The Symbiote Costume, simply known as the Black Suit by some fans, is the brand new change of costume donned by Peter Parker in the first published Amazing Spider-Man #252, and chronologically donned in Secret Wars #8.
The very first appearance of the suit in Amazing Spider-Man #252
Secret Wars event
Peter getting the symbiote for the first time
The first appearance of the black suit back from Secret Wars
In ASM #252, the costume turns into regular clothing at Peter's thought
Cover to Amazing Spider-Man #258, the infamous costume dream
Peter hearing from Reed Richards that the symbiote costume is alive
Tearing the symbiote off, once and for all
Peter explaining the history of the Symbiote costume
More explaining
Amazing Spider-Man #299, the first appearance of Venom
Infamous cover of Amazing Spider-Man #300
First full appearance of Venom
Spider-Man in his cloth black costume vs. Eddie for the first time as Venom
Infamous Amazing Spider-Man #316 cover
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Unknown to Spider-Man, the costume was actually an alien Symbiote that was able to copy and enhance his abilities the symbiote also learned the composition of Spider-Man's webbing, the frequency of his spider sense (which allows Venom to dampen Spidey's precognitive abilities) and his ability to adhere to most surfaces, the symbiote had a pure love relationship for Peter at first for having freed him from his cage, but when he refused him, it hurt him psychologically and developed bitter feelings for Spider-Man, developing to love-hatred when it got attached to Eddie Brock, and there started aggressive struggles with the following hosts, no longer giving them power, deep down, the symbiote still loves Spider-Man.
Also having copied Spider-Man's movements (this gives Venom a way of knowing what Spider-Man is going to do unless Spidey thinks about what would be the best move instead of fighting instinctively which he now usually does when battling Venom) the symbiote sneaked back onto Peter's body after he had taken it off and gone to sleep. It would then carry the unconscious body of Peter through a typical session of fighting street crime (albeit without speaking a word). Thus for as long as he had the black suit he would be inexplicably tired in the morning as his brain would rest but his body would be getting no rest at night. Upon discovering the true nature of the suit, Peter rejects the creature using high frequency sonicwaves. The creature then finds Eddie Brock bonds with him and creates Venom.
The symbiote costume was created when the symbiote merged with Spider-Man's suit, turning it into a black and silver version of his original suit. However, as his personality began to be taken over, it changed to have a large spider and the silver lines vanished soon after a battle with the Sinister Six that Peter slept through. He eventually removed the symbiote from his suit by destroying it within his mind with aid of Uncle Ben's memory and tried to destroy it by freezing it, but it thawed out and bonded with Eddie Brock, creating Venom.
Earth-1089
In this universe, Spider-Man waited too long to remove the suit and bonded with him, stating that no force in the universe, no matter how powerful can now separate them, possessing him completely and becomes unstoppable, several days later, he apparently attacks Hulk, but as soon he arrives to Hulk he detaches from Spider-Man and possesses Hulk, and leaves an aged Spider-Man to the ground, who dies the next day as 85 year old trying to find a way to destroy the symbiote. And later possess Thor, after making a deal with Kingpin, Black Cat destroys the symbiote for good.
In this universe, the symbiote is very sorry for the loss of Spider-Man and doesn't feel hatred towards him as Venom did in the 616 universe because he didn't reject it.
In this Earth, Eddie Brock still got the suit as Venom, but he became infected and turned, which started the symbiote to die, since it could not feed on dead hosts,and is killed by zombie Spider-Man, as well the symbiote.
In Ultimate Spider-Man, the suit is worn by Harry Osborn instead of Spider-Man and is in the same form as the comics. Eventually, Harry transformed into Venom. The suit was briefly worn again when Harry, possessed by Venom, beat up Batroc, but became Venom soon after.
In this reality, Spider-Man gets his symbiotic suit from Venom, who ambushed both Peter and Mary Jane, he grabs Spider-Man, and starts crushing his head,but suddenly a new symbiote is born and attaches to Spider-Man, who breaks free from Venom's grasp and beats him brutally.
During the game's course Spider-Man uses his symbiote suit to help him in fighting crime and either gives into temptations or keeps control of himself, until New York is quarantined by S.H.I.E.L.D for the Symbiote Invasion set by Venom and fights the symbiotes.
