Warning! Spoilers for Marvel's All-New Venom

With the debut of the All-New Venom series, Marvel Comics has introduced a major mystery, as fans eagerly wait to discover the secret identity of Venom’s new host. Unlike Eddie or Dylan Brock, this currently unknown hero is loud and boisterous, a far cry from Venom’s old hosts. However, while readers still don’t know who’s hidden under the symbiote, there are a few characters that are definitely not.

In an interview with AITP, Marvel Editor Jordan D. White discussed All-New Venom – written by Al Ewng, with art by Carlos Gómez – and offered some valuable hints into the direction of the series as well, as insight into the behind-the-scenes process of the series’ creation.

While Jordan obviously wouldn’t comment on who Venom’s host is, he was able to confirm some of the characters who didn’t make the cut. Some noticeable names nearly served as red herrings, including Sleepwalker and the Chameleon, but it seems two obscure Spider-Man villains were in “serious contention” to be picked as Venom's host.

Marvel Almost Had The New Host Of The Venom Symbiote Be…The Rocket Racer Or Hypno-Hustler?

All-New Venom #1 – Written By Al Ewing; Art By Carlos Gomez; Color By Frank D’Armata; Lettering By VC’s Clayton Cowles; Cover Art By Adam Kubert & Frank D’Armata

According to Jordan D. White, writing Al Ewing had a list of progressively more obscure names of deep-cut Marvel characters that could have potentially appeared in All-New Venom as misleads for the symbiote's new host. As White explained:

I’ve actually grabbed up the document where Al was grading all the candidates so we can see who was NEARLY in the book. These folks weren’t really in the running to be the real host, but they were in the running to be red herrings. Looks like Rick Sheridan and Melvin Potter were the first knocked off the list. Cardiac, Foolkiller, Puma, and Chameleon didn’t get much further. Rocket Racer and Hypno Hustler were in serious contention.

For readers less familiar with these characters, don’t feel too bad, they’re easy to forget. Both Robert Farrell, Rocket Racer, and Antoine Delsoin, Hypno Hustler, are early Spider-Man villains, first introduced in the late 1970s. Long since abandoned as products of their time, neither of these characters has made it to the modern era, outside of a handful of unimportant appearances.

While both of the D-list villains seem like odd picks at first glance, they both share a common connection which may hint as to where the All-New Venom series is going.

Rocket Racer is a super genius who weaponizes his talents in order to provide for his family. While he did craft a number of explosive gadgets, his greatest pride is that of his rocket-powered magnetic skateboard. Likewise, Hypno-Hustler is another petty-level criminal with no superpowers of his own. Instead, he invented a guitar that emits hypnotizing soundwaves that he and his band used to rob their audiences. While both of the D-list villains seem like odd picks at first glance, they both share a common connection which may hint as to where the All-New Venom series is going.

The Obscure Marvel Characters That Almost Made Their Comeback In "All-New Venom" Share a Common Connection

Six Degrees Of The Tinkerer

At various points in their careers, both Rocket Racer and Hypno-Hustler crossed paths with the Tinkerer. Because neither character possesses superpowers, they rely on their gadgets to commit crimes. As with most low-level villains of this caliber, they both took the Tinkerer’s services to bolster their powers. Similarly, the Tinkerer is another Spidey villain who fails to stand next to giants, such as Green Goblin, or Electro; however, his super-genius mechanical knowledge makes him a legitimate threat to the Web Crawler. While it is a tangential connection, the Tinkerer could play a villainous role in the All-New Venom.

Regardless of who Venom’s new host is revealed to be, it’s fun to know that the series’ creators played around with so many options, regardless of how obscure or irrelevant they might be. Hopefully, by revealing some of their behind-the-scenes thought process, editor Jordan White may have secretly let slip one of All-New Venom's potential villains. Regardless, the creative team has chosen a solid set of candidates, each of whom would make a unique different type of symbiotic hero. For now, the true identity of Venom’s new host remains a mystery.

Source: AITP

All-New Venom #1 is now available from Marvel Comics.