Next in our series of possible television and film inclusions comes a character who’s alter-ego has been around as long as Spider-Man has. In fact, his original character helped establish how the young Peter Parker was perceived in high school. That character is Eugene “Flash” Thompson, school bully and general pain in the ass to “puny” Peter Parker. A lot of things have changed for “Flash” since then. Recently, he was known as Agent Venom and then as Anti-Venom. How did this come about? How did the former High School QB and thorn in Pete’s backside become a host for one of the symbiotes? Let’s journey back and see.
As previously mentioned, as created by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko, Flash was the Star High School QB, and resident BMOC. Flash’s father was abusive to him as a child which probably explains why he took on some of his father’s bad habits. While he delighted in picking on bookworm Peter Parker, he was Peter’s alter-ego Spider-Man’s biggest fan. In fact he started a fan club in school for the Web-Slinger. This gave Peter some solace that while Flash appeared to hate HIM, he was firmly behind Spider-Man. In time, they become close friends in college after Flash matured. After graduation, he volunteered for the United States Army but is haunted by his combat experiences. Like so many before him, this leads to a bout with alcoholism.
Upon recovering from his affliction and getting his life back together, he volunteers once again, this time for the Iraq War and ends up losing both of his legs while saving his commanding officer. While Flash eventually learns to accept his situation he doesn’t give up hope of his circumstances changing. 
Thus when he is offered an opportunity to merge with the Venom symbiote, he jumps at the chance to regain use of his legs, even if it is the symbiotes mass creating his legs and even if it is only for short periods of time.
He becomes the Government Operative Agent Venom when combined with the symbiote which he controls via drugs. This version premiered in The Amazing Spider-Man #654 (February 2011). Because of the symbiotes powers, Flash could not stay bonded to the Venom symbiote for more than 48 hours at a time, or the symbiote could gain complete control of him. The initial consequences of this are shown during his second mission. After being left on too long. the suit causes Flash to lose control and brutally slaughter a group of enemy agents. It was enforced again during a brawl with the Jack O’Lantern, when the suit had Flash put a grenade in Jack O’Lantern’s mouth. From those examples, Flash knew what the suits limitations were.
During his time as Agent Venom, Flash has come in contact with numerous characters in the Marvel Universe, both good and bad. He has lost and gained the use of the Symbiote numerous times. However, it was during the “Venom Inc.” story arc by writers Mike Costa and Dan Slott and artists Gerardo Sandoval and Ryan Stegman that he went from being Agent Venom to Anti-Venom.
Peter Parker had been working on an antidote to be rid of the Venom Symbiote for good. Spider-Man brought all three, the Symbiote, Eddie Brock and Flash together in an epic showdown. During this conflict, both Brock and Flash attempt to convince the symbiote to bond to them. As they struggled, Spider-Man makes the decision to douse them both with a vat of the Anti-Venom Serum. Instead of destroying the symbiotes, a new Anti-Venom arises joining with Flash Thompson. This allows Brock to rejoin with the Venom Symbiote while Flash remained the Anti-Venom Symbiote as Agent Anti-Venom.
In 2018, the character of Flash Thompson was killed off in Amazing Spider-Man#800. In this storyline, Go Down Swinging, Norman Osborn returns with the Carnage symbiote bonded to him, making him the Red Goblin. He attacks New York City, which brings Silk, Clash, Spider-Man, Human Torch and Agent Anti-Venom to try to stop him. During the conflict, Flash continuously uses his Anti-Venom to heal any of Peter’s friends and family that become infected by the Carnage symbiote. He also
discovers Spider-Man’s secret identity in the process. Eventually, Norman/Red Goblin critically wounds Flash, who can no longer heal due to the amount of times he used the Anti-Venom to save the others. Seeing how bad off Flash is, Peter offers to use the Venom symbiote to heal him. Flash in one last heroic stand, refuses worrying that it would die with him. He tells Peter he will need the edge the Venom symbiote would give him over Norman’s new powers. He dies in Peter’s arms and after Spider-Man defeats Norman, Flash is eulogized by Peter and his friends at his funeral. Peter closes the ceremony by telling Flash: “I’m your number one fan. You’re the hero I look up to.”
While the character of Flash Thompson was killed, as anyone knows who follows comics, that doesn’t mean the end for Agent Venom, Anti-Venom, or Flash Thompson. How many times have we seen a character presumed dead return either through cloning, alternate universes, xeroxing…or whatever method a writer wants to use to revisit a popular character? With that in mind, would you like to see Flash Thompson as Agent Venom make an appearance in his own film or as a guest in another? Share your story ideas with us at GVNation. Also let us know if you enjoy these trips into the files of GVN. Remember, we are only as good as you’re participation allows us to be. So let us know what you think.
Senior Writer at GeekVibesNation – I am a 50 something child of the 70’s who admits to being a Star Trek/Star Wars/Comic Book junkie who once dove head first over a cliff (Ok, it was a small hill) to try to rescue his Fantastic Four comic from a watery grave. I am married to a lovely woman who is as crazy as I am and the proud parent of a 18 year old boy with autism. My wife and son are my real heroes.
