Marvel's Spider-Man: Maximum Venom "Vengeance of Venom, Parts 1-2" Talkback (Spoilers)

[RoyalRubble]

Catch a new hour-long episode of Marvel's Spider-Man, tonight starting at 9:00PM ET on Disney XD! The episodes will also be available on DisneyNOW before its debut on TV.

Marvel's Spider-Man: Maximum Venom "Vengeance of Venom, Part 1"
Episode Debut - June 21, 2020

When symbiotes from space send an advanced hunting party to Earth to take out all of the superheroes, Spider-Man must find a way to stop these villains before they clear the planet for a complete symbiote invasion.

Marvel's Spider-Man: Maximum Venom "Vengeance of Venom, Part 2"
Episode Debut - June 21, 2020

In the midst of a symbiote invasion of New York, Spider-Man must work with a cynical survivalist named Marc Spector (who, due to personal tragedy, has given up his old hero identity as Moon Knight) to find Max Modell and create an "Anti-Venom" that could save the planet.

*Peter Giles (“The Life & Times of Tim”) guest stars as Moon Knight/Marc Spector; Olivia Holt and Aubrey Joseph return as Dagger and Cloak, respectively.

Comments?

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[Frontier]

It was nice to see Peter check in on Aunt May but I guess we're going to forget about Mary Jane again after finally introducing her? I mean, I know we've got six-episodes worth of content still left, but so far Peter's interacted more with Ironheart this season then he has with Mary Jane .

Wow, so they really brought back Grey Griffin and Roger Craig Smith for just one line a piece as Venomized Captain Marvel and Captain America? I thought for a second they didn't have Cho's VA because of how quiet he was up until he got Venomized and the end of the episode. Now I'm kind of surprised Thor was the only one who didn't get any dialogue .

Speaking of Thor, how was Venomized Thor able to wield Mjolnir? He's technically not the real Thor, so I doubt he's Worthy enough to wield it. The last time Thor got infected by a Symbiote in Guardians he couldn't lift the hammer. Was it supposed to be some kind of Symbiote facsimile of Mjolnir? It didn't seem like it .

Did they only introduce Cho so they could have a Hulk they could Venomize? Why not just use the normal Hulk/Bruce Banner? Fred Tatasciore is part of the main cast and Spidey already knows Hulk. Did they not think anyone stood a chance against the main Hulk if he was Venomized? Did Marvel say they needed to promote Cho this season? I just don't get it .

RIP Not!Tony .

It's so weird that Harry Osborn is a heroic Hobgoblin in this series. It's so weird to see the Hobgoblin regarded as a good guy. Considering New York was ravaged and almost taken over by a bunch of goblin people in similar suits, maybe it would be a good idea for Harry to re-brand his heroic image .

It's nice to see Cloak and Dagger as heroes now (I'm guessing their help against Regent got their sentences commuted) even if they also got Venomized. Although Cloak embracing Dagger to turn her felt...oddly romantic in a way .

It doesn't pay to be cocky Ironheart .

I love "Spider-Man vs. Everybody" situations, so that was pretty cool watching him fight all the Venomized Heroes. Of course he needed to be saved, but it was also nice for the show to throw a bone to the other Spiders and finally give them something to do .

Anya finally wears her Spider-Girl promotional art costume. I've never really understood why their was such a disconnect visually there, and I'm not sure if I prefer this look over her normal Spider-Girl look .

"The Spider-Team knows how to take down Symbiotes!" Even though Peter and Miles are the only ones who've actually fought them .

So the show is really treating Venom like he's dead? Even though the season is named after him (not that subtitles in Marvel cartoons haven't been misleading before)? Is Ben Pronsky done aside from the premier and those Venom File shorts ?

Oh hey, Medusa, Prowler, and Winter Soldier! Medusa felt so random because I thought we were done promoting the Inhumans and what is she doing randomly in New York? Poor Prowler was Spidey's only non-Avenger buddy who didn't get to join in on the heroic endeavors .

