Description

Venom: Funeral Pyre                                                Comics Lot
Cover #1 enhanced with flaming holografx foil that simulates the flickering effect of real fire.  Awesome!!
Writer: Carl Potts
Artist: Tom Lyle
Inkers: Scott Hanna, Al Milgrom & Joe Rubinstein
Colorist: Ed Lazellari
Letterer: Richard Starkings
Editors: Danny Fingeroth, Mike Lackey & Tom DeFalco
All Covers by: Tom Lyle

Venom, or the Venom Symbiote, is a character appearing in comic books published by Marvel Comics, commonly in association with Spider-Man. Venom made his first appearance in The Amazing Spider-Man #300 (May 1988). Venom was originally conceived as a supervillain, but has since become more of an antihero. Venom is a Symbiote, a sentient alien, with a gooey, almost liquid-like form. As with real-world symbiotes, it requires a host, usually human, to bond with for its survival. After bonding, the Symbiote endows its enhanced powers upon the host. When the Venom Symbiote bonds with a human, that new dual-life form refers to itself as “Venom”.  The Venom Symbiote’s first known host was Spider-Man, who eventually separated himself from the creature when he discovered its true nature. The Symbiote went on to merge with other hosts, most notably Eddie Brock, its second and most infamous host, with whom it first became Venom and one of Spider-Man’s archenemies. According to S.H.I.E.L.D., it is considered one of the greatest threats to humanity, alongside Magneto, Doctor Doom, and Red Skull.

Venom is widely considered one of the Greatest Comic Book Villains of All Time!

Now, Marvel Comics Presents, Venom: Funeral Pyre. The Punisher guest stars. When Venom and the Punisher team up to take on street gangs armed with super technology, they witness the birth of the new super villain, Pyre!

Story/Spoilers
In issue #1, “Part One: Turning on the Heat”, In Oakland, California, an undercover reporter named Gray Russell has been trying to infiltrate the Jadoo street gang. He is beginning to think he is in over his head after witnessing a gang beating and then was in the back seat of a stolen car when the gang runs down a man out walking with his nephew. As the gang members chase the man into an abandoned building, Gray helps the boy escape. A day later, the boy goes to the Underground City of homeless people beneath San Francisco that is also home of Eddie Brock, aka Venom. He has brought a note from Gray Russell asking for help, as he is going to be forced to kill someone in a drive-by shooting. Feeling a kinsmanship with Gray, Venom agrees to do what he can to help the young reporter.[Continuity 1] Meanwhile, on the Bay Bridge, the Punisher is driving through the traffic when he hears a police bulletin regarding the murder committed by the Jadoo gang.

At that same time, the Jadoo gang return to their hideout. Inside, Gray is told that he is doing a good job with the gang. This secretly disgusts Gray, because of the lengths he has had to go on this current story. He recalls how his father kept his science work until he was on his deathbed. He told Gary that he was actually a scientist who worked with Hydra until the organization suffered a blow from S.H.I.E.L.D., forcing them to abandon their lab. Trying to track the lab down, the Jadoo had turned the building into their hang out. Gray then infiltrated the gang in order to locate the hidden room that contained the lab. He is snapped out of by one of the other gang members named Riko. Riko explains that he covered for Gray the night before when he disappeared. Gray says he went after the kid but lost him. Meanwhile, in another part of the neighborhood, Venom searches the area for a sign of the Jadoo when he suddenly hears gunfire. Rounding the corner, Venom witnesses as the Punisher mows down gang members in the street.

When the vigilante reaches a gang hideout, Venom approaches him and tries to get the Punisher to help him save Gray; however, the Punisher has no interest in helping Venom with anything and intends to kill everyone in the gang. The Punisher tries to shoot Venom, but his symbiote absorbs and spits out the bullets. Venom begins to beat on the Punisher until he realizes that the sun is beginning to set and he doesn’t have much time left to find Gray and leaves. Outside, Venom witnesses as the Punisher’s ambush has turned into a full-on gang war. When Frank Castle gets outside, he has to run back to his van to deal with the influx of gun-toting gang members. At that same moment, the Jadoo gang are gearing up to join the gunfight. This doesn’t sit well with Gray and he tries to who decides to try to find a place to hide out until the violence has passed. While looking, Gray uncovers his hidden Hydra lab. His investigation is interrupted by Riko who tosses him a gun and tells him that they need to get going. At that moment, Venom continues his search for Gray when he spots the Punisher’s van. Furious that the vigilante would follow him, Venom leaps down to confront him.

When Venom lands on the roof of the Punisher’s van, he is blasted by a sonic blaster. Venom tries to get away but is forced to crawl into a gated doorway. The Punisher then locks Venom behind the gate and leaves. With his symbiote weakening, Venom tries to break free but is no longer strong enough to bend the bars. As the Punisher gets closer to the Jadoo gang, Gray finds himself is getting the point of no return as he is being led into a car to finish his initiation.

Cover #1 enhanced with flaming holografx foil that simulates the flickering effect of real fire.  Awesome!!

