Despite glaring suggestions and hints, people were still debating the identity behind the symbiote suit in Insomniac’s upcoming Spider-Man 2, right up until the moment the game came out.

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So, to dispel any rumours, we’ll be answering the question "Who is Venom in Spider-Man 2?" with Marvel game's big change explained.

Listen to our One More Life podcast - the new episode is about Spider-Man 2!

We’ll also be taking a look at whether Harry Osborn has ever been Venom in the comics and in any other media in the past.

If you have only recently played Spider-Man on PC, or are yet to, you might want to avert your eyes to avoid any spoilers - as Spider-Man 2 won’t see a PC release for at least a couple of years, as Sony holds the rights to Spider-Man and will want to make use of it before cutting it loose for other platforms.

But enough said on that! Read on, and we will sling some Spidey sleuthing your way to untangle the web of this not-so-mysterious mystery.

Who is Venom in Spider-Man 2?

Peter Parker's pal Harry Osborn is the main host of Venom in Insomniac’s Spider-Man 2, and you might remember that the symbiote was shown attaching itself to Osborn at the end of Spider-Man (2018).

Adding further credence to that theory in the build up to the release was the fact that the story trailer, released during Comic Con 2023, opened with Harry saying, "I’m going to heal the world," and finishes with Venom quipping, "We’re going to heal the world."

Harry is featured quite extensively throughout the trailer, too, with his dad, Norman Osborn, saying, "I’m not going to lose you," making for some serious foreshadowing of Harry’s fate.

Harry was terminally ill during the first game, and until you play the game for yourself, it’s unclear how the symbiote will coexist with the illness - or if it simply replaced the illness with itself.

Has Harry Osborn ever been Venom in the comics?

No, Harry Osborn has never been Venom in the comics. He did, however, become Venom in cartoon the Ultimate Spider-Man.

After the symbiote was destroyed, Harry took a piece of the suit and was crowned the "Black Suit Spider-Man", and became a favourite of New York denizens as he took ample opportunity to humiliate Peter Parker.

Peter warned Harry of the consequences of the symbiote but he wouldn’t listen, and the symbiote eventually consumed him - and thus Venom arrived.

Spider-Man 2 looks to replace the theory of Harry simply taking a piece of the symbiote with him needing it to cure his Oshtoran Syndrome.

This makes him much less like his father, who is greedy and often unscrupulous, making Harry’s succumbing to the symbiote all the more tragic.

If you were wondering who else has been Venom in the comics, below is a list of all the willing and unwilling symbiote suitors.

  • Peter Parker
  • Eddie Brock
  • Anne Weying
  • Angelo Fortunato
  • The Scorpion
  • Flash Thompson
  • Doctor Octopus
  • Lee Price
  • Dylan Brock
  • Kron Stone

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