It takes Dr. Strange becoming evil to realize just how overpowered he can be...and that Liam O'Brien does an excellent job playing villains .

Moon Knight is another hero who just came out of nowhere. The show treats him like this big deal and like we should know who he is even though he has never appeared or been mentioned before this special. He hasn't even had his MCU series released yet. I mean, if you've watched USM or Avenger: Secret Wars you might have some familiarity with him, but this appearance felt fairly disconnected from those (right down to a different design and voice). Considering his handling in the episode and how capable he fared against the Symbiote heroes (even the animation seemed a lot more fluid by comparison) I can't help but think someone (Cort Lane?) is a big Moon Knight fan and wanted to make sure to do an episode with him before the series ended .

As for his portrayal in the special itself, it's notable for being the first time we've seen Moon Knight out of costume and the first time Marc Spector has appeared in both animation and in other media (he was mentioned in the Blade TV show). The show eschewed Khonshu and the multiple personality-disorder (although his origin in Egypt is mentioned) in favor of making him just a really grizzled and cynical Batman more or less, but I felt that was fairly effective in this appearance. Peter Giles also delivered a strong performance in what is probably Moon Knight's wordiest animated appearance yet. Seeing Peter and Aunt May turn him around on being a hero again, and have him bond with the Parker's over their never give up spirit passed down from Uncle Ben, was pretty inspiring .

Those Venom motorcycles would totally have been made into toys if this series had an extensive toyline .

Aunt May...leading the resistance against the Symbiotes with a sonic gun that can knock Venomized Heroes for a loop. Okay. I thought that was a bit much but I did appreciate that after two seasons of Aunt May not really getting anything significant to do on the show they finally have her play a major part in an episode and even show her inspiring Marc to become Moon Knight again. The emphasis on the love and care between her and Peter was nice too .

Well, yeah, I guess the blame for this does rest with Max to some degree since his experiments turned the Symbiote into Venom and Venom brought the Symbiotes to Earth. I've commented before about how Max has inadvertently caused a lot of the problems Peter has faced as Spider-Man, but this takes the cake even if his intentions were pure .

I don't think anyone could have predicted Baby!Groot would turn into Anti-Venom! Move over Eddie Brock and Flash Thompson .

I have to admit, I think the seriousness of the Venom Heroes took a hit a little when a bunch of civilians charged in and turned the tide against them. I mean, the tide turned quickly back, but still .

The invasion was defeated...in one episode? I mean, we've got a whole half season basically left of plot so I doubt that's the end, and it seems like Connors is going to do something villainous with the Seed, but for something that's been built up to and hyped as such a big deal, I'm kind of surprised it ended so quickly. I was expecting the Venomized Heroes would get more to do or at least be around for a few more episodes as well given how hard they were promoted, and I guess we're not going to see the Spiders with their Symbiotes again .

(As a side-note, Curt Connors being a cackling villain is...different?)

 

[M.O.D.O.K.]

So, that was okay. I liked it a bit more than the previous special, but it's still kind of underwhelming. I did like the way the first half ended, with Peter looking over, teary-eyed, as the symbiotes invaded the city. It actually upped the stakes pretty well. Too bad the easy resolution to the entire invasion made it feel hollow. What will they follow it up with next? The Life Foundation?

Moon Knight was kind of nice. I liked him calling Peter out for stating the obvious. He felt like a different type of guest hero, but I felt the way they laid out the moral of the episode was a bit much.

So the show is really treating Venom like he's dead? Even though the season is named after him (not that subtitles in Marvel cartoons haven't been misleading before)? Is Ben Pronsky done aside from the premier and those Venom File shorts ?

I'm assuming Ben Pronsky will get to do more. But yeah, I thought the premiere stated that Max only took a piece of the Venom symbiote, so the rest is out somewhere.

I don't think anyone could have predicted Baby!Groot would turn into Anti-Venom! Move over Eddie Brock and Flash Thompson .