If Spider-Man was more Heroic, he uses the Tinkerer's device to free New York from the Symbiotes. but he loses his symbiote suit forever
If Spider-Man went more on the Villain Path, He destroys the Tinkerer's device to keep his Symbiote and kill Venom once and for all, later he claims control over the New York's Symbiotes, possibly with the help of Black Cat.
Peter Parker (Earth- 70134) now bonded Permanently with the Venom Symbiote,as a new being called Poison
This reality goes with Earth 616 events until the events of "The Other". In the Earth-616, Spider-Man accepted his Spider nature and rebirths.
Uatu the Watcher narrated about the deep how was the bond between Spider-Man and the Venom Symbiote, that nobody could imagine, that connected them mentally and physically even if they were far from each other, and how the symbiote acted against Spider-Man because he saw himself as a 'spurned lover' but still having feelings, and shows his feelings by escaping from Gargan and completing Spider-man metamorphosis and finally bonding with him.
In this universe however, Spider-Man rejected the Giant Spider's offer and killed it, saying that many other good heroes died and never got the chance to get back, while he gets resurrected indefinitely,and for this reason he refuses to accept the Spider's offer, the Venom symbiote, that was currently attached to Mac Gargan in prison, sensed what happened, and left him in prison, much to him begging the symbiote to not leave him to 'make him nothing' again, he possessed a prison guard and web-slinged to Brooklyn Bridge, where Peter's cocoon was, and left his temporary host to reach Spider-Man cocoon, and began to bond permanently with him, because the incomplete metamorphosis left him in stasis.
After several months of confrontation, Spider-Man loses against the Venom Symbiote and it took over, emerging from his cocoon as much different being, that was partly Peter Parker and mostly Venom. His first act is to share his 'gift' (replicate the symbiote) with Mary Jane and Aunt May, who were saddened by Peter's previous apparent 'death', and they were discussing about him when he broke the window and entered. At first, they mistake him for Venom, but Peter replies that he's not Venom, and starts his speech on how the creation of Venom and Peter Parker merged together was a miracle to be shared, how this was the deepest act of love that Venom could do to show his love for Spider-Man, when MJ told him that wasn't Peter and how had the Venom Symbiote all inside him, but he denounces Venom as a lonely creature, a loser that couldn't reach his full potential and renames himself 'Poison'. MJ refuses to replicate as she would be rather dead, but Poison states that he can just reanimate her corpse, and that corpse would be just like him, but without 'the pesky feminine attitude getting in the way'.
In that moment Wolverine and Luke Cage entered in the room, alerted by Jarvis, and Logan intimidated Poison to back off from Mary Jane, and Poison replied that Logan was being overprotective about his wife and if there was something going on between them, Logan replied that she wasn't Poison's wife, but Peter's, and attacked him, but Poison easily took him out by throwing him on a wall, then Cage grabbed Poison from the throat, and said how about Peter could still be saved and that can be undone the damage. Poison responded with producing a stinger that manages to pierce Cage's shoulder, leaving him in pain on the floor. After this, MJ didn't want any more violence and innocent blood spilled, so she agrees to the replication, but she promises that she will make his life a living hell to make him pay for what he did to Peter, and to this response, Poison leaves for the graveyard, where he unearths Gwen Stacy's body (Peter's first love) and put her in a cocoon similar to his, where after a while a symbiote hand emerges from the cocoon, indicating the successful reanimation of Gwen.
His further story from this point is unknown.
Earth 92131
In this Universe, the symbiote gets in John Jameson's shuttle when it extracts a precious mineral, named Prometheus X, and after the shuttle is going back to earth symbiote blinds him, crashing the shuttle, then Rhino steals the Prometheus X from the shuttle under Kingpin's orders, but Spider-Man gets in his way and places a tracer on him, and Rhino knocks him out, but the symbiote falls with him in the river getting stuck to his suit, where Spider-Man thinks that the suit is now dirt from the pollution in the river, later when he gets home, he sees J.J on TV putting a bounty on his head for $1 million because Brock told J.J that, after which he goes to sleep and throws his apparently dirt suit, but then the symbiote crawls on his bed and starts bonding with him, which causes a nightmare to Peter where he dreams of being eaten by the black suit.
