, but can become impulsive and detached from reality because of the echo chamber.
The symbiote is naive and easily manipulated. It also bears its own emotional wounds, which it shares with its hosts. It is dangerous because of WHAT it is, not because it wants to be.
Eli Morrow 100% knows what he's doing. He's dangerous because he's a psychopath.
Eli Morrow 100% knows what he's doing. He's dangerous because he's a psychopath.
In his first conversation with Robbie Reyes, Eli introduces himself by name. "I'm a human spirit." He knows who he is, what he is, and what he wants.
This is in stark contrast to the Venom symbiote, 70's era Zarathos, or Noble Kale.
This is in stark contrast to the Venom symbiote, 70's era Zarathos, or Noble Kale.
Possession by a ghost has been good for Robbie Reyes:
Eli brought him back to life. Or, close enough. That's huge. That's awesome.
Robbie's nigh-unkillable now. Great!
He's bound to the Hell-Charger and his eye changed color, but that's a small price to pay for life.
Eli brought him back to life. Or, close enough. That's huge. That's awesome.
Robbie's nigh-unkillable now. Great!
He's bound to the Hell-Charger and his eye changed color, but that's a small price to pay for life.
The problem with Eli Morrow is that he TALKS. Constantly.
He badmouths everyone around Robbie and talks Robbie into fighting people and keeps secrets to ensure Robbie has to fight people and pushes Robbie's buttons to rile him up enough that Eli can take him over.
He badmouths everyone around Robbie and talks Robbie into fighting people and keeps secrets to ensure Robbie has to fight people and pushes Robbie's buttons to rile him up enough that Eli can take him over.
Possession by Eli is the worst thing that's ever happened to Robbie Reyes since being murdered (which Eli may have had a hand in) and it's not because Eli is a ghost in his head but because Eli is a psychopath trying to control him. Eli is 100% doing this on purpose.
It is theoretically possible to have a healthy possession relationship with the Venom symbiote. The symbiote is traumatized, lacks perspective, and is way too much of a yes-person, but it could be a healthy partner if the writers allowed it to have sustained personal growth.
It is completely impossible to have a healthy possession relationship with Eli Morrow, because Eli is a manipulative psychopath who has no respect for the needs or agency of anyone but himself.
The Venom symbiote is a monster (it's a space alien, it's ugly, it has an alien way of relating to others). It is dangerous because it has a hard time making its own choices, but it's not evil.
Eli Morrow is a human person, and he is evil because of the choices he makes.
Eli Morrow is a human person, and he is evil because of the choices he makes.
I wish Marvel editors would sit down with their writers and have a long talk about morality.
Characters with limited agency are incapable of making moral choices.
Good and evil arise from choices characters make, not what species they are.
Characters with limited agency are incapable of making moral choices.
Good and evil arise from choices characters make, not what species they are.