When they kept mentioning the space administration, I was hoping we'd get to see Eddie (or the Venom symbiote) in there.

 

[Fone Bone]

Marvel's Spider-Man: Maximum Venom "Vengeance Of Venom"

Man I did not dig that. At all.

Moon Knight is SUCH a drag. Basically the entire episode revolves around the human race being conquered and enslaved and he still manages to be the biggest bummer in the episode. There was no part of when he was on-screen that I enjoyed. Is this typical for this character? Because he's a total drip.

On one level I am glad to hear Aubrey Joseph and Olivia Holt as Cloak and Dagger for most likely the final time. On another I think this specific cartoon and the ludicrous things happening in it are far beneath them. Cloak and Dagger was an unusually great Marvel show. I'd argue it was the only great one period. I don't want to remember them as lame Venom Symbiotes.

The Symbiote Supreme was the one cool villain in the episode. Every other Venom wannabe was lame.

I am a bit alarmed at how much I disliked that. *.

 

[Comicman2014]

Wow, so they really brought back Grey Griffin and Roger Craig Smith for just one line a piece as Venomized Captain Marvel and Captain America? I thought for a second they didn't have Cho's VA because of how quiet he was up until he got Venomized and the end of the episode. Now I'm kind of surprised Thor was the only one who didn't get any dialogue .

I'm surprised the venomized Avengers were voiced by their actual voice actors. They could have cut corners and have venom's voice actor record all of their lines and call it a day.

It's so weird that Harry Osborn is a heroic Hobgoblin in this series. It's so weird to see the Hobgoblin regarded as a good guy. Considering New York was ravaged and almost taken over by a bunch of goblin people in similar suits, maybe it would be a good idea for Harry to re-brand his heroic image .

Not to mention his father was destroying public property and trying to kill Spider-man in front of witnesses.

I am left scratching my head after watching this episode.
1. I kinda wish we got to know Moon Knight more. Was he a deadpan snarker before the invasion?
2. Aren't the rats and animals in the sewer still venomized? I doubt the anti-venom sparkling ball of lights can reach underground.
3. So a guy who spent years (?) fighting super villains and protecting the earth is ready to call it quits after failing to save someone? Was he planning to lay low and eat cans of beans in the sewer while the symbiotes take over the entire planet?

 

[EndBringer99]

Why does Miles always have to disappear from the episode just so we can hear Peter constantly monologue what we can obviously see?

(As a side-note, Curt Connors being a cackling villain is...different?)

I wish Jackal and Norman would return, they were way more interesting than the influx of villains we got in Season 2.

Mod Note: Double Post merged. Use the Edit button in the future instead of posting multiple times in a row.

 

[Frontier]

So, that was okay. I liked it a bit more than the previous special, but it's still kind of underwhelming. I did like the way the first half ended, with Peter looking over, teary-eyed, as the symbiotes invaded the city. It actually upped the stakes pretty well. Too bad the easy resolution to the entire invasion made it feel hollow. What will they follow it up with next? The Life Foundation?

I assume the next major villains are going to be whoever Connors is working for, maybe some variant of the Life Foundation. We know more Symbiotes are coming with the Symbiote Sisters so maybe we'll be getting man-made Symbiotes ?

I wonder if it involves Midtown somehow and that's how MJ becomes relevant to the plot...

I'm assuming Ben Pronsky will get to do more. But yeah, I thought the premiere stated that Max only took a piece of the Venom symbiote, so the rest is out somewhere.

Kind of weird for everyone to be acting like Venom was destroyed then .

When they kept mentioning the space administration, I was hoping we'd get to see Eddie (or the Venom symbiote) in there.

It honestly seems like the writers have forgotten Brock existed .

Moon Knight is SUCH a drag. Basically the entire episode revolves around the human race being conquered and enslaved and he still manages to be the biggest bummer in the episode. There was no part of when he was on-screen that I enjoyed. Is this typical for this character? Because he's a total drip.