When he wakes up, Spider-Man is hanging in the middle of Manhattan and wears a black version of his costume,with a big spider logo instead of classic one, and feels much stronger and has bigger muscles similar to a bodybuilder, after this Hunters spots him, at first presuming that's not Spider-Man, but they realized that he may have changed his costume to fool them and gets pursued, when Spider-Man realized that his new costume made him much faster and his webbing was organic, stronger and was produced automatically, launched by a simple thought, and that can jump much higher.
Later he goes to the ground to test his strength, and he notices that's increased enough to lift a firetruck, where before he had problems lifting a Volkswagen, but he's caught and he wants to get away, and here discovers that the suit can change into other clothing and changes into a cop to fool the hunters, and then gets away, enthusiastic of his new costume.
Later he goes to the college, where he tries to hit on Felicia Hardy using classy clothing (morphed by the suit), but just then Flash Thompson arrives, who threatens Peter, but he responds grabbing him from his shirt, stating other than his sense of humor he has got a backbone too, which Flash leaves him, but impressed in a bad way Felicia walks away.
Later on the night, the Kingpin sent Rhino to steal the Iridium 90 bars for his Prometheus X experiment, which alerts Spider-Man's tracking device that places on him days before, and when Rhino starts to take the iridium Spider-Man arrives, taunting Rhino, that comments on his new suit stating he'll be useless as his other one and knocks Spider-Man down, but Spider-Man rises quickly and makes rhino stumble, and then he brutally beats him with his enhanced strength, grabbing him with one finger and spins him into his own horn until Rhino says where the Prometheus is, when at last Rhino refuses to tell him and prefers to go to jail, Spider-Man out of patience, launches a web and grabs a heavy metal door, tired of not having what he wants threatens to crush Rhino, but Rhino screams in terror that he can't do that, at first he replied that he could, but then he remembered about his rules and dropped the door, leaving Rhino alone.
He then goes to J.J's office, threatening to declare his statement of Spider-Man being the one hurting his son being false and retire his offer of 1 million dollars, telling that Brock was lying, grabbing J.J and throwing a table to security. At first J.J didn't believe him, but when his son delirated about a man into a rhino costume (Rhino), he interrogates Brock and fires him, retiring his offer later.
Later, when Brock arrives home, Spider-Man entered the house to search for the photos that Brock did when the shuttle crashed, and when Brock arrives at the door, he sees that he's been evicted out of his house, and blames Spider-Man for everything, just then Shocker comes and starts attacking Brock for being a potential witness of Kingpin's activities, which alerts Spider-Man who defends Brock until Shocker hit a wall and made the bricks crumble above Spider-Man, apparently killing him, but he jumped from rubble and followed Shocker, where it led him to Alistair Smythe's laboratory. Shocker claims to have killed Spider-Man, but then Spider-Man knocks down the door and he immobilizes Alistair with his organic webbing and knocks Shocker down, after which he takes the Prometheus X and leaves, at home he analyses it and discovers its true purpose.
Kingpin, enraged, ordered his men to retake the Prometheus back, and to do this, he kidnapped J.J's son, where he was ordered to call Spider-Man.
Meanwhile, Spider-Man went to Doc Connors to analyze the suit, and discovered that was a symbiote that wanted to bond permanently with him, and suggested him to take it off immediately, but he refused saying that was still important business to do that needed his symbiote powers.
Then he went to meet with J.J, that brings him to a church, where Alistair did the exchange, and when gave the Prometheus to Alistair, he told Jameson to bring away his son,and that his business was over, but just then Shocker appeared,greeting him with a 'double-cross' insult and starting to fight, where Brock interfered multiple times.
When Spider-Man, in a state of bloodlust, throws a stone pillar to shocker, Shocker realized that he can't stand a chance and flees to the upper level of the church, then Spider-Man swears that Shocker's attempt to hide is futile, since he'll find him everywhere, and uses the church bell space to enter and grab Shocker with a 'Bear Hug' Attack, and starts to crush him when Brock interferes again and knocks Spider-Man over.
Spider-Man, now nearly controlled by the symbiote, grabs Brock and binds him to a web cocoon, stating that he'll be 'the dessert', and then dodges a hit from Shocker and finishes the sentence that Shocker will be 'the main course'. and detaches a stone piece and hits Shocker's shockers and disables them.
When Shocker tries to grab Spider-Man, he grabs him instead and pulls him on the edge.
