Venom: On Trial #1
Law & Order
Crawling through the sewers, Venom is heading back to his hideout, thinking about all of the things he has done since bonding with his symbiote.[1] When he enters he is suddenly bombarded by a sonic assault from massive speakers that someone has set up in his home while he was gone. With his symbiote writhing in pain, Eddie Brock tries to smash the speakers when he is suddenly ambushed by a SWAT team armed with sonic weapons. With no way of stopping his attackers, Venom tries to flee back into the sewer tunnels. However, he is concerned by Detective Clark who threatens to shoot Brock with Teflon bullets, which will pass through his symbiote and cause harm, unlike conventional bullets. This stand-off only serves as a distraction while Detective Steen has a massive sonic blaster placed overhead and that delivers the final sonic blast that incapacitates Eddie Brock and his symbiote. Finally, after months of hunting, Detectives Clark and Steen have finally captured Venom.[2]
Placing Venom in the back of an armored car equipped with a sound system to keep him weakened, the two detectives rush Brock to a stadium on Randall's Island that has been converted into a prison specially made for Venom.[3] Once Venom is locked in his cell, the Detectives have Doctor Yao inject Brock with drug that interrupts the communication between symbiote and host. The dopamine inhibitors need time to kick in and when they do, Detective Clark insists that they turn off the music. Steen refuses at first until Clark points out that they are causing Eddie undue torture in violation with his human rights. With the music off, they find that the inhibitors are working. Rendered harmless, Eddie tries to appeal to Detective Clark, by trying to convince him that they both stand for the same thing: protecting the innocent. However, Clark isn't buying it, reminding Eddie that he is an appointed officer of the law and that Brock is a lawless vigilante. When Eddie points out that there are other masked heroes out there, Clark reminds him that they are all dead now.[4]
When Clark turns to leave, Eddie demands that he comes back and begins throwing himself against the bars. That's when Brock has another visitor who intends to fill the vacuum created by deaths of Earth's heroes. This man is Bastion who has arrived with his assistant Daryll Smith. After establishing that Eddie Brock is not a mutant he leaves Agent Smith to finish their investigation. Venom recognizes Smith from his recent clash with Dirt Nap.[5] Smith tells Eddie to keep this a secret, as it will give things away. As Smith walks away, Brock demands to know what is going on, but the guards only respond by blasting him with more loud music. Eddie wakes up sometime later to find another visitor at his cell. It is District Attorney Gracia Hidalgo who confirms that Brock has no lawyer or money to pay for one and tells him he'll be assigned a public defender.
Later that evening, Matt Murdock returns home from a patrol as Daredevil. He gets a call from his colleague Rosalind Sharpe who tells him that they are taking on a pro-bono case that will be good PR for their firm. Although Murdock just got off the Mister Hyde case, when he hears that it is the trial for Venom, Matt agrees to take the case.[6]
Recurring Characters
Venom, Detectives Clark and Steen, Bastion, Daryll Smith, Dr. Yao, Rosalind Sharpe, Daredevil
Continuity Notes
Venom remarks that he could have been a good reporter if Spider-Man hadn't ruined his life. As explained in Amazing Spider-Man #300, both Eddie Brock and the Venom Symbiote have hatred toward Spider-Man. The symbiote for his abandonment of it in Web of Spider-Man #1, and Brock because of his interviews with a man alleging to be the serial killer known as the Sin-Eater was exposed as a fraud when Spider-Man caught the real killer circa Peter Parker, The Spectacular Spider-Man #107-110.
Clark and Steen have been trying to arrest Venom since Venom Sinner Takes All #1.
This stadium is depicted as Downing Stadium. Which stood on Randall's Island until hit was torn down in 2002 and subsequently replaced with Icahn Stadium. This, and the reference to Detective Steen seeing Millie Vanilli in concert should be considered topical references per the Sliding Timescale of Earth-616.
At the time of this story, everyone believes that the Fantastic Four and the Avengers had died during Onslaught Marvel Universe #1. In reality, they survived and are living on in a pocket dimension as seen in the Heroes Reborn event. They will ultimately return to their home reality in Heroes Reborn: The Return #1-4.
Venom and Smith met in Venom: Tooth and Claw #3.
Matt Murdock is referring to his then-recent dealings with Mr. Hyde in Daredevil #353-356.