This isn't really what he's like in the comics, but I think they took inspiration from him being a Batman analogue and used that to emphasize him as a cynical grump.

In the context of the episode and with what was going on, I felt his attitude was appropriate enough.

(You didn't enjoy when he swooped in as Moon Knight and started cleaning Symbiote clocks ?)

On one level I am glad to hear Aubrey Joseph and Olivia Holt as Cloak and Dagger for most likely the final time. On another I think this specific cartoon and the ludicrous things happening in it are far beneath them. Cloak and Dagger was an unusually great Marvel show. I'd argue it was the only great one period. I don't want to remember them as lame Venom Symbiotes.

I'm just glad they got to finally play their characters as full-on Superheroes with costumes .

The Symbiote Supreme was the one cool villain in the episode. Every other Venom wannabe was lame.

Granted, other then Venom!Iron Man and maybe Venom!Cap none of them got to do all that much. Especially the other Spiders .

Why does Miles always have to disappear from the episode just so we can hear Peter constantly monologue what we can obviously see?

It's still kind of funny to me how obvious it is these specials are two episodes edited together because the second half still needs to recap the first half we had already just watched .

 

[Pattern_Maker]

The highlight of this episode for me was Moon Knight and Aunt May's interaction. I agree with a lot people that this version of Aunt May was kind of just there after seeing her in Ultimate Spider-Man. But her resighting Ben's words giving inspiration to Moon Knight was just too good.

I kind of wish the Venomized Spiders and Hobgoblin had more fight scenes. That explains why Miles's design was changed from Patrick Browns. Spider-Girl only had out of focus, from the profile, and back shots the entire time.

 

[Comicman2014]

Did this 2-part episode happen in one night? So Spector goes from super hero to a broody, broken down, haggard man in a few hours? They make it seem like he was running from the symbiotes for weeks.

 

[Frontier]

The highlight of this episode for me was Moon Knight and Aunt May's interaction. I agree with a lot people that this version of Aunt May was kind of just there after seeing her in Ultimate Spider-Man. But her resighting Ben's words giving inspiration to Moon Knight was just too good.

I kind of wish the Venomized Spiders and Hobgoblin had more fight scenes. That explains why Miles's design was changed from Patrick Browns. Spider-Girl only had out of focus, from the profile, and back shots the entire time.

Yeah, I am kind of surprised the other Spiders' only had Symbiotes for about four minutes and didn't get to do much .

The most notable thing about Anya's Symbiote was she appeared to have a tendril made out of her ponytail .

Did this 2-part episode happen in one night? So Spector goes from super hero to a broody, broken down, haggard man in a few hours? They make it seem like he was running from the symbiotes for weeks.

The sequence of events definitely makes it seem like it only lasted about a whole day and night...

 

[RoyalRubble]

I don't really have much to add that hasn't been covered by others already, but overall I thought this was pretty decent. The action was handled well enough and I liked most of the symbiote designs. It was nice seeing Cloak & Dagger again however brief, and Moon Knight was pretty cool though it feels weird introducing him like this.

With Spector now and Cho as the Hulk previously, it almost feels like they are trying to use the Young Justice method of bringing in new characters without explaining their back-stories, leaving some viewers not too familiar with the comics confused. Just my take on it.

Also, Aunt May leading members of the resistance fighting symbiotes will probably end up as the plot of Sony's live-action solo spin-off movie starring May, if it's ever produced.

 

[Pattern_Maker]

So Spector goes from super hero to a broody, broken down, haggard man in a few hours

Iron Heart said that Moon Knight was missing for a month when she was looking up his, Cloak, Dagger, and Prowler's locations. So Spector hasn't been Moon Knight for a whole month.

 

[Frontier]

Iron Heart said that Moon Knight was missing for a month when she was looking up his, Cloak, Dagger, and Prowler's locations. So Spector hasn't been Moon Knight for a whole month.

I guess he didn't lose his family to Symbiotes then...