The Venom Symbiote You Are Based On Your Zodiac Sign

Venom has come a long way from simply being a Spider-Man arch nemesis. Introduced as a replacement "costume" for the superhero — one that turned out to be a living, breathing alien — in 1984's "Secret Wars" #8, the black symbiont (or as Marvel calls it and its ilk, symbiote) later merged with disgraced journalist Eddie Brock to become one of the webslinger's deadliest, most formidable foes.

Venom proved to be extremely popular with readers, and his meteoric rise to stardom helped him develop his own fan following, making a seemingly unlikely emergence out of the wall-crawler's shadow. Nowadays, Venom is far from the only symbiote character running around in the Marvel universe. In fact, numerous other symbiotes have been introduced in the comics throughout the decades, each with different hosts and unique abilities. Some of them turned out to be heroic, while others were (and still are) downright villainous.

Given that the origin of the symbiotes has always been linked to space, it is perhaps unsurprising that the constellations of the Western zodiac parallel many of their characteristics. Let's take a look at the zodiac signs, and see which Marvel symbiote mostly closely aligns with the attributes you were given at birth.

Among all the symbiotes in the Marvel universe, there is no better fit for the fire sign Aries than the OG symbiote, Venom. Though the Venom symbiote has bonded with multiple hosts throughout decades of comic book history, it is most strongly associated with Eddie Brock. Initially bonded by their mutual hatred of Spider-Man, Eddie and the Venom symbiote gradually reformed, re-branding themselves as a "Lethal Protector" and becoming a heroic tandem in the process.

Like the stereotypical Aries, Venom has demonstrated his incredible sense of determination when it comes to getting things done. Though he obviously never truly succeeded in his goal of killing Spider-Man, he certainly did make the webslinger's life tremendously miserable when the hero was still on his radar. With the trademark bullheadedness of a ram, Venom remained fixated on his objective for a very long time, until he finally realized that his energies would be better spent defending the innocent. It took a lot of evidence and convincing for the hate-fueled symbiote to let go of his vendetta, another signature trait of Aries-born folks.

Even though the Venom symbiote has partnered up with the likes of Peter Parker, Angelo Fortunato, Flash Thompson, Mac Gargan, Lee Price, and even Eddie's son Dylan, it has achieved a connection with Eddie like none other. With their union's incredible strength and power, there have only been a few occasions in which they found the need to work with others, just like a true-blue Aries.

When the Venom symbiote's powerful offspring merged with unhinged serial killer Cletus Kasady, the world was introduced to the nightmarish visage of Carnage. This murderous, remorseless supervillain turned out to be so close to unstoppable that he actually forced Spider-Man and Venom to team up just to take him down. While being likened to such a vile character is hardly any reason to celebrate, one can say that people born under the earth sign Taurus possess many of the positive counterparts of Carnage's otherwise terrifying traits.

The Carnage symbiote shares a unique bond with Cletus, in the sense that it is loyal to no other host. Even during times when the two were forcibly separated, they still managed to find their way to each other, simply because they were truly a match made in hell. In a way, this mirrors Taureans' incredibly high standards for friends and partners, as well as their tremendous loyalty to people whom they deem worthy of their time, attention, and camaraderie.

Taurus-born folks are also not afraid to roll up their sleeves and do whatever it takes to get the job done. Cletus and the Carnage symbiote are similarly hardworking, in the sense that they have no qualms about getting their hands dirty — and bloody — to accomplish their goals. When Carnage sets his mind on a particular objective, he will stop at nothing to achieve it, and will not hesitate to eviscerate anyone who gets in his way.

At first glance, the Mania symbiote looks almost exactly like the Venom symbiote, albeit in a slightly different shade of black. Cloned from Spider-Man's former alien costume (via genetic material taken from its tongue), it was originally created by an evil corporation with nefarious goals, but managed to gain its freedom after hopping from host to host. It's easy to designate the air sign Gemini to the Mania symbiote, based solely on its existence as Venom's duplicate. However, Mania has also demonstrated qualities and abilities that sync with the twin zodiac sign on numerous occasions.

Depending on who its host is, the Mania symbiote acts as either a hero or a villain. In a similar manner, Gemini-born folks are said to be easily adaptable and particularly adept at "reading the room," conforming to what their present company expects from them. During student Andi Benton's time as Mania, for example, the symbiote walked on the side of the angels; however, when criminal Lee Price stole the symbiote and bonded with it to increase his power, it took on a new form as Maniac.

Some may associate the Gemini sign with being two-faced and insincere; in a way, one of the symbiote's powers reflects this. As Maniac, Lee was capable of controlling people by taking small parts of the symbiote and infecting his targets' faces with them. This enabled him to amass a small army of criminals, with him serving as their leader.

As one of the symbiotes cultivated by the Life Foundation directly from Venom's genetic matter, the green-hued alien called Lasher displayed tremendous potential for violence almost as soon as it came into existence. While there admittedly isn't much to radically differentiate the Lasher symbiote from its siblings, it's possible to draw comparisons between it and people born under the water sign Cancer.

