Iconic Spider-Man Villain Officially Becomes Marvel's New Venom

Published Jul 30, 2026, 2:00 PM EDT Patrik Walker is an Emmy Award–winning writer who covers all things Comics & Superheroes. His work can also be found at the Dallas Cowboys, The Sporting News, and CBS Sports, among other outlets. One of the most respected names in his field, he is also a diehard enthusiast of all things comics, anime, gaming and movies — thriving in spaces where discussions involving those or similar topics reign supreme. Spider-Man has more than hs fair share of powerful villains seeking to either do him serious harm or to outright kill him. Things always get more dangerous when his foes join forces, and it happens far more often in Marvel Comics than Peter Parker would like, but he almost always comes out on the right side of the fight. But ... can he do it this time? The iconic What If ... ? series has been sensational for both Marvel Comics and Marvel Studios, the latter by way of the animated series on Disney+, and mostly because Uatu (The Watcher) is overseeing some of the most unfathomable things, and here's yet another: Kraven the Hunter has suddenly merged with Venom for What If...? Spider-Man #1. That is one hell of a combination, and that's saying ...