During the Secret Wars limited series, Spider-Man is taken to an alien planet, where he participates in a battle between Earth's greatest heroes and villains. When his suit is destroyed in the fight, Peter sets out to make himself a new one and comes across a machine which conjures him a black suit that responds to his thoughts, provides him an unlimited supply of web-fluid, and can change its appearance at his command. After he returns to Earth, however, Peter discovers that the costume is actually an alien symbiote bent on permanently bonding with its host. Peter eventually rejects and defeats the symbiote, but it merges with reporter Eddie Brock, becoming the villain known as Venom. Brock is imprisoned and removed from his symbiote but then escapes from prison when the symbiote returns. His cell-mate, Cletus Kasady (a serial killer), merges with an infant symbiote that Venom left behind, thus becoming another villain, Carnage.

In the movie, it first coats Spider-Man's costume, giving it a darker/decolored appearance. Later, Peter removes in a bell tower. The symbiote then bonds with Edward "Eddie" Brock, Junior, forming the movie's version of the character Venom.