Cancer-born folks are said to be quick to act, particularly adept at making the right call even without having all of the facts and evidence on hand. Crabs who learn to speak up and share their thoughts are also able to make their intentions clear and avoid potential misunderstandings. Similarly, Lasher knew that partnering with the murderous Carnage would bring nothing good to its doorstep, so it actively (albeit unsuccessfully) resisted the powerful symbiote's call to join the Symbiote Hive-Mind during the "Extreme Carnage" crossover event. Crabs are also said to have a wide range of emotional depth, and are especially transparent when it comes to things that bring them jubilation or sadness. For Lasher, merging with its siblings to form the Hybrid symbiote served as a means of escaping from loneliness, to the point that their subsequent separation left Lasher in a catatonic state.

Lastly, Lasher differs greatly from its symbiotic brethren in appearance, due to the tendrils that spring from its back when it is in humanoid form. In some interpretations, they are depicted in a way reminiscent of crab legs.

Phage is one of the five symbiotes that the Life Foundation hastily grew as children of the original Venom. Among the siblings, Phage bears the closest resemblance to Venom's most famous offspring, Carnage, albeit in a predominantly yellow (as opposed to blood red) color scheme. In addition, the Phage symbiote may also be the perfect counterpart for the first sign Leo.

Phage's coloration and fierce character are reminiscent of Leo-born folks' intimidating presence. It also helps that Phage looks strikingly similar to Carnage, as the inherent "fear factor" that comes with Carnage's notorious visage works in Phage's favor. Phage even possesses the same propensity for fashioning serrated blades out of his hands, a signature Carnage move. No doubt, these weapons make Phage the center of attention everywhere — just like Leos, who love basking in the spotlight.

People born under the Leo sign are said to roar loudly, both in a literal and figurative sense. Their commanding nature makes them ideal for living a hunter's lifestyle. Unsurprisingly, when the Phage symbiote received the opportunity to strike out on its own, it immediately warmed up to the idea of bonding with a hunting dog.

Visually distinct from the rest of its Life Foundation symbiote siblings thanks to its purple and dark pink coloration, Agony possesses some peculiar powers that have not been observed in other symbiotes. Interestingly, Agony is also a suitable "twisted mirror" version of people born under the earth sign Virgo.

Virgos are typically described as perfectionists, unwilling to settle for anything that does not meet their expectations. Often, Virgos find it incredibly frustrating when things don't happen according to plan or go in the ways they envisioned them. Likewise, when Leslie Gesneria bonded with the Agony symbiote, she was particularly hard on herself — up until her final moments — for not being able to fully live up to her self-proclaimed life mission to help other people.

People born under the Virgo sign are also known to be tremendously diligent and efficient. In a similar vein, the unique abilities in Agony's repertoire are seemingly designed for maximum efficiency. Aside from having the ability to spit acid, a host possessed by the Agony symbiote is also capable of chemical absorption and redistribution, allowing it to take advantage of weapons used against it. In addition, when the United States government managed to seize the Agony symbiote, they gave it a power-up in the form of a muscular enhancement that gives its host a significant boost in raw physical power.

As fate (or perhaps luck) would have it, the spawn of the infamously bloodthirsty Carnage symbiote wound up joining forces with a genuinely good host and becoming one of law and order's most unexpected — and most heroic — advocates. Bonding with police officer Patrick Mulligan nearly as soon as it was born, the Toxin symbiote has been said to be even stronger than its parent and grandparent. Toxin's heroism is the same reason why people born under the air sign Libra may sense a kindred spirit in its merged form with Patrick.

Despite the Toxin symbiote's seemingly inherited predisposition towards unnecessary violence, its adventures with Patrick featured it acting heroically, as the duo's malleable powers and admirable fighting skills enable both symbiote and man to perform remarkable feats in the interest of protecting civilians. Interestingly, Librans are said to have an "unmatched" sense of imagination, especially when it comes to developing new perspectives about a particular issue. Likewise, Toxin was able to formulate its own thoughts and forge its own outlook on good and evil at a young age, after bonding with Patrick and effectively becoming his mentee.

Furthermore, Libras tend to be guided by their desire to avoiding conflict whenever possible. This is most evident in how Libras go to great lengths just to please their circles. The Toxin symbiote also makes constant attempts to guarantee the well-being of its hosts, but employs a bleak sense of humor and a strong, opinionated personality in doing so.

Scream is one of the five Life Foundation symbiotes, and can perhaps be considered the most successful among the lot, at least initially. Soon after its birth, the fledgling symbiote opted to bond with mercenary Donna Diego (a.k.a. Strike Agent Four). The combination of a powerful symbiote and a dangerous human host — both due to her abilities and her struggle with schizophrenia — enabled Scream to become a particularly troublesome player in Venom's world. However, if one were to focus on the good instead of the bad, it would be easy to see some twisted parallels between Scream and people born under the water sign Scorpio.

For starters, Scorpios are known to be blunt and direct about their words and feelings, finding little value in softening the blow and instead taking the most efficient approach. Scream demonstrates a similar preference for direct confrontation over beating around the bush, though it doesn't always end well for the symbiote and its host.