Appearance
In most realities, the costume is normally black, has a large white spider design on the chest area, slightly larger eye pieces and white organic web-shooters on the back of each hand, and in the later features, his muscles are much bigger, making him appear bulky and stronger.
In the Ultimate universe, the costume appears to be purple, and sometimes black with a hint of blue.
Powers and abilities
Enhanced strength (With the symbiote suit on Spidey can lift 70 - 75 tons).
Enhanced speed, agility, reflexes and Spider-Sense brought to the extreme(it could see his opponents before they saw him).
Can stick to any surface (even wet and/or crumbling).
Organic and stronger webbing,and unlimited.
Shapeshifting into other clothing.
ability of sensing other symbiotes(Spiderman WOS)
Weakness
Weakness to high heat and sound waves(Symbiote Suit)
causes to its host an unusually aggressive behavior,risking him to kill villains if the fight is too long(symbiote)
Cloth version
After Spider-Man abandoned the Symbiote, he was given a cloth version by Black Cat. He wore it for a time, but after Mary Jane was kidnapped by Venom, he abandoned this version as well at his wife's request.
During the latter part of the Marvel Civil War, after Aunt May had been shot by a sniper, he returned to this costume for the Back In Black storyline. The costume was retired once again after One More Day, and his original costume was reinstated for the entirety of Brand New Day. This version of the black suit was donned once again during the storyline Grim Hunt, in which Kraven the Hunter was resurected, and made Spidey so angry that he almost killed Kraven and the rest of his family.
Media
The symbiote suit/black suit is a fan favorite as it has appeared in many forms of Spider-Man related media over the years.
Television
Symbiote's first appearance
Peter Parker in Spider-Man (1994 TV series) with the Symbiote Costume
And it begins...
First getting the Symbiote Costume in The Spectacular Spider-Man (2008 TV series)
Fully transformed and web swinging
Harry in the Symbiote Costume
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In the Spider-Man (1994 TV series), the Symbiote is attached to Peter Parker, and it makes him much stronger, faster, but also more upset, at first he's happy of the costume, but the more he wears it he realizes that he's turning more aggressive, as he tries to kill Rhino, threaten J.J of violence and nearly kills Shocker. He takes the Symbiote off in a bell tower, it then immediately bonds with Eddie Brock binded in the cocoon, and they become Venom, where it hunts Spider-Man until Spider-Man detaches Brock from the suit by using a rocket engine sound. Later, Dormammu brings back the symbiote to Eddie Brock and they bond again, and giving a symbiote to Cletus Kasady, who becomes Carnage, in exchange they both have to help get Dormammu out of his prison dimension, later Eddie goes rogue and rescue a psychologist that encourages Venom to remove the symbiote to be just Eddie for her, he accepts and removes the symbiote, but he's warned that he cannot detach from the symbiote if bonded again, or he'll risk death. Meanwhile Carnage collects energy for Dormammu in order to power the dimensional machine, and Spider-Man asks help to Brock, who breaks the symbiote prison and becomes Venom once again, but this time allied with Spider-Man. Together they battle Carnage, but the Dimensional Machine starts working and Dormammu starts to exit, but Venom tries to block it, Carnage gets in the way. Eddie manages to destroy the machine, but he gets sucked into Dormammu's dimension with Carnage, looking back at the woman doctor he loved without his 'hood' in the eyes, as the portal closed, leaving Venom forever locked in the prison dimension (or until a dimensional portal can make them escape).
In the The Spectacular Spider-Man (2008 TV series), the Symbiote gets attached to Peter Parker. It makes him stronger, but again, it also makes him more upset. After taking it off, it find Eddie Brock and they become Venom.
In Ultimate Spider-Man (2012 TV series), the Symbiote is created by Doctor Octopus and escape to battle and get attached to Spider-Man, Power Man, Iron Fist, Nova and White Tiger. After awhile, a new Spider-Man emerges with a look similar to the Symbiote Costume from the comic books. The new Spider-Man is revealed to be Harry Osborn and he is keeping it in a watch which is destroyed. After the Symbiote is believed to be dead, Harry comes back as Venom.
Films
In Spider-Man 3, the symbiote attaches to Peter's bike early in the film. Later on, the symbiote covers his entire suit while he is asleep in the original red and blue costume, and makes him stronger and more agile, but much more aggressive. With it he beats Harry Osborn brutally and scarred his face. Later in the movie, Peter takes off the symbiote, and as Eddie Brock is watching, gets engulfed by the symbiote to become Venom. After Eddie and the symbiote separate, the symbiote and Eddie are blown by Peter, via one of Harry's bombs.