Next in issue #2, “Part Two: High Tension”, Undercover reporter Gray Russell infiltrated the Jadoo gang in order to uncover a secret Hydra laboratory. Unfortunately, he’s gotten in too deep and now finds himself being forced into participating a drive-by shooting. The one person who can save him is Eddie Brock, aka Venom is currently pinned in a locked gated doorway being bombarded by a sonic weapon trained upon him by the Punisher. This has weakened Eddie Brock’s other, weakening them and has put their lives at risk. Noticing a sewer grate below him, Brock wills a tendril from his symbiote down through the sewers and up around the Punisher’s van where it disables the vehicle’s power supply, disabling the sonic cannon. With his strength returning, Venom breaks free and continues his search for Gray Russell. At the same time, the Punisher continues searching for the Jadoo gang’s hideout. Unfortunately, Venom is too late, as Gray is forced to mow down some rival gang members, and is left wondering when it will all end.

Meanwhile, both the Punisher and Venom continue to hunt for the Jadoo gang, leaving a trail of dead bodies in their wake. Spotting the Punisher in trouble, Brock sends his symbiote to cover the Punisher to protect him from a shotgun blast. After saving the Punisher’s life, Venom makes the vigilante promise to spare Gray Russell when they finally find the Jadoo. A man of honor, the Punisher has no choice but to agree to work with the symbiote. At that moment, the Jadoo return to their hideout, and Gray decides to hide out in the Hydra lab he was looking for. There he curses his father and his illegal super-soldier project for getting him into this situation. It’s then that Venom and the Punisher find the hideout and begin slaughtering the gang members. Hearing the scream and gunfire, Gray begins to fear the worst and really begins to panic when he sees another gang member mowed down right in front of him.

Wanting to survive this encounter, Gray rushes intoone of the test chambers and activates it, hoping to get some kind of powers to defend himself. As the Punisher enters the secret lab, Gray is transformed by the chamber device. He emerges from the chamber with red skin and is able to fire heat blasts. He uses these new found powers to make the Punisher’s guns too hot to hold onto. Giving into his rage, Gray incinerates a gang member when they he comes running into the room. That’s when Venom enters the room and instantly recognizes Gray because of the birthmark on his neck. Now calling himself Pyre, Gray is furious that Venom didn’t arrive in time to stop him from killing and blasts the symbiote.

Finally in issue #3, “Part Three: Feed the Pyre”, Venom has been trying to find Gray Russell in time to stop him from taking a human life. Unfortunately, he has arrived too late as Russell was forced to participate in a drive-by shooting by the Jadoo gang. To make matters worse, when he thought the Punisher was trying to catch him and subjected himself to a Hydra developed super-soldier chamber. Now the microwave generating Pyre, Russell blames Brock for arriving too late to save him. Blasted by the microwaves weakens Venom’s symbiote. With Pyre distracted, the Punisher tries to recover his weapons. When the vigilante opens fire, his bullets melt before they even touch Pyre. While Pyre is distracted by the Punisher, Venom manages to slip away. Pyre goes after the symbiote, allowing the Punisher to slip out and return to his van. As he treats his wounds, he contacts Microchip, his technician, to get advice on how to neutralize this new threat. Microchip comes up with a means of reworking the sonic blaster on the roof of the battle van into a counteractive device.

Back inside the gang hideout, Pyre continues hunting down Venom, putting the symbiote on the defensive. When he gets a look at his reflection and sees how he has been transformed, he becomes even angrier. Suddenly, the Punisher comes crashing through the wall in his van. He then activates his anti-microwave blast. which Pyre tries to deflect. The conflicting microwave frequencies begin causing Venom a great deal of pain. Blaming the Punisher, Venom breaks into his van, but Frank Castle reminds him of the danger that Pyre poses. He begins pelting Pyre with grenades, but they don’t have much of an effect. Venom leaps out of the van to try and help Pyre only to be blasted again. Realizing he cannot survive being blasted again, he uses his webbing to bring down a machine on Pyre, crushing his legs. Venom offers to free him, but Pyre is even more furious at being crippled by Venom on top of everything else. His powers cause the chemicals in the machine to ignite. As the building turns into a blazing inferno, Punisher puts his van into reverse and pulls out. Venom tries to save Pyre, but the combination of flames and microwaves prove to be too painful and is forced to flee as well.

Furious at the Punisher, Venom tries to confront him about his interference on his rescue mission. However, before they can come to blows, they hear the approach of police sirens and both part ways. From the flaming building, Pyre’s screams suddenly turn into laughter.

Comics lot contains: Venom: Funeral Pyre (1993) Issues #1-3.  Marvel Comics

Comics are bagged & boarded and will be carefully / securely packaged then shipped via USPS Priority Mail to ensure that it arrives to you perfectly and quickly.

All First Printings
Publisher: Marvel Comics
Publication Date: 1993
Format per comic: FC, 32 pages, Comic, 10.25″ x 6.5″
UPC: 759606015467

Collectible Entertainment note: Comics 1,2,3 are in Fine + to Very Fine + condition.  Very Nice Set!  Please See Scans!!  A must have for any serious Venom and/or Punisher collector / enthusiast.  A fun & entertaining read.  Recommended.

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