Moreover, Scorpios are said to be naturally empathic, boasting the ability to read a room with ease and know exactly what's going on in everyone else's heads. Meanwhile, Scream has shown on more than one occasion the capacity for manipulation — a talent that would not be possible for someone with zero awareness of their surroundings, or the people around them.

In a desperate bid for survival, the four Life Foundation symbiotes — Lasher, Phage, Agony, and Riot — merged to form the composite symbiote Hybrid. The merged symbiotes chose Scott Washington, a Vault Guardsman, to be their host and help them escape government captivity. Incidentally, Hybrid also works as an eerie parallel of the half-human, half-hooved fire sign Sagittarius.

Like people born under the Sagittarius sign, Hybrid was able to forge his own path as a force for good, with Scott making the most out of the symbiotes' combined abilities to become a super-powered protector of his neighborhood. Helping the symbiotes escape the top-secret facility also led to Scott losing his job. In a way, this reflects the stubborn Sagittarian trait of wanting to dance to the beat of one's own drum, regardless of what others might say. 

Curiously, despite being an amalgam of four symbiotes, the Hybrid symbiote works best when alone, particularly when you consider his wide range of amazing abilities. In addition to all the special talents of the four symbiotes that merged to form him, Hybrid also has enhanced strength and emotion control. It not only allowed the formerly-disabled Scott to regain the full use of his body, but it also helped him calm down and avoid giving in to anger over his personal circumstances.

In an attempt to cure Eddie Brock of cancer, the Spider-Man supervillain Mister Negative inadvertently created a new symbiote. At the time, Eddie didn't have the Venom symbiote in his system, though he still had traces of it in his bloodstream. Combined with Mister Negative's Lightforce powers, they became the cleansing symbiote known as Anti-Venom, which served as Eddie's temporary new partner. During the time it was bonded to Eddie, the hybrid symbiote demonstrated many of the traits associated with people born under the earth sign Capricorn.

Capricorns are described as smart, meticulous, and aggressive in pursuing the outcomes they desire. Similarly, Eddie's time as Anti-Venom made him more relentless and tenacious than he was as Venom, due to the Messiah complex he subsequently developed. This compulsion to save other people also reflects Capricorns' stereotypical tendency to establish seemingly impossible standards for other people to live up to.

The Anti-Venom symbiote had the power to rid a person's body of drugs, illnesses, parasites, radioactivity (and even other symbiotes), and Anti-Venom made it his mission to cure as many people as possible. At one point, he even tried to eliminate the original Venom symbiote from the body of its new host, Flash Thompson. Interestingly, while healing people drains the Anti-Venom symbiote, Eddie has been shown to keep operating to the point of exhaustion — which is a rather twisted take on the Capricorn trait of demonstrating nearly superhuman endurance when an urgent task requires completion.

A fairly recent addition to Marvel's roster of characters, Sleeper is yet another spawn of the Venom symbiote. Relatively young but far from inexperienced, the Sleeper symbiote has worked with a number of hosts, and has gone on adventures in outer space. While it remains emotionally attached to Eddie Brock, the Sleeper symbiote has formed a special bond with Eddie's son Dylan, even taking on the form of a four-eyed house cat to keep the boy company. For people born under the air sign Aquarius, Sleeper just might be the perfect symbiote companion.

Sleeper's smug attitude and belief in its own superiority reflect the analytical and intelligent side of Aquarians. Unfortunately, this also gives Aquarians a tendency to leap into danger head-first without knowing all the facts, putting themselves at great risk. Moreover, like stereotypical Aquarians, Sleeper has demonstrated the ability to be able to tell if a person is innately good. Proof of this is the connection that the symbiote was able to establish with Dylan, as well as the symbiote's desire to protect both Dylan and Eddie at all costs.

Interestingly, Sleeper has shape-shifting and camouflage abilities that aren't anchored to a host, enabling it to take different forms and even become invisible to enemies in a way that other symbiotes couldn't. These powers, which allow Sleeper to move freely and avoid capture during times of peril, is an apt reflection of the trademark go-with-the-flow attitude that many Aquarians possess.

Riot is the biggest (and arguably meanest) of the five symbiotes engineered by the Life Foundation. Among its siblings, Riot resembles their progenitor Venom the most, with only its lighter skin color differentiating it from its parent. People born under the water sign Pisces may find that Riot's characteristics match the traits commonly associated with them.

Riot has the ability to move at superhuman speeds, sometimes way too fast for human eyes to process. Similarly, Pisceans are known for their tendency to get things done much faster than other people. However, this ability isn't necessarily because other zodiac signs work slower than them; it's because Pisceans take some time to think about their next steps before leaping into action, helping them to become more efficient at what they do. While some may mistake this "daydreaming" phase as mere laziness or procrastination, it's actually a vital step in the Piscean process.

Moreover, Pisceans are known to be hesitant asking for emotional help, and would rather keep the rest of the world out than let others in. In some cases, this leads Pisceans to become extremely defensive and even aggressive towards others — a characteristic that Riot embodies, particularly in the symbiote's tendency to make itself look extra intimidating by creating bludgeoning weapons and maintaining its hulking frame.