Video Games
Spider-Man 3 movie poster
Symbiote Spider-Man costume in Spider-Man (2000 video game)
Symbiote Spider-Man costume in Spider-Man 2: Enter Electro
Symbiote Costume in Ultimate Spider-Man (2005 video game)
Symbiote Costume in Spider-Man 3 (video game)
Web swinging with the Symbiote Costume on in Spider-Man: Web of Shadows
Ultimate (Symbiote) Spider-Man in Spider-Man: Shattered Dimensions
Symbiote Costume for Spider-Man: Edge of Time
"Black Suit Spider-Man" as a costume in MSHS Online
Symbiote Costume in Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3
Symbiote Costume in Marvel: Avengers Alliance
Spider-Man 3's Symbiote Costume in The Amazing Spider-Man (2012 video game)
Symbiote Costume for 2013's Marvel Heroes
The "Back in Black" cloth version in Marvel Heroes
The difference in Marvel Heroes
Symbiote Spider-Man in town in 2013's Lego Marvel Heroes
Symbiote Costume as it appears in ASM 2 video game.
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In 2000's Spider-Man (video game), the symbiote is a wearable costume once unlocked. It provides unlimited webbing and the ability to turn invisible and move past enemies.
In 2001's Spider-Man 2: Enter Electro, the symbiote costume is still unlockable with the same abilities as before.
In 2005's Ultimate Spider-Man (video game), the symbiote suit is unlockable and wearable for Spider-Man, with no bonuses. Also, Venom has the symbiote suit on, and he is a playable character.
In 2006's Marvel Ultimate Alliance the symbiote costume appears as an unlockable costume for Spider-Man
In 2007's Spider-Man 3 (video game), the symbiote is apart of the story and is wearable, and features rage moves, except some versions, where it just does a boost in damage and durability.
In 2008's Spider-Man: Web of Shadows, the symbiote is wearable as a part of the story. It grants new, more aggressive moves, including tendril attacks.
In 2010's Spider-Man: Shattered Dimensions, Ultimate Spider-Man is a playable character in the 4th dimension/Ultimate universe. Madam Web gives him the symbiote suit, and has control over Ultimate Spider-Man's mind so the symbiote does not take over Peter's mind
In 2011's Spider-Man: Edge of Time, the symbiote suit is also an unlockable alternative suit available (and exclusive) to Amazing Spider-Man.
In 2011's Marvel Super Hero Squad Online, the symbiote costume is buyable and wearable but is dubbed the "Black Suit".
In 2011's Marvel vs. Capcom 3, Spider-Man is a playable character and symbiote suit is a wearable alternate costume.
In 2011's Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3, Spider-Man is still a playable character with the symbiote suit as an alternate costume.
In 2012's Marvel: Avengers Alliance, the symbiote suit is able to be bought, and wearable costume when the player has enough command points. It does more damage to "Webbed" enemies.
In 2013's Marvel Heroes, the if a player bought the Ultimate Founders Pack before early access, one of the four exclusive costumes is the Symbiote Costume with Christopher Daniel Barnes voicing Spider-Man for the costume.
In 2014 for Marvel Heroes, a cloth non-enhanced version of the Symbiote Costume, know as the "Back and Black" version was made buyable to regular players for Spider-Man.
In 2013's Lego Marvel Heroes, Symbiote Spider-Man is a DLC character that acts and fights differently from Classic Spider-Man.
In 2014's The Amazing Spider-Man 2 video game, as pre-order bonus from Gamestop players can access a DLC pack featuring four costumes. One of which is the symbiote costume that grants bonuses.
Notes
The black costume stemmed from an idea submitted by a then 22-year-old fan named Randy Schueller, after Marvel in 1982 had asked its readers for ideas for new Spider-Man stories. Schueller's idea was purchased by Jim Shooter for the sum of 220 US dollars. Randy Schueller later tells his involvement with the black costume and Marvel in an article at Comic Book Resources.
Trivia
The original concept for the symbiote costume
During the making of the symbiote costume, the original white spider in the middle of the costume only had 1 leg. This was changed so the spider could have multiple legs. The spider was also originally red but was later changed to white.
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